SHIMANO EP801 MOTOR AND AUTO SHIFT
Shimano’s first auto-shifting drivetrain for e-bikes features some game-changing new tech
£N/A • shimano.com
For a lot of riders, e-bikes have made trails more accessible, and climbs a lot easier, but imagine if your e-bike did other things for you, like changing gear. That sounds like a pipe dream, but it’s exactly what Shimano’s updated motors deliver. The new EP801 (and cheaper EP60) now has an Auto Shift function, in combination with the electronic XT Di2 drivetrain, which allows the bike to change gear automatically.
This is possible because the chainring on an e-bike is independent of the crank spindle, so the motor can spin the chainring and change gear regardless of whether you’re using your legs to turn the cranks. And yes, it is totally bonkers to look down and see the chainring rotating and hear the bike change gear when you’re just coasting downhill.
SMART ALGORITHM
Essentially there are two parts to Auto Shift – a smart algorithm that monitors things like cadence, torque, and speed, and the new 11-speed Linkglide cassette. To begin with you set two parameters using Shimano’s E-tube app, the first being the Shift Timing, which is tunable between 50-100rpm. If you like to spin more when you ride you can set this at a higher RPM and the motor will change accordingly. You also set the Climb Response, which equates to the amount of force you put through the pedals.
Like most things, Shimano does recommend a ballpark setting in the app (72rpm with a climb response of 4) but there are over eight levels to pick from in the advanced menu. Users can also set two profiles – for example, one for road and the other for dirt, which can be toggled via a small button on the new Di2 shifter. And that’s not all – you can also set a start gear, so when you slow to a stop the bike will sense it and automatically shift into this default gear for when you want to pull away again.
NEW LINKGLIDE CASSETTE
To ensure the shifts are as clean and as smooth as possible, Shimano has created a new 11-speed Linkglide cassette specifically for e-bikes running Auto Shift. The first question we asked is why 11-speed? Apparently it has nothing to do with the idea that e-bikes need fewer gears, but more to do with packaging. To create the
Imagine if your e-bike did other things for you