Pab80

@Flowcheckers: New bike manufacturers see the upgrade market as a threat to new bike sales. If people constantly upgrade older bikes, they're not buying new ones. Bike manufacturers don't like that! Shimano are in a weak position in the high end bike market, bike co's know this and will use it to negotiate any kind of deal they want. Including stopping aftermarket making use of the Shimano 12 speed cassette, which is cheaper and performs better (according to reviews) than SRAM. Now bike co's have a viable 12 speed alternative to SRAM, they will use this as a negotiating tool to get a better deal from their SRAM specc'd bikes too. It's just business. Hope will get their license in a year or two and we'll move onto moaning about a new axle standard!

@Flowcheckers: The majority of bike buyers are not like PinkBikers. They buy full bikes from shops/online. They don't want to or know how to upgrade their bikes. Ask yourself, why would Shimano not grant licenses? Why do they think that's the best course of action to generate sales? it's not to sell more of their cup and cone hubs...otherwise, they's insist OEM buyers used Shimano wheelsets. This is what SRAM do, they were forcing OEMs to buy the full eagle groupsets, not mix & match components. SRAM were also forcing (or heavily "encouraging") OEMs to use Rockshox forks/shocks and droppers. Now OEMs have an opportunity to use Shimano to negotiate a deal in their favour and to play off against SRAM. Stop thinking like a clued up mountain biker and start thinking like a salesman/accountant for a big bike co!

We’re looking at this from the wrong angle. Shimano lost a huge OEM market share to SRAM 12 speed. In order for Shimano to regain some of this market, they had to make deals with the bike manufacturers which promoted new BIKE sales. Shimano will make more sales to the OEM market than after market. Bike manufacturers dont want us to upgrade bikes, they want to sell us new ones, with shiny new awesome Shimano 12 speed drivetrains. It’s the bike manufacturers calling the shots here.