I have a set of 9100 and 9120 pedals on my gravel and mountain bikes. The seals on both sets of pedals started popping out within the 1st few rides. Hoping that Shimano comes up with a new axle assembly to fix the issue.
Great review! Thank you for putting that together and sharing 👍 While certainly a nice looking unit that seal issue would prevent me from getting these. I do have a set of XTR m9100 on my CX and those have been absolutely bulletproof so to see those Enduro ones fall short of expectations is very disappointing.
i had the same problem with m980, probably the reason is how XTR pedals are being designed compared to XTs - ie m8100 has the longer part of the axle exposed and shorter aluminum cast body.
Great review. I have the exact same issue with two pairs of the pedals. Having said that, they seem to have managed to stay relatively clean inside as I occasionally push the seal back in. It truly is a design flaw. I may try using some small zip ties or rubber bands to keep them from popping out. It seems like the pedal needs another set of bearings closer to the crank to prevent the very small movement that causes the seal to wiggle out.
XT 8120 with Bontrager carbon shoes and SH -56 , no problems . Setting up cleats properly is important . I have a variety of pedals as I have a repair business .
hi. just purchased a pair of xtr. unfortunatelly before watching this video (goddamit). But before using them. I used the pedals on a test ride in the city and my oring blow off after a 4km ride LOL. anyway as a good engineer I solved in a simple way. Does it move? yes. Should it? No -> Use duct tape It's ugly, it's pissing me off, but pedals are good and solution is efficient and possibly, permanent.
I just purchased a Trek Checkpoint SL6 on 07/31/2020 and had it equipped with the M9120 pedals. After a brief initial shake-down ride on asphalt on 08/02/2020 I noticed that the seal for the left pedal seems to have started working its way out. Based on this video (and reviews elsewhere), this seems to be a persistent issue with the M9120 pedals. Do you know if the M9100 have similar issues?
I had the same issue with seal popping and they replaced my 1st set. 2nd set I put a thin piece of tape so it does not allow seal to move/shift. no issues further
I have the older XTR M9020 pedals and the seal that is mentioned in this review also pops out during rides. I have tried extra grease but it did not help. Apparently, Shimano carried this poor design onto the M9120 as well.
The seal popping up is not an issue since it's just an extra part compared to the previous XTR M9000. So, all these internet complaints are just overblown issues.
Hey, I just bought new Kovee XXX shoes with shimano shm51 cleats. The pedals I got are the xtr m9100 and I have noticed just a tiny bit of vertical -back and forth play- in the pedals that I notice on rough sections of the trail. It makes a clicking noise and it’s so frustrating. I started with the xtr trail pedals I had, then had that issue so bought the m9100, and I’m still having that problem. My buddy even let me use his XTs and the problem was still happening. I think it might be the shoe... but I honestly am running out of ideas after two straight weeks of frustration.
When using new cleats, you shouldn't have any noticeable vertical play. Make sure you're not using the cleat spacers. This should give good contact between the tread of the shoe and the pedal, taking the play away. Also check the spring tension, but if it's not the cleat spacers I'm afraid it's the shoes.
8 years on my old XTR trail pedals lost their seals long ago. Its bombed some hard core trails and jumps. Never caused premature wear. I have recently replaced a split ball bearing though but after 8 years.... Easy to service and with minimal tools required at home.
Buy the BMX version, cheaper and sealed bearings. They weigh the same too. Of course the relaese is more difficult and float not as much but if you have been riding clipless for years you won't care.
They have been over packed with grease when the grease expands it pushed the seal out. Clean the and service them and regrease. They are the best pedals that's the only clipless pedal I use.
Thank you for the reviews of Shimano and Crank Brother pedals. I have a question that you may be able to answer with your extensive experience with both brands. I have XTs right now that have a ton of play between the cleat and pedal. In my pedal stroke I have a strong back stroke with my hamstrings and the XTs float around like crazy- not good. Are the Crank Brothers more secure in this regard? Thank you.
