The Shimano XTR RD-M972 'Shadow' specific rear derailleur features a lower profile body with direct cable routing, stronger spring, and redesigned bracket to avoid chainstay contact. It also has a wide link parallelogram design which allows for more rigidity and more precise shifting. It features:
Designed for 11-32 and 11-34 cassettes only.
Carbon cage and aluminum B-attachment with a Top-Normal return spring (ideal for RapidFire Shifters)
Wide link parallelogram design increases rigidity and service life
P-body rubber bumper reduces noise and adds durability
4 flourine coated link pivot bushings minimize friction
Aluminum construction with sealed bearing 11 tooth pulleys to reduce wear by alternating tooth contact
Speed: 9 speed
Min/Max rear cog: 11/34T
Capacity:
o 33T (GS Medium Cage)
o 45T (SGS Long Cage)
Weight:
o 180 grams (GS Medium Cage)
o 185 grams (SGS Long Cage)
Submitted by
Taco188
a Cross Country Rider
from Albuquerque, NM.
Date Reviewed: December 10, 2011
Strengths: Crisp shifts, Light weight, Strong for intended use
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Crisp shifting smooth operation stylish and ultra-light weight. Used for rocky terrain, washboards, and sand. This derailleur is one tough customer. Much tougher than I thought.
Bike Setup: specialized epic s-works full XTR drive train
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
ineffable
a Weekend Warrior
from Connecticut
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2011
Strengths: Light and shifts well with Shimano trigger shifters.
Weaknesses: The derailleur is too flimsy for any serious mountain biking. The pivot arm is weaker than the derailleur hanger it attaches to; I had one bend without any impact (i.e., just due to load), sending the cage into the spokes. The carbon fiber cage is similarly underdesigned. Mine snapped below the bottom pulley when cleanly landing a small jump. Given that the derailleur did not hit anything during the jump--in fact, it had never been hit (the bike was new)--this is inexcusable.
Bottom Line:
The derailleur is only suitable for a road bike or a mountain bike that spends all day on a digital scale. Get an XT or a SRAM instead.
Strengths: Effortless shifts, 450 miles and only one minor adjustment needed due to cable stretch
Weaknesses: None. Get this derailleur!
Bottom Line:
Great derailleur. This is for the 2011 M-980 series med cage on a 11-36T cassette. Took ten minutes to install and get set up and only once in 450 miles has needed any adjustment. Get this derailleur. Much better feel than XO. Been banged on rocks a couple times and still never needed any work. Ain't cheap though
Submitted by
Arider
a Cross Country Rider
from Reno, NV, USA
Date Reviewed: December 14, 2010
Strengths: Light weight. Reliable. Best shifting deraileur I've used.
Weaknesses: Still falls somewhat short of totally seamless shifting - difficult to 'get it right' in all 3 chainrings with all nine cogs.
Bottom Line:
Maybe I've been lucky, but in 18 months I haven't had any problems with the XTR Shadow deraileur. I ride 2-4 times/week all year in the Sierra's and western Nevada, much of it very rocky and rough terrain. I ride aggressively, but am a fairly 'light' rider. I've had to add protection to the underside of the frame downtube and BB, but haven't had any concerns with the rear deraileur.
I also clean and lube the deraileur and chain after every ride.
Bike Setup: Pretty stock Cannondale Carbon Rush. Replaced original chain with KMC X9SL Superlight.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
matsgone
a Cross Country Rider
from quebec, canada
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2010
Strengths: Well.....
Weaknesses: Broke the cage on the first ride, WITHOUT hitting anything.....its a real joke!!!
Bottom Line:
Shimano should make a recall because everyone I talk to, has had the same disastrous experience within the first 3 rides. This is a real joke, DO NOT BUY THIS PIECE OF CRAP!!!
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2010
Strengths: None So Far
Weaknesses: Came on bike, snapped carbon cage on first ride, replaced it at cost because I worked in a shop and it really doesn't shift well. Either shifts well in higher or lower gears, but not both.
Bottom Line:
I have never had a rear derailleur break, nor have I ever had a rear derailleur not shift perfectly with good housing. It's pretty pathetic.
