Shimano’s new city-riding component set all about the urbane, both in appearance and performance
Another offering announced today by Shimano is the brand's METREA U5000 component group, a set that blends the performance of road cycling with the simplicity and ergonomics of city commuting.
Out of all the components announced today by Shimano in Osaka, Japan, perhaps the most highly anticipated—judging from the buzz generated by a sneak peek at its prototype—is the brand’s METREA U5000 component group, a set that blends the performance of road cycling with the simplicity and ergonomics of city commuting. Using characteristics of both, METREA components are fine-tuned for urban riding—everything from a cross-town haul to a quick spin to the corner store.
Drawing on the same “Rider Tuned” philosophy as other gear, the components, developed with expert feedback, feature single and double drivetrain options and a disc-specific wheelset, built specifically for the city.
What’s most striking about the METREA U5000 set, of course, is its appearance. Sleek in optics, the overall design aesthetic is described as one of artistic simplicity, utilizing clean-cut minimalist surfaces, geometric character lines and simple, silver-on-black texture contrasts. Even the name “METREA”—a hybdrid, Shimano says, of the words metropolitan and real—is intended to reflect this design principle, immediately conveying a sophisticated, urban attitude.
What it provides in performance, though—with the speed offered by quicker acceleration, shifting and braking, for example—means that METREA’s city-riding aspect isn’t just about looks.
The set of components uses many of Shimano’s most recent innovations, including flat-mounted hydraulic disc calipers, a rider-tuned 1×11 crankset and a wide, accommodating cassette. With integrated chainguards, the components are designed for those who ride in their street clothes. Recognizing that urban cycling also means that a rider’s saddle position varies, the METREA components allow greater versatility, with a choice between a flat bar or an H-type handlebar setup. Two-way SL-5000 flat bar Rapidfire Plus shift levers offer speedier gear changes, while gearing solutions for H-type bars, Shimano says, will be available in summer of this year. ST-U5060 Dual Control Levers will be among them, something that makes for a sporty riding position.
Down where power is generated, an anti-corroding two-piece crankset is available in both single and double options, using a tooth profile that enables smooth, quiet pedaling. For riding on variable terrain, the 46-32T (FC-U5000-2) allows for a closer gear ratio, while the single-chainring 42T (FC-U5000-1) setup is the idea optimal gearing for speeding down the streets. And when it’s time to slow down, hydraulic brake levers (BL-U5000/ST-U5060) offer regulated power and performance, an asset when it comes to the quick stops so common to riding in cities. Supporting METREA’s clean, minimalist design aesthetic, the flat-mount calipers (BR-U5000) have a simple appearance with robust braking performance.
Rounding out the package are a disc-brake specific wheelset (WH-U5000) with stealthy, 30mm-deep rims. As with Shimano’s other offerings, pricing has not yet been set.
