The Greatest Cycling Innovation You've Never Heard Of | Shimano Hyperglide

Shimano have rolled out a ton of innovations in bike tech over the years, most of which are pretty obvious to see - electronic shifting is a world away form mechanical, as was indexed shifting when Shimano introduced it with their SIS system. But one invention that changed the game has gone largely under the radar: Shimano Hyperglide changed the way shifting worked forever across the bike industry, Ollie is here to explain why!
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[@gcntech]

Do you think Hyperglide is one of the most underrated innovations in cycling? Let us know in the comments 👇

[@theparalexview785]

Yup, big improvement over the old Suntour plain tooth freewheels I used to use, and an improvement over Uniglide. Shifting is crisper and it runs more quietly. Although those cleverly shaped teeth in the Hyperglide and the remarkably good and cheap knockoffs by SunRace can be finicky in friction mode -- the ramped/shaped teeth really want the drivetrain to be locked in place with index shifting. In friction mode while trying to trim the lever to reduce chain noise, it'll try to shift when you don't want it to. No such problem with a properly set up index shifting system.

[@vicgravelrides]

check you facts before posting content , Hmm GCN get your facts right Hyperglide is on both Freewheels and Freehubs, and on that Kirk precision frame Sti shifters would fit easily

[@dudeonbike800]

Its introduction is almost entirely the cause of Shimano's subsequent domination of the component market back then (before SRAM). Their shifting was head and shoulders above SunTour and Campy, their main competitors. Since "skipping gears" and any other number of complaints about "bad shifting" were the main complaints from customers, the bikes with Shimano quickly outsold those without. It was night and day.

[@dudeonbike800]

@@bigstu_ that was implemented prior to Hyperglide, but just barely.

[@dudeonbike800]

@@vicgravelrides It is now. But Hyperglide was introduced on cassettes only, if memory serves. Only later when the cheapo bikes persisted in using freewheels did Shimano utilize the design in freewheels.

[@playmoreguitar5393]

"In Stock" would be a far greater innovation right now!

[@Or5mr]

lmaooo

[@leqin]

Followed rapidly by reasonably priced,

[@katarzynawojciechowska1097]

@@leqin wouldn’t put it better myself 😂

[@kalenderquantentunnel9411]

If you are in dire need for a rear-wheel with a fresh sprocket-set: Get a campagnolo-wheel which are easier to come by right now. Their 11s sprocket-sets are interchangeable except for the hub needed. Right now I am using a Shimano cassette on the wahoo kickr with a campa-bike attached to it.

[@ricecrash5225]

So true ! Ordered a new bike told it could be 4-6 months.

[@stellarpod]

I'm 65 years old, and started serious cycling back in the 70's with friction-shifting 5-speed equipment. I can attest firsthand as to the dramatic difference that STI and Hyperglide made in the sport. I've still got a 1990 Bridgestone RADAC 3100 aluminum-framed bike with Dura-Ace (7-speed), which was my first introduction to Hyperglide. Really enjoyed this segment. As always, thanks much for sharing. Steve

[@danielreed5199]

This man is so passionate about what he does, it is really nice to see, I could listen to anything as long as it comes from a place of passion. Not really that interested in Bicycles but really enjoyed the video, thank you

[@ckmaui]

Used to own a bike shop in the 80s and 90s :) fun memories :)

[@ohhansel]

That's awesomel. I worked in a really cool bike shop on Haight Street in San Francisco in the early 90s when mountain biking was really starting to come into its own. It was awesome to see the release of so many innovative products like the rock shox, SPD pedals, night sun bike lights(we used to do some awesome night rides up in the Marin headlands and Mount Tamalpais. I can't help but the feel it would be near impossible to own a bike shop nowadays with all the internet bike sales and the bikes in Walmart.

[@ckmaui]

@@ohhansel fun chat :) yeah today would be rough and would have to be a warehouse to the estore to make the money but reckon also why service is so high these days and that was where we made money with the markup being so low on bikes I did the PCH about 11 times I think it was in the 80s and 90s from Seattle to Santa Cruz or the bay area was a blast some fun and the traffic while heavy is NOTHING like today cage drivers ;) hahahahah I remember every year stopping in lots of the bikes shops down that way Marin county etc... my first mtn bike was before mtn bikes were really out in full took a old mongoose kos kruiser and put a 5 speed on the rear :) 1980 :)

[@ohhansel]

@@ckmaui that is so cool that you did the PCH 11 times. Damn what those were good times working in it shop for those 4 years. I started off maintaining a rental fleet that was used in Golden gate Park. Did it very well and made the owner of the bike shop a lot of money was a great guy to work for. He was really good about letting us buy things and pay him back as we could. We used to joke about being Paul's indentured servants. I saw a ton of unbelievable grateful Dead shows and some of the sweetest mountain biking. I also had this really cool slingshot with all kinds of unique anodized parts on it. What a time.

[@ckmaui]

@@ohhansel yeah fun times I still have one of my old road bikes a Rossin and a 1997 I think it is comp fsr :) but now got a epic-evo this year and just kinda having fun at 57 I have went down busted up my front rim etc. so having lots of fun ya could say ! do plan on replacing the wheels and just replace things as they happen ! I can say from my touring days the whole gravel bike thing has peaked my interest but the epic evo is so insane fast and nice and light for my old school days bikes not sure I want a gravel as that bike and a nice new road bike I would be happy :) the 80s and 90s were fun times to see insane changes though and prices were easier to take !!! man todays prices are cringe !

