Table Of Contents
Shimano XTR M9100 Mountain Bike Pedal Review: Best Clipless Mountain Bike Pedal Review
Best Ultralight SPD Pedal for Cross Country Racing
- Platform feel 50%
- Ease/feel of entry 60%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 90%
- Weight 90%
Weight per Pair: 310g
Clean Type: SPD Mountain
Use: XC
Price: $179.99
What We Like: Lightest SPD pedal in test, fairly large contact area for an SPD pedal
What We Don’t: Pricey and heavy compared to Crank Brothers alternative
While SPD style pedals tend to run a bit heavier than their Crank Brothers counterparts, the Shimano XTR M9100s are astonishingly lightweight, weighing in at only 314g. This puts them within ~40g of the Crank Brothers Egg Beater 3s, although they are a bit pricier.
Compare to Similar Products
Crank Brothers Candy 7
- Platform feel 60%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 100%
- Weight 90%
Pros
Great performance for a reasonable price, excellent mud shedding, best weight to cost ratio available
Cons
Small platform compared to the similarly priced Crank Brothers Mallet E
Weight: 320g
Cleat Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro XC
Shimano XT M8020
- Platform feel 70%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 70%
- Weight 80%
Pros
A high-end pedal for a mid-tier price
Cons
Significantly heavier than the Crank Brothers alternative
Weight: 404g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro XC
Crank Brothers Mallet E
- Platform feel 100%
- Ease/feel of entry 90%
- Ease/feel of exit 70%
- Mud shedding ability 80%
- Weight 70%
Pros
Lightweight for the size of the platform
Great pedaling platform
The most adjustable Crank Brothers pedal
Easy to clip into
Cons
Vague sense of clipping in and out
Heavier than Candy 7
Pins can make clipping out more difficult
Weight: 420g
Cleat Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, Downhill
Shimano Saint M820
- Platform feel 90%
- Ease/feel of entry 90%
- Ease/feel of exit 70%
- Mud shedding ability 60%
- Weight 30%
Pros
The most adjustable pedals that we reviewed
Great pedal platform
Satisfying SPD feel
Cons
Heaviest pedals in our review
Not the best for extremely muddy conditions
Weight: 545g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, Downhill
Crank Brothers Candy 1
- Platform feel 60%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 100%
- Weight 90%
Pros
Extremely lightweight and well-rounded pedal for the price
Cons
Lack of traction pads found on higher end Candy pedals
Not the most solid platform
Weight: 294g
Cleat Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, XC
Shimano M530
- Platform feel 70%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 80%
- Weight 70%
Pros
Virtually the same pedaling and clipping experience offered by the much more expensive Shimano XTR M9120 and XT M8020 at an entry-level price
Cons
Heaviest mini platform pedal in review, painted cage is slippery when wet
Weight: 453g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, XC
Crank Brothers Eggbeater 3
- Platform feel 30%
- Ease/feel of entry 50%
- Ease/feel of exit 90%
- Mud shedding ability 100%
- Weight 100%
Pros
A high-end pedal for a mid-tier price
Cons
Significantly heavier than the Crank Brothers alternative
Weight: 404g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro XC
Shimano XTR M9100
- Platform feel 50%
- Ease/feel of entry 60%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 90%
- Weight 90%
Pros
Lightest SPD pedal in test
Fairly large contact area for an SPD pedal
Cons
Pricey and heavy compared to Crank Brothers alternative
Weight: 310g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: XC
Crank Brothers Eggbeater 1
- Platform feel 30%
- Ease/feel of entry 50%
- Ease/feel of exit 90%
- Mud shedding ability 100%
- Weight 100%
Pros
Unbeatable weight for budget XC pedals
Cons
Difficult to clip into
Weight: 280g
Cleat Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: XC
Shimano M520
- Platform feel 50%
- Ease/feel of entry 60%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 90%
- Weight 70%
Pros
The same pedaling experience of the XTR M9120 for a third of the price
Cons
Heavier than the Egg Beater 1
Weight: 310g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: XC
Shimano XTR M9120
- Platform feel 70%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 70%
- Weight 80%
Pros
All of the great features of the XT M8020 in a lighter package
Cons
Heavier than Crank Brothers alternative and not enough difference to justify the price increase over the Shimano XT M8020
Weight: 398g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, XC
Platform
The Shimano XTR M9100 is purpose-built for weight-savings and cross country racing. As such, it eschews the mini platform found on most of the Shimano SPD line to save weight. While a machined surface provides a surprisingly solid feel under foot, it is certainly nothing like the mini platforms of other Shimano pedals and will require a stiffer-soled, cross country shoe to maximize power transfer.
While they will stay under foot without rolling, they are a bit slippery and not a great choice if you plan to spin the occasional pedal stroke while unclipped.
Ease of Entry
While they do not immediately flip one of the two engagement sides up the way a pedal with some type of platform would, the Shimano XTR M9100 pedals also do not suffer from the problem of rolling under foot while trying to clip in, as the Crank Brothers Egg Beater 3 pedals do. Instead, a fairly slippery surface allows your foot to slide forward across the pedal and into position to clip.
Ease of Exit
The feeling of clipping and unclipping the XTR M9100 is the satisfying and crisp click that we have come to expect from Shimano SPDs. Furthermore, its adjustable nature means that you can fine tune just how much pressure it takes to find that satisfying “click” in or out.
Perhaps the best clipping related feature of the XTR M9100s is that they have a profile of only 17mm. This makes them an extremely thin SPD pedal and means that you will encounter fewer pedal strikes that have a tendency to cause SPD pedals to disengage.
Mud Shedding Ability
There is just more mechanism for mud to find its way into in SPD pedals than in Egg Beaters. However, the Shimano SPD XTR M9100 sheds mud as well as any SPD around, and the lack of any cage around the clipping mechanism means that there is less surface area for mud to cake onto. While we would still take the Crank Brothers Eggbeater 3 if we were going to race in a swamp, the XTR M9100 sheds mud well enough for almost any real-world application.
The Bottom Line
The Shimano M9100 SPD pedal provides an unmatched combination of ultralightweight and solid feel under foot. It also sheds mud extremely well for an SPD pedal.
However, at $179.99, it is pricier than the even lighter Crank Brothers Egg Beater 3. If shaving grams is at the top of your list and you love the SPD platform, then the Shimano XTR M9100s are a no brainer choice.
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