Submitted by
enu9
a Racer
from west palm beach, florida, usa
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2010
Strengths: looks cool
Weaknesses: isnt stable at all
Bottom Line:
this derailer has frustrated me more then my wife. this thing is not for me at all. i dont have much good to say about it. somebody talked me into springing for a sram xo set up and i wish i had been turned on to sram shifters and derailers a long time ago.
Submitted by
ashka1000
a Downhiller
from brisbane, qld,australia
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2009
Strengths: good all round, quick shifts, design keeps the derailler well away from trouble (better than standard anyway)light yet strong (not flimsy). Looks great also (for the show ponies).Great cable feed stop you from having a massive loop of cable flapping in the breeze.
Weaknesses: none yet haven't had any problems with it yet
Bottom Line:
exellent but a bit on the expensive side.big bling factor.
Submitted by
junglist_matty
a Weekend Warrior
from Cambridge, UK
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2009
Strengths: Light
Weaknesses: Very Weak, Easy to brake
Bottom Line:
First off, this mech slips all the time over rougher ground. I've never hit my mech on anything (rocks, logs etc.) but after just 8 months the swing arm lost all spring tension; the cage went horizontal and the chain went slack.
There is a tab on either end of the inner spring; this tab is prone to popping out of the hole releasing the inner spring and the swing arm goes limp!
Waste of money, don't bother with this mech, its just a real pain to setup and a rubbish on the trails, great mech if your never going to take your bike somwhere with rough terrain, but that little tab will come loose after repeated use on rough terrain and you will end up with a useless mech half way round a 30km trail... Not fun.
Weaknesses: Cage is super delicate, replacement parts are extremely pricey
Bottom Line:
The cage got whacked by a piece of wood while I was riding, not very hard mind you, and the bottom part of the carbon cage snapped. While the light carbon is cool and aggressive in weight reduction, it doesn't really stand up against the rough riding associated with anything mountain. Go with the SLX or the XT Shadow, both have metal cages and wont break if you look at them wrong like carbon will.
Submitted by
Pilot
a Cross Country Rider
from Chatsworth, CA
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2009
Strengths: Light, low profile
Weaknesses: Flawed design
Bottom Line:
Like another reviewer, I have problems with the chain coming off the upper pulley on hard shifts. I have put many thousands of miles on the older XTR derailleurs and SRAM X.0 and never had this problem. This design holds a lot of promise, but Shimano needs to address this flaw.
Weaknesses: carbon cage broke during rough climb causing the chain pull the derailleur around the spocket, thereby twisting the derailleur on the hanger enough so that it can't be used. Shimano's engineers need to get out and test ride their designs so that we don't have to do it form them. Oh... I almost forgot... that little "bridging" pin designed to keep the carbon separated... well it clogs with mud which also resulted in a broken hanger. Sad shimano, really sad.
Weaknesses: design problem - chain falls off upper shifter wheel
Bottom Line:
there is a design problem that shimano has to correct. Chain falls off upper deraileur wheel all the time. if you are having this problem which I here lots of people are be sure shimano hears so problem is corrected. Go with the sram carbon xo or go with the xt deraileaur till problem is fixed.
Submitted by
Ben Lennon
a Cross Country Rider
from Windham, VT, USA
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2009
Strengths: I have run XTR for years now and have been a die-hard rapid-rise fan. I ride a mix of cross country and free ride, so the appeal of the low profile Shadow was too good to pass up. The shifting was smooth and precise. Easy to set up and just go.
Weaknesses: First the short cage is not short enough. I trashed the lower pulley guide on the carbon cage first ride out on a rock. It was still useable so I ran it for another 3 months babing it before I finally ripped the upper pulley in half. Strange since the carbon cage was still intact. I swapped to a XT shadow for the rest of the season and had no problems. The aluminum cage was bomb proof, but I still wish it was a little shorter.
Bottom Line:
Shimano needs to seriously look into offering an alternative aluminum cage for the XTR shadow at a lower price. I am personally swapping to a Saint shadow for the rear derailleur.
Strengths: Faster than fast, smooth, precise, light, bling, top-quality.
Weaknesses: None yet.
Bottom Line:
Great product from Shimano at a fair price compared to X.0.
I don't have a lot of rocks to smash the carbon cage so no worries there. Run great no matter how much I stress it. Uphill, downhill and in acceleration, just epic shifting. Shimano is my favorite choise.
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