Forum menu
Goodbye Deore? Hell...
 

Goodbye Deore? Hello Shimano CUES!

Posts: 31098
Full Member
 

Shimano just blatantly ripped off the Jagermeister deer head for their marketing because it had gold palm leaves under it (palme d’or)

It does look a fair bit like that version of the Jagermeister logo from 20 years after the Shimano use. Less like the contemporary logo...

Jagermister logo

There's some Fred Perry in that original Shimano one. They did seem to be trying to look and sound European. Your gold thing sounds plausible, but Shimano have a different story (and have done for over 40 years). If the gold name was ever a thing, they dropped it straight away... and I can't find any first hand reference to it.

I believe 11 speed is 3.76mm cog spacing

Shimano road cassettes, yes. Shimano MTB cassettes, no.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 3:48 pm
Posts: 12376
Full Member
 

So, here's my theory. The Japanese head office called their new product "d'or", which they wrote in Japanese, then transliterated it into English as "Deore". They passed it onto the American marketing people with an explanation that it means "gold", as in "palme d'or". The Americans knew they couldn't piss off a major client by telling them that Americans don't by shit based on French art movies so they hit a bar for a brainstorming session. After finishing off a bottle or several of Jagermeister, someone spotted that the bottle had both gold palm leaves (palme d'or), plus a picture of an animal that sounds like deore. When the Japanese office called up the next day to check on progress, they had nothing to show except a picture of a deer on the label they'd lifted from a bottle of booze. The Japanese office liked it, and so history was made.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 3:59 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

It’s how you write “d’or” in Japanese

Surely, if you were going to call it d'or you'd call it, you know, d'or, not (instead of using 金) borrow the French d'or translate that the katakana, then bastardise the borrowed French back into (not) English.

Don't get me wrong that deore doesn't mean deer, fine, I get that, but your explanation is not the more plausible one of the two.

Also starion being stallion sounds awfully like it's a racist urban myth based around the stereotypical pronunciation of "r" by the Japanese. You might be right but it's a bit too *s**** s***** to sit quite right.

(as an aside, isn't ィ in your katakana superfluous and making it read deiore? Isn't it デオーレ? I've not done any of this in about 20+ years mind so happy to be wrong)


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 3:59 pm
Posts: 40432
Free Member
 

Oh deer me.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:02 pm
Posts: 12376
Full Member
 

Shimano have a different story

The problem with Shimano's story is that "deore" doesn't mean "deer" in Japanese, and deer aren't regarded as anything prestigious in Japan. It's a transliteration of "d'or", which is a prestigious foreign expression in Japan. The deer thing was just invented by marketing people, it's not the origin of the word (because there's no way a transliteration of "deer" into Japanese would have an "o" in it.)


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:06 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Oh deer me.

Yeah, but if any thread was long overdue a derailleurment it has to be this one.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:06 pm
Posts: 31098
Full Member
 

The deer thing was just invented by marketing people

The Deore name was also just invented by marketing people. How they arrived at the name is their story to tell. They could have post rationalised their meaning, for sure, or just be outright lying.

Still, it least it wasn't just a fishing name they copied across to cycling and then tried to create a new backstory for. HG ?


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:11 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

The deer thing was just invented by marketing people,

You know that's how all brand names happen don't you, rather than just ending up with a random SKU.
It's not like m6000 actually *means* anything.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:13 pm
Posts: 12376
Full Member
 

Also starion being stallion sounds awfully like it’s a racist urban myth based around the stereotypical pronunciation of “r” by the Japanese. You might be right but it’s a bit too *s**** s***** to sit quite right.

Except that it's right.

Japanese companies give their products foreign names to make them seem prestigious. Nissan named their sportscar "Fairlady" in Japan based on "My Fair Lady" (it was called the 240Z in English speaking countries). They also had "Bluebird", "Cedric", and "Gloria". The Starion was released in Japan first, intended to be "Stallion", as in a grown up Colt. "Stalion" and "Starion" would be transcribed into Japanese exactly the same, so when it was back-transcribed for marketing brochures in Japan (to highlight the prestige of an English name), it was called Starion in Japan, which is indistinguishable from "stallion".

