Shimano trickles down braking technology, embraces 650b
improvements to its mountain bike chains.
The new Deore group Shimano’s trickle-down poster
S
child for this season is the Deore 610 group. The Shadow Plus rear derail- leur—first introduced on Shimano’s top-end XTR group in 2011—is one of the most notable features bor- rowed from higher up. The technology consists of a one-way friction clutch in the derail- leur that keeps the chain tension stable, preventing the chain from clanging around on bumpy terrain.
himano (Booth 754) has a long tradition of introducing technology on its highest-priced
groups, then slowly trickling down the features to lower-priced components in subsequent seasons. This year is no exception as the Japa- nese giant brings its popular IceTech disc brake technology, and its Shadow Plus rear derailleur tech, to a new, lower-priced group. Shimano also is acknowledging the growth
of the 650b wheel category, with new wheel models as well as new gearing options better suited for the larger-diameter hoops. And at the higher end, Shimano has made
That makes riding quieter and shifting more consistent, and prevents the chain from jumping off the chainrings altogether. SRAM’s Type 2 rear mechs have a similar feature. The new Deore group also features disc
Bicycle Retailer 110h x 133v x 0mm bleed 300ppi 2012.pdf 1
brakes that are compatible with Shimano’s IceTech brake pads and rotors. IceTech has been a well-received feature on higher-end Shimano groups. The technology offers better brake system cooling and lighter weight. By offering compatibility with IceTech, Shimano is open- ing the door for consumers to upgrade to the system, and for bike makers to mix and match
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components to bring the technology to lower- priced complete bikes. The new group also offers direct-mount front
and rear derailleur options. Deore 610 is available with double or triple cranksets with 10-speed cassettes.
Embracing bigger wheels Bigger wheels create bigger gear ratios. So if
you put gearing for 26-inch-wheeled bikes onto bikes with 650b or 29-inch wheels, the rider will be over-geared. The lowest gears might be too hard for the steep hills, the top gears might be larger than needed, and the sweet-spot middle gears might be harder to find. So with the increased popularity of the two
larger wheels, Shimano had to respond. This year it will offer its Deore 610, Deore XT and SLX groups with 40-30-22 Dyna-Sys triple cranksets. The combo has two fewer teeth per ring than the most popular chainsets used on 26-inch bikes. Shimano also will offer two new front derailleur models specifically for the new gearing. The new derailleurs are part of the Deore XT and SLX groups.
Shimano also makes wheels and it’s coming
out with two new 650b models as part of the Deore XT line.
Shimano may be saving the bulk of its high- end parts upgrade announcements for later. But for now, it’s letting slip that it has added a new surface treatment to its Deore XT- and SLX-level chains. The treatment is said to increase chain life and reduce noise. The new chains are compatible with any 10-speed Shimano mountain drivetrain.
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