Polygon Cozmic CX3.0: Shimano XTR M9100 1x12 Speed Drivetrain

I have been trying out different 12 speed groupsets on my Polygon Cozmic CX3.0 MTB, just to compare and feel the differences between them.

The S-Ride 1x12 speed was the first one to be tested, as it was the only upgrade available at that time (August 2018), because SRAM NX Eagle was not available yet. After that, the SRAM NX Eagle 1x12 speed upgrade kit was tested.

Finally we move on to the XTR 1x12 speed setup, which should work better than the other two 12 speed groupsets as it is the top of the range MTB groupset from Shimano. Let's try it out and see how it goes.

XTR RD-M9100 12 speed rear derailleur

There is no longer an extra adapter on the rear derailleur, like other Shadow type rear derailleurs.

Clutch mechanism, with the lever to turn it on and off.

Cable fixing bolt at the inner link of the rear derailleur.

View of the cage set. The guide pulley has a big offset from the rotation axle of the cage set, so that it can reach the larger sprockets of the cassette.

The 51T marking on the cage is useful for adjusting the B-tension, to maintain the correct distance between the sprocket and the guide pulley for optimum shifting performance.

Other than the 12 speed rear derailleur, a 12 speed shifter is also needed. At this point in time (July 2019), only the XTR 12 speed shifter was available, as Deore XT and SLX is not available yet.

XTR SL-M9100 12 speed shifter

The XTR logo is printed at this location, so that it is visible from the rider's point of view.

Both the main lever and release lever have a rubber pad for extra grip during shifting.

The initial design of this shifter has a switch for the user to select 12 or 11 speeds, as there was going to be a 11 speed cassette as well. However, the 11 speed cassette was later cancelled, and newer shifters no longer have this selector switch.

Slim clamp band and ergonomically placed shifting levers.

This time, I will only be changing the rear derailleur and shifter, while still using the 12 speed 11-50T S-Ride cassette and 12 speed YBN chain from the S-Ride groupset. This is because I am not able to use the 10-51T Shimano cassette, as a new Microspline freehub is needed.

At the same time, I decided to change to a new flat handlebar on the MTB, since I am changing out the shifter as well. This is a slightly wider handlebar that will improve the control on off-road trails.

PRO Koryak aluminium handlebar, with 720 mm width and a slight 8 mm of rise.

The guide lines for cutting the handlebar, if you need to shorten it. 

XTR 12 speed rear derailleur assembled on the bike!

Still using the old 12 speed 11-50T cassette and the 12 speed chain.

12 speed drivetrain! Front crankset is the SLX FC-M7000 with a 34T chain ring. As you can see the drivetrain is a mish-mash of parts from different brands and grades.

XTR 12 speed shifter installed, with the logo visible from the rider's point of view.

Still using the same old Deore M615 brake levers.

A picture of the MTB outside, while testing the new 12 speed setup.

Nice scenery of the CBD area, while along the Singapore River.

Another view of the bike.

The XTR 12 speed shifter and rear derailleur works well, but it will still mis-shift sometimes, I think due to the S-Ride cassette. The spacing between the sprockets does not seem to match the movement of the rear derailleur fully, as it is not a Shimano 12 speed MTB cassette.

Otherwise, the shifting feeling of the 12 speed shifter works really well, with very positive clicks during shifting.

Shimano RX8 Gravel Shoes - Silver Camo

As you may have realized from reading this blog that I am quite into gravel riding these days. The general idea of gravel riding is to ride light off-road trails on a road bike, and you can read a more detailed description here.

For gravel riding, most riders that use cleats will use SPD type of cleats, which are used for MTB and off-road riding. SPD-SL cleats which are for road bikes are hardly used for gravel riding, as the ability to walk properly is greatly compromised. Here is an article that I wrote some years back, but it is still as relevant. SPD-SL pedals and cleats also clog up more easily with mud, which will prevent you from clipping in normally.

I like to use SPD cleats and shoes, even on my road bike, as I want to be able to walk normally even when I am off the bike. I cannot do that if I use SPD-SL road shoes. Therefore, all my bikes either have a dual-sided SPD pedal such as the PD-M9020 or a SPD/flat dual sided pedal, such as the PD-A530.

