It's one of the Japanese giant's strangest ideas, perhaps comparable only to the pneumatic Airlines groupset . In the 1980s, Shimano cemented its position as the industry's hegemonic leader, but the situation was still developing. The MTB craze was slowly beginning, and road cycling was becoming increasingly associated with older cyclists. And so the idea arose to create a top-of-the-line groupset, but one designed not for athletes, like Dura-Ace, but for "young, affluent people looking to enrich their lives." It was to be not only technologically advanced and lightweight, but also "look like jewelry." The styling was on par with its performance. In 1987, Shimano Sante entered the market – the name is a French toast, simply: "Health!" Are you convinced? Customers weren't convinced either. Which isn't to say it wasn't unimportant.
Shimano Sante - who started?
The groupset was positioned between 600 (later renamed Ultegra) and Dura-Ace. Technologically closer to the latter, and lighter, it was also the first to support 7-speed indexing. Attention was paid to detail – ceramic sliders in the derailleur pulleys, oval BioPace chainrings, a modern adjustment system, a brake release button on the levers, and the shapes were clearly inspired by the company's aerodynamic experiments from the early 1990s. This was definitely a top-of-the-line product. The smoothness of operation was a real leap forward from previous Shimano products – users praised the quietness above all. However, the real difference was the appearance.
Shimano Sante is... beautiful?
I love the '80s for their kitschy colors (especially turquoise and purple), angular lines, synthwave, pop-up car lights, and headless basses. The Shimano Sante is the complete opposite. You can see how much they wanted to escape the era of neon blandness and embrace "sublime elegance." The effect is quite debatable. The individual components are undoubtedly beautifully finished. However, it's hard to shake the feeling that someone went overboard here. Various shades of silver and gray sometimes contrast, sometimes blend with the pearlescent white paint. Furthermore, the designers aimed to achieve the smoothest possible lines, so they masked bolts and nuts wherever possible. Just look at the chainring-to-crankset joints or the headset! They're gorgeous! To make matters worse, the paint is a very durable enamel, so you'd have to try really hard to damage it. Practically all the lines were rounded, so it was absolutely avant-garde. If Shimano Sante could, it would wear a ruffle and tell everyone how expensive the wine is in its glass. It doesn't remind me of Campagnolo at all.
The result isn't surprising—sales were so poor that the painted aristocrat was dropped from catalogs after just one year. Ironically, the Sante hasn't aged at all (unlike bouffant hairstyles, pop metal, and cars designed with a set square). It's still strange, still incredibly difficult to build a good-looking bike around. It still screams, "My owner's a snob!" But it's undoubtedly incredibly original.
Sales may not have been good, but Sante did its job.
The Shimano Sante didn't exactly shake up the market, but it was a significant step for Shimano. Above all, it was a stylistic advancement that set the trend for future road bike groupsets. Look at Shimano components from the late 1980s and early 1990s—besides the more "normal" colors, it's a reflection of Sante. There's also a clear separation from the more sour, bold design of MTB groupsets, which only began to fade a few years ago. Add to that new technical solutions, and we have a quantum leap in the history of bicycle technology. But you know what's best? Sante can be found today at quite reasonable prices, considering its unique availability. So, I'm sounding the investment alert—I dare say that prices for this strange idea will soon skyrocket. And when I'm filthy rich someday and decide to order a frame with gold-plated shells from Rychtarski, choosing the right components won't be a problem. Cheers to Sante!
All photos are from the Shimano website unless otherwise noted.
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