Then they decided to export it and got asked about what "starion" meant. They came up with a lame excuse that it meant "star orion". Everyone knew the reality, but it was too embarrassing for Mitsubishi to ever publicly admit.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:18 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Everyone knew the reality,

Everyone knew the sun orbited the earth for thousands of years.

Whilst it's not wrong because it's received wisdom it doesn't automatically make it right either.

See also it's named for d'or. Everyone knows its really named after deer.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:28 pm
Posts: 31098
Full Member
 

They came up with a lame excuse that it meant “star orion”.

Did they? Really...? Nothing to do with Arion?


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:29 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Did they? Really…? Nothing to do with Arion?

No racist trope? I'm out.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:34 pm
Posts: 12376
Full Member
 

The Deore name was also just invented by marketing people.

Yes. Based on the Japanese transliteration of "d'or". It's not a transliteration of "deer". Japanese people call deer "shika". "Deore" isn't understood in Japanese as meaning "deer", that's a link that Shimano's marketing department invented.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:37 pm
Posts: 12376
Full Member
 

No racist trope? I’m out.

"L" and "r" are minimal pairs in English, not in Japanese. “Stalion” and “Starion” would be transcribed into Japanese exactly the same. If you have to back transcribe it, it would be a very simple mistake to make, just like how many native English speakers misspell English words.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 4:44 pm
Posts: 1569
Full Member
 

What does XT mean. Or DX, LX, or...

All made up names for made up groupos.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 5:00 pm
Posts: 12376
Full Member
 

What does XT mean. Or DX, LX, or…

R7?


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 5:03 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Or DX, LX

510
60
Hth


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 5:08 pm
Posts: 1569
Full Member
 

Sorry, I'm not being clear. I know what they are; I've still got parts from pretty much all the early 90s mtb groupos (thumbies and all), but the names are just made up, with some form of backronym at most. The only obvious one was XTR, as in XT-Racing or Race.
But my point is it doesn't matter either way; I was still sad to see the names disappear nonetheless. Much like if Deore ever fully disappeared, which makes very little sense like the name.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 5:19 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Sorry, I’m not being clear

You were. I just wasn't being helpful. 😉


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 5:24 pm
Posts: 1569
Full Member
 

This week has been a long one!


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 5:56 pm
Posts: 863
Free Member
 

Anyway.....
Has anyone seen the any availability dates for the rear hubs with cartridge bearings.
Planning to build a new rear wheel and would love a Shimano hub with proper bearings!


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 11:06 pm
Posts: 8837
Full Member
 

@hightensionline I’m sure my 11sp XT cranks say Deore on them in small letters so it won’t go anywhere I don’t think.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 11:09 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Planning to build a new rear wheel and would love a Shimano hub with proper bearings!

I get people hate the cup and cone but they're what actually makes the hubs so reliable. If you swap them for cartridges will they actually be any good?


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 11:43 pm
Posts: 863
Free Member
 

Assuming Shimano use standard sized cartridge bearings then yes they will be. Because spares will be readily available.


 
Posted : 03/03/2023 11:51 pm
Posts: 11605
Free Member
 

Assuming Shimano use standard sized cartridge bearings then yes they will be. Because spares will be readily available.

Unlike, of course, standard sized loose bearings.

What? You don't inspect them for wear?


 
Posted : 04/03/2023 12:49 am
Posts: 863
Free Member
 

Not it I don't have. Why would I spend time every six months stripping a hub, when I can just replace a cartridge bearing at the end of its life. And I can get the bearings in 30 minutes from the bearing shop 2 roads away. Compared to several days ordering loose bearings or cones at a price that isn't economical.


 
Posted : 04/03/2023 9:30 am
Posts: 4331
Full Member
 

Skipped through this thread but well done, peak STW was achieved! 👍


 
Posted : 04/03/2023 10:30 am
Page 4 / 4