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Founded in 1921 in Sakai (Osaka) by Shozaburo Shimano, the company, initially called Shimano Iron Works, began its history by producing freewheel mechanisms and, on March 23, 2021, will celebrate its centenary of activity as the world's leading manufacturer for cycling components.
In these 100 years the Company has pursued perfection, continuing to innovate and improve, expanding the range of products in the catalog year after year.
Shimano began its career by manufacturing the freewheel single speed and began its first exports to China in 1930.
In 1951 the company was then renamed Shimano Industrial Co. Ltd and 5 years later it began manufacturing its famous derailleurs.
In 1957 he designed the first one 3 speed hub and a year later it was the turn of the 3-speed hubs with internal gearing which integrated the freewheel system and allowed Shimano to officially enter the global market.
Although Shimano already produced all the components, it never took the initiative to produce complete bicycles so as not to compete with its customers.
In the 1960s Shozaburo passed the company management to his three sons and in 1965 the Shimano American Corporation was opened and, in the same year, it began selling in Europe, opening the first branch in Düsseldorf in 1972.
1973 was another important and eventful year for Shimano: in addition to being the year it entered the stock market, the line of components for road bikes arrived, Dura Ace, which was sent to professional teams to be tested in extreme conditions. Thanks to this way of working, Shimano was able to implement changes and improvements from a technological point of view.
In 1982 the Shimano 105 group and the First Deore XT.
In '84 the Dura-Ace 7400 with the first Shimano Index System: the first group with indexed gearbox, first with 6 speeds then updated to 7 and 8 speeds while, in 1989, Shimano Total Integration was born, where braking and shifting movements were integrated and combined within the same component.
It was a big breakthrough, as it allowed you to shift without having to take your hand off the brake lever.
We then arrive in the 90s, where Shimano launched the first SPD clipless pedals on the market, a great success for the company given that after 30 years they are still the reference standard.
In 2009 the Di2, Digital Integrated Intelligence, electronic shifting system that became the answer to the cyclist's need for maximum power delivery by offering instant and precise shifting.
The following year the first components for assisted pedaling were created and thus the Shimano Steps.
2018 was the year of the group XTR M9100, point of reference for components dedicated to MTB.
This is the lightest Shimano groupset and is the progenitor of a new generation of 12-speed transmissions.
The launches of the new Deore XT M8100, SLX M7100 and Deore M6100 then followed between 2019 and 2020.
2019 is also the year of Gravel for Shimano: in fact the GRX, ergonomic components designed specifically for the Gravel Biking world.
For those interested in learning more about the history rich in innovation and technology, born from the visionary mind of Shozaburo Shimano, they can wait for the launch of the page dedicated to the centenary!