Market: It's been quite a while since Shimano introduced a completely new drivetrain - today is one of those very rare days. It's called Shimano Metrea and is the first group from the Japanese manufacturer that is completely geared towards the requirements and needs of urban bikes. The Shimano Metrea offers a minimalist design, high variability and an interesting new seating position.
The name of the new group is a new creation and is made up of the words 'Metropolitan' and 'Real'. It is precisely in this area of tension that Shimano sees its Metrea: between function and luxury, between pragmatism and style. Urban Sport is what Shimano calls this category, which is said to be somewhere between trekking and racing bikes. The overall concept also includes the seating position, which is designed to be sporty and comfortable thanks to the new group and additional components.
The minimalist design dictated the design of the Urban group, speed was the maxim when it came to functional considerations: Fast gear changes, short braking distances and better acceleration - exactly what you want from your bike, especially in the jungle of the big city.
The components
When it comes to the drive, the choice is naturally the largest: Shimano offers two different versions of the stylish new crank: A double model (FC-U5000-2) with a gradation of 46/32 for the widest possible range. The front derailleur (RD-U5000) is specially designed for this gear step and the size of the chainrings and should therefore offer fast, smooth shifts with little effort. In addition, the crank will also be available as a variant with a 42-tooth chainring (FC-U5000-1). The 11-speed rear derailleur (RD-U5000) was designed to work perfectly with the in-house CS-5800 cassette. The cassette offers gradations from 11-32 to 12-25 - so there is the right translation for almost every terrain and every type of driver.
Braking is exclusively hydraulic: The Shimano Metrea gets completely new brake calipers (BR-U5000), which are equipped with the modern flat-mount standard and therefore also fit modern road bike, cyclocross or urban frames. However, it gets much more interesting with the brake levers: In addition to the 'normal' levers for straight handlebars (BL-U5000), there will also be special levers with the ST-U5060, the classic STI brake levers with the dual-control concept that was actually buried unite. These levers, which at first glance seem strange, were designed for the new H-Bar handlebars, which are intended to emulate the sitting and grip position on the rubber grips of classic drop bars. Shimano partner PRO Components will have the right handlebars in two different widths in their range from summer. The group is rounded off by the WH-U5000 disc wheels.
The Shimano Metrea will be available in stores across Europe from April 2016. Nothing is currently known about prices.