Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset Review

Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset Reviews

Review score: 9.3/10 – Updated November, 2024

Latest Price: £599.99 – Save 40% (RRP: £999.99)

Take a look now to discover what makes Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset worthy of a review score of 9.3 out of 10.

Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset Review


Skip to content:


View reviews at Chain Reaction Cycles


Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset features

Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset specs

Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset
Spec 1

Colour: Black

Other Groupsets found with this Spec: 6387

Spec 2

Size: 10-51

Other Groupsets found with this Spec: 3

Spec 3

Teeth: 32t

Other Groupsets found with this Spec: 43

Spec 4

Speed: 12 Speed

Other Groupsets found with this Spec: 225

Spec 5

Length: 170mm, 175mm

Other Groupsets found with this Spec: 35

Spec 6

Material: Aluminium

Other Groupsets found with this Spec: 762

Feature 1

Material: Alloy

Other Groupsets found with this feature: 140

Feature 2

Use: MTB

Other Groupsets found with this feature: 438

Feature 3

Mount: Direct Mount

Other Groupsets found with this feature: 37

Feature 4

Speed: 12 speed

Other Groupsets found with this feature: 70

Feature 5

Number of Chainrings: Single

Other Groupsets found with this feature: 3

Feature 6

Arm: 4-arm

Other Groupsets found with this feature: 15

Feature 7

Chainline: 52mm

Other Groupsets found with this feature: 15

Feature 8

Q Factor: 172mm

Other Groupsets found with this feature: 5

Feature 9

Bottom Bracket: Included

Other Groupsets found with this feature: 2

Price

£599.99

Buy

Quality

Quality is without doubt one of the most important factors that we consider when buying bikes, parts, accessories or clothing. As you’d imagine it’s especially important when buying Groupsets. Let’s take at a look at the sort of things you can look at when trying to ascertain the quality of Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset.

The first thing is material. Looking at what Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset is made of will give you a really good idea of the quality overall. Take a look at the specs above and you should be able to see the material. It’s then up to you to decide if it meets your expectation.

Similarly you’ll also want to spend some time looking at the features too. Again the table above, listing the features will give you a really good overview. However you should think about the sort of features that you’d expect when buying new Groupsets. It’s worth writing a list of the “must-have” features so that you don’t end up compromising and missing some important features, or alternatively end up buying an unnecessarily high specced product.

There’s also a lot of merit in checking out the brand of the product and looking at the various brands that are selling Groupsets. Brands like Shimano are of courses extremely well respected in the cycling community so you know you’re getting a fantastic product with them. But if you’re undecided on your product you should write up a list of brands that you’d be happy to buy. It’s a great way of filtering and narrowing down the number of products when you’re searching.

Next up you’ll want to think about the price and use that as a guide to set your expectations of the quality. If you’re buying the cheapest of the options in the Groupsets category you should probably expect it to not be of as good quality as the most expensive. It sounds obvious of course. But this is where you can get a bit clever and use your combination of features, specs, materials and other factors to work together to get a really good quality product at the best price. We often draw up a list of “must-haves” and use these as filters when shopping online so that you’re only seeing products that meet your criteria. You can then sort by Price>Low to get the best deals.


Comparing Prices

Price, as you would imagine, is the most popular reason for someone buying one product over another. It is the single most important factor in choosing the majority of products we buy. The same goes for Groupsets.

It’s at this stage of the buying process, when you’re looking at different options, that you should set a budget. Do some research to understand how much roughly you can expect to pay for the sort of level of product that you’re looking for. Then match that to your own personal circumstance and how much you can afford to spend. This will really help you in narrowing down the right product for you.

Price of Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset

So the first aspect of price that we’re going to look at is the price of Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset.

We run regular scans across the web to find the best prices for the products that we review, from a range of cycling retailers. The best price we managed to find Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset was over at Chain Reaction Cycles where the price was £599.99 in our latest search.

Based on this price we’ve scored it 8.8 out of 10 for price.

Average price of Groupsets

Next we wanted to look at how much you can expect to pay, on average, for Groupsets.

We found 66 in the Groupsets category over at Chain Reaction Cycles. We looked at the average price of the products within this category and found the average is £881.77, making it below average at £599.99.

It’s sometimes helpful to look at how much the prices can vary. Especially when setting yourself a budget, or when trying to understand just how much you could spend on Groupsets. We found that the most expensive product currently available was £2999.99, whilst the cheapest we managed to find was £9.99.

With 66 products available we worked out that 34 cost more than Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset and 29 were cheaper.

