Nearly 5 years after its road predecessor, Shimano has officially announced the arrival of the mountain version of its Di2. The system will use a battery and retain the wiring, a system already proven for Ultegra and Dura-Ace Di2 road groupsets.
Aware that of all its customers, mountain bikers are the most reluctant to commit to new technologies, Shimano subjected its new electronic groupset to the most rigorous tests to prove beyond a doubt, even to the most skeptical, the increased reliability and efficiency of this new version of Shimano XTR, compared to the mechanical version. Tested in racing by the most demanding users, once they got used to it, riders declared that they would not want to go back to the mechanical version for anything in the world.
OVERVIEW of the new SHIMANO XTR Di2
Unlike mechanical systems that use cables to move the chain from one sprocket (or chainring) to another, the derailleur of this groupset is programmed to remember where each sprocket or chainring is located, and when activated, the derailleur sends an electrical impulse to move the chain exactly where it needs to be. Also, the rear derailleur communicates with the front derailleur, and the latter automatically compensates for the chain angle when it is in a cross-chain situation, something no mechanical system can do.
Ergonomic and compact, the "Firebolt shifters" of the groupset are a great design success and take up little space on the handlebar. They can be individually adjusted, and since they can rotate around the handlebar, they can be positioned at an angle that suits each cyclist.
Shimano ensures faster and more efficient shifting with its Di2. However, the strong point of the new groupset is the Synchro Shift system, which allows the rider to control both derailleurs simultaneously with just one lever. Simply press up or down for the transmission to shift and maximize gear changes. This allows the rider to focus on something other than shifting and gives them complete freedom to concentrate on the technical aspects of the course and bike handling!
From a technical point of view, the new XTR Di2 is compatible with the crankset, cassette, and chain of the XTR M9000 groupset.
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