2013 Shimano Saint Groupset – First Look

Just in from Madison is this beautiful looking 2013 M820 Shimano Saint groupset. My first impressions were ‘WOAH!’, and that was before I had even looked at any of the hardware- the packaging on these products is quite simply a work of art. The actual components themselves didn’t disappoint either- the Saint groupset is now very shiny, very bling, and very pro.

The biggest changes are found in the actual gear shifting; the shifter itself and the rear derailleur. That’s right sports fans, Shimano Saint for 2013 is now 10 speed.

The shifter is very minimalistic, weighing in at just 120g on our feedback scales. It features longer levers and sealed bearings for a smoother shift that requires less effort. It also features Shimano’s multi-shift technology, so the rider can up-shift using either the finger or the thumb. This a great feature that enables any rider to use the system regardless of shifting preference. Another nice little addition is that each part of the shifter that contacts the finger or thumb is textured for increased grip, making the sandpapering or filing shifters a thing of the past!

So, onto the mech. This has had a complete overhaul for what is now Saint’s third generation and is using many of the same characteristics of Shimano’s XTR derailleur, which can only be a good thing in my opinion. The 10 speed mech includes features such as a rubber stop mechanism to reduce noise, a clutch system to increase chain stability and even a ‘cassette mode converter’. This enables the derailleur to be used with a low ratio or a high ration cassette. All of this in what is now a super sexy, low profile shadow design, coming in at 272g.

In addition to the mech and shifter, we were also sent the very stealthy Saint crankset and chainring combination. The crankset appears to be the same as the 2012 model, but with a cosmetic makeover. There’s a little more silver on the branding of the crank arms, perhaps this is to reduce the shoe rub problem of previous years. Time will tell on that one. A neat little addition though, is the bolt covers that give the crankset a clean and tidy appearance.

The 34 toothed chainring we received is again a new 10 speed design. It’s also available in 36 (possibly 38T) and is only available in 4 bolt design and only available in black.

There’s no Saint specific cassette or chain, but then again there’s no need for it as the existing SLX, XT and XTR offerings provide all of the shifting performance and weight saving attributes you will ever need (according to your budget). Madison kindly sent us a ten speed XTR chain and a 11-32 XT cassette to ensure that all of the goodies they sent us would feel as smooth, precise and positive as possible.

All that’s left to do now is to ride all this nice new kit! In my long-term review I will look at the performance of each separate item and provide my honest experience and opinion. I will also look at the pricing of each component (this stuff aint cheap!) and identify any possible alternatives. In the meantime, set Ride.io as your homepage and keep up to date with all of the latest news, reviews and information related to the mountain bike fraternity.

Shimano is distributed by Madison

For more Saint info visit www.ridesaint.com

Words – Chris Astle