Shimano XTR M9100 Race pedals assessment: High efficiency, sturdy, and first rate worth multi functional

With XC mountain bike racing introducing ever larger drops, the multidirectional forces of rocks, roots, bumps and riders’ energy supply to take care of, XC pedals take a beating. Shimano’s venerable SPD pedals have carried out service off-road for the reason that Nineties, and this XTR Race M9100 mannequin represents its try at a suitably resilient XC-based pedal.

While they’re ostensibly mountain bike pedals, the double-sided design (amongst different causes) signifies that gravel and even street cyclists favour these as a flexible, all-season possibility. Testing these in late winter within the UK, in all these situations, should put them to a correct beating, and reveals why they’ve been a long-time inclusion in our information to the most effective gravel bike pedals as the most effective total possibility. 

Design and Aesthetics 

Straight out of their discreet, tactile, ‘rock’-patterned field, there’s a reassuringly strong feeling to the XTR M9100 pedals. With a minimal aesthetic – all teflon-coated metal, chro-moly metal axle, chromed bolts and hefty fixings – there’s little to cover behind, which makes the strong machining all of the extra obvious. Sure, that is XC racing, which has more and more turned in direction of lighter weight elements. However, I really feel like pedals connote safety and I’d reasonably have strong pedals and light-weight every thing else. Shimano, too, locations ‘sturdy’ earlier than ‘light-weight’ in its blurb, which is reassuring. 

A pair of solid metal cleats are included, 4 hex screws with reassuringly massive M4 hex sockets, a pair of spacers for extra deeply-treaded footwear, and a succinct instruction guide full the set. Initial set-up is intuitive, as is commonly the case with Shimano merchandise. The drive aspect and non-drive aspect pedals are clearly indicated. The M2.5 bolts to regulate clipping-in pressure are set to most out of the field, however I discover loosening them a lot of the approach leaves them greater than sufficiently tight for gravel duties in the event you’re not usually partaking in sprints. The cleats have a great deal of adjustability left and proper, however fore/aft goes to rely in your footwear. All simple, all of the extra to get you out the door ASAP.

For what it’s price, the hole axle and minimal design make some nods in direction of weight discount. Shimano claims a weight of 310 grams per pair, and my residence scales measured them at 312 grams. This is extra hefty than the Crankbros Eggbeater 3, however for gravel pedals it is nonetheless fairly gentle.

Performance 

Heading out the door, that strong development interprets to a characteristically tactile, mechanical clipping-in motion: click-clack-clunk, reasonably just like the bolts on the gates of Helm’s Deep for any Lord of the Rings followers on the market. This constructive motion is nice for the city stops and begins heading to the paths, but additionally good to lean on when using off-road. 

My XC bike is a singlespeed, inflexible 29er, which implies lots of stamping closely on the pedals and no aid from suspension. Twisting, turning, bouncing and bunny-hopping spherical my native forest trails, rooty and filled with awkward turns, I might flip my foot so far as the pedals would permit, utilizing the pedals themselves to flick my rear wheel left or proper. Frequently, I might lean my foot towards the pedals on a nook with out unclipping, with loads of tactile suggestions on how a lot stress to use. All this, and my ft stayed firmly connected till I needed.

I did miss a ‘cage’ across the pedals, although, just like the Shimano M8120 XT pedals I usually use. This was not as problematic with stiffer-soled XC or Gravel footwear, however on my flexible-soled MTB footwear I might distinctly really feel the pedal physique urgent into my ft on bumps. The lack of a cage turned barely extra of a problem within the winter mud, after placing a foot down for steadiness; with a cage I can normally pedal off afterwards with out clipping in absolutely, however sans-cage there’s simply not sufficient pedal. You’d finest practise your method.

The lack of foot assist was additionally subtly evident throughout longer street and gravel rides. Perhaps this was as a result of prolonged time in a single place and foot-pedal angle, however after two or three hours I had a definite ‘ghost’ sensation of stress mid-foot. For the comparatively small addition of 95 grams, the XTR M9120 mannequin addresses this shortcoming and provides a couple of cms of steel helps across the pedal physique.

I had many alternatives to check Shimano’s declare of a ‘mud-shedding’ design. After a couple of hours across the thick Warwickshire clay, clipping again in with mud undersole turns into nigh-impossible. A couple of agency kicks are normally sufficient to free the worst of it, however the intricate clipping mechanism tends to retain thicker mud. A great hosing-down normally eliminates this simply.

These, like a lot of the Shimano SPD vary, are very serviceable. The full steel axle spindle threads firmly into the pedal physique, there are distinct spanner flats to undo them for service, and my coronary heart was gladdened go see Torx – not hex – bolts holding the pedal elements collectively. While the take a look at interval of some months didn’t do way more than cosmetically scratch them, I’ve run older fashions for many years with no hassle. The exhausting scratch-plates on both finish are normally the one issues to put on, as seen right here.

Value

The world of light-weight off-road clipless pedals is well-contested. On one finish there are the Nukeproof Horizon CS Ti and Hope’s Union RC, with titanium axles and aluminium alloy our bodies. Crank Brothers’ Eggbeater 3s are amongst the lightest with easy stainless-steel clips, however little or no foot assist. Otherwise, its Mallet and Candy pedals have extra construction however a composite development and softer brass cleats that compromise on sturdiness. 

In phrases of worth, at an RRP of £140, the Shimano XTR M9100 undercut virtually each considered one of their rivals – and so they’re fairly often bought for cheaper along with performing excellently. 

Verdict 

Against different XC and gravel clipless pedals, the Shimano XTR M9100s stand out as no-nonsense, sturdy, even boring. That they handle to be amongst the lightest, most generally adopted and the most effective worth amongst the highest tier choices should banish any issues relating to type. 

They’re a workhorse pedal in the absolute best approach whereas nonetheless being excessive efficiency, and consumers can go away understanding that they are going to keep connected quietly underfoot regardless of the myriad abuse thrown at them.