Shimano XTR M9100 12 Speed Shifter: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Shimano's new XTR 12 speed drivetrain is the highest-end offering from Shimano. With sharp precise shifting, extremely good looks, and a huge gear range, it's no wonder why the Shimano XTR 9100 is so popular. The Shimano XTR 9100 shifter handles all the action up front and has great feel and actuation. Below we have a review from Thanh, on why he decided to upgrade to Shimano XTR 12 speed. 

Thanh's Review:

The verdict is in…Shimano’s 12-Speed drive train components really set the bar for shifting performance under power. Hands down! It holds its true identification of HYPERGLIDE+. As with all Shimano components, there are different tier levels (e.g XT, XTR) for build quality, the material used, weight and overall aesthetics. And this XTR M9100 shifter lever does not disappoint in the XTR grade category. Below is a picture of what the XTR M9100 12-speed shifter lever comes with.

On the looks, the clamp changed to a black color compared with the silver clamp that can be found in the XTR M9000 11-speed shifter. There is now a rubber grip pad on the shift lever itself, making a very comfortable placement and usage feel for your thumbs. An interesting tidbit is that only on the XTR M9100 model that this pad can be replaced. The XT M8100 12-speed shifter’s rubber lever pad is permanently situated in place and cannot be replaced. Furthermore, the overall form factor is a bit larger and a little tad heavier in overall packaging compared with the M9000 XTR 11-speed shifter. But the performance is day and night. Period.

Setup & On-trail Review:

I found the shifting to be way more accurate, precise, and tight for a lack of a better description. Each shift/click is more defined in movement than its M9000 XTR 11-speed predecessor. And to add to it, when the shifter is combined with the XTR RD-M9100 12-speed rear derailleur and respective 12-speed cassette, the shifting is just seamless. There are times when I would shift and didn’t even feel the shifting take place! That’s how smooth it is. However, one thing to note is that the shift cable adjustment during installation will require a bit more attention than its predecessor. I found that I didn’t have to make the shifter cable that taut during installation and that the cable tension adjustment made a huge difference in getting all the 12 shift positions smooth, full-range, and consistent. Once the sweet spot is found, the shifting is just awesome. And to top things off, you can select between 11-speed and 12-speed shift configurations. I only tried the 12-speed setup, however.

Final Thoughts:

After upgrading all my components to the XTR 12-speed configuration, I will attest that the control, feel and shifting is indeed very tight and to the point. What a shifting ecosystem should be. This is a true testament on what you have read on the web and also what folks are saying within the MTB community threads. Shimano really did wonders this time for its 12 speed offerings. Words can’t describe. You just need to get yourself on one of these and see for yourself!