The long-awaited Shimano XT 11 speed drivetrain has made its grand entrance, and here is the rear derailleur in the group. The Shadow Plus rear derailleurs are designed to minimise shifting effort, with external adjustability and increased clutch tension range. They have also been designed with a very low profile, to help you clear hazards on the trail.

Featuring Shimano's innovative Shadow RD + technology and a refined geometry, the Deore XT M8000 11-speed rear derailleur is designed to reign authority over today's aggressive style of trail and all-mountain riding. By maintaining chain tension, the optimized slant angled Shadow system eliminates chain slap and lowers the chances of dropping your chain. The easy-to-adjust chain stabilizer makes it quick and effortless to dial in the perfect amount of stability for varying conditions and terrain.

The XT M8000 rear derailleur employs a new hyper low-friction coating technology and an improved pulley design with taller tooth pully wheels that greatly lightens up the shift operation, allowing up to 20% less effort.

Who's this item for: This derailleur is for any rider using a Shimano 11 speed setup looking for an high performing rear mech.

Number of gears: This is an 11 speed derailleur.

Weight: 272g

Materials: Features an aluminium cage with steel pulleys.

Chain and cassette compatibility: Compatible with 11 speed chains and Shimano 11 speed cassettes.

Max cassette range: 11-46T (1X11-Speed)

Clutch style: This features Shimano Shadow Plus Clutch

Cage length: Available in long and medium cage

Jockey wheel tooth count (top / bottom): Features 11-tooth pulley wheels to reduce chain movement.

Pros: The best option for a balance of shifting performance, weight and price in the 11 speed Shimano line up.

Cons: Not a lot. This is one of the best all round options for Shimano 1x11