The downside of using SPD shoes is that they are designed for off-road riding, which means there are large lugs on the sole, plus they use thicker and tougher material for off-road durability. This results in a shoe that is heavier and also looks too rugged for me.

I have previously used the RT82 Road Touring Shoe, which looks more like a road shoe but with SPD cleats. It works well, but it was discontinued a couple of years ago and I could not find a suitable replacement from Shimano.

After looking at other brands, I found a good looking one from Scott, which is the Scott MTB Elite Boa shoe. It looks less rugged, with nice colours and also has the Boa dial which makes it so much easier to put on or take off the shoe with one hand.

This year, the gravel dedicated groupset GRX was launched, and as part of the gravel setup, there is also a dedicated gravel shoe, the RX8 (SH-RX800). What makes it special is that it is a hybrid of road shoes and MTB shoes. Let's take a look and see what makes it so unique, and why I decided to get it.

RX8 Gravel Shoe!

Looks good! With a simple velcro strap at the front and a single Boa dial for adjustment, almost the same as the Scott MTB Elite Boa shoe.

RX8 logo clearly seen at the top. 

Very interesting silver camouflage pattern! Looks better in person and under sunlight. Very unique design.

Lots of holes for ventilation, we shall see how effective they are.

The Boa dial has a transparent cover, but I can't really see how the mechanism works.

The top part of the shoe looks very much like a road shoe, with the sleek and minimalist design with no seams.

SPD cleat mounting point, with printed lines that makes it easy to align the left and right cleats to the exact same position. The carbon sole stiffness is rated at 10 out of 12 which makes it really stiff.

Rubber lugs are small and of minimum size and height to reduce the weight of the shoe. Carbon shank extends throughout the whole shoe to make it stiff like a road shoe.

Shoes look really narrow but it fits well once the foot is inside.

There is an elastic strap that helps to wrap the top of the shoe over the top of the foot. However, it also makes it more difficult to wear the shoe.

The shoe weighs 284 grams, including the cleat nut (plate) but excluding the cleats and bolts. The claimed weight of 265 grams per side probably excludes the cleat nut weight.

Weight of the pair of cleats and bolts is 51 grams.

With the cleats installed. I fine tuned the adjustment on one side by repeatedly setting it and testing it, until I was happy with it. Then, I used the printed lines to replicate the setting on the other side.

With the cleats installed, one shoe weighs 309 grams.

In comparison, the Scott shoe weighs 416 grams, which is more than 100 grams heavier just on one side!

Comparing the weight, the RX8 is 25% lighter than the Scott shoe, which is very impressive. The total weight difference for a pair is more than 200 grams, which is quite a lot for just a pair of shoes.

That said, although I can feel the weight difference when holding the shoes, I can't really feel the weight difference when wearing it and pedaling with it. Let's do more comparison pictures to see how the RX8 differs from the Scott shoe.

Both are EU Size 42, but the shape appears to be totally different. Although the RX8 looks longer, it is just an illusion as the size is correct once the foot is inside. It fits my foot nicely with no need to increase or decrease the shoe size compared to my normal running shoes.

Both are using Boa dials that can be adjusted both ways for fine adjustments. The RX8 has two overlapping, asymmetric tongues, while the Scott has a traditional tongue in the centre, with the Boa wire passing through both sides symmetrically.

The RX8 looks just like a road shoe, compared to the Scott which looks tougher like a MTB shoe. The front part of the RX8 is also slightly higher to make it easier to walk with the stiff sole.

Rear view of the shoes. The RX8 has a stiff and supportive cup that fits my heel perfectly, to prevent it from slipping out even when the Boa dial is not fully tightened.

Front view of the shoes. The Scott has a "scuff plate" at the front to minimize damage to the shoe when walking off-road, while the RX8 does not, to save weight.

The soles look very different, as the RX8 has minimal lugs to simulate a road shoe, while the Scott shoe has many lugs spaced widely for more stable walking when off-road. There is an extra rubber layer in the middle of the RX8 to prevent the foot from slipping off the pedal if not clipped in.

The RX8 is a good looking gravel shoe, perfect for those who want to use SPD cleats, but want the appearance and low weight of a road shoe.