Difficult to assess what the exact issue is, but it seems to me that you have an issue similar to having worn cleats and maybe also worn shoes. Other brands like Crankbrothers also show the same issues when worn. Crankbrothers don’t have spring tension adjustment, but have different size Traction Pads to adjust the amount of friction you have with float movement. I would rather check first if your cleats aren’t worn, tightened properly and if the tread of your shoe is still in contact with the pedal, before switching pedals. XT pedals are in essence good pedals. Also keep in mind that standard Crankbrothers cleats have 6 degrees of float and a release angle of 15. In that zone in between also feels as float as the spring tension gradually goes up.
You can get more support from the pedal. When clipped in you can have a larger contact area on the rear of the pedal. It depends on your shoes they actually touch the pedal (as shown in a couple examples in the video) and if you have less stiff sole to actually notice the difference. A large cage can also provide a bit more support when not clipped in.
MTB.guide. My shoes must be pretty stiff. My tread only touches just to the left and right of the clip with or without the platform. It makes sense that the bigger platform is better if your unclipped though, I didn’t really think about that. Thanks for the reply.
@Maciej Jan Długosz Yes I found that the XTR's bearing are smoother but the problems of the seals popping out mean that I will be looking elsewhere when I replace them. Have just fully stripped mine down and have found foreign ingress that jumped the so called seal.
@@MTBguide I gambled and still bought the pedals. In my opinion riding on these pedals with normal shoes is totally fine. But I also ride my Racebike with spd-sl pedals with normal shoes
I got my M9120 now for 8 months and just checked the pedals and indeed I have same issue on my left pedal :( question allude is this also happening on the M9100 XTR? or is this only see non the 9120? thanks
I have the previous PD 9020 XTRs and they use the same seal and again it does not stay in place so they have learnt nothing with the new model, nor does it seem as if they are interested. For a company the size and reputation of Shimano it is a big failing for an otherwise nice pedal. I am looking at the Ritchey Trail instead and they sell a more readily available kit for servicing.
5:00 But if you accidentally came unclipped while flying down a trail and just slammed your foot down on the middle of the peddle, then I think the pins would help keep you from sliding forward off the pedal. I thought that was their purpose on this pedal
Fantastische videos! Ik ben een beginnende fietser komende vanaf mountainbiken en BMX, nu op de racefiets. Mijn doel is om mijn racefiets om te bouwen tot Gravel/alleskunner en mijn pedaalkeuze is de eerste stap. Mijn fiets gebruik ik ook als stadsfiets, zonder fietsschoenen dus.. Kun je mij een tip geven of het waard is om SPD pedalen met kooi te gebruiken zonder schoenen, of kan ik dan beter voor een half flat/half SPD pedaal gaan? Ga zo door, ik heb de ME701's zojuist gekocht en zal je kanaal blijven bekijken voor verdere suggesties! Subscribed!
Bedankt! Voor het gebruik met normale schoenen zou ik de pedalen met kooi (zoals deze en de alternatieven in de video) afraden. Het inklikmechanisme ligt namelijk hoger dan de kooi. Omdat je doorgaans normale schoenen hebt met een vlakke zool zorgt dit voor een ongemakkelijk drukpunt onder je voet en bijna geen grip. De combinatie pedalen flat/SPD (zoals de PD-EH500 of PD-T8000) is dan een betere optie. Persoonlijk gebruik ik ze niet omdat je regelmatig aan het zoeken bent naar de juiste kant van het pedaal, maar ik ken ook mensen die ze wel fijn vinden. Voor bijvoorbeeld een commuter neem ik clipless pedalen en op het werk wissel ik van schoenen. DRZ shoes heeft bijvoorbeeld ook fietsschoenen die je in een casual werksfeer prima kunt blijven dragen.
