OSAKA, Japan (BRAIN) — Shimano's latest iteration of its Ultegra road group includes cassette options with up to 34-tooth cogs, Ultegra-branded disc brakes, a low-profile Shadow rear derailleur design, refined Di2 options and new wheels.
The new R8000 group will be available with rim or disc brakes, with Di2 and mechanical shifting options for either brake system.
Cassettes will be available in 11-25, 11-28, 11-30, 11-32, 12-25, 14-28 and 11-34 tooth sizes. The 11-34 requires a long-cage rear derailleur.
A new four-arm crankset will be available in 53-39, mid-compact 52-36, compact 50-34, and cyclocross-specific 46-36. The company said "Redesigned chainring tooth profiling increases clearance between chain and leading teeth to provide compatibility with frames featuring 135mm O.L.D. and 410mm chainstay length," which should improve chainline and reduce noise on disc-brake road bikes with normal road bike chainstay lengths.
The group's disc brake calipers and rotors resemble the new Dura-Ace disc brakes, with a nearly solid brake rotor.
The company said the rim brake/mechanical shifting components will be available this month; Di2 and disc brake components are due in August.
More information: bike.shimano.com.
