Another leak of the 13-speed Shimano points to a new standard

The arrival of a Shimano 13-speed group seems to be getting closer. A few months ago, a patent hinted that the Japanese brand was working on a wireless Di2 transmission with thirteen cogs, and now a new leak adds another piece to the puzzle and also points to a significant change: the possible adoption of a new core standard for the cassette.

A new leak reinforces the arrival of the Shimano 13-speed... and points to a specific new core

The new information comes from a listing published by the store Bike Discount and revealed by BikeRadar, where an option for a core called "Shimano 13-speed" appears among the available configurations for the new DT Swiss G 1800 Classic wheels. Although the product has not been officially announced and the listing is no longer available, its appearance has reignited speculation about the next generation of Shimano transmissions.

According to the leak, DT Swiss would offer these wheels with four core options: SRAM XDR, Shimano HG 11-speed, Shimano MicroSpline, and a new Shimano 13-speed.

This detail is particularly striking because, on paper, Shimano already has the MicroSpline standard, capable of accommodating cassettes with a minimum cog of 9 teeth. In fact, the brand already uses this core in MTB with developments like the XTR 9-45 cassette. Therefore, the emergence of a new specific standard raises questions about what design changes Shimano could introduce in its future 13-speed cassette.

RECOMENDADO

Shimano warns of a possible price increase due to the war in the Middle East

The new DURA-ACE generation is here: everything changes in Shimano's best wheels

High-end technology at a more affordable price, that's how the new Shimano RX710 for gravel are

The controversy has an effect: the UCI announces extraordinary inspections at the women's Tour

What is the toughest endurance sport in the world? An analysis with thousands of athletes compares cycling, running, and cross-country skiing

Sigrid Haugset completes a spectacular ride of 88 kilometers and dons the yellow jersey in the Tour de France Femmes

For now, there is no official explanation regarding the technical reasons that would justify this new core, so everything remains speculation based on the information that appeared in that commercial listing.

It fits with the clues Shimano has been leaving for months

This leak does not appear in isolation. At the end of last year, we already reported how a patent registered by Shimano described a new architecture for the rear derailleur with a reinforced hanger and explicitly referred to a 13-cog cassette, as well as an electronic derailleur with an integrated motor that pointed to a future generation of completely wireless Di2 groups.

Months later, another clue emerged when an update to the E-Tube Project application unexpectedly showed a thirteenth cog on the development usage screen. At that time, Shimano downplayed the finding and stated that the image did not imply any confirmation about future products.

The now-appearance of a supposed specific core for 13 speeds again lends consistency to all those signals, although the Japanese brand continues to officially deny the development of a new group.

Gravel first... or also road?

The fact that the leak is associated with gravel wheels has led to speculation that the first 13-speed group could belong to the GRX family, especially after Shimano recently renewed its electronic range for this discipline.

However, it cannot be ruled out that the new standard will also be used in road cycling. The Dura-Ace group is nearing the end of its commercial cycle, and a renewal has long been expected that could take advantage of this new 13-speed platform.

Shimano seeks to catch up

While Shimano maintains its road and gravel groups with a maximum of 12 speeds, its main rivals have already made the leap. Campagnolo has adopted 13 speeds in its high-end groups, and SRAM offers this configuration in its XPLR transmissions for gravel.

For now, there are no dates, official images, or confirmation from Shimano. However, the combination of the patent published months ago, the references that appeared in E-Tube, and this latest leak from the Bike Discount listing paints an increasingly consistent picture: Shimano's jump to 13 speeds seems more a matter of when than if it will happen.