As the mountain bike (MTB) boom reached maturity and segmented, Shimano developed this components series with a clear focus on downhill racing. At the beginning of the 2000s, extreme riding in which riders enjoyed freestyle riding down super challenging mountain trails originated at North Shore, on the West Coast of North America. Shimano chose the name “SAINT” envisioning a bicycle riding through the mystical atmosphere of the forest. The design concept of SAINT was “Super Heavy Duty.” Shimano pursued high-level stiffness and strength by adopting an innovative mounting system in which the rear derailleur was directly fixed to the rear hub shaft, the highly durable HOLLOWTECH II crankset and more. Transforming into a components series for all-mountain bikes and now for downhill bikes, SAINT is further strengthening its identity as a series while continuing to enhance its functions as required.