An update to Shimanos E-Tube Project app strongly suggests that next-generation Shimano groupsets will go 13-speed and the brand will potentially add 13-speed compatibility to its existing groupsets. First spotted by a BikeRadar reader and confirmed by us, the app now shows a new 13th cog on the Gear usage rate view. This all but confirms Shimanos next-generation groupsets will get an additional cog. The addition of a 13th cog would not only bring Shimano in line with its competitors but, alongside a trickle of patents and leaks over the last two years, this latest development gives the strongest hints yet at the potential trajectory of future road and gravel groupsets. We have contacted Shimano for comment. Read more: New Shimano Dura-Ace is coming these are the 4 key features I expect to see Dura-Ace 1x for the road? The app now shows a 13th cog in the Gear usage rate pane of the E-Tube app. This is used to analyse which gears have been used on your bike. Shimano Going 13-speed would mean Shimano isnt left trailing behind its contemporaries in the drivetrain arms race. Where Campagnolo has gone 13-speed across the board with Super Record 13 and SRAM offers the option of 13-speed on its 1x XPLR AXS groupsets, Shimanos latest road bike groupsets top out at 12-speed. The same is true of its gravel and mountain bike groupsets. This is not a setup Shimano would endorse. Matt Grayson / Our Media This alone may be reason enough to add a 13th cog, but we suspect the glaring absence of a native 1x drivetrain option in Shimanos road bike line-up is the more likely reason to add another cog. Shimano has long resisted the move to 1x on the road, maintaining that 2x offers the best balance of range, cadence control and efficiency for road riding. However, 1x has seen widespread uptake in the pro peloton for certain races, and is the near de-facto option for time trial racing. This has led to many instances where Shimano-sponsored teams use third-party components or setups the brand would not officially endorse. Read more: 2026 men's WorldTour bikes and trends analysed Although 12-speed is already sufficient for many 1x riders, moving to 13-speed would offer greater range or closer steps between gears, and align Shimano with its rivals. That said, a patent filed in 2023 showed a 13-speed 2x groupset, so we wouldnt rule out a Campagnolo-style shift to 13-speed across the board from the Japanese giant. 13-speed gravel patent confirmed? Patents show Shimano is likely working on a 13-speed gravel groupset. Shimano If not for the road, earlier reporting suggests 13-speed could be coming to Shimanos gravel groupsets. The same patent as above showed a fully wireless 13-speed drivetrain concept with a clutch-equipped rear derailleur for off-road use. Again, where SRAM now offers 13-speed 1x setups for its XPLR range, Shimano will not want to be left trailing in its wake. Could Shimano introduce a direct-mount derailleur at the same time as 13-speed? There's a precedent with SRAM. More speculatively, an earlier patent filing reported on BikeRadar in 2023 suggests Shimano may adopt a UDH direct-mount style standard. This patent shows a direct-mount derailleur design that like SRAMs full-mount derailleurs attaches coaxially to the rear axle rather than a conventional hanger. Like SRAM, Shimano may adopt this to make space for a 13th cog without needing to resort to a new, narrower chain. Outside of patents, as noted by Warren Rossiter in his analysis of Shimanos latest gravel tech, the slow uptake of new GRX groupsets also hints that a more substantial change could be coming. OEMs will be aware of Shimanos plans long before the public and media, and where the latest generation of GRX may be viewed as a placeholder, a new groupset gives brands something more substantial to talk about. Its possible the industry is holding out for a new, 13-speed option. Backwards compatibility? We spotted the reference to 13-speed when E-Tube was paired with an Ultegra R8100 groupset. Russell Burton / Our Media Although the reference to 13-speed has appeared before any confirmation Shimano is working on a new range, its notable this was spotted on a configuration page for a current generation 12-speed groupset (we tested it on a bike equipped with Ultegra R8100 Di2). It's theoretically possible to add 13-speed compatibility to any Di2 groupset because there are no hard mechanical stops on an electronic groupset. And, as seen with the likes of Wheeltops groupsets, it could be programmed to shift across additional sprockets provided the throw of the derailleur is sufficiently wide. However, were less convinced by this possibility. Shimano hasnt previously made new Di2 groupset generations backwards-compatible with older ones, so there isnt a precedent to suggest it would do so this time round. Still, its a tantalising possibility, and one were sure would be welcomed warmly by the market if Shimano were to offer riders a simple upgrade path rather than requiring a full groupset replacement. What about mountain bikes? Shimano has only just updated its mountain bike groupsets. Max Wilman / OurMedia At the time of publishing, we were unable to confirm whether theres any mention of a 13th cog in E-Tube for Shimanos mountain bike groupsets. However, given Shimanos latest Di2 mountain bike groupsets were released only last year, we think its unlikely a switch to 13-speed is imminent. SRAM has also not adopted 13-speed for its mountain bike groupsets. And where cadence control is less vital on mountain bikes, and range already sufficient for most riders, theres a less compelling case overall to add a cog off-road.