At least you could have tiny buttons placed wherever you want, instead of quite a bulky mechanism.

Yep, that came out not long after the groupset, Team Sky were using them. Tiny remote button mounted on the tops so you could still change gear without having to move your hand to the hoods/drops.

cynic-al – Member

TJ you seem to be saying that “mass market” means the very largest portion?

Whereas others are arguing that it could also mean say a “significant market”?

Really not worth arguing about.

Mass market is the largest amount. Where the masses are. Not att eh niche top end

Top end bikes are a very small amount of the market. Not a significant proportion

It just made me laugh all the proclamations that it will be fitted on all bikes in a few years. The little bubbles so many folk on here live in is funny.

How deliciously ironic

Did folk say that? I thought some were saying it would be on all derailleur geared bikes over say £500, which seems viable to me, if it has the stated benefits and can be made to that price.

SPDs, suspension, disc brakes and sti were seen as silly expensive when launched also.

Keep your semantics re mass markets – it’s not really relevant.

Top end bikes are a very small amount of the market. Not a significant proportion

What do you mean by ‘the market’?

We are talking about different markets.

The problem with a GPS based system would be conditions are more changable on trails than on tracks. Take MX, they haven’t addopted electronic shifting like GP and F1 because theres 101 variables that arent your position on track.

But, one linked into a power, cadence, HR, speed, incline, altitude sensor would be cool, just set up based on your criteria and it picks the exact most efficient gear and shifts it automaticaly.

Cynic al – yes they did. Several people proclaimed that it would be on all bikes in a few years.

Molgrips – the bike market – you know – people who buy bikes that people you included stated would all have electronic shifting in a few years

I’m sold on the fact it’s more than just a gimmick and if I can get enough cash together will think seriously about it on my next road bike. However there’s obviously a few downsides to, price being the main one. I can’t see it being viable off-road (apart from to pros) when whacking a mech on a rock is going to cost you £400+

Molgrips – the bike market – you know – people who buy bikes

There are different markets within that market TJ. The market for BMXs is different to the market for road bikes and so on. Surely you’re aware of this kind of thing?

And I never said it’d be on all bikes, since it won’t and that’s a daft thign to say.

hmmm. it’s just occurred to me that in reality there’s nothing stopping one from using electronic shifting technology to change gear on a hub/gearbox town bike. That’s the only bit that’s different on Di2 from DA.

How long before Rohloff introduce a electronic shifter?

TJ’s initial post

TandemJeremy – Member
Solution in search of a problem/ Pointless
POSTED 2 DAYS AGO # REPORT-POST

Followed by him saying that he has no desire to try it.

I’ll stand by my comments that he’s narrow-minded and negative.

As to the whole pathetic argument about semantics and pedantry it’s obvious that after the initial ‘all bikes’ comment that they were talking about all bikes of the sort used by people keen on cycling rather than buyers of £99 specials even if it wasn’t clear initially

I’d like to try it. I like the fact that it auto-indexes. I like the fact that it has been designed with decent charge life built in. It seems to be doing the job nicely, I’ve not seen any complaints about it at all (but I’ve not been looking specifically), which says a lot.

I’d prefer hydraulic though, for even greater simplicity and robustness than cable.

wonder if you could knock a system up in the shed 😆

I would love to try a bike with it on to see what it’s all about, I can imagine it’d be ace.

I remember when I worked for ICI there were new control valves being introduced with electronic actuation and stepping as opposed to air, it took a while to get them right but by god they were easy to maintain.

i have only skimmed the thread, but hub gears, they have been around for a long time and they are still not mainstream.

i give you the 1902 sturney archer 3 speed.

compare to
the 1932 cyclo standard deraileur.

So in over 100 years of refinement which has and which has not developed? and when you think that for the majority of that time the hub gear has made more sense to more people.

Hub gears are not the future, there will always be a market but weight and complexity will always be against them for competition use, and cost for cheap bikes.