Shimano XTR M9220 Trail Pedals

Platform Size: 72 mm x 91.5 mm (width x length)

Blister’s Measured Weights: 233 & 234 g

MSRP: $260

Review Navigation: Specs // Intro // Design // What We're Curious About // Bottom Line (For Now)

Intro

Shimano first debuted a “Trail” version of their XTR pedals, with their added platform and cage around the central SPD clip mechanism, about 15 years ago with the M980-generation group. Each successive generation of XTR parts has gotten an updated version of the pedals featuring various refinements to the design, but the overall form factor hasn’t changed much.

Until now, anyway. The latest M9220 pedals (which round out the M9200-series group that launched earlier this year) get a very different design from their predecessors (and look to draw heavily from the longstanding Saint DH pedal).

The bigger news, though, might be that there’s also a new SPD cleat design to go with the new pedals — the first major update to the venerable SH51 cleats in nearly 30 years.

But you can put down the pitchforks and torches. The new cleats are backward compatible with existing SPD pedals, and you can use the longstanding SH51 cleats in the new pedals. The new MT001 cleats are designed to add multi-entry functionality, to open up a variety of techniques for clipping into the pedals. Once you’re clipped in, they’re meant to function just like the SH51 cleats, both in terms of how they feel in the pedal and in their clip-out behavior. Let’s see what Shimano has come up with.

Design: M9220 Pedals

The new XTR M9220 pedals look much more like the DH-oriented Saint M820 ones than they do the XTR M9120 model that they replace. The central SPD mechanism is about the same on all three; the differences arise in the platform design. Like the Saint pedals, and unlike any of the XTR Trail pedals we’ve seen to date, the M9220 ones feature four removable traction pins per side, and a bigger, more squared-off platform to support them.

That platform isn’t as large as the one featured on the Saint pedals (it’s 72 mm wide and 91.5 mm long, vs. 79 mm wide x 91 mm long) and is considerably more sculpted to save weight, but the visual similarities are striking. [At 233 grams each, the M9220 pedals are about 40 grams lighter than Saints but 35 grams heavier per pedal than the M9120 version.] A subtle, but potentially important change is the positioning of the top of the platform relative to the clip mechanism. On both the prior-generation XTR and Saint pedals, the plate that forms the forward part of the clip mechanism sits above the top face of the pedal platform (more so on the Saint than the XTR M9120); on the new M9220 pedals, it’s recessed, so the top of the platform is effectively higher and should engage with the shoe sole more effectively for better support. The supplied traction pins also come with shims that can be installed under their head to effectively shorten them so that you can further dial in the pedal-to-shoe interface.

As such, the platform on the M9220 pedals measures slightly thicker than that of the M9120 versions (18.1 mm vs. 17.2 mm), but the total pedal thickness (measuring across the full clip mechanism) is the same, at 30 mm. The Saint pedals are thicker across the board, at 18.7 mm (platform) and 33 mm (clip mechanism).

Shimano says that they’ve also redesigned the axle seals on the new pedals to keep gunk out for longer and prevent play from developing in the axle mechanism.

Design: MT001 Cleats

The fact that Shimano has updated their SPD cleat design — which has remained unchanged since 1995 — probably raises alarm bells for some folks, but the new MT001 cleats are fully interchangeable with the longstanding SH51 design. At least visually, the only real difference is that the new MT001 cleats feature a large chamfer on the toe hook, which is meant to give you more options for how to clip into the pedals.

The SH51 cleat is designed to go in toe first, and then step down with the heel to open the bail at the rear of the pedal. By chamfering both ends of the cleat, rather than just the rear, the MT001 cleat can clip in via the traditional method, or by hooking the rear of the cleat first and pushing the front down, or simply by stomping straight down on the pedal. And that’s really it — though that small change could make a big difference in how a lot of folks go about clipping in to their SPD pedals. The new M9220 pedals come with the MT001 cleats in the box, but you’re free to use the older SH51 cleats (or the multi-release SH56 ones for that matter) if you’d prefer.

Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About

(1) How do the new MT001 cleats perform — both in the new XTR M9220 pedals, and in Shimano’s existing pedals? How well do the new entry options work? And do the MT001s really feel the same as the existing SH51 version in the pedal and in clipping out?

(2) Do the new XTR M9220 pedals offer more support than the outgoing M9120 version? How do they stack up against the longstanding Saint M820 ones?

Bottom Line (For Now)

We figured a new version of Shimano’s XTR Trail pedals was in the works to go along with the latest generation of that groupset, but we didn’t expect them to get such a substantial redesign — and we definitely didn’t see the new MT001 cleat coming. We’ve got a set in for review, so check out our early thoughts on their performance, below, and stay tuned for a Full Review once we’ve been able to log a lot more time on them.

Flash Review: Our Initial On-Trail Impressions

BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out the Flash Review below to read our initial on-trail impressions. Get our Digital Access Pass to view all our Flash Reviews and Deep Dives, or become a BLISTER+ member today to get access to that and a LOT more, including the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, and much more.

Drivetrain & Pedals