The two biggest, and most commonly found, brands that produce mountain bike drivetrains are Shimano and SRAM. Anyone who has ridden Shimano’s cranks knows just reliable and foolproof they are, but take care to tighten the pinch bolts that secure the left-hand crankarm nice and tight. We stuffed up badly, not torqueing them enough, and off a particularly harsh landing we actually rounded out the splines of the crankarm / axle interface. We stress though that this was our fault entirely, so we say this as a warning to others not to replicate our mistake, not as a criticism! (We said they were foolproof cranks, not Flow-foolproof!) The feel of the shifter under your thumb is really the only immediate giveaway that you’re riding SLX and not a more expensive groupset.

I tested the Shimano SLX M7100 groupset on several bikes including my Yeti SB165 long-term test bike and my personal Marin Alpine Trail XR. One of the most eye-catching elements of the new SLX grouppo are the cranks, which look simply sensational, even better than XTR in our opinion. SLX uses the same crank arm for 1×11 or 2×11 configurations (unlike XTR). Shimano’s 11-speed cassettes are far from light, but that’s no biggie we feel. The SLX cassette comes in 11-40 or 1-24 sizes. As our technological and biomechanical understanding has increased crank arm length can be determined by rider measurements and intended use of the bike. The upside of this electronic shifting is incredible reliability with none of the degradation of shift quality that can occur when cables become stretched or contaminated with dirt and water. Probably of more importance to the average mountain biker is how long the components are expected to last. It’s often the mid-level groupsets such as SLX or GX that have components that, with the right care, can last a long time.There is a vast range of chainring sizes to choose from, with the size being dictated by how many teeth the ring comprises. In simple terms, the more teeth equates to harder gearing but more speed, whilst smaller chainring sizes will provide easier gearing for better climbing prowess. In all in, the new SLX M7000 groupset achieves an unrivalled level of high performance, efficiency, durability and value. Competitive-level technologies found in Shimano’s premium MTB components have been transferred to the new SLX M7000 cranksets, derailleurs, cassettes, shifters, levers, rotors and hubs, letting you focus on what matters, getting maximum fun and enjoyment out of your rides. Longer (175mm+) cranks offer a better mechanical advantage but are harder to turn and so are better suited to taller riders and for more XC oriented bikes. The technology means the crank arms are hollow-forged which, Shimano claims, improves stiffness while reducing overall weight. More affordable than XT, SLX is almost impossible to differentiate in performance terms when riding. Sure, there’s a weight penalty to be had, but the main down grade is the simpler, single-release shifter. Our tip: pair a SLX mech with a XT shifter for the best performance for your cash. Shimano Deore M6100

The shifting from higher tier groupsets is often smoother, more immediate and more precise. This allows them to perform better even under load (when climbing, for example). Whereas a low tier shifting performance might seem more clunky, unreliable or delayed. High end parts will use bearings for pivots, while lower end units will rely more on bushings, which can develop play and get sloppy over time.Shorter travel or more cross country oriented bikes can get away with larger chainring, 34 or 36 tooth being more frequent options. Again, these styles of bikes tend to be more efficient climbers and can cope with faster, more aggressive or out of the saddle climbing. 2. Crank arms – and what length should I go for? SRAM’s NX Eagle uses a standard Shimano HG freehub body for its cassette, so represents a cheaper way to upgrade to 12 gears from 9, 10 or 11 speeds compared to SLX. However, stretching to the Shimano Micro Spline freehub system rewards you with fantastically and evenly spaced gears, something that SRAM’s current cassettes, in my opinion, don’t offer.

The workhorse of the range, and still a much more realistic option for riders than XTR. You get most of the performance and features with a little extra weight. There’s a 12-speed drivetrain with 10-51t cassette, Hollow-forged cranks, a clever shifter with two-way release and multi-shift (allowing you to shift upto four gears at a time, as well as push or pull the release lever to upshift) and two and four-piston brakes. Shimano SLX M7100 Setting the high and low limit screws correctly was also easy, but the 2mm Allen key heads make carrying out the process fiddly. Care needed to be taken to ensure solid engagement between the tool and Allen bolt. A larger Allen head bolt would improve the process.Setting b-tension incorrectly seemed to cause lazy shifting, but didn’t appear to reduce performance as much as incorrectly set b-tension does on SRAM’s systems. SLX M7100 also appeared to be less fussy about this setting compared to Deore M6100. You shouldn’t mix different speed chains and cassettes. Chains, like cassettes wear with use and so should be changed frequently. So how does it ride? The groupset in general is extremely competent to the point of dullness. Everything works as expected and I couldn’t find anything really to complain about. It’s a little heavier than XT, but it’s a little cheaper too. The Shimano CS-M7000 SLX 11-speed cassette 11 - 40T is perfect for 1x and 2x MTB drivetrains, SHIMANO's M7000-11cassette offers Rider Tuned gear steps for maximum cadence control across the varied terrain of mountain biking.