MTB.guide Bedankt voor je reactie, het verschil in hoogte tussen het pedaal en SPD mechanisme was ik inderdaad bang voor. Misschien dat ik dan toch half om half pedalen haal, al lijkt me dat ook niet ideaal. Waarschijnlijk zijn ritjes naar de supermarkt wel te doen met normale schoenen op de SPD, of beschadig ik de boel dan? Nogmaals bedankt, fijn dat je betrokken bent, ga zo door!
Normale schoenen op SPD pedalen, daar beschadig je eigenlijk niets mee. Het is een rubberen zool onder je schoen. Als je een keer niet goed inklikt met de stalen schoenplaatjes beschadig je meer (en zelfs dat is weinig). Je zult een balans moeten vinden voor wat je nog acceptabel vindt. Er zijn pedalen met magneten (Magped) die beter met normale schoenen te rijden zijn, Pedal Plates, SM-PD22 pedaal adapters en meer. Soms is het ook gewoon sneller om binnen 30 sec even je pedalen te wisselen of is toch een goedkope stadsfiets aanschaffen (wat bij diefstal niet zo erg is) een beter alternatief.
Can't belive shamano didn't notice this when making the pedal, I'm going to rebuild the pedal just to see if I can find a decent solution, if not, I'll send them an email from the shop I work at. (Certified Retailer for Shimano)
Yea let me/us know what you find out. I found that using certain thicker grease can hold the seal in longer, but that's not really a solution. I think the ridge that the seal rides on is too small and movement/play in the pedal can pop it out.
I've found clipping in to be either really easy or a total WTF IS GOING ON WITH MY PEDAL situation. This is especially annoying on downhills after running up a super steep climb (because pedaling would have been slower than just hiking up). Otherwise decent. Haven't had any accidental unclips yet and after adjusting spring tension they're pretty easy to unclip out of as a total clipless novice.
I'd say using flats is better for learning proper technique when mountain biking. Also consider proper cleat adjustment when going clipless to prevent knee injuries. The shoes part is a way to broad question. First find shoes that fit properly and go from there. You can use mtb cleats/pedals on your road bike, it all depends on what you want/expect from the combination.
@@Ben-eh1qt So far i love them. Switched to the multi release cleats to get started with. I cant compare it to the ones without platform, but i like that it is easy to pedal even if not clipped in. The pedals are fantastic, and so are the shimano shoes.
@@Ropetable nice thanks for the update. I just got them from REI next to me and I need to get the Multi release cleats before I toss them on my bike I'm worried I will have a difficult time getting out unless I have those multi-release.
Finally, an intelligent, balanced, honest technical analysis of bike products no swayed by hype or endorsements. Massive respect 🙏🏻 thank you
I have a set of 9100 and 9120 pedals on my gravel and mountain bikes. The seals on both sets of pedals started popping out within the 1st few rides. Hoping that Shimano comes up with a new axle assembly to fix the issue.
Is this seal problem still happening on newer production dates?
Great review! Thank you for putting that together and sharing 👍
While certainly a nice looking unit that seal issue would prevent me from getting these. I do have a set of XTR m9100 on my CX and those have been absolutely bulletproof so to see those Enduro ones fall short of expectations is very disappointing.
Yeah have this issue regarding seals. Very very bad. Only on the left hand pedal though. Had 9000 before with no issues after many many miles.
Forgot to say mine are m9100
i had the same problem with m980, probably the reason is how XTR pedals are being designed compared to XTs - ie m8100 has the longer part of the axle exposed and shorter aluminum cast body.
Thank you. Of course I won’t be buying a product knowing that it is not fit for my purpose. Shamonyou Shimano !
Great review. I have the exact same issue with two pairs of the pedals. Having said that, they seem to have managed to stay relatively clean inside as I occasionally push the seal back in. It truly is a design flaw. I may try using some small zip ties or rubber bands to keep them from popping out. It seems like the pedal needs another set of bearings closer to the crank to prevent the very small movement that causes the seal to wiggle out.
