Table Of Contents
Shimano XTR M9120 Mountain Bike Pedal Review: Best Clipless Mountain Bike Pedal Review
Great All Around SPD Pedal with a Premium Price Tag
- Platform feel 70%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 70%
- Weight 80%
Weight per Pair: 398g
Clean Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, XC
Price: $199.99
What We Like: All of the great features of the XT M8020 in a lighter package
What We Don’t: Heavier than Crank Brothers alternative and not enough difference to justify the price increase over the Shimano XT M8020
The Shimano XTR M9120 is Shimano’s top of the line SPD offering. It comes with Shimano’s mini platform, making it a bit easier to clip into and better for all around riding than the XTR M9100. It is also a few grams lighter than our top pick for best all-around SPD pedal, the Shimano XT M8020. However, we do not feel that the few grams of weight difference warrant the higher price tag of the XTR M9120.
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 finish of the XTR M9120’s mini platform looks almost identical to that of the XT M8020. The machined finish allows for slightly better grip while not clipped in than the M530’s painted platform. Like their other mini platform offerings, The XTR M9020 might not offer the power transfer and unclipped traction of the Shimano Saint M820, but we think it is a perfect compromise between the enduro/DH oriented Saint and the XC oriented XTR M9100.
Ease of Entry
The Shimano XTR M9120 pedal is easy and satisfying to clip into, and emits the standard, SPD sound and feel. The mini platform also strikes a great balance of making it easy to get the pedal turned over and into a clipping position, but not interfering your shoe when trying to clip in.
Ease of Exit
While not having a large cage and pins getting in your way of clipping in is good, not having a large cage and pins getting in your way of clipping out is even better. Shimano’s usual adjustable nature means that you can make the clip as tight or as loose as you want, and you will get the SPD feedback either way.
Mud Shedding Ability
The Shimano XTR M9120 does a great job of shedding mud. However, it is not on part with Crank Brothers offerings. Furthermore, like the Shimano XT M8020, the machined surface of the XTR M9120 pedal that does such a great job of sticking to your foot falls behind the more slippery, painted finish of the Shimano M820 when it comes to its mud shedding ability.
The Bottom Line
The Shimano XTR M9120 is a great pedal and certainly worthy of being Shimano’s top of the line SPD offering. However, premium products and weight savings in cycling tend to hit a point of diminishing returns, and we feel that is the case here. We like the XTR M9120, but at $179.99, we do not like it enough to justify its cost increase over our top all-around SPD pick, the Shimano XT M8020.
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