[bhsavery]

Mavic failed, Campy's apparantly still working on it. I don't know, I don't like the idea of having to change a battery so I can shift. With everyone using powertap hubs these days couldn't they rig some sort of generating system up... ah well I guess thats asking too much.

link to cycling news article

 

[nnn]

Does anyone SERIOUSLY think that this...thing will be any better even IF it worked.

 

[tlg]

Mavic failed, Campy's apparantly still working on it. I don't know, I don't like the idea of having to change a battery so I can shift. With everyone using powertap hubs these days couldn't they rig some sort of generating system up... ah well I guess thats asking too much.

Sure.
If it was comparible in price or cheaper than regular ones.
and if it worked as good or better than regular ones.
and if is was comparible in weight or lighter than regular ones.

Not likely that all of the above would be possible.

 

[bhsavery]

If its good enough to leave on the guys race bike and have him win a major race... I'd say it "works" at least as a protype.

Will it be cheaper? Ummm I'm sure not
Will it work as good or better? Possibly, for the same reason that all the recent jet liners are electronically controlled rather than mechanically. You don't have to worry about cable pulling, it will be more precise, consistant.
Comparable in weight. Probably, espescially when you consider the system as a whole.

 

[eric]

Long live hydraulics

If its good enough to leave on the guys race bike and have him win a major race... I'd say it "works" at least as a protype.

Will it be cheaper? Ummm I'm sure not
Will it work as good or better? Possibly, for the same reason that all the recent jet liners are electronically controlled rather than mechanically. You don't have to worry about cable pulling, it will be more precise, consistant.
Comparable in weight. Probably, espescially when you consider the system as a whole.

Don't forget a lot of the mechanisms in aircraft work with hydraulic actuators. They are electronically controlled, but the basic moving parts are all hydraulic.

Hydraulic shifting has never caught on in bikes...for some reason. But purely electronic shifting is - in my mind - a very bad idea. Electronic actuators on this scale are pretty easy to damage, in many cases. Can you image dropping out of a race because 'your derailleur burned out'?

 

[Hecubus]

You bunch of retro grouches Hey they have to start somewhere, even if it takes decades to perfect. I actually look forward to seeing attempts at advancing technology like this regardless of how whacky or unconventional it looks even if its just for the novelty factor.

 

[Hecubus]

Don't forget a lot of the mechanisms in aircraft work with hydraulic actuators. They are electronically controlled, but the basic moving parts are all hydraulic.

Hydraulic shifting has never caught on in bikes...for some reason. But purely electronic shifting is - in my mind - a very bad idea. Electronic actuators on this scale are pretty easy to damage, in many cases. Can you image dropping out of a race because 'your derailleur burned out'?

Not anymore, a lot of new mechanisms I understand are now directly controlled by computer controled actuators. No more worrying about hydraulic pressure loss and more precise control.

 

[Hecubus]

Mavic failed, Campy's apparantly still working on it. I don't know, I don't like the idea of having to change a battery so I can shift. With everyone using powertap hubs these days couldn't they rig some sort of generating system up... ah well I guess thats asking too much.

link to cycling news article

I remember reading in RBR about people who tried the Mavic Mektronic shifters. Apparently the biggest problem was that it was wireless and very susceptible to interference so the derrailleur would sometimes go whacko or not respond. It was supposed to work remarkably well otherwise. With current more advanced wireless technology it might work better. Could you imagine a bluetooth compatible electronic rear derrailleur You could download all your shifting info after a ride into your computer, even use the derrailleur to store email

 

[ChipAllen]

Some things just don't need to be so damn complicated. Right now, a derailleur needs only a lever, a wire and spring to work. My XTR drivetrain shifts like butter and I can service it myself - why would I change it?

I'm going to sound like a retro-grouch I guess, but I've been riding for 20 years and all the advancements are very cool but come at a price. My friends and I used to just get on our bikes and ride. No fiddling with shock pressures, complicated linkages, fiddly hydraulic calipers, blah blah blah. Granted, I enjoy my full suspension bike with disc brakes and wouldn't go back to a HT. However, I definitley find myself plopping my bike in the repair stand much more than I ever used to.