Cost of Shimano products

At Chain Reaction Cycles we found 854 products from Shimano, of which 19 were in the Groupsets category.

For now though we’re looking at Shimano branded products in all categories. The average price of these products was £94.29 making this product above average.

You’ll also be interested to know that the cheapest Shimano product we found was £1.00 and the highest price we could find from them was £1999.99.

Of the 854 from Shimano, 17 were more expensive than Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset and 835 were cheaper.

How much are Shimano Groupsets?

We then wanted to get a bit more specific and only look at Shimano products that are listed in the Groupsets category.

The average price of the 19 products that match this search was £711.36, with the cheapest coming in at £239.99 and highest price was £1999.99. With the average being £711.36, Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset comes in below average.

7 products that meet this search were more expensive than Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset and 10 were cheaper.


Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset Reviews

Reading reviews is an amazing way of getting a good feel for a product without actually being able to try it or see it first.

There are two different types of reviews, and we also recommend reading both.

1. Expert reviews – In the cycle industry there are loads of really reliable trusted resources for expert reviews. For example if you’re looking to buy a new bike, BikeRadar Bike Reviews are great.

2. Customer reviews – these are probably your best resource for information. There’s no finances or influence involved, they’re purely just honest reviews from customers that have bought and used the product. The reason we love customer reviews so much is because no matter if their view is good or bad, there’s a very good chance that it will be honest and unbiased.

Our best advice is to head over to Chain Reaction Cycles and read the Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset reviews there.

Based on what we’ve seen in terms of reviews for Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset, it really does look like a great buy. So for the review score, we’ve scored it 9.8 out of 10. The average review score for all products in the Groupsets category at Chain Reaction Cycles is 4.2 out of 5.

Owner reviews, as we say, are one of the most important pieces of research that we can do before we buy. So, with that in mind, if you do go on to buy Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset or another similar product, like Shimano XT M8100 1x12sp Drivetrain MTB Groupset reviews or Shimano XT M8000 Drivetrain MTB Groupset -Boost reviews we’d love you to leave a review in the comments below. It will really help future buyers just like you, when they’re looking to buy Groupsets.


Brand

As we said in the pricing part of the review, brand is a really important consideration, but especially so when looking to buy Groupsets. But as you’re probably already aware, you’re on to a great choice if you do go with Shimano, as they’re a fantastic brand, making amazing products.


YouTube Video of Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset

Below we’ve embedded a video from YouTube where we’ve searched for Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset reviews.


Summary

Overall, we’ve been hugely impressed by the quality, price, reviews and features of Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset. We’d say that as long as it fits your budget and meets your expectations in terms of features/spec…it’s a really strong contender. That’s why we’ve scored it a massive 9.3/10 overall.


