New photographs of Shimano’s upcoming Dura-Ace Di2 R9300 groupset have been posted on the Weight Weenies discussion board, giving cycling enthusiasts another glimpse at what the Japanese component maker has in store.
These images seemingly originate from American government documentation concerning the groupset’s wireless communication systems. They provide strong hints about which components will function without cables and which will remain tethered, while also offering a detailed view of Shimano’s redesigned direct-mount cranks and built-in power meter.
This most recent disclosure builds upon our earlier observation of the groupset at La Vuelta last month, reinforcing the belief that what we spotted there was very close to the final production version.
Semi-wireless configuration appears increasingly probable
The clearest takeaway from these newly surfaced images is that the Dura-Ace Di2 R9300 will almost certainly adopt a semi-wireless setup.
Beyond the fact that no wireless front derailleur module appears in any of the photos, the rear derailleur unit depicted includes both a wire connection point and a charging port. Both of these bear a striking resemblance to those found on the existing Dura-Ace Di2 R9200.
This strongly suggests that the Dura-Ace Di2 R9300 will maintain the semi-wireless approach, where both the rear and front derailleurs connect via cables to a single frame-mounted battery. In this configuration, the rear derailleur serves as the central hub, linking wirelessly with the shifters.
The word “resemblance” is worth emphasizing here, as Shimano seems to have altered the charging port on the updated rear derailleur module.
Whereas the current charging port also features four pins, they are lined up horizontally rather than arranged in a square formation as seen in the leaked photos.
One would hope this redesign stems from enhancements to the internal battery—perhaps a greater capacity or quicker charging capability—rather than being a deliberate move to eliminate backward compatibility.
Although it remains uncertain whether the filenames were changed by whoever uploaded the images to Weight Weenies, they do appear to verify that the component will be designated RD-R9350.
Shifters largely remain the same
Another aspect that seems unlikely to see significant modification is the primary shifter paddles.
Shimano has faithfully maintained its Di2 shifter layout since the technology debuted in 2009 with Dura-Ace Di2 7900, which featured two main buttons positioned on the side of each brake lever.
Though now customizable, the standard shifting arrangement has the two buttons on the right side managing the rear derailleur (moving up and down the cassette), while the two on the left operate a front derailleur in the same fashion.
This was already a reasonable assumption given what we observed of the new shifters at La Vuelta, but receiving more explicit confirmation is still noteworthy.
Naturally, it’s important to mention that a more significant update appears to be coming to the auxiliary button located on the upper portion of the brake hoods.
Photos from La Vuelta reveal a new, larger button positioned on the inner side of the top section of each brake hood, rather than directly on top as with the ST-R9270 shifters.
Just like the rear derailleur module, the filenames of the leaked images seem to confirm that the new shifters will carry the part name ST-R9370.
A detailed examination of the new power meter
By contrast, considerable changes appear to be confirmed for the groupset’s new power meter crankset.
Since Shimano started producing its own power meters in 2017 (alongside the release of Dura-Ace R9100), the company has taken its existing integrated crankset design—which merges the driveside crank, chainring spider, and a 24mm steel spindle—and added the necessary sensors to each crank arm.
Now, however, we have our most compelling evidence to date that Shimano is transitioning to a direct-mount crankset design, with the chainring spider attaching independently through a splined interface.
This approach is probably adapted from its mountain bike groupsets, including the XTR Di2 M9200.
Rather than a hollow axle, it appears nearly certain that the power meter battery will be positioned inside (as with current Shimano power meter cranksets), since battery ports are now present on the crank arm sensors themselves.
What appears to be a single, centralized charging port sits at the base of the driveside crank arm.
Somewhat annoyingly, the port’s shape hints that it may require a different charging cable than the Di2 groupset itself. That would mark a departure from the current setup, where the same cable can charge both the Di2 R9200 groupset and the power meter (though not simultaneously).
While this is purely conjecture, we suspect this change is intended to enhance the performance of Shimano’s power meter cranksets—which have, admittedly, developed a reputation for poor accuracy over the years.
Beyond the fact that an imprecise power meter simply fails to deliver on its promises, the UCI is actively investigating the potential of using rider power data to identify dopers. Consequently, having a power meter that measures a rider’s output both accurately and reliably is essential for the Japanese brand this time around.
There have been suggestions over the years that Shimano’s asymmetric crank design has been a primary contributor to its accuracy issues, which might help explain the shift toward a more symmetrical design as seen here.
As with the other components, the image filenames indicate the power meter part name will be FC-R9300-P.
Is the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9300 nearly ready?
Considering the differences between the current-generation Dura-Ace groupset and this forthcoming one appear relatively minor—based on what we know so far, at least—some have wondered whether what we saw at La Vuelta was merely a “work in progress.”
These leaked images reinforce the notion that it is much closer to a finished product, however.
Shimano (and other manufacturers) typically file such regulatory documents for products when they are ready for market, rather than during a prototype phase, after all.
Of course, that doesn’t guarantee it will be released imminently, and there may be plenty we still don’t know about the new groupset and its capabilities.
But these leaks, combined with the recent launch of new Dura-Ace R9300 wheels, certainly suggest that a full release of the next-generation Dura-Ace groupset is not too far off.
