Shimano SLX M7000 1x Groupset

Few names in the industry are as synonymous with trickle down as Shimano. It seems every few years, the top models—XTR and Dura-Ace—are revisited with drastic improvements. And, sure as you can count on the Japanese components to work with the precision of a Swiss watch—those improvements pass on to the XTs, Ultegras, 105s, and SLXs like clockwork. The SLX M7000 1x Groupset is a case in point, incorporating many the features formerly reserved for XTR and XT so we privateers and self-sponsored racers can enjoy the timely shifting and braking that have made Shimano the largest cog in the components machine.

In addition to receiving its 11th cog, SLX M7000 also got Shimano's Shadow RD+, which helps ensure that your chain stays in place. That tenacity is reinforced up front by a one-by crank whose teeth are designed with a similar mission: hold onto the chain at all costs. The brakes also get the XT treatment, a move we're particularly pleased with since XT M8000 brakes have long sat atop our list of hydraulic disc systems. SLX now includes the Servo Cam mechanism, which better modulates braking forces for more precise control over scrubbing speed. The result is a groupset designed for the beat-'em-up biking of ever-more-capable trail machines and slacker-still enduro sleds.