Shimano appears to be developing a radical new rear derailleur, with a three-pulley design that could wave goodbye to clutch adjustment, according to a patent application filed by the Japanese brand.

There have been countless innovations to the rear derailleur over the years. These have included compatibility with an ever-increasing number of sprockets, the introduction of indexed shifting, STI ...

We’ve already spotted Shimano’s clutch-equipped Ultegra RX derailleur on the cobbled roads of Flanders. Now, Shimano is releasing the complete details of this addition to Shimano’s Ultegra line.