 

[tlg]

I remember reading in RBR about people who tried the Mavic Mektronic shifters. Apparently the biggest problem was that it was wireless and very susceptible to interference so the derrailleur would sometimes go whacko or not respond. It was supposed to work remarkably well otherwise. With current more advanced wireless technology it might work better. Could you imagine a bluetooth compatible electronic rear derrailleur You could download all your shifting info after a ride into your computer, even use the derrailleur to store email

I had to laugh while reading that. Wireless derailleur... it is pheasable. Which would mean wireless brakes are pheasable too. But then.... if you get interference....

Bluetooth compatible to the other extreme. Link a GPS to your shifters and have them shift for you.

 

[mpap89]

i'm sure when people just started using disc brakes, or even multiple geared mountain bikes there were always people like you guys saying it could never be done. We should atleast aplaud these people for trying and taking to time to come up with something new. You never know, they might be the standard in 10 years.
my .02

 

[Hecubus]

I had to laugh while reading that. Wireless derailleur... it is pheasable. Which would mean wireless brakes are pheasable too. But then.... if you get interference....

Bluetooth compatible to the other extreme. Link a GPS to your shifters and have them shift for you.

Not feasable, this was actually done and made it to the market for several years. The design had a few novelties and a lot of teething problems as well. Besides being susceptible to interference the shifting mechanism wasn't relaiable in all chainring combos and rpm speeds. One of the interesting features it had is that the actuator didn't require any batteries. It drew its power from the chain movement. The battery was only used for the RF signal much like a wireless cyclo computer.
Hey if you can get your derrailleur to work with GPS satelites than they might be able to automatically shift and adjust according to elevetion changes. Automatic GPS computer controled shifting

 

[Hecubus]

This is what the Mektronic group looked like.

 

[ChipAllen]

i'm sure when people just started using disc brakes, or even multiple geared mountain bikes there were always people like you guys saying it could never be done. We should atleast aplaud these people for trying and taking to time to come up with something new. You never know, they might be the standard in 10 years.
my .02

I'm not saying it can't be done..but I'm asking WHY would you do it?

 

[Hecubus]

I'm not saying it can't be done..but I'm asking WHY would you do it?

Because you can Do you need another reason?

 

[rensho]

Then we would have to super encrypt the signals so that bored people can't mess with your shifting...or in the pro peleton.
Just imagine, tough climb, pass some guy, he jams your shifter signal and has it shift you down several cogs, or into the big ring. Could be fun.

 

[jonlong]

The beauty of the bicycle, for me anyways, is that it is purely mechanical. I love knowing the function of part and seeing how each simple thing works together to form an intricate machine. Adding electronics to the mix just takes away from it all. Don't get me wrong, I looooooove electronics and the latest technology, but they don't seem to go along with bikes.

 

[Trevor!]

Perhaps in a matter of time the system will be common place but me personally I have no interests in such a system. Current mechanical shifters seem to work fairly fine for me.

 

[jkish]

Eventually I'm sure it'll happen when the technology is available, complete with fully automatic/manual modes and full power shifts integrated with a predictive GPS that reads the terrain in advance and adjusts the derailleur and shocks according to riding conditions, displaying it all on a heads-up display with internet access so you can read mtbreview at the same time to save time because you won't have any time from working so much to pay for it all!

 

[ChipAllen]

The beauty of the bicycle, for me anyways, is that it is purely mechanical. I love knowing the function of part and seeing how each simple thing works together to form an intricate machine. Adding electronics to the mix just takes away from it all. Don't get me wrong, I looooooove electronics and the latest technology, but they don't seem to go along with bikes.

Exactly.

Personally, I'm disappointed that we each don't have our own flying cars like I was told we would once the 21st Century was upon us. I build my own computers and love all things technological but it's the mechanical aspect of cycling that lures me away from all those things. Finding just the right gear ratio, feeling the chain torque against the rear cog, the rear tire biting and finding traction - all without battery operated gizmos.

If you want to really stir things up, try asking the guys in the Singlespeeders forum how they feel about this