[@ohhansel]

@@ckmaui yeah I'm a little baffled to say the least when I run into some 14-year-old kid out there on a $10,000 carbon everything mountain bike. Though my sweetest bike ever was my Spirit of 76 special edition Schwinn stingray. Look just like Evel Knievel's.That one I wish I still had.

[@okreidieh]

Ollie gets so excited its amazing. GCN don't lose him he really brings those videos to life

[@gregtaylor6146]

.........OK Ollie, calm down mate, no P45 just yet!

[@sergeymaximenko3049]

I've heard Ollie is starring in the newest Tesla's promo 'The Greatest Science Innovation You've Never Heard Of' featuring discovery of electricity by Benjamin Franklin back in 18th century. This video sounds to me exactly like that: you've never heard of small electrons that move inside electric wires. [Makes exaggeratedly excited face]

[@trainiax]

After a couple of decades of seeing "Hyperglide" on Shimano gears it's great to know the history behind it!

[@wasupwitdat1mofiki94]

Ollie is one of the most talented presenters on GCN. I really like his delivery and expressions that send a message. Always able to make one laugh and enjoy the content.

[@awen9164]

They could do with cloning Ollie and dropping Dan Lloyd

[@antoinedoinell]

i've ridden and worked on uniglide,let's just say i'm very happy shimano came out with hyperglide. uniglide was a self tightening pain to take off, but it was cool you could flip the cogs and basically get yourself a new cassette minus the lock ring.

[@jussa101]

Hahaha that's awesome

[@TheHaining]

I find they come off without any problem with the two chain whips - great fun messing around with all these parts. I feel like a professional mechanic!

[@danwebber9494]

The lockring is as tight as the rider is strong. Some monster with tree trunks for legs can make it pretty hard to remove.

[@stephensaines7100]

I've got to disagree on 'second life' flipping Uniglide cogs. It can be done, but you'll need a file or grinder to get them to work properly. Lots online on this. The cogs aren't symmetrical, and the centre line of the teeth is offset slightly from the cog body.

[@3t3doug]

Hyperglide legitimately changed my life. I was two years in to mountain biking and I upgraded to a1989 Specialized Stumpjumper Team. It transformed mtb capabilities. I lived on a bike saddle for the next several years and I sincerely believe that wouldn't have been the case had I not found this magical new tech.

[@biketech60]

Cassettes were a huge improvement over freewheels for nearly totally eliminating broken axles on the rear . Before Hyperglide if you wore out two cogs most used you could replace them for a few Dollars each . Also any gear combination could be made where Hyperglide is limited . After Hyperglide the cost was at least fourfold as the cogs and spider were replaced as a unit . Greater Shimano profit . Don't ask about their problematic early electronic shifting . I worked full time as a bicycle mechanic from the early 80's until 2016 .

[@nzo_6543]

Freewheels' maximum cogs sizes are like around 32 or 36t, which it's pretty limited when going uphill,

[@rienabelazotes7558]

Wow that frame .the best.

[@brian_jake]

@@nzo_6543 bikes that come with freewheel have triple crankset. 24/34 or 24/36 is very low

[@nzo_6543]

@@brian_jake yes that's why they have a 3x/2x to go uphill, but if the crankset is 1x, which you really not gonna go uphill

[@jaisejohnson]

This just multiplied my appreciation towards modern day bikes by 10.

[@mark..A]

That they fall apart if you breathe on them?

[@CyberlightFG]

0*10=0

[@rafeevans]

Being 60 (!) I remember well when hyperglide first became available in the 80s. This video understandably gets it all wrong, because its makers aren't old enough to have been there for the introduction. The important innovation was that you could finally shift under full power, not that shifting was somehow made 'more precise'. Shifting was always just fine when coasting or pedaling lightly but quite impossible when hammering - chains would twist, seize and mangle and could be ruined. Hyperglide was an even bigger deal for the mtb crowd because you could finally downshift under full power on technical climbs.

[@BixbyConsequence]

Agreed. Having cut my teeth on the old equipment, I still generally back off the torque when shifting even though I know the new stuff can take it. I still love the feeling of the chain falling into place like tumblers in a lock.

[@guillermobright3617]

He did mention the ability to shift under power.

[@trainiax]

I don't see the issue. Most of the mentions of "precision" refer to the position of the sprockets and how the chain crosses the gears - not the derailleur alignment or shifter operation. But it also seems to me that the ability to shift without having the chain "twist, seize and mangle" inherently means that that the shifting performance at the level of the cassette and chain is more precise. But then when Ollie goes into real-world performance, one of the first things he mentions after 5:02 is the ability to change gear under load.

[@ageary]

I remember Shimano first introduced Hyperglide in the MTB XT groupset in the late 80's. It was a game changer. It then followed onto the road and became the benchmark in shifting.