Highlights of this RX8 Gravel Shoe:
1) Lightweight, at over 100 grams lighter per side, compared to the the Scott MTB Elite Boa.
2) Easy to use Boa dial with two way adjustment possible.
3) Close fitting heel cup and tongue to cradle the foot securely.
4) Stiff carbon sole to improve power transfer, I can feel the difference when pedaling hard.
5) Great looking silver camouflage colour, and a nice road shoe appearance.
6) Appearance matches well with a road bike, but with SPD cleats for more walking convenience.

Issues I had with this RX8 Gravel Shoe:
1) Tongue of the shoe extends quite far back, making it a bit uncomfortable as the top of my foot is quite high. This makes the tongue "bite" into the top of my foot when the ankle is bent all the way up. Solution is to loosen the shoe slightly.
2) Elastic strap on the inside of the shoe makes it more difficult to insert the foot into the shoe.
3) Lugs on the sole can be placed slightly wider apart, to provide more stability when walking, as I have rolled my ankles a few times when the shoe rotated outwards when walking.
4) Stiff sole makes it less comfortable to walk compared to the Scott shoes.

Overall, this RX8 is a hybrid between road shoes and MTB shoes. It is mostly a road shoe, but with MTB SPD cleats and some lugs for ease of walking. This makes it lightweight (530 grams per pair), as it is just about 50 grams heavier than the top end RC9 S-Phyre road shoes (486 grams per pair). Weight is excluding any cleats or cleat nuts.

I am happy with this RX8 gravel shoes, as it has everything that I want in a cycling shoe. Now, I just need to get used to the stiffness of the shoe as I have not used a stiff road cycling shoe before, with my previous shoes all being MTB shoes that are more flexible.

Looks good on gravel and in the sunlight! 

Silver camouflage pattern blends in well with loose gravel.

Bike Friday HaD: DIY Headset Tightening Tool

After riding my Bike Friday Haul-A-Day for a few months, I noticed that there was a bit of play in the headset. This can be detected when you operate the front brake lever, and rock the handlebar back and fro. If there is looseness, you will feel a distinct knocking feeling around the headset area.

The special thing about this Haul-A-Day headset and fork design is that the handlepost can be inserted all the way through the middle of the steerer tube. This allows for a great range of handlepost height adjustment.

However, this also means that there is no traditional star nut inserted into the middle of the steerer tube, which is necessary to pre-load the headset in combination with the top cap. Bike Friday recommends using their special headset tool to pre-load the headset.
The instructions for using this special tool can be found at this link (Page 28).
https://www.bikefriday.com/folding-bikes/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/HaulaDay.manual-2018.pdf

This tool basically compresses the headset from the outside, instead of from the inside with a star nut.

I don't have this special tool, so I have to think of some other ways to tighten the headset. I used an expander plug, which is commonly used for carbon steerer tubes, as it prevents damage to the inside of the steerer tube, unlike a traditional star nut.

Theoretically, once the expander plug is mounted tightly inside the steerer tube, I can pre-load the headset by using normal stem spacers and the top cap. It will work the same way as standard steerer tubes and stems.

However, in reality, once I tighten the top cap, the expander plug will be pulled out of the steerer tube, instead of pre-loading the headset bearings. No matter how much I tighten the expander plug, it does not have enough friction to stay inside the steerer tube. So this idea does not work.

Standard expander plug, used to allow the top cap to be tightened to pre-load the headset. But it does not work as there is not enough friction between the expander plug and the inside of the steerer tube.

The other way is to compress the headset from the outside, by pressing down on the top cap and pushing up at the bottom of the fork. I would need something similar to the Bike Friday special tool. It mainly consists of a super long bolt, so that when tightened with a nut, it will pull the whole headset together.

While looking through my spare parts, I found that the quick release axle may work! It is basically just a long bolt with a M5 thread at the end. However, using the longest quick release axle that I have (for rear 135 mm OLD), it is still not long enough to pass through the entire headset and stack of spacers.

Quick release axle inserted through the top cap, with the spacers on the outside to ensure that the compression force is transmitted through the headset bearings. 

However, since the quick release axle is not long enough, I need something that can be inserted into the fork, and then thread onto the end of the quick release axle.

This is where I got lucky, as I found a quick release axle accessory mount, which is usually used to mount lights on the quick release axle. This mount replaces the standard nut on the quick release axle, so it also has an M5 thread.

Example of how the quick release axle mount is normally used.