XT 8120 with Bontrager carbon shoes and SH -56 , no problems . Setting up cleats properly is important . I have a variety of pedals as I have a repair business .
hi. just purchased a pair of xtr. unfortunatelly before watching this video (goddamit). But before using them. I used the pedals on a test ride in the city and my oring blow off after a 4km ride LOL. anyway as a good engineer I solved in a simple way. Does it move? yes. Should it? No -> Use duct tape
It's ugly, it's pissing me off, but pedals are good and solution is efficient and possibly, permanent.
try Lochtite
I just purchased a Trek Checkpoint SL6 on 07/31/2020 and had it equipped with the M9120 pedals. After a brief initial shake-down ride on asphalt on 08/02/2020 I noticed that the seal for the left pedal seems to have started working its way out.
Based on this video (and reviews elsewhere), this seems to be a persistent issue with the M9120 pedals. Do you know if the M9100 have similar issues?
The M9100 pedals use the same pedal axle assembly (YL8D98010/YL8D98030). It's safe to assume they suffer the same issue.
Have these pedals. Seals come out all the time. I service them once a year to compensate so far so good after 3 years
I had the same issue with seal popping and they replaced my 1st set. 2nd set I put a thin piece of tape so it does not allow seal to move/shift. no issues further
I have the older XTR M9020 pedals and the seal that is mentioned in this review also pops out during rides. I have tried extra grease but it did not help. Apparently, Shimano carried this poor design onto the M9120 as well.
The seal popping up is not an issue since it's just an extra part compared to the previous XTR M9000. So, all these internet complaints are just overblown issues.
Hey, I just bought new Kovee XXX shoes with shimano shm51 cleats. The pedals I got are the xtr m9100 and I have noticed just a tiny bit of vertical -back and forth play- in the pedals that I notice on rough sections of the trail. It makes a clicking noise and it’s so frustrating. I started with the xtr trail pedals I had, then had that issue so bought the m9100, and I’m still having that problem. My buddy even let me use his XTs and the problem was still happening. I think it might be the shoe... but I honestly am running out of ideas after two straight weeks of frustration.
When using new cleats, you shouldn't have any noticeable vertical play. Make sure you're not using the cleat spacers. This should give good contact between the tread of the shoe and the pedal, taking the play away. Also check the spring tension, but if it's not the cleat spacers I'm afraid it's the shoes.
Great product- worked perfectly, no issues.
Excellent discussion. Thank you for helping me make a decision.
I was goingto go for the deore, but I just wanted that bling, XTR M9120 for me!!
8 years on my old XTR trail pedals lost their seals long ago. Its bombed some hard core trails and jumps. Never caused premature wear. I have recently replaced a split ball bearing though but after 8 years.... Easy to service and with minimal tools required at home.
Bloody ripper, great video. Concise and seemingly independent.
Subscribed. Thankyou
Buy the BMX version, cheaper and sealed bearings. They weigh the same too. Of course the relaese is more difficult and float not as much but if you have been riding clipless for years you won't care.
They have been over packed with grease when the grease expands it pushed the seal out. Clean the and service them and regrease.
They are the best pedals that's the only clipless pedal I use.
Good review mate and yes suprizing issues on these pedals
I have been experiencing this kind of problem with my deore xt pedals, where the seals pops off, but only on the right side
Is there Ome or two srews on each pdal for adjusting the release power?
Thanks.
Thank you for the reviews of Shimano and Crank Brother pedals. I have a question that you may be able to answer with your extensive experience with both brands. I have XTs right now that have a ton of play between the cleat and pedal. In my pedal stroke I have a strong back stroke with my hamstrings and the XTs float around like crazy- not good. Are the Crank Brothers more secure in this regard? Thank you.