[@ralflang5524]

It was a game changer for wear, UG shifted a little rougher but lastet more than twice the mileage especially when chains were changed right in time…

[@trackie1957]

I got it on my ‘89 Rockhopper. That bike was my introduction to SPD, too. MTB was exploding with innovations in that era because it was a relatively new market unencumbered by the rigid traditions of the Euro road world.

[@Zegswijze]

Probably the most unknown innovation. I've been riding bikes with this technology for years and i wasn't even aware of its existence until last year when I saw the word 'hyperglide' printed on my new cassette. It's less visible in comparison with STI for example.

[@zauberwort]

There's mostly just "HG" printed on or etched in anywhere, to which it is hard to put meanig to.

[@imax2go]

Well i rode mountain bikes in that era, the difference was night and day. It also came with a 7th gear, up from 6.

[@Zegswijze]

@@zauberwort The 8-speed cassette on my e-bike was the first one I saw with hyperglide spelled out full.

[@truracer20]

Its less "visile" because in modern times it's the most basic. And when it was new technology it was mostly only accessible to the wealthier cyclists. Back before taking out a multi year loan for a bicycle was a thing.

[@GianCRO9597]

I'll wait for claris Di2

[@Dan1147]

Haha wait for like 10 more years

[@itarry4]

Can't see that happening.

[@r0mpastompa]

@@itarry4 It will come for sure, the current Claris has a lot of Dura-Ace/Ultegra Tech from the last generations only with less gears and cheaper materials. The feeling is almost the same.

[@user-tm7ym8gu8i]

Just buy the Ultegra di2 bastard

[@peterschuttinga3961]

I enjoyed a early version on a Giant Chronos. Crank up a hill and shift in either direction was pretty cool. Within in a year though I started breaking chains. The fourth break took out the rear derailleur, locked up the rear wheel, wore off a brand new tire and screwed up the rim. I was doing about 45KPH on the flat coming off a hill. Never again.

[@matthewrepucci3564]

Lol, I was cleaning my cassette the other day and wondering about the different teeth shape etc... I figured there was a good reason behind it. Thanks Ollie!

[@shellypalumbo5297]

To a newbie, information like this is fascinating. Please do more of these, Ollie!

[@mrsmith4662]

Ollie is the master of these short technical presentations! Great stuff.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

This has to be one of your best videos. Ollie’s presenting skills keep us waiting for the next one. Just great!

[@charlesward8196]

I started out with Huret Alvit shifters and derailleurs on my first 10-speed in 1966, and had that bike until 1990 or so, then took a break from bike riding until around 2008 when I bought a Specialized Crosstrail. The bike world sure had changed! Instead of “side-yanker brakes, I had BB-5 cable actuated ball-bearing disc brakes, and Shimano Deore handlebar mounted index shifters, so I am guessing it also came with the Hyperglide cassette. There has been a bit of a learning curve since I do all of my own bike maintenance and fine tuning brakes and the shifter required some KZbin videos. I was pleased by how easy shifting was on a modern bike, and now I know why. Thanks for the content.

[@johnnydwicked]

I could hear the tech geek in Ollie's enthusiasm. :)

[@maximilianklein2062]

I noticed that I had a problem when I - as a German - walked into a German bike shop and had to ask if the mechanic spoke English because I didn't know many German bike terms...realizing that all my knowledge about tech comes from GCN

[@rainbowlable]

can feel you! 😄 I'm still wondering what the "hoods" are called in German. any idea?

[@herzog2604]

@@rainbowlable must be "Schlüpfer"

[@rainbowlable]

@@herzog2604 seriously??? 😂😂😂 guess i stick with 'hoods' then 🙈

[@Ob_Bashar]

@@rainbowlable we are calling them "Hörner"

[@rainbowlable]

@@Ob_Bashar klingt irgendwie sinnvoll. danke! 😊

[@meibing4912]

Shimano made gear shifting so much better from when I started racing in the 1980's. The biggest upgrades where Hyperglide, STI so you could keep your hands on the bars and "click"-shifting making shifting faster and safer. Upgraded to electronic (Ultegra 12 speed Di2) last year. A joy to use!

[@nathanmclain9027]

LOVE your enthusiasm for bike mechanicals and history. More of this. It’s brilliant!

[@NeutralGenericUser]

That was an amazing video. Thank you so much. I hadn't heard of GCN Tech channel before, but I'm glad I found it. This is, IMO, far superior to usual GCN content. Ollie is a legend!

[@brockjennings]

I still vividly recall seeing a pair of Campagnolo Delta brakes in a display case at the local bike shop. Back then, they looked like alien technology.

[@gungadinn]

A case of form over function. The Delta’s were beautiful, but a set of ugly hydraulic disc brakes will stop on a dime with 9 cents in change.

[@kalenderquantentunnel9411]

Finally, the System and its evolution well explained without skipping the Homo Erectus of Sprocket-Sets, Uniglide... in detail! Big Thumbsup for that! :)

[@AlanW2007]

The straight-through "corncob" he uses for comparison is ace!

[@silvanherold8562]

Never seen someone beeing so exited about splines and threads as Ollie. Love it!

[@sevintrix2962]

The '80's was a hotbed of tech. I remember the days I poured over bike mags soaking in the latest.

[@coffeepot3123]

And the pages were all glued together from the previous guy reading etc.

