Shimano has announced its new Dura-Ace WH-R9370 wheelset line-up, promising lower weight, increased responsiveness and improved aerodynamics.
The latest generation of Dura-Ace wheels see improvements to the rim design and a move to carbon spokes, which is claimed to reduce weight by up to 220g per wheelset, depending on the rim depth.
This is paired with Shimano’s venerable cup-and-cone hub setup to ensure long-term durability and ease of servicing, thanks to the introduction of replaceable bearings.
The series features four wheelsets: the C36, C50 and C60 road wheels, and the C99 TT and triathlon setup that combines a 99mm-deep front wheel and a disc rear wheel.
We first spotted some new Shimano wheels fitted to Mathieu van der Poel’s bike back in 2025; this unreleased wheelset has since made a notable reappearance under Van Der Poel at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, where the Alpecin–Premier Tech rider soloed to victory on the Belgian cobbles.
All of this got us wondering: when will we see a new Shimano Dura-Ace groupset? Shimano’s current flagship road groupset, Dura-Ace R9200, was released in August 2021, and, with these wheels being part of the R9300 series, surely a new groupset isn’t far away.
Cup-and-cone, with a twist
In this world, nothing can be said to be certain – except death, taxes and Shimano’s dedication to cup-and-cone bearings.
The WH-R9370 wheelsets keep the cup-and-cone tradition alive, preferring loose ball bearings rather than sealed cartridge bearings pressed into the hub shell.
According to Shimano’s own testing, its cup-and-cone system is said to offer 30% lower rotational torque than typical cartridge bearings.
Along with the claims of performance, cup-and-cone setups benefit from improved long-term serviceability. The move to replaceable bearings will also simplify servicing for home mechanics, plus Shimano says durability has been enhanced with improved waterproof seals.
Lightweight carbon spokes and wider rims for wider tyres
The WH-R9370 wheelsets are now equipped with carbon spokes, a trend among high-end wheels that has quietly gone mainstream. Shimano offers two spoke profiles: Aero (4x1.1mm) used on the C36, C50, C60 and the Super Aero (5.2x0.8mm), which is reserved for the C99 front wheel.
The move to carbon spokes also cuts a significant chunk of weight from each wheelset, saving 220g from the C60, bringing it under a claimed 1,400g. The C50 is stated to now weigh 1,302g (down from a claimed 1,461g and the shallow C36 is said to come in at 1,170g (down from 1,350g).
Shimano has stuck to a classic rim profile, rather than the saw-tooth pattern or rim texturing used by brands such as Zipp and Scope. All the wheels in the WH-R9370 family have front- and rear-specific rim profiles, with each rim depth tuned to balance aerodynamics and crosswind stability, according to Shimano.
The rims have a 23mm internal rim width, 2mm wider to better support the current trend for wider road bike tyres for improved aerodynamics and rolling resistance with a 28mm-30mm tyre.
- Read more: Carbon spokes have quietly gone mainstream – but this is why they’ll never fully replace steel
Is this a sign that Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9300 is about to be released?
These new wheels are the first Shimano products to bear the R9300 product-naming convention and could be an indicator that the new Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9300 is just around the corner.
Shimano has traditionally kept to a four-year product cycle; R9200 was released back in August 2021, meaning a new Dura-Ace groupset is almost a year overdue.
Over the last five years, Shimano has released some significant updates to its off-road groupsets. The semi-wireless configuration of Dura-Ace R9200 now feels dated when compared to the wireless design of the XTR Di2 M9200 groupset released last year, not to mention the wireless SRAM line-up.
There is patent evidence that suggests Shimano is working on a fully wireless 13-speed electronic groupset for the road.
Shimano hasn’t endorsed 1x on the road, and considering Shimano’s conservative approach to product releases, the native support of a 1x drivetrain would be a significant departure from its status quo. We think it’s unlikely, but the move to a wireless 13-speed drivetrain, plus the uptake of WorldTour riders choosing a single front chainring setup, could prompt Shimano to offer a 1x setup for road as part of its next-generation Dura-Ace groupset.
We also spotted that Shimano has a prototype road pedal system in the works, an update to a design that has remained unchanged since 2003.
Although there is a lot of evidence that Shimano is gearing up for a major overhaul of its flagship groupset, at the time of writing there is no official word on when it's going to be released.
Shimano Dura-Ace WH-R9370 wheelset pricing and availability
The Dura-Ace WH-R9370 wheelset line-up will be available from September 2026, although exact dates haven't been confirmed.
Pricing it yet to be announced.
