It may not seem like front derailleur technology has kept pace with the rest of MTB componentry… until now. The Shimano XTR M9000 Front Derailleur is a serious departure from the traditional designs we've been using. The new design is in response to the need for more room for tire clearance and linkages on many full suspension designs.
There are two major factors that differentiate this from older XTR derailleurs. First, it's a side-swing design where older changers were bottom-swing or top-swing. Second, the cable entry is from the front. The change to side-swing allowed the mechanism to be packaged farther forward relative to the centerline of the seat tube. This offers 15mm greater clearance for 29" tires and some full suspension designs. The front-entry for the cable reduces total cable length and the typical bends in the front derailleur housing. The effect is reduced friction and improved shift quality and feel at the lever.
Like many Shimano derailleurs before it, the XTR M9000 offers multiple mount options. For round seat tubes, the multi-clamp design will allow use on 28.6mm, 31.8mm, and 34.9mm seat tubes, and it can be had with a high- or low-clamp. It's also available for high-direct (D-type) and low-direct (E-type) applications. It will only work with the cable routed from the down tube into the integrated stop on the front of the derailleur body.
This particular M9000 derailleur is designed for use with three chain rings. The top gear capacity is 40 teeth, and it is optimized for the 10 tooth maximum jumps on M9000 XTR 11-speed triple cranksets. The inner and outer plates are made of aluminum to shave every excess gram, and stainless steel hardware keeps everything looking great over time. Thankfully the limit screws are easily accessible for no-fuss adjustments.
The Shimano XTR M9000 Front Derailleur carries on the tradition of superlative shifting performance for your XTR triple crank and offers the added benefit of greater tire clearance for your long-travel, big-wheeled trail bike.