{"id":55992,"date":"2023-11-02T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=336113"},"modified":"2023-11-02T17:46:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T16:46:22","slug":"shimano-i-spec-a-b-ii-and-ev-mounts-explained","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/shimano-i-spec-a-b-ii-and-ev-mounts-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Shimano I-Spec A, B, II and EV mounts explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mountain bike combination brake levers and shifters <\/p>

By Paul Norman\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 02 November 2023 at 13:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Shimano\u2019s I-Spec is single-clamp bar adaptor that allows the shifter or dropper post lever to fix directly to the brake lever, resulting in a lighter and more minimalist cockpit.<\/p>\n

At one point, your mountain bike brake and shift levers were two separate components and clamped separately onto your handlebars. It\u2019s a setup you can still buy and the only option in lower-spec Shimano groupsets<\/a>, but it\u2019s a bit heavy, a bit messy and takes up handlebar real estate.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also added adjustment built into the I-Spec system that enables you to alter the angle of the shifter lever relative to the brake lever, so you can set up the two to suit your preferred ergonomics.<\/p>\n

Confusingly, I-Spec has now gone through four different versions, not all of which are compatible. First, there was I-Spec A, introduced in 2011 and now obsolete. That was followed by I-Spec B, which still lives on in some product ranges.<\/p>\n

Not wanting to rest on its laurels, Shimano followed this up with I-Spec II, which added more adjustability and made for easier installation.<\/p>\n

The latest and greatest iteration is I-Spec EV. Again, it ups the adjustment range, and also increases rigidity and available braking force.<\/p>\n

As well as MTB components, you can find some versions of I-Spec as an option in Shimano\u2019s other flat-bar groupsets, such as Cues and Alfine.<\/p>\n

I-Spec A and I-Spec B<\/h2>\n
\"I-Spec\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n

I-Spec A and the newer I-Spec B were Shimano\u2019s first attempt at integrating the shift lever and brake lever on one handlebar clamp. A hole in the brake lever clamp assembly enables you to bolt the compatible shift lever to the back of the brake lever.<\/p>\n

In type A, there was a simple nut and bolt, and the shifter mounted onto a small hook on the brake lever clamp. In type B, there\u2019s a small lateral pin that passes through the two sides of the brake lever clamp and supports the bolt for the shifter. There\u2019s also a bit available that enables you to mount a type B shifter on a type A brake lever.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a table of groupsets with an I-Spec B option:<\/p>\n

<\/colgroup> \n
\ufeffSeries<\/th>Model<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
XTR<\/td>M980<\/td> <\/tr>
Deore XT<\/td>M8000\/M780\/T780<\/td> <\/tr>
SLX<\/td>M7000\/M670<\/td> <\/tr>
Deore<\/td>M610\/T610<\/td> <\/tr>
Saint<\/td>M820<\/td> <\/tr>
Deore LX<\/td>T670<\/td> <\/tr>
Alfine<\/td>S7000\/S700<\/td> <\/tr> <\/tbody> <\/table>