While we are going to look at the M4000 series from the 2018 edition of Shimano Altus the origins of this groupset remain the same and the design changes have a direct impact on performance. The Altus groupset consists of the whole range of components including, derailleurs, shifters, cranksets, brakes and bottom brackets. Found on both entry and mid-level MTB’s and hybrids, this groupset has been there in the market for a long time and seen constant upgrades to get maximum performance at pocket friendly price.
Shimano Altus is an MTB groupset is just above Tourney on the MTB component hierarchy chart. Even though Altus is labelled as a basic level componentry, this is the beginning of performance focused gears and other parts which are lighter and better in design.
When it comes to groupsets, derailleurs are the most sought after and checked when buying a bicycle. Altus derailleurs in the M4000 series comes in 7, 8 and 9-Speed combinations. The front derailleurs come in 2 different designs, down swing and top swing. Down swing design is the older version, which is lengthy and vertical whereas the top swing design is horizontally long making it lighter and neater. Both these derailleurs are compatible up to 3x9 speed combinations.
The rear derailleur in Shimano Altus is a sleek and lightweight component with compatibility up to 9-Speed. Both these front and rear derailleurs have a bunch of different shifter/brake lever component to work these gears. The EZFire plus comes with 7, 8 and 9-Speed shifters are standard with analog gear indicators. The new Rapid Fire plus shifters in Altus are compatible for 9-Speed gears and are gear shifters alone and do not come as a brake lever combination.
The Altus groupset also includes V-Brakes, Mechanical Disc Brakes and Hydraulic Disc Brakes as well. The new crankset for 3x9-Speed Altus drivetrain is perfectly designed for smooth pedaling. The Altus specific bottom bracket and cassette sprockets have also seen updation in terms of design and weights making them perform better.
Conclusion
The Shimano Altus groupset have always been the first step towards performance focused cycling. The new M4000 series has seen a massive upgrade in terms of design and performance with lot of inspirations derived from their higher-level Acera/Alivio components. An MTB with Altus componentry will help the rider get a complete off-road experience.
