Brand
Shimano
A Japanese maker of bicycle components founded in 1921 in Sakai. Its drivetrains and brakes are on more bikes than any other brand's.
Also known as: Shimano Inc.
Key facts
- Country
- Japan
- Founded
- 1921
- Headquarters
- Sakai, Osaka
- Founders
- Shozaburo Shimano
- Known for
- Deore, SLX, XT, XTR and Saint groupsets
- Website
- https://bike.shimano.com
History
Shozaburo Shimano opened his workshop in Sakai in 1921 and started with freewheels. The company grew into the world's largest maker of bicycle components, and it is still run from the same city.
Mountain groupsets
- Deore — the durable entry to serious riding.
- SLX — more precision for less money than XT.
- Deore XT — the enthusiast's choice since 1982.
- XTR — the lightest, for racing, since 1992.
- Saint — built for downhill and freeride.
Modern Shimano MTB groupsets are 1x drivetrains with 12 speeds and hydraulic disc brakes that use mineral oil.
Related articles
- SRAM — An American component maker from Chicago, founded in 1987. It made the 1x mountain drivetrain mainstream and owns RockShox, Zipp and Quarq.
- Drivetrain — Everything that turns your legs into forward motion: cranks, chainring, chain, cassette, derailleur and shifter. A modern mountain bike runs one chainring and twelve sprockets — 1×12.
- Disc brakes — Brakes that squeeze a steel rotor on the hub instead of the rim. Hydraulic disc brakes are the standard on mountain bikes: strong, controllable with one finger and unbothered by mud.
- Chain care — A clean, lubed chain shifts better, runs quieter and saves the cassette and chainring. Clean and lube it every few rides and replace it before it wears out everything else.
- Brake bleed — Replacing the fluid in a hydraulic brake and pushing out the air bubbles that make the lever soft. Once a year, or whenever the lever feels spongy or pulls to the bar.