Shimano chose the stunning setting of Mount Etna to unveil possibly the most eagerly-anticipated cycling component for decades – their hydraulic disc brake for road bikes.
The launch of the R785 capped the end of more than five years of research, development and testing for the Japanese component giant – with product coordinator Tim Gerrits at the heart of it.
And the former aircraft engineer shared the inside story of the R785’s development – including strapping 130kg of diving weights to his body before descending some of the world’ steepest mountain passes – and life at Shimano with RCUK.
