There were quite a few opinions that Shimano's new 13-speed drivetrain would come out around May '26, but that all flipped to "it'll come out next year."
It seems settled that it's definitely not coming out this year. And along with that, what are the rumors that quietly disappeared?
SRAM's counterpunch — they'll release theirs just before Shimano's 13-speed launches!
The Specialized Venge will be released!
Those were the ones, and as Shimano's 13-speed launch appears to have been pushed back, the other rumors vanished along with it.
Wait, that's odd — why did the rumors disappear together?
When a new drivetrain comes out, what's the best way for each brand to maximize their sales?
Release a new frame alongside it.
I'll dare to predict that when Shimano's 13-speed launches:
Specialized will release a new Venge alongside it,
Trek will unveil the concept bike they recently showed, the Madone,
Bianchi will drop the aging Oltre and debut a new model,
Pinarello will release a new Dogma F,
Merida will release a new Scultura,
I'm not sure about the rest of the brands,
Brands that will probably just slap on a 13-speed special edition colorway and call it a day = Giant, Scott, Factor, etc.
This post will become a sacred prophecy.
Shimano's 13-speed will serve as the launch pad for each brand's new frames.
