Martijn Hoenderop, who won the Deore XT Components Of Adventure campaign, visited Shimano’s European HQ in Nunspeet in the Netherlands to pick up his prize: a Deore XT M8000 groupset 11-speed for his mountain bike. We introduced him to his new machine and took him out for a test ride.
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Components of Adventure winner rides away on his prize
The winner of the Deore XT campaign is ready for new adventures with top-of-the-range MTB equipment.
“I think it looks awesome with the new exterior which really matches the colour of the frame.”
Martijn Hoenderop
Components of Adventure winner
Martijn won the competition with a picture of the adventure he had in the Austrian Alps in September. The photo was taken on a ridge between Switzerland and Austria where he took the ski lift up and rode from there all day long. It was a fresh autumn day, about 2 degrees at the coldest point, with patches of snow, breathtaking trails and stunning scenery. Presented with the bike he was clearly delighted. “I think it looks awesome with the new exterior which really matches the colour of the frame.”
So how is Deore XT to ride?
That was the big question for Martijn. He wasted no time in finding out, getting changed and straight out onto the forest trails near Shimano’s office in the Netherlands.
"Shifting is smooth, like a warm knife through butter. Braking needs some getting used to."
Martijn Hoenderop
Components of Adventure winner
“It’s really nice. The wheels are a lot stiffer than I had before,” he explained. “Shifting is smooth, like a warm knife through butter. Braking needs some getting used to. They bite more than my old bike. But I’ll be used to that in a couple of kilometres. It’s a really nice upgrade. I’ll have to test these components out on my next adventures in the coming year.”
And here is the winner!