Difficult to assess what the exact issue is, but it seems to me that you have an issue similar to having worn cleats and maybe also worn shoes. Other brands like Crankbrothers also show the same issues when worn. Crankbrothers don’t have spring tension adjustment, but have different size Traction Pads to adjust the amount of friction you have with float movement. I would rather check first if your cleats aren’t worn, tightened properly and if the tread of your shoe is still in contact with the pedal, before switching pedals. XT pedals are in essence good pedals. Also keep in mind that standard Crankbrothers cleats have 6 degrees of float and a release angle of 15. In that zone in between also feels as float as the spring tension gradually goes up.
MTB.guide thank you!
What is the point of the platform over the XTR XC pedal?
You can get more support from the pedal. When clipped in you can have a larger contact area on the rear of the pedal. It depends on your shoes they actually touch the pedal (as shown in a couple examples in the video) and if you have less stiff sole to actually notice the difference. A large cage can also provide a bit more support when not clipped in.
MTB.guide. My shoes must be pretty stiff. My tread only touches just to the left and right of the clip with or without the platform. It makes sense that the bigger platform is better if your unclipped though, I didn’t really think about that. Thanks for the reply.
@Maciej Jan Długosz Yes I found that the XTR's bearing are smoother but the problems of the seals popping out mean that I will be looking elsewhere when I replace them. Have just fully stripped mine down and have found foreign ingress that jumped the so called seal.
3 o-rings on each spindle keep em pushed in and working dirt free.
Great video. They look like I could use them with normal shoes to ride to the supermarket. Do you see any problems with that?
The SPD mechanism protrudes from the platform itself. It's not comfortable nor provides much grip.
@@MTBguide I gambled and still bought the pedals. In my opinion riding on these pedals with normal shoes is totally fine. But I also ride my Racebike with spd-sl pedals with normal shoes
Is that better than the M9020 model? 😊
I got my M9120 now for 8 months and just checked the pedals and indeed I have same issue on my left pedal :( question allude is this also happening on the M9100 XTR? or is this only see non the 9120? thanks
Good detail. My vote is still Shimano.
I have the previous PD 9020 XTRs and they use the same seal and again it does not stay in place so they have learnt nothing with the new model, nor does it seem as if they are interested. For a company the size and reputation of Shimano it is a big failing for an otherwise nice pedal. I am looking at the Ritchey Trail instead and they sell a more readily available kit for servicing.
Excellent review, thank you!
5:00 But if you accidentally came unclipped while flying down a trail and just slammed your foot down on the middle of the peddle, then I think the pins would help keep you from sliding forward off the pedal. I thought that was their purpose on this pedal
bought mine xmas 2019 and immediately the seals popped out :/
Thank you so much.
Me too.
I have a Same trouble.
Also have the XTR M9100 on my Gravel bike and M9120 on my MTB, and both have the seals popped out. Urgh.
I've got the model before, it never happened to them for 5 years now. But the model before them did too. Seems like shimano's gone backwards.
Fantastische videos! Ik ben een beginnende fietser komende vanaf mountainbiken en BMX, nu op de racefiets. Mijn doel is om mijn racefiets om te bouwen tot Gravel/alleskunner en mijn pedaalkeuze is de eerste stap. Mijn fiets gebruik ik ook als stadsfiets, zonder fietsschoenen dus.. Kun je mij een tip geven of het waard is om SPD pedalen met kooi te gebruiken zonder schoenen, of kan ik dan beter voor een half flat/half SPD pedaal gaan?
Ga zo door, ik heb de ME701's zojuist gekocht en zal je kanaal blijven bekijken voor verdere suggesties! Subscribed!
