I need help with Shimano I-spec

I’ve got a new Shimano shifter that unbeknown to me at the time of ordering has no clamp to attach it with bars.

Shimano XTR M980 Rapidfire Pod 10 Speed Shifter

After trying to read about online all I can conclude is that this tech is know as I-spec, there are two variations of it, both A and B and that I should be able to use the shifter without a compatible Shimano brake.

Does anybody know what I need to add to this to get it together? I have a new pair of Magura MT Trail brakes.

I’ve looked about online and it is absolutely mystfying so far. Shimano don’t appear to sell a mount for the shifter in so far as I can tell.

I did find this but the configurations are confusing and I cannot tell what I need.
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/shiftmount

I suspect I know the answer to this already but is this only an issue with Shimano or do SRAM and others also do this too now?

Thanks

there are two variations of 

There are 4 variations.

I would be tempted to send it back. The i-spec thing is so confusing

I have no option to send back unfortunately as I left it too long without realising.

I have found this which appears to be the solution, however I’m now reading that some people have had an issue with the right sided option placing the shifter lever to far away from the thumb so they instead go for the left hand side version which brings it back in.

I really don’t want to have to order both just to try them out. Does anybody have experience with this?

ordered the right hand option for £20. Hopefully it works out OK. I will report back once its arrived.

the latest shimano M _100 ie M9100 / M8100 (12 speed) are Ispec EV
M _000’s ie M8000 (11 speed) are Ispec II
the 10 speed tend to be ispec A or B

I’d say your models M980 is an ispec B

for all shifter models a bar clamp is available, but its likely sale stock will be end of line so the ispec model that fits to levers, Hope tech make them to fit to the Tech E4s for both shimano and Sram.

companies like Sjs cycles stock adaptors,
seems to be an old thread on
https://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=188081

this seems so arcane given the tiny benefit you get of a tidier cockpit + a few grams.

I’ll see what happens when I receive the mount that I have ordered arrives.

thanks for the info

I think this will do it – https://r2-bike.com/MAGURA-Matchmaker-Shiftmix-Shimano-I-Spec-right

Hi,the shifter you have is either Ispec A(with a hook) or Ispec B(without a hook). The hook can be filed off an A to make it a B. Neither are compatible with the other Ispec standards (I, II, EV).
I was looking to do a similar thing a couple of months ago, and the only compatible levers I could find we’re Hope Tech3, and old Shimano. Ispec B bolt direct to Hope. I couldn’t find any suitable adapters from Problem Solvers, wolftooth etc to work with them & other brake levers.

If it’s the ones chainreaction were selling cheap recently then I believe it’s ispec b (I bought a set and went through the same learning curve)

Bit easier for me as turns out my older deore brakes have ispec b connectors and you just screw the mech in. Pretty neat really.

Good luck!

The magura clamp fits instead of the silver section on the shifter, you’ll need to undo the little philips screws, pop the top off then remove the internal screw that holds the silver alloy part to the plastic shifter top section, you can also find an XT m780 or Saint m820 top section will fit, if anyone has a broken or working bar mount shifter version going cheap you could swap the top section over.

Ignore first bit above, totally wrong, too late to edit.

Following this….

I suffered from this. I had shimano brakes. I took a bolt and filed the sides to make it fit and just used a nut on the other side. There’s a few videos on line to show you. Doesn’t help with magura though, sorry. The official adapters were £15 each and I was running a front mech at the time.

I wanted an I spec ii 10 speed shimano shifter, only available one is a deore shifter. I was hesitant to buy a deore shifter as I’ve always had an xt shifter but couldn’t tell the difference. I guess new deore is as good as old xt now.

Let us know if the bit you buys works.

I wanted an I spec ii 10 speed shimano shifter, only available one is a deore shifter. I was hesitant to buy a deore shifter as I’ve always had an xt shifter but couldn’t tell the difference. I guess new deore is as good as old xt now.

If you are buying a new shifter anyway just get bar mount then you don’t have the same problem again and again

If you are buying a new shifter anyway just get bar mount then you don’t have the same problem again and again

I like the clean look of all in one. I like that everything comes off in one. You can run shorter cables too. My dropper lever is ispec ii too.

I’d say ispec B too. I have the same shifter in the drawer.

As #whatyadoinsucka says, SJS are where you should be looking for a bar clamp.

Yuo can still send stuff back to CRC – long as its not used. Its their own fault for having such a useless description – not including which iSpec it is is useless. Does look like ‘B’ to me though, cos ii has a little scoop bit to fit inside the clamp.
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/shimano-i-spec-a-b-and-ii-mounts-explained/

Merlin have the i spec clamp for 13 quid odd. order it tomorrow you’ll have it monday. tuesday if they’re having a bad day…

I have finally gotten around to purchasing the Magura I Spec Clamp and dissapointy, as suspected by comments made elsewhere, the right hand clamp option does position the shifters triggers a fraction too far away from the thumb for true one finger braking. I can probally live with it as this will be 2nd rig that I’ll be using for getting about but it’s very annoying. Suggestions are that the left hand option will fit the right side and moves the triggers in towards the thumb but at this stage I resent having to spend more cash on the thing.

I am really struggling to see how Shimano keep geting away with stuff like this. I understand they want to drive innovation but with this, unless I missing something they seem to be finding a solution to a problem that nobody was asking to solve. The genius of it from their perspective too is how they have somehow made the brake manufacturers issue.

Does this help?
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/technologies/component/details/i-spec.html

It does seem odd they keep changing i-spec to different spacing / fixings.

Sram matchmaker has been the same for ages. All the Levels / Guides / Codes I’ve had are all the same type of hinged bar clamp and the little matchmaker things just slots into it and you bolt the shifter to it. I don’t see why it needs to be any more complicated than that (although the match maker doofer is ridiculously expensive for what it is).

Try running an old 11 speed Shimano shifter with the new I spec ev style brakes 😕 Clamp sits in the wrong place and there’s no backwards compatibility with older versions of I spec.