Leaked a new Shimano 105 mechanical 12sp

The publication by mistake of a bike equipped with a mechanical Shimano 105 12-speed in a popular North American online store raises expectations about the upcoming launch of this desired version of the star cyclotourist groupset. After the launch a few months ago of its last update, only in Di2 electronic version, many raised their voices demanding a mechanical option that would avoid the greater increase in price of mid-range bikes.

Shimano 105 12-speed could soon be available in mechanical version

When it seemed that Shimano had definitively sentenced mechanically driven groupsets intended for road bikes from the mid-range after the launch of its new Shimano 105 only as an electronic option, the publication by mistake of a bike equipped with a hypothetical 12-speed 105, which was removed from the web shortly after seems to indicate that Shimano has not forgotten the 105 as a more affordable option for those looking for a mid-range bike without limitations but without facing the expense of having an electronic groupset.

The bike published by KHS Bicycles, a well-known Californian online store, which appeared as a bike with a 12-speed groupset, showed in its list of components a FD-R7100 front derailleur, RD-R7100 rear derailleur and ST-R7120 levers, elements that would correspond to the R71XX designation used by the Shimano 105 Di2, as opposed to the R7XXX nomenclature used on the mechanical 11-speed 105 that we knew.

It was also possible to see in the component list of this bike an 11-36 cassette, an element that did not exist in the 11-speed groupsets and that makes us rule out that it is an error when writing the list of components, something that we can corroborate when we see that the chain used is 12-speed. Rather, the only mistake seems to be to have published this bike before time.

It is well known that bicycle manufacturers know about new groupsets and components well in advance so that product managers can start scheduling orders and planning the scaling of the next year's range.

This bike, with such a level of detail in the set-up, despite the image seems to indicate that it is an upcoming release, the so-called "mid-season bikes".

In any case, this is great news as it allows to cover in the ranges the big gap that remained between the bikes with Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed and the Tiagra groupset that still remains stuck in the 10-speed, having an important leap in the set-ups that was also reflected in the prices, having made the medium-low range practically disappear from the catalogs.

For years, the 105 has been the groupset that marked the line between road bikes for a more sporadic and leisure use and bikes for intensive and even sporty use, being this groupset one of the preferred options for touring cyclists to have robust and reliable bikes without excessive expenditure or also for those who wanted to get started in the world of road cycling with all the guarantees.

However, the arrival of the new electronic-only version of the new groupset had placed the 105 closer to the high-end than to entry-level products, and there was no longer a genuinely economical alternative with the performance required for regular use.

For the moment, nothing more is known about this Shimano 105 mechanical, although everything indicates that its launch could be very close. Of course, speculation has not been long in coming as to whether it will be a groupset only for disc brakes, whether Shimano will maintain a conventional brake option or what alternatives will be offered, such as whether Shimano will include a 52/36 crankset option, since the only one available in the Di2 groupset is 50/34. Doubts that, we hope, will be resolved in the coming months. We will have to remain attentive to the news.