[@sevintrix2962]

@@coffeepot3123 eeeeww

[@WmSrite-pi8ck]

Some questions (because I didn't really understand, well, anything): what's a cassette; what is a sprocket; what is a shimano; what is a downtube; what is a D2 STI lever; what is a cog (in this conterxt); what is a ramp; what is a freehub; what is a spline; what is a lockring; what is a chamfer? Really great video, mate. I loved hearing about this technology that I'd never even considered before. And, if I knew what in the fuck you were talking about, I'd be over the moon.

[@dudeonbike800]

Ah, but is it one WIDER spline, or one NARROWER spline? THAT is the question!* I remember the introduction of Hyperglide. Lots of criticism of the reduced tooth profile, leading to faster wear was the main complaint. Oh, and that you couldn't use older cogs. And that users couldn't pick "custom" gear combinations anymore. The old cog boards in shops quickly disappeared. *I've always considered the wider open space. Others look for the narrow spline. Tomato, tomahto, I guess!

[@PrzemyslawSliwinski]

Both! Otherwise one could put the cogs in the other way. And yes, I would also like to be able to replace the smallest four cogs separately.

[@JohanLarssonKiruna]

Anyway, if maybe not underrated but more taken for granted and forgotten, I think the biggest innovation in cycling is pneumatic tires. And that is such a big thing there's nothing else even coming close.

[@Christian-cz9bu]

I guess some of us are old enough to remember the change in rear sprockets, I immediately recognized the ramps and chamfers were for smoother shifting...

[@steveflor9942]

I can tell you this: I wore out the 11-32 cluster on my Sram Etap. No replacement available because of Covid. So, I installed an 11-32 Ultegra cluster. Voila!! Much better shifting, much quieter operation. My next road bike will be Dura Ace. I gave Sram a chance. Failed miserably.

[@bikemike1118]

The greatest cycling innovation…they found out that a bottom bracket should definitely be threaded

[@jinlim6575]

hello press fit bmx...

[@abccanada6248]

Threaded still has its weaknesses. If they couldnt properly deal with press fits those companies sure asf didnt fet any better with threaded bb's

[@bikemike1118]

@@abccanada6248 no company can properly deal with press fit in the long run. There are TWO reasons for them to deal with it (still) even though it’s inferior: 1) less cost 2) a little less weight …which helps to argue the first reason for them. And for the colleague above with the BMX argument….this is BS …nobody rides miles and miles a year with a BMX. In case you didn’t know: this is a bike for really short tracks and tricks …not mileage!!

[@abccanada6248]

@@bikemike1118 all bearings are press fit in cycling. Your just threadding in shells that have bearing pre pressed in to them with threaded bottom brackets. And when dealing with alloy to carbon bonding for the threads you are dealing with much sloppier tolerances then with press fits

[@bikemike1118]

@@abccanada6248 true…Carbon and Aluminium is a toxic mixture. I do prefer a titanium frame (but that’s a different story). Anyway…the trend including „trendy manufacturers“ already go away from pressfit again …at least for mountain bikes.

[@Rose_Butterfly98]

Definitely heard of it. It says on their website. Did not know that hyperglide was why the spline system was made though. Honestly thought we'd used splines all the time.

[@stephensaines7100]

"We" did. Shimano certainly didn't invent splined freewheel bodies and cogs. Maillard and others long predated them: www.yellowjersey.org/helico.html With a file and bench vise, the extra 'key' tooth on can be shaped/removed to make Uni and Maillard cogs compatible.

[@TheDarKris]

I'm gonna be that guy and say - I been knew about hyperglide. Took it for granted obviously, but with all my 8 speed cassettes having the big-ol "hyperglide" badge on them it was hard for me not to know about it 😅

[@peet4921]

I was about to say something similar, using them for ages, but my initial thought was ''Hey, a new invention....................... ehh hyperglide ? New kind of hyperglide ?'' Nope, very very old news.

[@hankhankerson3622]

I actually remember having g the discussion with people back in the day that their cassettes weren’t worn out like he described in the video. What a throwback.

[@trackie1957]

The chain was mentioned almost in passing. Around the time of UG, chains changed dramatically. Instead of two side plates, a pin, a bushing and a roller, the bushing was eliminated. This produced a chain that was much more flexible laterally. This new flexibility made Hyperglide possible. The new sprocket shapes and flexible chain work wonderfully on older bikes without index shifting as well. I had a 1970’s Motobecane tandem with bar end shifters. I bought a new 6-speed Hyperglide freewheel and chain for it and it transformed the shifting.

[@crackinting194]

I’m not particularly techie but Ollies enthusiasm carries you along. Really enjoyed that! I am officially a potential saddo!

[@hornet224]

I have a new road bike with a Shimano 105, a new gravel bike with GRX810, and a old hard tail MB with a SRAM Duo Drive. The later is the better drive train hands-down! Shifts faster, smoother, requires little maintenance, almost bullet proof and I can change gears while stopped. Plus the hand grip shifter is super convenient to use. SRAM - Please bring it back.

[@BenKloos]

This video interchanged the term freewheel and cassette, the most dastardly of cycling nomenclature flubs.

