XT has always been a reliable workhorse and its latest nine-speed incarnation is no exception. It’s been around for a few years now but can still cut it against more recent competition.
Shimano pioneered the magic trick of forging hollow crank arms, and the XT has a distinctive yet smart appearance. At the back of each arm is a rubber lip seal to ward off crudular incursions to the bottom bracket.
The chainrings are a real highlight, especially the cunning carbon/steel composite middle ring, which gives long life and light weight in one hit. Inner and outer rings are aluminium, and you won’t find slicker shifting.
If you’re very short or tall, this is the crankset for you – you can get it in 165 or 180mm arm lengths as well as the usual 170 or 175mm options.