HERE AT SINGLETRACK TOWERS, WE PUT A LOT OF PRODUCTS THROUGH THE GRINDER. SINGLETRACK RECOMMENDED IS THE ABSOLUTE CREAM OF THE CROP OF THE GEAR WE’VE BEEN TESTING. IT’S THE KIT THAT WE USE LONG AFTER TESTING HAS FINISHED. THE PRODUCTS THAT WE WOULD GO OUT AND PURCHASE WITH OUR OWN MONEY. GEAR THAT’S SO GOOD IT EARNS OUR RECOMMENDED SEAL OF APPROVAL.

WORDS THE SINGLETRACK TEAM PHOTOGRAPHY ROB

ST RECOMMENDED

SHIMANO

SLX GROUPSET

Price: Cassette: £74.99, Cranks: £99.99, Chainrings: £34.99, Shifters: £34.99 for the left and £36.99 for the right, Brakes: £94.99 per brake excluding rotors and adaptors, Rotors: £29.99–£49.99

From: Madison, madison.co.uk

Tested: Six Months

Tester: Chipps

While it’s all very nice to play around with chichi components like Shimano’s XTR, or its electronic shifting Di2 groups, the majority of the world is more likely to be riding around on regular groupsets, like Shimano’s more down to earth SLX and Deore groups.

After its last outing in 2013, the SLX groupset was due a redesign and it was no surprise to see the fresh SLX M7000 groupset take many influences from XT and XTR. The biggest changes were probably in the slimming down of the brakes and the increase of gear ratios. SLX went 11-speed, while also heralding in wider 11–40T, 11–42T and, recently 11–46T cassettes to give a greater range of gears, whether running it 1x11 or 2x11 (there’s even a 3x10, though we doubt we’ll see many of those in the UK).

While XT components are often comparable to XTR, with SLX there are more material changes to keep the price affordable. Where XT might use alloy shifter paddles (and XTR alloy and carbon), the SLX paddles are plastic coated steel. Sometimes finishing touches are omitted, again to keep costs down: SLX brake levers are alloy, like XT, but lack the little textured dimples that add a tiny bit of grip and feel to the levers. Many riders, though, are happy to skip these little touches and accept a little more overall weight in return for affordability.