[@dnaturalblues]

Thanks for making my day w the use of dastardly

[@ISeeNoCheezburger]

if there's anyone who are using a mountain bike, you should have heard about the hyperglide+. it shifts more smoothly than the regular hyperglide.

[@76horsepower]

I still ride a lugged steel road bike from the mid-1980s. It has its original Shimano 600 components - including a Uniglide hub - but when I wanted to change the gear ratios, I switched out the Uniglide cassette for a modern Hyperlide one, along with a Hyperglide chain. Even with the old friction shifters, the difference is absolutely night and day in the shifting smoothness and precision. So yes, I very much appreciate Shimano's engineering in this area.

[@sdmike1141]

Nice piece Ollie! These deeper looks into bike tech and history are great.

[@TheDrAkira]

That yellow bike looks AMAZING. I really want one now

[@jeffbrunton3291]

I have that rare Dura ace hub that does both uniglide or hyper glide. It came with domed nuts so it can squeeze into a 126 rear or a 130 rear. Still using it today (with a 10 speed cassette), it’s very versatile

[@jeremyemilio9378]

Are you selling it?

[@pauldarling330]

SIS changed the world. I grew up with Campy overshift. Took a while to break that habit. unsealed wide flange hubs. real ten speeds. Tow clips (cinelli death traps if you were brave) All these memories will be lost in time; like tears in rain. Time to doff the hair net.

[@SuperNeilMartin]

Shimano 105 Di2 🙏🏻

[@kaltonian]

no i remember hyperglide, i was getting into racing and loved the tech coming out at the time, i jumped straight on it because it was so much better under load exspecially when racing, ooooh what an advantage

[@mattyfrommacc1554]

I've used both HG and UG, HG was a massive improvement and provides silky-smooth shifts even under load

[@chrisburn7178]

Had a weird thing at 0:29 when I recognised the few seconds of music and spent some minutes remembering what it was. Supposed to be 80s synth but in fact from a 2019 album by electronic guru Brendon Moeller.

[@PeloMR2]

My 1990 Giant Kronos is a similar rare combination of 7 speed Hyperglide with SIS (Exage) downtube shifters. It shifts much better than an '85 Centurion I've got with a straight tooth freewheel and STI (RSX) shifters.

[@aldoclausi3955]

Worth mentioning Hyperglide came from the exploding MTB scene. Most road bike freewheel had a jump of 1 to 2 teeth ok for smooth shifting but MTB had 4 or even more teeth jump and the chain could not ramp up or down without mashing. Also the name was pattened not the design of the ramps. Its just normal wear pattern.

[@danielhall3895]

Great comment mentioning this! It's the reaserch and development investment in the early stages of mountain bike components in the early 80s that made both Shimano and Sun Tour competitive when they brought those innovations over to road bikes, and led to Shimano catching Campagnolo by the late 80s. All the other European manufacturers fell on hard times while ignoring the oppurtunity of the growing mountainbike market for too long.

[@Xesh001]

A few points: 1:22 what you have there isn't a freehub body (which is attached to the wheel) it's a freewheel (which screws onto the wheel). Directional chains weren't used by Shimano until relatively recently (around 2010 or so) and they are usually for 10 speed drivetrains and upwards. Mavic had its Zap electronic shifting on Tour bikes in 1992 but it didn't turn out to be very reliable (especially in the rain). They also had a bit of a run in with the UCI when their aero shifter was retro-actively banned, after being told that it would comply with UCI regulations (this was after they started making it too)! Shimano obviously learned from this when designing their Di2 system! The first Dura Ace (Di2) and Ultegra (Ui2) systems weren't compatible either, as Dura Ace had redundant connections in the wiring, and Ultegra didn't - the connectors were different. As far as the "launch" of Hyperglide goes it wasn't a public launch as such. In fact Shimano thought of it as more an evolution of Uniglide and not a completely new technology - hence the very similar names. I do remember that most HG cassettes had "Hyperglide" emblazoned on the large sprocket in a very noticeable colour (red mainly), but later on they toned it down a bit on the higher end groupsets. Most shop staff, at least where I worked, were told by the reps that came around to emphasize how hyperglide made shifting under load much smoother than before, because of the tooth profiles. I don't actually recall that anyone complained about faulty cassettes though. They did, however, complain about the "broken" teeth on the chainset, as 3 or 4 teeth on the middle chainring (of the triple setups) were twisted to aid shifting up from the small ring. This was usually on the cheaper groupsets, which were more commonly used by the "less technically inclined" cyclists, whereas higher groupsets used proper pins for shifting. This was, however, in the early 90s with the introduction of Hyperdrive - the equivalent of HG but for the chainset. If you want to know about an unsuccessful Shimano shifting technology then look no further than IG. This was an attempt to improve on HG and make it even smoother. It was designed to only let the chain shift at specific points on both the cassette and the chainset (in both directions). The problem was that if you happened to shift at the wrong point then the shift wouldn't happen until the chain reached one of the shift areas. Needless to say most people didn't like the much slower shifting and it also became much more sketchy under load with a worn chain! As far as I can remember this only appeared on mid-range groupsets and not the ones the pros would use. A lot of Tour riders in the early 90s would actually use the downtube shifters in preference to STI on their bikes for the mountain stages, as they were lighter. I wouldn't be surprised if that Kirk bike was specced for a mountain stage.

