Shimano have just this very second got in touch with something for immediate release: They’re going to be making Deore XT brakes with four pistons, as well as shorter 165mm Deore XT cranks. Partly, these are aimed at ebikes, with their extra power and heavier weight making beefier brakes necessary and shorter cranks more possible for most riders. They also open up more possibilities for riders of all bikes who happen to be shorter, heavier, or more aggressive though.
Mention of ebikes inevitably raises danders, but these aren’t ebike specific standards; they’ll fit on any mountain bike, and it’s nice to see the options widen for everyone.
The new calipers will apparently be backwards compatible with existing XT M8000 levers. We’ve asked for UK pricing and will update this accordingly if Shimano Europe have it yet.
Full release:
“Shimano introduces two new product specifications for the e-bike and enduro/trail market; new 165mm E-MTB Hollowtech crank arms (FC-M8050) and 4-piston hydraulic disc brake calipers (BR-M8020).
“The new hydraulic brake calipers are in line with DEORE XT components designed for a more aggressive riding style. The brakes feature Shimano’s ICE TECHNOLOGIES heat management system through its caliper design, compatible rotors and pads.
“Much like Shimano’s regular 2-piston M8000 brakes, One-Way Bleeding and reach and free stroke adjustment are possible. The difference comes now with four ceramic pistons which offer an increase in stopping power over the regular BR-M8000 brake unit.”
Comments (8)
Comments Closed
Interested in those calipers. Can they be connected to the current levers or will they need a dedicated master cylinder?
I’ve asked, and will update you if I get an answer!
Okay: Still waiting on UK pricing, but the answer is apparently yes, they’ll work with existing XT M8000 levers.
Excellent, thanks for the update Nach.
Have they taken the opportunity to fix the variable bite point problem too?
More often than not that’s just a bad bleed wrongly attributed to an issue which only affected a couple of models. Early latest model XTR and XT did have issues which are now fixed. I’ve got both – both had problems, both now fixed with replacement levers.
That looks surprisingly similar to the Zee caliper I have mounted up on an XT lever on the front of my Bird Aeris.
Ooo, double the amount of pistons to get stuck in the great British weather! Never, ever, had an issue with Hope X2s even on long Alp descents.