EB15: Shimano Polishes Metrea Urban 1x Concept, Coming Soon?

Written by Zach Overholt Sep 04, 2015 9:01 a.m. ET

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The point of this makeshift Urban loft wasn’t to show you how to display a bike. Instead, it was Shimano’s way of painting the picture of the ideal customer for their conceptual Metrea group. After being teased for a while, this is the first time we’ve seen a complete group under the Metrea label. While Shimano isn’t giving any indication to if or when the group would be produced, the level of finish and completeness of drivetrain options indicates to us that it will be available in the near future.

Built around multiple options with 1x or 2x cranks and derailleurs, Metrea maybe the newest option for 1x commuting…

Shown on the display bike as a 1×10 drivetrain, the Metrea group pulls design cues from Shimano’s higher end groups for a classy polished on black look.

The shifters on the bullhorns were one of the more interesting parts of the group with a mechanism reminiscent of the shifter/clutch lever from an old Vespa or Lambretta scooter (or some of the Tri bike shifters out there). They appear to brake like a normal bullhorn lever, but to shift you would rotate the entire lever inwards while shifts in the opposite direction are actuated by the small lever near the brake. Fitted with cables to a mechanical rear derailleur it would appear these are not Di2. The bulge on top is likely the reservoir for the hydraulic disc brake system. For standard flat bars there is also a brake lever/shift pod under the Metrea branding.

Hydraulic disc brakes were shown with flat mount calipers and 140 mm Centerlock rotors with a new shape.

While it could be just for show, this bike was running a 10 speed rear cassette and chain (yes, it is too long).

Along with the front derailleur, a double crankset was also shown indicating the option for a 2×10 drivetrain.

Even the wheels were branded Metrea which could indicate a more complete parts kit, or it simply could be a rebranded pair of wheels for the show. Even though there are no official plans for production that we are aware of, it was hinted that since it was there at the show we could draw our own conclusions.

bike.shimano.com

Zach Overholt

5,630 articles

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor. He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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badbikemachnicx

8 years ago

This is slick. They should drop the #metrosexual branding – just call it dura-ace street.

The Truth

8 years ago

That’s some pretty classy looking stuff. If Dura Ace was Batman this is straight up Bruce Wayne. Makes me think Shimano teamed up with designers from Lincoln as they have some edgy looking. I think Dura-Street sounds better then Metrea.

Dan

8 years ago

Like it! when can we buy it? I know that its a prototype/preproduction but more companies need to make stuff like this for people that just like to ride bikes and not always want to have a race bike.

Jimmy

8 years ago

I would buy a bike like this for commuting. I commute on a cyclocross bike and spend ~60% of my time on the hoods and ~40% on the bar tops. 0-1% of time in the drops. The one-by groupset is the future for most casual/city riding. I’m making the swap to a 42×11-28 from my compact rings as the useful range is across the entire cassette instead of the 34 being too small for flat ground spinning and the 50 being bigger than necessary for spending the bulk of your time on with rolling terrain. Cool bike for sure.

Mike

8 years ago

I really dig it Shimano! That is by far the classiest bike I’ve seen from a major manufacturer in a while. I’m a flat bar guy myself, but it looks like that’s an option. I love this design.

Even if I bought nothing else, that crankset is the bee’s knees. I’m currently rocking a Dura Ace 7400 crankset on my commuter from like 1990 (yeah, really) that needs to be recycled. I would LOVE this instead.

Jose

8 years ago

Love the bike, hate the name. Should use a name like that Cannondale bike, the bad boy bike

Mikey

8 years ago

I like this, very good looking stuff for commuter and fitness bikes. I hope they will bring it to the market. And I don’t think that name is too bad.
Interesting detail that Shimano chose a Thomson seatpost for the show bike, and not one from their own brand Pro. Usually Shimano goes all in with their own brands on show bikes.

Chris L.

8 years ago

1) Am I the only one here old enough to be having Sante flashbacks?
2) For a commuter group it would be nice to include a dyno hub to power lights and also for recharging mobile phones on the go.
3) Commuter bike but no means of carrying anything nor any fenders?

Allan

8 years ago

Now that’s a sick bike. Love that crankset too. I’m really interested in getting a 1x bike, so this may be it for me. Very nice!!!

Padrote

8 years ago

Nobody uses dyno hubs. Lights are cheap these days.

But I agree that fender/rack eyelets would be very easy to add to this.

Ace

8 years ago

Beautiful bike!!This is some serious bike porn here

The Truth

8 years ago

Nobody uses dynamo hubs? Shimano even has their own lineup of dynamo hubs and last time I checked Schmidt (Son) does quite well considering how much they are. Nothing like having a dynamo hub with a USB port on your bike to charge a phone or whatever else is USB chargeable. Why wouldn’t you want a dynamo given the choices of incredible dynamo headlights.

Matthew

8 years ago

@Padrote: Proud to be a nobody. Once you get a quality dynamo hub and a quality light (seems like the best stuff is coming out of Germany and the Netherlands right now), you never go back. I have both a Supernova system and a SON system with fully dyno-powered lights front and back (on the rack with the Supernova and on the seat post binder with the SON).

Hands down, I’d rather have them than any battery powered blinky. I ride in the rain and dark as a commuter and randonneur in the Northwest. Knowing that I always have lights, never worrying about charging… best feeling ever. And I can’t even notice the drag from the hubs anymore.

Trevor

8 years ago

I want this, but with Alfine 8 and rack mounts.

8 years ago

Chain tension……. *uckin* detail!

Goran

8 years ago

Chain is not too long (well, it might be, but that is not a reason for a slack chain), you can see that the derailleur is not full stretched backwards.
Something else is off – I actually don’t see the cable connected at all to the derailleur – that is probably it.

Looking classy though, well designed.

David

8 years ago

Elegant, and the TT shifters especially so for us mechanical shifting diehards. Amazing to me to target this to Alfine market-In fact, an Alfine with 120mm OLD would be perfect to market to aging hipsters whose knees creak just looking at their fixies would be real smart. And not many commuters would want to leave this high end bike outside. But hey I always appreciate choices of high quality gear! How about some useful chainring combos, Shimano- 30×46, 34×48, 36×46-oh thanks! Its wonderful but the 34 x 48 would be perfect.