[@kdstoffel7574]

I just wish they’d engineer some product onto the empty shelves of bike shops across America. 👍🏽

[@captainbozo01]

Not just America, it's a worldwide problem 😭

[@ptbot3294]

Sorry not enough computer chip to go into your tyre buds

[@hjeffwallace]

We just lost our local bike shop.

[@bikemike1118]

Pandemics fault

[@royharkins7066]

Back on my bike, yrs have passed since my last ride, and I was amazed at how things have changed since the sixties , the cassettes are things of beauty, so much so I took one to bed along with head torch to really look at it, the gilf thought I was bonkers , ..

[@bigdredre3725]

When talking about the uniglide system you didn’t mention the single “w” cut tooth to enable better shifting

[@timocallaghan4408]

My daily/beer bike is an old steel peugeot converted to the first generation SIS downtube shifters and 8 speed HG rear cassette, and it shifts almost as well as my modern brifters despite the very old school technology and minimal maintenance. Total game changer. The fact that shimano bangs out these massive innovations quite regularly, mass produces them on an almost unimaginable scale and sells them for the price of a takeaway pizza (even with the current inflated prices those downtube shifters are readily available for 35 bucks and last decades) puts today's 'innovative' brands to shame. Plenty of recent brands get held up as something special by GCN when they are charging 1000% margin on a simple carbon frame or pair of wheels with shocking QC (Usually with plenty of shimano items attached)

[@danielhall3895]

Did you spread the dropouts, or did you respace the axel washers to fit the 8-speed hub in the 126mm spacing? I have a Peugeot with all its original mid-80s components, but I have another Peugeot frame that I'm debating building up with at least hubs that take modern 8 or 9-speed cassettes, while still keeping down tube, friction shifters, and a period crankset and period Sun Tour derailleurs. I just wondered how you dealt with the hub spacing.

[@timocallaghan4408]

@@danielhall3895 I spread the dropouts so I could use new wheels and cassette, and matched shifters/rear mech. I just used threaded bar, two nuts and some washers to gently open up the dropouts, that was in 2016 and it's still perfect despite being used in all weather (I did rustproof inside the whole rear triangle with rust converter and spray wax to be on the safe side). The bike is a blast to ride, very simple and very reliable with modern mechs and sealed wheel bearings. Well worth the roughly 200 euro it cost

[@markdurdle7710]

@@timocallaghan4408 Wish I found out about that method for a steel bike I did recently. I used the Sheldon Brown method of using a wood plank to bend each side until you have the correct spacing. The problem with that is I found I was often over correcting on one side, but got there in the end. Although I got some downtube converters so I could install STI levers.

[@timocallaghan4408]

@@markdurdle7710 Yeah definitely crossed my mind that it could end up off centre, but it was too late by then! Steel is quite forgiving though

[@danielhall3895]

@@timocallaghan4408 Good to know. I was leaning towards doing the same thing, then I read a post somewhere, where someone managed to get a 9-speed Hyperglide free-hub onto a a second generation Uniglide hub without any respacing needed. The person also provided information about respacing the washers and shortening the axels on late 80s and 90s Shimano 8 and 9 speeds hubs to fit right into the 126mm spacing of older frames. He nailed both methods without having to spread the frame or redish the wheel. I'm weighing which method is easiest.

[@chrisdaigle5410]

More customers wanted to return their new bike because the chainrings were broken, twisted and had pieces hanging off of them. It sometimes took a while to convince them that those short chainring teeth and the bent twisted teeth were called "gates" and the pieces of hanging metal on the edges were called "lift pins."

[@Joe__Tech]

Shimano Hyperglide was presented back in 1987/88. At that time I have been driven the Sachs eloptoid drive, also available by Shimano as „Biopace“.

[@jasonmcgrody9472]

This is such a good presentation I don't even care at all that this is an ad. Exceptionally well-done.

[@user-vp1sc7tt4m]

Some may have forgotten that Suntour introduced the slant-parallelogram derailleur and indexed shifting well before Shimano but it never caught on. Shimano came to market with a similar system and was able to promote it well enough that it took over Suntour's Accushift indexed system along with Campagnolo, Simplex and Huret.... and Shimano rose to the top. I always felt bad for Suntour. I loved the Suntour Accushift system, derailleur's , cranks, hubs and brakes!

[@devdroid9606]

If you spin the cassette, you can see the teeth waver from side to side. This is what Ollie is talking about when he refers to the "ramps" of the sprocket. Each tooth on the sprocket is slightly different in shape and lateral profile.

[@secretdaisy6484]

I have always been an early adopter. I had a mountain bike 🚵‍♀️ and a hybrid with Hyperglide. It was great. I did however ride my late 80s racing bike 🚴 with SIS down tube shifters for a decade because I really loved the bike. Once I got Campy ergo shifters on a new bike everything changed for my road riding. I also liked SRAM Gripshifts on my hybrid and mountain bikes 🚲 when they came out. 👍☮️🌞🌟🚲

[@markwng]

I was lucky enough to work in bike shops from 88 to 05. There was a new innovation every few months for the entire time.. I walk into bike shops now and theres not much im not familiar with. All the big ideas happened back then, mostly fine detail changes since or so it seems..

