Shimano

K. K. Shimano (Japanese株式会社 シマノ, Kabushiki - gaisha Shimano, Eng. Shimano Inc.) is a Japanese manufacturer of bicycle components and accessories, fishing and snowboarding products and cold forgings. Nearly four-fifths of the turnover generated with Shimano bicycle components and almost one-fifth with fishing equipment ( rods and reels ). Other products contribute about one percent to sales.

History

The company was founded in 1921 as Shimano Tekkojo (岛 野 鉄 工 所, Eng. Shimano Iron Works) of Shôzaburô Shimano (岛 野 庄三郎) founded in Sakai. 1931 Shimano began exporting its freewheel hubs. With the official change of the company into a corporation in 1940, the name change was in KK Shimano Tekkojo (株式会社 岛 野 鉄 工 所, Eng. Shimano Iron Works Co., Ltd.)..

In 1951 the company name in Shimano Kōgyō KK (岛 野 工业 株式会社, Eng. Shimano Industrial Co. Ltd.). Changed. With the introduction of the first Shimano three-speed gear hub at the International Toy and Cycle Show in New York was 1961, the entry into the market for interconnection.

To expand the product range Shimano 1970 began manufacturing the first fishing reels ( DUX ). In 1971 the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. That same year, the Shimano Adachi Co. Ltd.. established, where the first fishing rods are made. A year later the European headquarters was opened in Dusseldorf.

In 1973, the quality Dura -Ace series for road bikes was launched, which is still run as Shimano's top product in racing bikes. The sale of fishing tackle in Europe began 1974. 1977 for the first time Kevlar was used in the production rods and 1980 started production of the first aero wheels. The introduction of the mountain bike group XT was 1982. 1988 rose Shimano with Shimano Cycling Footwear in the market for bike shoes, which successfully in 1990 with the idea of the click pedal for mountain bikes (SPD, Shimano Pedaling Dynamics ) introduced in racing bikes technology in the mountain bike market rendered. In 1991, the company name was last amended in KK Shimano (株式会社 シマノ).

With the introduction of the Golf Division 1999 Shimano tried to gain a foothold in the booming Gulf market and further expand its range. After only five years, the production of golf equipment was reinstated in 2004.

Developments in the bicycle division

Especially with circuit groups for bicycles Shimano has a paramount market position. The leading groups are traditionally the XT (R ) for mountain and the Dura Ace for the sport of cycling to rail and road. Shimano was the first manufacturer in each case completely matched groups consisting of derailleur, sprocket (or gear hub at City - wheels), front derailleur, crankset, bearings and brakes and shifters and brake levers a performance class introduced, but can also be combined in part with each other. Served with a suitable bike computer and maintenance products.

The development of the first introduced by the Japanese competitors Suntour indexed shifting, inter alia, for the mass market and the introduction of " Hyperglide " ring gears, sprockets and chains was a technical milestone for modern and easy to use bicycle gears.

The main competitors are Campagnolo and SRAM from Italy from the U.S.. The Japanese competitor Suntour has lost much of its importance, producing low-cost components primarily for original equipment manufacturers. In the German manufacturer Rohloff hub gears with the Speedhub 500/14 only remaining competitor in addition to SRAM.

Bicycle technology and compatibility

Shimano developed as a market leader repeatedly innovations in drive and braking technology, the long-term prevailed throughout the bicycle market. In the early 1990s brought the first Shimano brake switch combination. Shimano Total Integration (STI ) brake lever to the market A modified version of this technique is now standard for all manufacturers of racing groups.

While until the late 1990s, almost all Shimano drive components, also road bike with MTB groups were combined with each other, this is no longer possible since the introduction of 9-speed derailleurs. 6 - to 8 -fold systems, 9-speed systems and 10x systems are incompatible with each other, but within the respective groups. At the rear drive components for racing groups are all right Levers, derailleurs, cassettes and chains of ten sections, also current with previous versions, compatible with each other (with the exception of some cartridges ). In the left Schalt-/Bremshebeln and derailleurs of the groups 5700 (Group 105), 6700 ( Ultegra ), 6600 ( Ultegra ) and 7800 ( Dura -Ace ) are compatible with each other. The Compatibility of cranks and chains applies: All dual cranks for Shimano tenfold systems ( current and previous versions ) are mobile, with chains of groups 5600, 6600, 5700, 6700, 7800 and 7900th

Assemblies series for racing wheels

For road bikes Shimano offers the following modules series (in quality / price descending order):

  • Dura -Ace Di2 ( electrically operated circuit )
  • Dura -Ace (formerly Crane )
  • Ultegra Di2
  • Ultegra (formerly 600 EX / 600)
  • 105
  • Tiagra (formerly RX 100)
  • Sora (formerly: RSX )
  • Claris
  • 2200/2300
  • A050

Meanwhile obsolete groups:

  • Santé
  • Ultegra SL
  • 600 ax
  • Exage 500 EX
  • Exage 400 EX
  • Exage 300 EX

Assemblies series for mountain, cross and touring bikes

For mountain and trekking bikes following groups are available ( in quality / price descending order):

  • XTR (2011 2/3x10 transition since model year )
  • Deore XT (2012 2/3x10 transition since model year )
  • Deore DX ( no longer available; successor to the Deore II)
  • SLX ( Since July 2008, the successor to the LX (for MTB ) and Hone ) ( 3x10 gear, from model year 2012/13 and 2x10 )
  • Deore LX ( no longer available for MTB (now settled for Trekking wheels ), successor to the Mountain LX)
  • Deore ( successor to the STX RC)
  • STX RC ( no longer available; successor to the Exage 500 LX or Mountain)
  • STX ( no longer available; successor to the Exage 400 LX, or trail )
  • Alivio
  • Acera
  • Altus
  • Tourney (also called TX )

Assemblies series for freeride, downhill and BMX bikes

  • Airlines ( Air pressure circuit for downhill, only 2000 units built, no longer available )
  • Saint ( Extreme Freeride)
  • SLX ( successor to the Hone )
  • ZEE ( Downhill beginner group)
  • Hone (Freeride, no longer available )
  • DXR ( BMX)

Assemblies series for city and touring bikes

For city and touring bikes in addition the following groups are available:

  • Nexave C810 ( Successor group of C910 with power from the hub dynamo )
  • C910 ( component group with electronically switched derailleur and damping control )
  • C500
  • C530 INTEGO (half derailleur, half hub gears )
  • T400
  • T300
  • C201
  • C101
  • Nexus Alfine ( component group with eight-speed resp. Elfgang gear hub )
  • Cyber ​​Nexus ( component group with electronically switched Achtgangnabe and damping control )
  • Inter-8 premium ( eight-speed internal gear hub (with red line on the housing): better storage than Inter-8 )
  • Inter-8 ( eight-speed internal gear hub )
  • Inter -7 ( seven-speed gear hub )
  • Inter -4 ( four-speed gear hub ) ( in the Japanese version with electronic or mechanical immobilizer)
  • Inter -3 ( three-speed gear hub )
  • Auto- D ( automatically shifted four-speed hub, replaced by the Inter -3D)
  • Inter -L ( hub dynamo )
  • Inter-M ( roller brakes )
  • STEPS (electronic bicycle drive)
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