New Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 Groupsets: Wireless 12-Speed Electronic Shifting for Disc or Rim Brakes

Long awaited, the new Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra groupsets come with 12 speeds, a refined drivetrain that is faster, with slightly revised ergonomics and improved braking that is easier to maintain. They remain available with disc brakes or rim brakes. They are, however, only offered with Di2 electronic shifting, wireless for the disc versions.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: Irmo Keizer / @Shimano / DR

It is only a few weeks later than the first announced dates – the result of the health crisis – that Shimano is launching its two new 12-speed groupsets: the flagship Dura-Ace and the upcoming best-seller Ultegra, which uses the same technologies but weighs about 200 g more and comes at a less elitist price. Shimano is therefore adopting a 12-speed cassette after Campagnolo and SRAM, while still sticking to its usual schedule, a little over four years after the release of the last 11-speed Dura-Ace and Ultegra (presented in January and September 2017), which still made up the large majority of bikes offered by all brands in 2021. For the first time, the two groupsets are launched at the same time.

Still, with these new versions Shimano does more than add a twelfth sprocket to the cassette, and introduces subtle evolutions without truly revolutionizing anything. Well, almost. Because while the Japanese brand does continue to offer versions for disc brakes and for rim brakes, contrary to the predictions of the most pessimistic observers, it is abandoning cable-actuated shifting on its two top-of-the-range groupsets and is focusing on Di2 electronic shifting. This is also the path SRAM has taken with its eTap drivetrain, now offered on the third tier of its range, Rival, since spring 2021.

Aesthetically, Shimano has had the good taste not to disrupt loyal fans of the brand and, above all, not to downgrade current owners of an 11-speed groupset. You need a fairly trained eye to spot the difference between the current groupsets and the new ones, at least from a few meters away from the bike. The crankset is a bit more angular, the shifter levers are a little longer and the derailleurs are slightly refined (especially the front derailleur). But the whole thing comes with the same finish as the current versions, which is good news from our point of view.

How to recognize the new Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 12-speed components?

The new Dura-Ace Di2 12-speed groupset can be recognized by its R9200 product codes (crankset, cassette), R9250 (front and rear derailleurs, rim-brake shifters), R9270 (disc brakes, disc-brake shifters), RT-MT900 (discs) and CN-M9100 (chain).

The new Ultegra Di2 12-speed groupset can be recognized by its R8100 product codes (crankset, cassette), R8150 (front and rear derailleurs, rim-brake shifters), R8170 (disc brakes, disc-brake shifters), RT-MT800 (discs) and CN-M8100 (chain).

The main new features of the Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 12-speed groupsets

In addition to the twelfth sprocket, Shimano is therefore integrating wireless Di2 transmission between the levers and the rear of the bike, which uses what the brand says is the fastest communication protocol on the market. Shimano claims its wireless protocol is four times faster than ZigBee (usually used in home automation to connect smart objects), that it consumes 75% less energy, and that it is even less prone to interference.

But the drivetrain remains compatible with a wired setup (which would offer total reliability and even more battery life), and a wired setup is still mandatory for the rim-brake groupsets, whose levers are slightly thinner in that case and have no lever-stroke adjustment at that level. The internal battery that powers the derailleurs (placed at the seatpost of the bike) is kept and is connected by electrical wires to both derailleurs. It now has three connection ports, and the electrical wires used are thinner than their predecessors. Shimano claims a range of about 1,000 km. The CR1632 batteries placed in both levers for wireless transmission are rated for one and a half to two years.

Di2 battery weight: 53 g
Electrical wire weight: 14.5 g

The front derailleur uses a more compact motor and is refined to save weight, improve aerodynamics and leave more room for fitting a large-volume tire. Shimano claims a 33% reduction in frontal area for the Dura-Ace compared with the current model. The weight is limited to 96 g. Finally, it is also said to be 45% faster than its predecessor. It is compatible with chainrings from 50 to 55 teeth.

Dura-Ace front derailleur weight: 96 g / Price: €489.99
Ultegra front derailleur weight: 110 g / Price: €274.99

The rear derailleur accepts a cassette with a sprocket up to 34 teeth, and it is now at the heart of the complete system, since that is where the battery is charged and the various settings are made. It also integrates D-Fly, which allows the system to communicate via Bluetooth with a compatible smartphone and bike computer/GPS.

Dura-Ace rear derailleur weight: 215 g / Price: €869.99
Ultegra rear derailleur weight: 262 g / Price: €449.99

The five cassettes available (11-28 / 11-30 and 11-34 for Dura-Ace, and 11-30 and 11-34 for Ultegra) feature modified Hyperglide+ tooth profiles to improve shifting speed (66% faster for Dura-Ace according to Shimano), even under high tension. The two 12-speed chains come from the XTR and XT 12-speed mountain bike groupsets. Note that the 12-speed cassettes are compatible with the current 11-speed freehubs.