[@3Max]

Fascinating video, thanks! I had always seen this feature on my cassette, but thought it might just be an artistic design choice. Very cool!

[@kennethward9530]

You don’t know what you got on until it’s gone. My go to bike has a freewheel as it has had for the last 36 years. COVID induced part shortages and lack of NOS stock in my parts bin forced me to buy a supposedly high quality reproduction freewheel which unfortunately has straight cut teeth. It took me a couple days to figure out why I had difficulty shifting on a steep hill and the chain would sometimes not leap into the low gear. I quickly relearned my old technique for straight cut gear teeth, but am looking forward to when I can get a Shimano freewheel again with its fancy teeth.

[@crusherbmx]

Hyperglide actually got a lot press in magazines at the time, I know all about it. I only use bikes from 85-92, mostly because I bought them back then and I've never had any reason to upgrade.

[@ClockCutter]

The world wide web wasn't a thing at all until like 93. Nobody even had web browsers in the 80s.

[@elmarko9051]

Hyperglide also has great compatibility across the years. Any 6, 7 , or 8 sprocket cassette is compatible width-wise with any other of the same count. 9 and up get a little weird. I purchased a bike with an 11-21, not enough ratio for hills for my liking. I purchased two E-bay HG 8 speed cassettes, an 11-28 and a 11-32. Everything is compatible and the spline hub accepted everything I gave it. I got the gearing I need, and the shifting is pretty quiet and fast.

[@biggaywizard]

I'm not only viscerally familiar with hyperglide but I'm also familiar with that frame. I was an apprentice race mechanic when those came out!!

[@Paul_Paulson]

The angled parallelogram derailleur. Linear pull brake levers. The free hub body. Not only did these forever change cycling but they sound like poetry.

[@ATS3788]

My first Hyperglide front sprockets last more then 30 year and a lot of km. Thx did not know the History of Hyperglide.👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@NakedUndone]

Yeah, I used to be enthralled by bike "tech" as well. For instance, one of the first bikes I got had a Bio-pace chainring, another Shimano "innovation". Those didn't last long. Hyperglide is great for racers who might lose a fraction of a second on a shift. For people like me who've woken up and realized that the true beauty of a bike lies in its simplicity, they just make shifting with friction gear levers a pain because you can't hear them shift and they always get hung up between gears.

[@jasonmcgrody9472]

Hyperglide is simple, too. It's just better.

[@RudiDwiHartanto]

3 weeks to go before Shimano new groupset! cant wait

[@frankyfung6491]

yes its only logical for shimano to bring out a new groupset when gcn finish this series

[@RudiDwiHartanto]

@@frankyfung6491 hopefully they gonna release all the dura ace ultegra and 105 at the same time just like they did with xtr xt and slx

[@MJarthur95]

Hope we finally get a 12 speed full wireless dura ace & di2 105

[@JazzFunkSouldier]

remember the day well, changing from down tube shifters Record sprint to Shimano 600STI on a Dyna-tech 705, when we kept training charts on the wall, shaved 2min off on the first day out. never looked back since

[@JohanLarssonKiruna]

I've used a wide range uniglide cassette for a long time, and have to say it works really well. There's a bit more noise when shifting, and it can take a fraction of a second longer before the chain engages, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. I suspect it will last five times longer than any hyperglide cassette, looking at the contact area between the chain and sprockets.

[@mark..A]

I had shimano dx deore components on my offroad proflex 752 that i bought in jan 1992. The cassette and chain were hyperglide. I want to restore this beautiful bike one of these days

[@Zalesie123]

Of course 've heard of Hyperglide and Uniglide, why wouldn't I?

[@andrewince8824]

Three drivers dominate. SRAM XD, Shimano Microspline and Shimano HG. That HG is Hyperglide and it set the market standard. Even SRAM uses HG. Even now in this divided modern era of 12spd the NX groupset uses a HG cassette. I don't like Hyperglide myself, the system has never worked well for me but when it comes to picking hubs I only go for HG spline. The sheer abundance of compatible parts by far outweighs the limitations of an 11t over a 10t. Box, TRP, Microshift, Sunrace, Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo and however many other companies all make cassettes for that system. I don't rate Shimano but their innovation is undeniable.

[@rydontouday4601]

The biggest cycling bullet I ever dodged was not buying a Kirk Precision mountain bike from Halfords! It looked so modern but even by early 90s standards weighed a ton. That said, I ended up with a Raleigh Apex instead, that had Reynolds K2 tubes that felt like they were made of Iron!

[@HiopX]

best thing about this: you can have it on your vintage bike and most people won't even notice, because they are puzzle by the downtube levers

[@siddhant5068]

Waiting for GCN's review on Shimano New Electronic Brake System.

[@JasonDBike]

I have ridden both, the difference isn't that wild. Thanks for the very interesting background!

[@guilhermearielmachado9669]

I'm so grateful for Shimano had been created these technologies, although they are failing in MT GROUP SETS and SRAM is getting bigger like GX airless.