Bedankt! Voor het gebruik met normale schoenen zou ik de pedalen met kooi (zoals deze en de alternatieven in de video) afraden. Het inklikmechanisme ligt namelijk hoger dan de kooi. Omdat je doorgaans normale schoenen hebt met een vlakke zool zorgt dit voor een ongemakkelijk drukpunt onder je voet en bijna geen grip. De combinatie pedalen flat/SPD (zoals de PD-EH500 of PD-T8000) is dan een betere optie. Persoonlijk gebruik ik ze niet omdat je regelmatig aan het zoeken bent naar de juiste kant van het pedaal, maar ik ken ook mensen die ze wel fijn vinden. Voor bijvoorbeeld een commuter neem ik clipless pedalen en op het werk wissel ik van schoenen. DRZ shoes heeft bijvoorbeeld ook fietsschoenen die je in een casual werksfeer prima kunt blijven dragen.
MTB.guide Bedankt voor je reactie, het verschil in hoogte tussen het pedaal en SPD mechanisme was ik inderdaad bang voor. Misschien dat ik dan toch half om half pedalen haal, al lijkt me dat ook niet ideaal. Waarschijnlijk zijn ritjes naar de supermarkt wel te doen met normale schoenen op de SPD, of beschadig ik de boel dan? Nogmaals bedankt, fijn dat je betrokken bent, ga zo door!
Normale schoenen op SPD pedalen, daar beschadig je eigenlijk niets mee. Het is een rubberen zool onder je schoen. Als je een keer niet goed inklikt met de stalen schoenplaatjes beschadig je meer (en zelfs dat is weinig). Je zult een balans moeten vinden voor wat je nog acceptabel vindt. Er zijn pedalen met magneten (Magped) die beter met normale schoenen te rijden zijn, Pedal Plates, SM-PD22 pedaal adapters en meer. Soms is het ook gewoon sneller om binnen 30 sec even je pedalen te wisselen of is toch een goedkope stadsfiets aanschaffen (wat bij diefstal niet zo erg is) een beter alternatief.
MTB.guide zit wat in! Thanks
Great review
Can't belive shamano didn't notice this when making the pedal, I'm going to rebuild the pedal just to see if I can find a decent solution, if not, I'll send them an email from the shop I work at. (Certified Retailer for Shimano)
Yea let me/us know what you find out. I found that using certain thicker grease can hold the seal in longer, but that's not really a solution. I think the ridge that the seal rides on is too small and movement/play in the pedal can pop it out.
I've found clipping in to be either really easy or a total WTF IS GOING ON WITH MY PEDAL situation. This is especially annoying on downhills after running up a super steep climb (because pedaling would have been slower than just hiking up). Otherwise decent. Haven't had any accidental unclips yet and after adjusting spring tension they're pretty easy to unclip out of as a total clipless novice.
For the 1st time use cleat it is ok? I want to find the shoes that suitable for me can you suggest the cleat can suit cleat rb and mtb
I'd say using flats is better for learning proper technique when mountain biking. Also consider proper cleat adjustment when going clipless to prevent knee injuries. The shoes part is a way to broad question. First find shoes that fit properly and go from there. You can use mtb cleats/pedals on your road bike, it all depends on what you want/expect from the combination.
@@MTBguide ok sir appreciate your answer thank you so much
The shimano m520 is a good choice cheap and reliable
@@Paulklampeeps tq sirvi google it
top notch review
Thanks for this video! Crank Brothers it is this round :)
crank brothers needs maintenance though. i bought the 8120 xt pedals, hope to not have any issues.
@@Ropetable how are they? I am looking at getting some soon. 8120's
@@Ben-eh1qt So far i love them. Switched to the multi release cleats to get started with. I cant compare it to the ones without platform, but i like that it is easy to pedal even if not clipped in. The pedals are fantastic, and so are the shimano shoes.
@@Ropetable nice thanks for the update. I just got them from REI next to me and I need to get the Multi release cleats before I toss them on my bike I'm worried I will have a difficult time getting out unless I have those multi-release.
I took mine back $180.00 got some shimano Saint spd pedals for only $100.00 way better pedal.
Are there good for gravel ??
same here :(
How much
0,03 Bitcoins
Thank you so much.
Me too.
I have a Same trouble.