NEXAVE was coined from “next” and “avenue.” It was introduced as a components series for sports touring bikes, which were neither road bikes, mountain bikes nor city bikes. Shimano pursued functions that were easy to use even for users who were not familiar with the operation of shifters. SHIMANO NEXAVE was fully equipped with functions for safe and comfortable riding, including newly developed MEGARANGE sprockets that adopted a wide gear range and TAP FIRE levers that offered the rider easier shifting operations by making the shifting operation direction the same in the right and left levers. In the 2000s, under the SMOVER (coined term from Smart way of moving) concept, which proposed new possibilities for bicycles as mobility for the 21st century, Shimano introduced many functions integrating electric and electronic devices aiming to offer more comfortable riding as premium comfort bikes. This electric and electronic system was named Digital Integrated Intelligence (DI2), leading to the subsequent evolution of shifting systems.