Further product details

  • Product ID 1: 25308842097
  • Product ID 2: 767496UK
  • Brand: Shimano
  • Model number: GSM8120BE32145GSMT800
  • RRP: £999.99
  • EAN: 5056305599546
  • Description: Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB GroupsetThis stunning groupset was born for trail adventure, racing and to ensure reliability and performance are top-level. Ready to dominate every ride, this top-quality components package features some of the best Shimano technologies around, so you’ll enjoy their cutting-edge features that will help you take your off-road pursuits up a notch. Developed by Shimano to provide the ultimate in what is possible from mountain bike riding, the Deore XT M8100 groupset allows for enhanced stability, superb shifting performance, exceptional consistency and is a transmission you can rely on.Deore XT M8100 12 Speed ChainsetThis high-quality 12 speed model is engineered for off-road use as its MTB gear teeth improve chain engagement and retention. It features hollow forged alloy crank construction which maximises its power transfer while keeping its weight reduced. Packed with some of the finest Shimano technologies around, this lightweight and rigid model is the perfect solution for dominating your way around the trails.Features: Material:¬†Alloy Use:¬†MTB Mount:¬†Direct Mount Speed:¬†12 speed Number of Chainrings:¬†Single Arm:¬†4-arm Chainline:¬†52mm Q Factor:¬†172mm Bottom Bracket:¬†IncludedDeore XT M8100 12 Speed ChainringThis high-quality 12 speed chainring is specifically engineered for MTB use as it delivers superior chain retention on the trails. It features a specially optimised gear tooth profile which improves chain engagement and retention, so you can ride confidently as you navigate around the mountain. In addition, its aluminium construction makes it incredibly tough when battling against trailside obstacles and rough terrain conditions.Features: Material:¬†Aluminium Use:¬†MTB Series:¬†XT M8100 Speed:¬†12 speed Arm:¬†4-arm Mount:¬†Direct mountDeore XT M8100 CassetteThis wide range 12 speed cassette is engineered for aggressive off-road use as it delivers definitive shifting performance. It features a new shift ramp design with Hyperglide+ technology which provides faster and smoother gearing as you shred the trails. Furthermore, its lighter and stiffer construction reduces cassette resistance which results in faster acceleration and increased chain security.Features: Material:¬†Aluminium Speed:¬†12 speed Type:¬†Hyperglide+ 10T lowest sprocket realised by new freehub body construction Definitive shifting performance Wide rangeDeore XT M8100 1×12 Speed Rear DerailleurThis solid 12 speed rear mech is optimised to take on any trail as it delivers fast and precise shifting performance. Its low profile design makes gear changes quick and silent in all positions, so you can navigate around the mountain with ease. To top it off, its newly added pulley cage bumper both protects the rear mech from trail-side obstacles and helps to keep your drivetrain stable on rough rides.Features: Material:¬†Alloy; Pulley Bearings: Sealed Size:¬†Medium cage Speed:¬†12 speed Use:¬†MTB Bushings:¬†4 fluoric coated link bushings Low Sprocket Max:¬†51T; Low Sprocket Min: 45T Top Sprocket Max:¬†10T; Top Sprocket Min: 10T Total Capacity:¬†41T; Max Front Difference: 0T; Pulley Teeth: 13T Spring Type:¬†Shimano Shadow RD+Deore XT M8100 12 Speed ShifterThis compact 12 speed shifter features some of the finest Shimano technologies to give you fast and reliable shifting all across the mountain. This stunning model allows you to shift both up and down with a single lever and enjoy its instant push and pull movements as you dominate on the trails. Lightweight and responsive, it is perfect for MTB use as it gives you superior control, efficiency and concentration.Features: Front Speed:¬†2 Rear Speed:¬†12 Max Multiple Shifts:¬†4 Mount:¬†I-spec EV Release Function:¬†2-Way Release, Multi Release, Instant Release Shifter Type:¬†Rapidfire Plus Average Weight:¬†78g (Left); 117g (Right)Deore XT M8120 Disc BrakesThese powerful disc brakes offer superior modulation, greater downhill confidence and control while out on the trails. This stunning combination includes a rider tuneable lever and four-piston caliper for outstanding stopping power as you navigate around the trails. Its caliper decreases rotor wobbling noise and increases its braking power by 10%, so you’ll enjoy a quieter and more precise braking set-up. In addition, its lever features an action-packed cockpit layout for more flexibility and an adjustable reach which suits any hand size, type of riding and individual rider preferences. This is a perfect choice of upgrade for dominating every descent and shredding around the trails in style.Features: Material:¬†Lever: Aluminium anodised; Caliper: Aluminium painted Caliper Mount:¬†Post Mount Lever Length:¬†2 finger Adjustment:¬†Tool-less reach adjustment Piston:¬†4-piston Pads:¬†N03A Resin with fin Brake Fluid:¬†Mineral oil Weight:¬†284g (approx)Deore XT M8100 12 Speed ChainThis lightweight 12 speed chain is ideal for conquering every MTB ride thanks to its remarkable strength and smooth shifting performance. It features an extended inner plate which improves chain engagement and retention for more efficient acceleration and gear changes. Easy to connect to your bike thanks to its Quick-Link, this is a perfect component for weaving your way around the mountain in style.Features: Use:¬†MTB Speed:¬†12 speed Links:¬†126 links Non-reusable Quick-link easy connection Weight:¬†252g (approx)Shimano XT RT-MT800M Centre-Lock Disc RotorsFeatures: Size:¬†180mm with ICE technologies Number of Rotors:¬†2A 2-year warranty is offered with all Shimano products from Chain Reaction Cycles (3 years on Dura-Ace and XTR products).Buy Shimano Components from Chain Reaction Cycles, the World’s Largest Online Bike Store.
  • Full Category: Components > Groupsets
  • Savings percentage from RRP: 40%
  • Size: Oct-51
  • Unisex
  • 400
  • Adult

Other options for Groupsets

As you’d imagine there are so many options out there when buying Groupsets. 66 in fact.

A few of our other favourites that we spotted when researching Shimano XT M8120 1x12sp MTB Groupset included,
Shimano M6100 Deore 12Sp MTB Drivetrain Groupset reviews, Shimano M6100 Deore 12Sp MTB Groupset reviews, or we really liked the look of Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Polymer Inner Brake Cable reviews as another alternative.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *