It’s (nearly) here! Shimano have released news of their latest and most advanced groupsets ever, the Dura-Ace R9100 mechanical and R9150 electric.
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There are several firsts for Shimano here, including the option to add in an integrated crank-based power meter and/or hydraulic disc-braking. The all new synchronised shifting technology, which seeks the next highest/lowest gear from the touch of one button on the right lever without having to change ring, could be of particular benefit to triathletes on race-day looking for even quicker and smoother shifting. Perhaps lesser news for triathletes but more important for roadies is that the groupset can be purchased with hydraulic disc brakes. The new Dura-Ace rotor is said to improve heat dissipation, and features flat-mount calipers.
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Shimano are promising a high degree of accuracy in the integrated power meter: “Riders can expect extremely accurate real-time power data to track and analyse your performance. Not only can the pure output of watts be measured, left and right legs can be measured separately, as well as cadence, giving you the truest measure of performance, isolated from external factors such as gradient, road surface and wind.”
Not only this, but the power meter is totally waterproof and wireless, for easy linking to your GPS computer and Shimano’s own E-Tube wireless software.
A new crankset design improves rigidity and power transfer from the rider through the pedal to the drivetrain, whilst it’s still 7g lighter than the previous Dura-Ace crankset. Five variations on the crankset are available: 50-34T, 52-36T, 53-39T, 54-42T and 55-42T with seven crank arm lengths ranging from 165 to 180mm.