R. Cunningham
You were probably at least half-informed if you heard that Shimano would launch an affordable version its Saint components. Although Shimanos intention to keep its 2005 product lines secret until September-ish, photos and news about the mid-priced Hone outfit were leaked. Shimano released photos and other information to clarify the story. The news is overall very positive, especially for the sport’s youngest members.
WHAT IS HONEY?
The photo of Shimanos parts was based on plastic mockups. However, the group is real. These parts were designed for novice riders, who will be learning their skills and attempting moderate drops. Insiders at Shimano insist that Hone isn’t a stepped down Saint group, no matter how similar its rear derailleur or crankset might appear.
You can expect Hone components to be found on bikes such as the Kona Dawg and Giant VT, the beefed-up all-mountain trailbike which is rapidly becoming the most sought after segment of the market. Hone’s price will be lower than Deore XT which is the best-selling model in the category.
The axle-mount and anti–bash design of the Saint rear derailleur is the same as that used by the Hone. It also requires a dedicated hub equipped with a modified quick release mechanism and a stepped-down thru-axle. Customers of Shimanos OEM were impressed with the robustness of the Saint rear deailleur and requested a Deore XT version. It inspired a whole new group.
The same hollowtech design is used in Hone cranks as Deore XT. However, there are more metal options and a choice of one, two, or three chainring options.
A standard unit will be provided with three front derailleurs. It will look similar to a Deore XT changer, a low profile design that fits stub-type frames and a version the mount plate.
The Hone rear derailleur is low-normal (rapid increase) and can be used with Shimano Dual Control brake/shift levers.
The Hone hydraulic disc brakes are compatible with standard and post mounts. They have eight-inch, ventilated rotors that fit Shimanos Shimanos Center-Lock hubs. (Saint-sized Center-Lock hubs use a larger-diameter spline interface.) You can order hone calipers to fit standard six-inch rotors. Similar to 2004 Deore XT, the calipers have a double-action, 2-piston design.
The hubs of Hone will have quick release axles and there are no plans to make a large thru-axle front hub. This is because Hone is a trailbike group. It is not meant to rival the strength of Saint freeriding/downhill ensemblea theme we repeated many times during our interview.
While Hone will certainly weigh more than DeoreXT, Shimano doesn’t plan to do it excessively. Hone is an all-purpose component group and should be kept as light as possible. Hone will weigh about half a pound more than its brother, the racer-boy.
When will we be able to see a working version of Hone If Shimano is doing well, we’ll be able report on the performance by the real McCoy around the time potential Hone customers return to school in fall. You will be the first to know if anything goes wrong sooner than expected.
