Competition is great for us consumers/athletes!
I have only heard of a single Di2 GRX groupset, so I would assume that Shimano merely keeps its current line-up, it just adds a 12-speed mechanical groupset. To me the only other time when Shimano felt this far behind was when it insisted on selling 2x11 MTB groupsets when the market had already decided to go 1x12 (1x11 in a pinch). On a recent Escape Collective podcast, the hosts talked about how upset Shimano would get if during the review reviewers would convert their 2x drivetrain to a 1x drivetrain. ![]()
It seems Shimano is similarly behind on 1x groupsets and power meters. E. g. I haven’t heard any rumors of a Shimano GRX power meter. SRAM shows how it is done here, too. 1x groupsets for drop bar bikes still seem an afterthought or something you ought not do. Just give riders a choice. To be clear, don’t force 1x down the throat of customers either, but I think SRAM shows how it is done, I think SRAM gives athletes a fair choice between two good options.