Modified at: Feb. 13, 2022
Posted at: Mar. 19, 2021
We have compiled a list of the release years of Shimano's current components for road use, the expected announcements of the next models, and when to buy the current models.
Table of contents
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The current DURA-ACE is the R9200 series, and it was announced in September 2021. The previous R9100 series was announced in June 2016, so it’s a span of about 5 years.
Based on the past trend, the next model is likely to be announced in 2025 to 2026, and since there is a long period of time until the new model is released, the new DURA-ACE, R9200 series compo is a “buy” compo for 2 or 3 years.
The current ULTEGRA is the R8100 series, which was announced at the same time as the new DURA-ACE R9200 series. The previous series, R8000, was announced in June 2017, so it is a span of 4 years. Incidentally, the previous series, the 6800, was announced in 2013, so it was released in a span of about 4 to 5 years, roughly the year after the DURA-ACE upgrade.
Based on the past trend, the next ULTEGRA model is expected to be released in 2025 or 2026.
The current 105 is the R7000 series and was announced in April 2018. The previous 5800 series was announced in 2014, so it was released in a span of about four years, roughly the year after the ULTEGRA upgrade, one level higher.
The new DURA-ACE and ULTEGRA were released in 2021, so based on the trend so far, the next 105 model will be released in 2022.
The current TIAGRA is the 4700 series and was released in April 2015. The previous 4600 series was announced in 2011, so it has been released in a span of about 4 years.
Based on past trends, the next TIAGRA model should be released around 2019, but since it was not announced during 2020, and since it is the only Shimano component for road bikes that is not in the R-series, it may be released soon.
The current SORA is the R3000 series and was announced in April 2016. The previous 3500 series was announced in 2012, so it has been released in a span of about 4-5 years.
Based on the past trend, the next SORA model should be released around 2021, but it may not be because of the upcoming releases of DURA-ACE, ULTEGRA, TIAGRA, etc. in 2021.
The current CLARIS is the R2000 series and was announced in April 2017. The previous 2400 series was announced in 2013, so a span of about 4 years.
Based on the past trend, the next CLARIS model should be released around 2021, but since DURA-ACE, ULTEGRA, TIAGRA, etc. will be released in 2021, and SORA, which is higher level than CLARIS, has not been announced yet, it may not be released in 2021.
The following is a summary of the release years of the Shimano road-oriented components we’ve looked at so far, as well as the anticipated release of the next models.
| Grades | Current Models | Current Model Announcement Timing | Release Span | Next Model Announcement Forecast | When to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DURA-ACE | R9200 | Sep 2021 | 4 years | June 2021 | ○ |
| ULTEGRA | R8100 | Sep 2021 | 5 years | June 2021 | ○ |
| 105 | R7000 | April 2018 | 4 years | April 2022 | x |
| TIAGRA | 4700 | April 2015 | 4 years | April 2021 | x |
| SORA | R3000 | April 2016 | 4 years | April 2022 | ○ |
| CLARIS | R2000 | April 2017 | 4 years | April 2023 | ○ |
As previously predicted, with the release of the new DURA-ACE and ULTEGRA in 2021, 105 and TIAGRA are likely to be the next upgrades.
On the other hand, you can buy current SORA and CLARIS componentry with relative peace of mind, as they are expected to be available in 2023 at the earliest, based on past trends.
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