Shimano Mountain Chainrings XT SM-CRM85 Direct-Mount Chainring

Shimano’s new 8100 line hits us with an extra cog in the back, sleek new updates, and future-ready components that are built to go fast, ride hard, blast berms, and rally the trail, and as such you’ll surely want a stiff chainring in the front to drive the system. Shimano’s new XT XM-CRM85 Direct Mount Chainring is here to deliver, with Dynamic Chain Engagement (DCE+ for short), providing better contact between your chain and chainring, for a quieter ride and improved chain retention so you can rally into chunky, uncharted territory, with fewer worries of dropped chain, and less noise of chain slap.

Shimano has never been shy when it comes to spreading the wealth of trickle-down technology across its product lines, so if you’ve been trying to upgrade and wallowing in dismay about the high price tag of XTR, you can stop now. Overhauling its entire XT line, Shimano brought the groupset up to the level that XTR was at just a few years back, giving dirt hounds the chance to ride with the precision of XTR, without the price tag. That means it uses the same direct-mount application, and tooth profile that’s designed to pair up with the new chain’s extended inner link plate for a seamless fit. The new chainring tooth shapes reduces natural vibrations that are caused by the inner and outer chain plates rolling onto the chainring, resulting in stronger contact between the two components. This means you can pedal through the rough and rowdy with the security of a locked-in chain, and skip worrying about whether or not your setup is going to go flying off.