{"id":69801,"date":"2024-10-09T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ba4750df-4f73-4a8a-9de5-2401f3be6813"},"modified":"2024-10-09T12:26:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T10:26:41","slug":"simon-says-does-shimano-really-care-about-gravel","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/simon-says-does-shimano-really-care-about-gravel\/","title":{"rendered":"Simon says: does Shimano really care about gravel?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As SRAM makes strides, Shimano is dragging its heels <\/p>

By Simon von Bromley\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 09 October 2024 at 09:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

As far as I can tell, Shimano doesn\u2019t care much for elite gravel racing.<\/p>

This is odd because, with one of cycling\u2019s brightest stars winning the rainbow jersey in the elite men\u2019s UCI Gravel World Championships last weekend, it feels as if gravel racing is truly going mainstream.<\/p>

Given the backing gravel has received from punters and brands alike in recent years \u2013 our buyer\u2019s guide to the best gravel bikes<\/a> is one of our most consistently popular pages, for example \u2013 it\u2019s perhaps no surprise.<\/p>

But despite all this, I can\u2019t shake the feeling that cycling\u2019s biggest component brand doesn\u2019t seem all that fussed about it.<\/p>

Three gravel world champions, no GRX<\/h2>
Shimano’s recently launched GRX Di2 RX825 groupset saw little action at the pointy end of this year’s Gravel World Championships. <\/figcaption><\/figure>

Shimano doesn\u2019t ignore gravel completely, of course. It produces a range of GRX gravel groupsets<\/a> and wheelsets, for example, plus extras such as gravel-specific components, shoes and riding kit.<\/p>

It also looks as if drop-bar Shimano Cues groupsets (which leaked last month)<\/a> may be about to shake up the lower end of the gravel bike market.<\/p>

Compared to its chief rival SRAM, and its host of subsidiary brands such as Zipp and RockShox, though, Shimano\u2019s gravel offering is fairly limited in scope and stops curiously short of the high-end.<\/p>

As a result, while all three elite men\u2019s UCI Gravel World Championships have been won using Shimano-equipped bikes, none have featured Shimano\u2019s gravel-specific offerings.<\/p>

\"Mathieu
Mathieu van der Poel, like many elite men, opted for a Dura-Ace Di2 road groupset. Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

The 2024 winner, Mathieu van der Poel<\/a>, opted for a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset<\/a> \u2013 the Japanese brand\u2019s flagship electronic road bike groupset<\/a> \u2013 as did 2023 winner Matej Mohori\u010d<\/a> and the discipline\u2019s inaugural champion, Gianni Vermeersch<\/a>.<\/p>

All three riders also opted for Shimano\u2019s Dura-Ace SPD-SL road pedals<\/a>, rather than its SPD-compatible gravel pedals<\/a> (although that perhaps says more about the demands \u2013 or lack thereof \u2013 of the parcours on offer at such events).<\/p>

I have my suspicions about why this could be happening.<\/p>

\"Shimano
Dura-Ace offers things GRX doesn’t, such as a power meter crankset and bigger chainrings. Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

In terms of materials, weight and finish, GRX tops out at roughly the same level as Ultegra Di2<\/a> (its second-tier road groupset), and is missing a number of key racing-focused options, such as bigger chainrings<\/a> and a power meter<\/a> crankset.<\/p>

Given this, there are \u2013 as far as I can see \u2013 two possible explanations for why Shimano\u2019s elite athletes mostly shun GRX.<\/p>

Either they don\u2019t think it offers what they want, or, worse, they don\u2019t think it’s good enough.<\/p>

Why is there no Dura-Ace GRX?<\/h2>
\"Shimano's
Shimano’s ST-R785 shifters marked the brand’s first attempt at hydraulic disc brakes for road bikes. Ben Delaney \/ Future Publishing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

When it comes to road and gravel bike tech, Shimano has previously introduced new technologies at the Ultegra-level, later releasing a Dura-Ace equivalent once the tech has been suitably refined.<\/p>

Its first attempt at a hydraulic disc brake<\/a> system for road bikes (the BR-R785 road hydraulic disc brakes<\/a>) was released in 2013 as non-series components pitched at the Ultegra-level, for example. This tech eventually made its way to the Dura-Ace level in 2017 with the launch of the R9100<\/a> series groupsets.<\/p>

