With the announcement of the new Saint gear a couple of weeks ago gravity riders got very excited about the prospect of a redesigned gravity gruppo from the industry leader. Here are 14 exclusive photos of the new line and some spec to whet your gear whistle.
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Photos by David Peacock
New Saint Hollowtech II cranks are meant to be stronger and lighter than Shimano's previous offerings. The single-only setup is available in three chainring options (34T/36T/38T) and in two crank sets: FC-M820 (68/73mm BB) and FC-M825 (83mm BB) that both offer Presfit BB compatibility. A steel pedal insert adds durability at the pedal interface. Note: MTB Press fit BB: SM-BB71-41A (50mm chainline; 89.5x41 BB shell), DH Press fit BB: SM-BB71-41C (58mm chainline; 104.5x41 BB shell).
Remember to click the photo to make it BIG.
With the success of the DX flat pedal Shimano had a good base to build off for the Saint platform. They made it wider and lower profile than the DX, and pins that are much easier to replace because they screw in/out from the bottom.
Slightly longer levers and textured paddles...if it ain't broke don't fix it, so the shifters stay pretty much the same.
According to Shimano, "A new, longer 30mm banjo fitting extending from the caliper further reduces heat at a critical location where oil transitions from hose to caliper."
Finned brake pads, self insulating ceramic pistons and three layer rotor construction make for better heat dissipation and more power.
Shimano has this to say about the new derailleur: New chain control and silencing technologies in the new RD-M820 are a game changer for gravity riding. In addition to the proven Shadow Plus RD design, a Saint specific, high durometer urethane bump stopper (between the RD and the dropout) was added to reduce impact noise. Now 10-speed, the new RD-M820 features a durable super wide link that serves as the backbone of the DH parallelogram. Ready for track and trail, the mode converter easily adapts between two settings for MTB cassette gear ratios (11-32, 11-34, 11-36) and road (11-23, 11-25, 11-28).
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