Any ideas? I can't think of a single advantage other than not having to run cables through the frame. And maybe it being able to automatically index itself (possibly?) so it doesn't need a cable adjustment (which normally takes about 30 seconds anyway?). I feel like those are vastly outweighed by the additional complexity. Seems like "innovation" for innovations sake..
Wireless Electronic Derailleurs? What's the big deal?
- Thread starter Shredden
- Start date
Minlak
custom titis
Honestly it is purely for ease. Imagine no cables just bolt on and walk away.
Problems currently are:
Poor battery life as self contained
Expensive to buy and replace when it gets smashed
Laggy response
Z
Zaf
Guest
You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders; the most famous of which is 'never get involved in a land war in Asia' - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never start a thread without a picture!"
Also, as a general rule derailleurs are just shit, we should all go to gearboxes.
Also, as a general rule derailleurs are just shit, we should all go to gearboxes.
Z
Zaf
Guest
I wanna see how you mount the clutch. Post pics!
I seriously want one - the benefits of it all being sealed, lower maintenance, cheaper over the lifetime of the bike, more central weight, less unsprung weight, better in thick mud etc are immense. Annoying that there isn't a serious attempt by the "Big S" duopoly to make one. Guess they make a lot of money selling derailleur replacements (and all the other bits that break). I like what the NZ company whose name escapes me has done, but I want to see it a few hundred grams lighter and with a little less efficiency loss/drag.
It seems... marginally easier? I swear by the time I download the app, get the thing to connect over bluetooth or whatever, forget to plug it in etc I could have replaced, re-routed and re-tuned more cables than I would ever need.
One advantage I can think of is it would be nice to have the derailleur adjust to compensate in real-time for a bent hanger. Which wouldn't be an issue with a gearbox would it...
hifiandmtb
Sphincter beanie
Z
Zaf
Guest
I like the mechanical nature of the shifting, but a trigger shifter would be welcome.
It'll be interesting to report on how shifting is with the gearbox; it's not like I load my pedals to shift as it is, and you only need to unload for the click itself on the gearbox, there's no need to pedal through the chain to the next cog.
I have smashed two M9000 XTR derailleurs in the past year, my bank account winces at the thought of an E-Tap Eagle derailleur taking a rock strike. Not to mention, lets not only add the weight of a 10-50 cassette to our unsprung mass, lets throw a large cage derailleur, and a battery pack as well.
Derailing (not even sorry!) conversations to talk about gearboxes is now officially my thing. I'm getting shirts and socks made.
Anybody want a peanut?
flamin'trek
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I wonder if anyone is playing with a NuVinci style CVT drive in a mid mount gearbox, and what the drivetrain losses are like. One big advantage of the derailleur system is it’s simplicity and efficiency - but the risk of damage is pretty high compared to other methods.
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discofrank
Likes Dirt
gearbox wins!
the want is strong... so i just stick to a wristy move
that company is Zerode, which is the bike i have
bent hanger cant be fixed with an elec derailthingomajiggy the thign is bent, not shift over left or right
I lost count after 5 of the amount o ppl inthe past 5 months that have busted a derailthinostupid since i had my bike
bikie
Rock Bottom
Have you seen that start up that makes your derailleur wireless? I saw them online somewhere . I'll try to find them. Their product basically attaches to your derailleur and chain stay.. Then that little box thing talks to a custom wireless shifter. Costs about $400 from memory.
bikie
Rock Bottom
Found them! I still tempted to be honest but it's a little steep in pricing.
www.archercomponents.com
Edit There's another one called xshifter but that doesn't look as robust for some reason.. MARKETING!
www.archercomponents.com
Edit There's another one called xshifter but that doesn't look as robust for some reason.. MARKETING!
The nu Vinci is pretty rad, alot of the earlier electric commuter bikes out of Europe had them and have proven to be quiet reliable! I'm genuinely surprised we've not seen more cvt frame mounted designs. I'm always drawing them every few months out of boredom.
No Skid Marks
Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
Nuvinci is good for a gearbox as it can be made narrower by removing nuts and washers than say an Alfine.
Flow-Rider
Burner
It's inevitable that derailleurs go electric and like most other forms of manual machinery over the years but I'll bet before most us leave this world, we would have witnessed the first fully automatic derailleur.
It's slowly becoming a sport that's ridiculously expensive per KM and people love a new wizz bang part that might save them a poothteenth of energy or time in a race. It's progression of the sport, just like disc brakes and tuned carbon frames, everything just gets better with time. MTB was stagnant for quite a long time but now in these last few years we've seen a lot of movement and change in the industry.
It's slowly becoming a sport that's ridiculously expensive per KM and people love a new wizz bang part that might save them a poothteenth of energy or time in a race. It's progression of the sport, just like disc brakes and tuned carbon frames, everything just gets better with time. MTB was stagnant for quite a long time but now in these last few years we've seen a lot of movement and change in the industry.
The Duckmeister
Has a juicy midrange
Electronic derailleurs remain consistent in their shifting in all conditions, where mechanical systems can degrade from cables stretching, wearing out or getting full of crap. Wireless takes it one step further by eliminating wires that could get damaged by rock bites, crashes or shithouse handling.
I don't know what Eagle eTap will turn out like, but road eTap isn't as slick as electronics can be (Di2 shits all over it); due to the self-contained nature of the bits with their own batteries, SRAM deliberately slowed down the shifting to extend range on each battery charge. Given the extra grunt MTB derailleurs need, I can't see them changing anything on that front....
I don't know what Eagle eTap will turn out like, but road eTap isn't as slick as electronics can be (Di2 shits all over it); due to the self-contained nature of the bits with their own batteries, SRAM deliberately slowed down the shifting to extend range on each battery charge. Given the extra grunt MTB derailleurs need, I can't see them changing anything on that front....