Dura-Ace cassette weight: 223 g (11-30) / Price: €359.99
Ultegra cassette weight: 297 g (11-30) / Price: €127.99

As for braking, Shimano has revised the shape of the discs, now borrowed from mountain bike groupsets, to optimize weight and limit the risk of warping under heavy load. The brand claims a 66% reduction in heat-induced deformation. On the calipers, the pads are now placed farther from the discs (+10% compared with the previous version) to limit the risk of rubbing. The bleeding process has also been simplified to make maintenance easier. Bleeding is now possible without removing the caliper from the frame, and the process is improved by a separate bleed port and valve screw. For the rim-brake versions, both groupsets simply reuse the calipers from the previous R9100 (Dura-Ace) and R8000 (Ultegra) series. The disc-brake levers now feature Servo Wave lever-stroke adjustment, allowing you to customize the braking contact point without bringing the pads closer to the disc.

Dura-Ace disc caliper weight: 233 g / Price: €1,399.98 (with levers and discs)
Ultegra disc caliper weight: 282 g / Price: €1,059.98 (with levers and discs)
Dura-Ace disc weight: 212 g
Ultegra disc weight: 212 g
Hose weight: 60 g

On these same levers, the shift paddles have been slightly lengthened for easier access (+5.1 mm), and the smaller button has been shifted very slightly outward to better distinguish it from the larger one (+1.5 mm). The shifters remain compatible with satellite controls that can be positioned at the top or bottom of the handlebar. The lever bodies are slightly longer than the 11-speed version (+4 mm), with an upper section that tucks very slightly inward, to encourage a hand position with the elbows bent at 90°.

Dura-Ace disc lever weight: 350 g / Price: €1,399.98 (with brakes)
Ultegra disc lever weight: 391 g / Price: €1,059.98 (with brakes)
Dura-Ace Di2 levers with rim brakes price: €859.98
Ultegra Di2 levers with rim brakes price: €509.98

Finally, both cranksets come with slightly more angular shapes than the previous models, while keeping the Hollowglide structure (hollow aluminum) for the best compromise between weight and stiffness. The Q-Factor is 148 mm. For Dura-Ace, the crank lengths offered are 160, 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5, 175 and 177.5 mm. For Ultegra, the crank lengths offered are 160, 165, 170, 172.5 and 175 mm.

Dura-Ace crankset weight: 690 g (52-36 without power meter) / 754 g (52-36, with power meter) / Price: €629.99 / €1,549.99 (with power meter)
Ultegra crankset weight: 711 g (52-36, without power meter) / Price: €319.99 / €1,199.99 (with power meter)

Dura-Ace chain weight: 242 g
Ultegra chain weight: 252 g

Total Dura-Ace disc groupset weight: 2,442 g (without power meter) / 2,506 g (with power meter, 20 g more than the previous version)
Total Ultegra disc groupset weight: 2,716 g (without power meter, 11 g more than the previous version) / 2,776 g (with power meter)

12 speeds = more gear ratios available

For the Dura-Ace groupset, Shimano offers three chainring combinations (the first two only for Ultegra):

• 50-34
• 52-36
• 54-40 (instead of the usual 53-39). This last combination meets the demand from professional and Elite riders for coping with the higher speeds of most races, without, however, needing the 10-tooth sprocket.

Three cassettes are offered on the Dura-Ace groupset (the first two only for Ultegra):

• 11-30 (11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,21,24,27,30)
• 11-34 (11,12,13,14,15,17,19,21,24,27,30,34)
• 11-28 (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 28). This last combination gives you the first nine sprockets in one-tooth steps, and above all an ideal progression between the 15 and 19 sprockets, the gears most used on flat or moderately rolling courses. Keeping an 11-tooth starting sprocket also limits chain efficiency losses that come with too small a sprocket, as well as the very large gap in gear development between the 11 and the 10.

Shimano is also taking this opportunity to update its E-tube Project app, available for PC or smartphone, and the Bluetooth module for the latter option is now built into the groupset, whereas a D-Fly module had to be added as an option on previous Di2 groupsets. This app lets you customize shifting (number of gears shifted on long presses, shift speed, button assignment, sequential or semi-sequential modes), but also view gear usage statistics for one or several rides. As we will see in the first test of this groupset, these statistics can tell you a lot about how we ride and about the value of the 12-sprocket cassette.

And now two power meters

The Shimano Dura-Ace power meter evolves and gains accuracy (from +/-2% to +/-1.5%), with a charging module this year that integrates the transmitter, which is now placed in line with the crank arm. Battery life is still more than 300 hours, and calibration is simplified with a switch on the transmitter. The built-in software automatically compensates for temperature changes.

From now on, this power meter is also available in an Ultegra version, with exactly the same specifications, but on Ultegra cranks, which should allow more riders to benefit from power measurement. Note that for both power meters, the same crank lengths as the corresponding cranksets are offered.

=> SEE ALSO: First test of the new Dura-Ace 12-speed groupset
=> SEE ALSO: New Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra wheels: lighter and for all types of riding
=> SEE ALSO: All our New releases articles