Shimano are introducing Di2 into mountain bikes at an age where riders are always looking to simplify and clean the look of their bike’s cockpit area.

Electronic shifting will allow bike and component manufacturers to attain new levels of freedom, without the restrictions inflicted by cable routing. The little wires are thinner, bendier and can squeeze through tighter and twisty places better than a gear cable and housing. What’s next? This.

Enter the Pro Tharsis XC cockpit, designed to play to the strengths of the Shimano XTR Di2 system, with an unprecedented level of minimal appearance. Pro is Shimano’s component arm, hence the collaboration to work with the two areas towards a great outcome. The Tharsis range is also available in non-Di2 specific variants, but here we look at the Tharsis XC with Di2 integration.

The Tharsis XC Flat Top Di2 handlebar uses special grooves and holes to hide internally the wires that come out of the Di2 shifters, the seat post has the capabilities of providing a home for the battery, and the stem does away with the star nut to allow the battery to be hidden inside the fork steerer. If you like your bar, stem, and seat post to match and you are lucky enough to have Di2 on order this will take neatness and a squeaky clean appearance to the next level.

The stem uses titanium bolts and Pro’s Headlock system, which allows a 100mm stem to weigh a low 135g.

The next time we see the Shimano XTR Di2 stuff will be fitted to our own test bike, so stay tuned for our first ride impressions of Shimano’s future mid-October.