[@TheHaining]

Totally disagree about anything prior to Hyperglide being less precise and clunkier, Ollie. I was l lucky to find a Colnago Master with Shimano 7-speed Ultraglide a couple of years ago and I can assure you it's as precise as a Swiss watch! Bought it to do the Eroica and have totally fallen in love with the 7400 series - first time Shimano overtook Campagnolo and the latter have never recovered since.

[@beeble2003]

"Precise" is just a meaningless buzzword. It's an indexed system: the only way it could be imprecise is if it was moving the derailleur to the wrong position and that has nothing to do with the cassette. How's Ultraglide for shifting under load?

[@jefferycampbell2243]

Ugh! This video sent me down a rabbit hole researching the hub/cassette on my Shimano Sante group set that I purchased new in the late 80's and is still in great condition. I think it's a uniglide (indexed and shaped teeth but no ramps) with SIS down tube shifters. What's cool is that the shifters can be changed on the fly for either friction or "click" indexed operation.

[@werdsmyth]

Funny how I've removed and replaced countless cassettes in my life but I never line the sprockets up with the wide gap. Instead, I use the narrow spline, which I know is essentially the same thing (you get the narrow bit because of the wide bit) but it's the narrow, not the wide, that I always look for.

[@michaelseifert5716]

Thanks for posting - I thought I was the only one.

[@stephensaines7100]

From my experience, Hyperglide is more suited for indexed shifting. For non-indexed, it doesn't want to 'find' the gear like Uniglide or the better Maillards etc of the time. What's being overlooked in the discussion is how a Simplex retrofriction shifter velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=91d3c48f-c79e-429c-86ae-e38000ac1ac6&Enum=104 and some others, but Simplex was by far the best needs a freewheel cluster that *wants* to be in gear. Once properly mated, set-up and adjusted, the cyclist needs to just 'tap' the lever with one finger to shift one gear, and tap a little harder to do two. Hard to believe? Darts, billiards and many other sports demonstrate how accurate the tactile sense can be in cases like this. Or violins. No need for frets, the player can tell by feel if they're 'on pitch' or not. Unfortunately, I've never found a Hyperglide freewheel to be compatible with non-indexed shifting, but the Hyperglide chains can be.

[@forgetyourlife]

yep, Friction works with index cogs but the performance level sucks.

[@stevengagnon4777]

Suntour power ratchet shifters the came in down tube, bar end and flat bar thumb shifters. They work pretty good with hyperglide. The ratchet will give you a tiny bit over overshift and falls back a bit. 8s was the best. A Shimano rear derailleur with the floating jockey pully does the rest.

[@PierceThirlen2]

The positioning of the sprockets is not as important as they claim. I mix and match sprockets from 7, 8 and 9 Speed cassettes to obtain the ratios that I want. At worst it has resulted in some shifts taking only slightly longer to complete. You can also grind down the extra wide spine in order to optimize the positioning. I also run a 52-36-24T triple crank set in the front with a modified derailer. I can pedal up the steepest hills, yet pedal flat out on the straight and level and still have a close ratio rear sprocket set to optimize my pedaling effort and pedaling speed.

[@johnspooner1403]

Huh. I have one of those hybrid freehub bodies. I was changing my 1989 Centurion Dave Scott Master from Uniglide to Hyperglide and found it at the local "community" bike shop bin-o-parts. Worked great. I still have all the Uniglide parts as well, including the chain!

[@edjack1993]

Just watched this and the Sean Kelly vid. Only had hit a purple patch of form 👏🏻 Personally, I think historical bike tech is a fascinating subject. So much content...

[@akdiddy666]

I had a hard time sourcing my DuraAce 7403 rear 8 speed hub. It has a rounded acorn nut to help spread the frame for the newer 130mm. I love old DA stuff. Such great history

[@theparalexview785]

I noticed this when moving up from my old friction shift road bikes with plain tooth cogs, especially the older Suntour Alpha freewheels. Switching to SunRace chromed freewheels with nicely shaped teeth really improved shifting. I even prefer the SunRace 7- and 8-speed chromed cassettes over some of the older Shimano Hyperglide cassettes. The SunRace shift more crisply and run more quietly with both my older Suntour Accushift and various Shimano SIS setups. Ollie looks a bit uncomfortable with those long cranks on that TVM Kirk Precision. Reminds me, I need to ditch the 175 cranks on my Diamondback Podium in favor of 170 cranks. Technically 175 fit me, but they never feel quite right and pedaling always feels a bit labored, and it's a chore to get the saddle/seat post height just right. I didn't realize how much difference crank length made until I bought an older Trek 5900 from a friend who set it up with 170 cranks because that's what he had in the shop. Felt perfect.

[@timocallaghan4408]

Combine chromed cassette with wax and the ti-coated KMC chains like the x10el for super smooth and quiet drivetrain

[@jasonhildebrand1574]

Great video! Now I need to check my chain to confirm that its not installed backwards, as I did a roadside masterlink replacement a few years ago. On a side note, at the end of the video you are specifically referring to hyperglide but you are holding and zooming into the old uniglide cassette

[@Chris-te8fg]

If you can read the words on the chain on the right side(chain side) of the bike its installed correctly.

[@daviddedick14]

Agree completely - Brilliant engineering.