Update: The XSHIFTER has reached its funding goal within 2 days of launching!
Remember reading about the XSHIFTER back in September? Well, the company has been progressing with its wireless shifter project, and has just launched on Kickstarter as of today. Unlike other electronic shifting systems on the market, the XSHIFTER is designed to offer compatibility with your existing drivetrain, whether you’re running 1×12, 1×11, 2×10, or 3×9. As such, XSHIFTER claims its system is compatible with any derailleur and any frame on the market.
If you’re not familiar with the XSHIFTER design, it’s essentially a hop-up kit for existing cable-operated derailleurs. You remove your shifter(s) and cables from the bike, and replace them with a small wireless remote on the handlebar. This wireless remote then pairs with a wireless control unit that sits just above the derailleur. A cable joins the control unit to your derailleur, and it is this control unit that activates the gears.
Fundamentally, it’s a wireless shifting system that operates a cable-activated derailleur. The reason you would want such a device? XSHIFTER claims its system uses less cabling than a traditional drivetrain, that you’ll experience less chain drop and rubbing (on front derailleur cages), that the shifting is much more accurate, and that it’s easier to calibrate via an iOS operated smartphone app. It claims to be fully waterproof, so with less cabling on the bike to get contaminated, we can see the wet weather appeal.
As you’ll also see in the Kickstarter video below, the XSHIFTER offers additional customisation, so you could pair the wireless remote to a cable-activated dropper seatpost. One control unit to activate both shifting and your dropper post? If the ergonomics are good, that would result in quite a clean setup, though from the looks of the Kickstarter video, some refinement is definitely needed.
What do you think of the concept?
Comments (3)
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IIRC, it was also ‘fun’ originally. I see a different set of drawbacks to this over a cable and shifter. Flat batteries, expensive, hard to repair if broken trailside.
[dragons den] Aahm oot![/dragons den]
Are there likely costs around this, looks like a hybrid system to me. TBH unless it is very price competitive i would rather wait until i can afford Di2 or the SRAM alternative.
Hi everybody, thanks for your comments.
We smashed our goal on Kickstarter in only 2 days and continuing to grow. I want to personally thank everyone that made a pledge on Kickstarter and supported us. We are so excited that this product will become a reality. There has been such an overwhelming response to the XSHIFTER which has given us direction to really improve the product in many ways.
With your feedback we have already:
1. Developed the remote control for Road bikes.
2. Developed a modular mounting system that really cleans up the appearance and robustness.
3. Proposed many new smart functions for the APP.
4. Configured dropper post actuation.
Thanks again to all the people that have provided their input and supported us.
Cheers.
Paul
http://bit.ly/xshifter1