\"Shimano
Shimano’s first-generation GRX groupsets launched without a pro-level version. Matthew Loveridge \/ Immediate Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Likewise, when the first-generation Shimano GRX groupsets launched in 2019, they appeared to be following a similar pattern. The range started with Tiagra-level RX400 parts, then topped out with Ultegra-equivalent RX800 components.<\/p>

Far from getting a Dura-Ace-level GRX groupset, though, the recent update to GRX Di2<\/a> amounted to little more than an extra cog at the rear and a subtle reshaping of the brake hoods (so far, anyway \u2013 we\u2019re still waiting for 1x GRX Di2 groupsets to launch, so perhaps there\u2019s more to come).<\/p>

\"Shimano
The new Shimano GRX Di2 RX825 groupset sees only minor upgrades at a glance. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

In contrast, SRAM\u2019s new Red XPLR AXS gravel groupset<\/a> shook up the formula far more aggressively, with a Universal Derailleur Hanger<\/a> interface, 13 speeds and 1x-specific formulation.<\/p>

Of course, we\u2019ve yet to test Shimano GRX Di2 RX825<\/a>, so perhaps I\u2019m jumping the gun on that one, but it\u2019s not only with groupsets that Shimano\u2019s gravel racing<\/a> kit lags behind its rivals.<\/p>

Compared to Zipp\u2019s range of highly progressive wheelsets, for example, Shimano\u2019s top-tier gravel wheels, the GRX WH-RX880s, are competitively light but have relatively shallow and narrow rim dimensions that put them well behind the curve of modern trends in gravel wheels<\/a>.<\/p>

\"Shimano
Shimano’s GRX RX880 carbon gravel wheelset isn’t particularly progressive. Scott Windsor \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

It\u2019s fair to say Shimano has rarely pushed the limits of design when it comes to making wheels for any discipline, but the contrast between these and Zipp\u2019s new 303 XPLR SW wheelset<\/a> (which was used by Formula One driver turned gravel enthusiast Valtteri Bottas <\/a>and many other SRAM-sponsored athletes at the Gravel World Championships) is stark.<\/p>

It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that Van Der Poel didn\u2019t opt to use the WH-RX880s.<\/p>

\"Unbranded
Might these unbranded rims be a tease of something more exciting to come from Shimano? Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Could van der Poel\u2019s unbranded deep-section carbon rims (which were, according to our man on the ground, Liam Cahill<\/a>, laced to Shimano Dura-Ace hubs) be our first look at something more progressive from Shimano? Let\u2019s hope so.<\/p>

After all, it\u2019s great that Shimano has focused its attention on serving the cheaper end of the gravel market during gravel\u2019s initial explosion in popularity, given that stuff is what most of us can actually afford. It\u2019s certainly what\u2019s on my own gravel bike<\/a>.<\/p>

But Shimano shouldn\u2019t take the flagship stuff for granted because that\u2019s what often gets people excited about a brand, even if they can\u2019t buy into that tech until it eventually trickles down to more affordable levels.<\/p>

Shimano is missing the chance of a lifetime<\/h2>
\"Dutch
All eyes were on Mathieu van der Poel last weekend, but Shimano GRX was conspicuous by its absence. DAVID PINTENS\/BELGA MAG\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Unless you\u2019ve been living under a rock, it won\u2019t have escaped your notice that Mathieu van der Poel is one of the sport\u2019s biggest names.<\/p>

A world champion cyclist across multiple disciplines, van der Poel has taken the cycling world by storm in recent years.<\/p>

Having him on the start line of events, let alone adding his name to the list of winners, will do much to raise the profile and burnish the reputation of gravel racing.<\/p>

If van der Poel is to race more gravel events next year, though \u2013 as you\u2019d hope the reigning UCI world champion would \u2013 Shimano will be missing an enormous opportunity to market its gravel-specific equipment.<\/p>

SRAM, in contrast, has a comparatively wide range of flagship components to deck out its star riders, such as Marianne Vos<\/a> (who won this year\u2019s elite women\u2019s race), Kasia Niewiadoma<\/a> and Tiffany Cromwell<\/a>.<\/p>

With the discipline\u2019s rapidly rising popularity, it wouldn\u2019t be a surprise to see other big names riding for Shimano-sponsored teams \u2013 perhaps luminaries such as Tadej Poga\u00e7ar<\/a> or Tom Pidcock<\/a> \u2013 getting involved.<\/p>

And if Shimano can\u2019t capitalise on this momentum, it risks losing the gravel tech arms race before it has even begun.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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