By sheer luck, this mount fits nicely into the fork, and the lip at the end of the mount fits around the circumference of the fork hole so that it is well supported. The dimensions of this mount fits the fork so well that it seems like it was designed for this purpose!

The mount fits nicely into the bottom of the fork.

The lip of the mount is stopped by the circumference of the bottom hole on the fork. This is just perfect!

Inside the steerer tube, the quick release axle will thread into the M5 threads on the mount. By tightening this, it will pull the headset together and apply the pre-load.

How the DIY headset tool works! It is easy to adjust and basically works the same way as the Bike Friday special tool. Once the compression is done, tighten the clamp bolt to fix the steerer tube in place.

The DIY headset tool consists of the quick release axle, the mount, the top cap, and a bunch of stem spacers.

With this DIY headset tool, I was able to adjust and tighten the headset easily. I highly recommend this DIY tool if you ever need to fix the headset on your Bike Friday Haul-A-Day.

Shimano XTR M9000 vs XT M8000: SPD Trail Pedals

On my Canyon Endurace road bike and Fabike C3 commuting bike, I have been using my favourite PD-A530 pedals, which has the SPD clips on one side and a flat surface on the other side. These pedals are super versatile, as it enables you to use any type of shoe for cycling.

Going on a casual ride to the market? Pedal there in your slippers, using the flat side of the pedal. Going for a fast ride with a group? Use your cycling shoes and clip in to the SPD side.

I have been happy with this arrangement, but there was always this little annoying thing, because half the time, you are clipping in to the wrong side, as the SPD clip is only on one side. It is not a big issue, as I can accept this compromise for the versatility of having SPD and flats on the same pedals.

However, over the years, as my cycling habits have changed, I have been using my SPD cycling shoes almost all the time when riding these two bikes. This means that the flat side is hardly ever used, making it redundant. Therefore, I decided to change the pedals on these two bikes to have dual side SPD clips, so that I am always able to clip in to the pedals regardless of which pedal side is facing up.

The compromise is that sometimes, when I do ride these bikes with flat shoes or slippers, it will not be comfortable as the SPD mechanism can be felt through the flat soled shoes. I think it is an acceptable compromise as these infrequent rides (<5%) are usually slow and short. Better to optimize the setup for 95% of the usage, than to worry about the rare 5%.

The SPD pedals that I decided to get are the XTR and Deore XT SPD pedals, which come from the MTB series of components. I chose the trail type (with integrated pedal cage) to offer a larger pedaling platform for more stability. Let's take a closer look at these pedals and see what are the differences between the XTR and Deore XT versions!

XTR PD-M9020 Trail pedals, comes in an expensive-looking box with a textured surface.

Deore XT PD-M8020 Trail pedals, with similar features as the XTR version.

XTR pedals, with many shiny machined surfaces.

Deore XT pedals, with laser marked and pad printed surfaces. Similar looking construction.

Metal plate on the XTR pedal has a teflon coating for lower friction, and is secured to the pedal body with Torx screws.

Metal plate on the Deore XT pedal has a normal plating surface, and is secured to the pedal body with cross head screws.

XTR logo printed at the side of the pedal body.

Deore XT logo printed at the side of the pedal body.

XTR pedals weigh 372 grams per pair, lighter than what the box claims (379 grams).

Deore XT pedals weigh 401 grams per pair, lighter than what the box claims (408 grams).

XTR pedals mounted on the Dura-Ace R9100 crankset, which is on the Canyon Endurace road bike.

Deore XT pedals mounted on the Dura-Ace 7900 crankset, which is on the Fabike C3 commuting bike. This crankset was previously used on the Avanti Inc 3 commuting bike.

XTR PD-M9020 pedals on the Canyon Endurace. 

Deore XT PD-M8020 pedals on the Fabike C3.

In summary, both of these bikes now have dual sided SPD pedals, which makes it easy for me to clip in to the pedals when using my cycling shoes. These pedals are very similar, but the XTR version seems to use more titanium parts to save some weight, compared to the Deore XT pedals.

I prefer the appearance of the XTR pedals, as it does not have the large white patches on the pedals, but it is also more expensive with almost no functional advantage over the Deore XT version, other than a 30 gram reduction in weight. Both have the same function and quality, so the smart choice here is the Deore XT version which is cheaper than the XTR version.