Shimano release all new groupset at an affordable price point
New shifters, motor, display and new smartphone customisation options. The E7000 groupset is developed to suit more entry level, recreation riding, where the E8000 that has been around for a while now is designed to handle more aggressive, off road terrain and extreme ascents.
Released in September 2018 Shimano will trickledown many of its E8000 features to the new package
Here's the details from Shimano:
Maintaining control
Handlebar controls for SHIMANO STEPS E7000 include a left hand side switch to change support modes (scroll between Off, Eco, Trail, Boost and Walk Assist) and a symmetrical right hand side switch/shifter to take care of gear controls (Di2/mechanical). A handy feature for mountain bikers is the design of the left hand side switch that allows a neat combination with a thumb-operated remote seatpost lever.
This button changes the support mode and allows for building a clean cockpit. The E7000's display is connected via cable - It enables ANT and Bluetooth connectivity for external devices
Delivering up to 25km/h in assisted riding, the off-road tuned groupset is designed with simplicity in mind, offering Eco, Trail, Boost and Walk Assist modes and a feature that allows quick and easy operation of the dropper post in the same locality thanks to a new left hand side switch integration.This comes in a clamp band design, compatible with all mountain bike set ups, including Shimano’s new i-Spec EV standard for an even neater cockpit. The feeling of the button has changed too, giving you a distinctive easy-operation click and tactile feedback that you can easily feel through winter gloves.
Information display
All the metrics coming from the motor unit, the battery and Shimano’s Di2 system can be displayed on a new console unit (SC-E7000) with a highly visible display, giving riders important information such as support mode, riding speed, battery life and, for Di2 riders, gear choice.
The new wireless functionality also allows the rider to display all riding information on third party devices such as display units/GPS devices or smart phones by using the new minimalistic EW-EN100 connector to transfer information. External devices can be connected via ANT+ or Bluetooth LE.
For those in favour of an extremely minimal cockpit, you can also change system support modes and monitor the battery level with the LED lights and buttons on the EW-EN100 connector. It is also possible to change support modes via the mode button on the Display Unit, which means you could even go so far as to completely remove the left-hand support mode switch for the cleanest set up.
Shimano's smartphone app for the E7000
Drive unit technology
Riding support comes from a powerful and responsive 60Nm drive unit to give assistance where and when you need it most. It also comes with the option to customise your riding performance depending on whether you’re looking for optimum acceleration or optimum battery conservation, or somewhere in between. Simply choose Explorer, Dynamic or Custom settings on your phone and your drive unit’s usage characteristics will change automatically.
The E7000 drive unit benefits from features the big brother E8000 drive unit. It pumps out up to 500-watts of peak power (nominal power output: 250W) to take you up to 25 km/h, all in dynamic response to how much support you need. The drive unit shape is neat and compact to maintain a narrow Q-factor and it’s one of the lightest e-bike drive units that’s specifically designed for MTB riding.
The E7000 drive unit - The dimensions are almost the same compared to the E8000. The mounting points are compatible to the E8000.
Support modes
The Drive Unit can operate in one of three support modes to offer different levels of assistance to suit different riding conditions. Choose Eco mode for the lightest assistance and low battery consumption riding, choose Trail mode for the best balance between responsive support and battery consumption, or choose Boost mode for powerful support, fast acceleration and rapid responsive support up to the maximum 25 km/h assistance level. The characteristics of these modes can also be adjusted between Explorer, Dynamic or Custom using Shimano’s dedicated smartphone app, allowing E-MTB riders to fine tune support to focus on battery consumption or desired riding support level.
Natural riding feeling
The advanced electronic technology is not only in evidence in the drive unit but also in the drive train as well. Much like it’s E8000 bigger brother, the SHIMANO STEPS E7000 e-MTB components combine with Di2 drivetrains to provide a complete Shimano system and a natural riding feeling.
Where some E-MTB drive units position riders’ legs wider than normal mountain bikes, SHIMANO STEPS e-bikes offer you a natural and efficient position on the bike thanks to slim drive unit and a typical MTB distance between the crank arms (Q-factor). Additionally, bike frame manufacturers benefit from the compact drive unit which makes it easy to design the best frame for the job to get nimble and responsive handling E-MTBs. It’s this attention to these essential riding details that sets SHIMANO STEPS apart.
The new SHIMANO STEPS E7000 components will hit the market in September/October with the E-TUBE RIDE smartphone app becoming available from Shimano’s E-TUBE site at the same time.
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