Viewing 37 posts - 1 through 37 (of 37 total)
  • X-Shifter – wireless shifting with standard mechs
  • honourablegeorge
    Full Member

    http://xshifter.com/

    X Shifter: Wireless Shifting For Your Existing Gears?

    It looks like it works. I’m just not seeing any benefits – sure it replaces cables, but replaces them with a motor and battery, so weight savings are minimal at best. I guess it can give you sequential shifting for 2x or 3x but there’s not much else here, is there?

    cokie
    Full Member

    That ace electric motor sound when shifting!

    honourablegeorge
    Full Member

    There is that. Although you can make those noises yourself, I find.

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    thegreatape
    Free Member

    Primary selling point…’It’s fun to use!’

    tthew
    Full Member

    The fact that on a list of 6 benefits, the top in is

    “?It’s really really fun to use.”

    says it all for me really, then

    Attach to any bike frame. As do existing regular and electronic gears
    Use with any derailleur. As does a cable.
    Minimize chain rubbing and drop. Not a problem with 1x systems is it?
    Less weight. Really? Lighter than a cable, (assuming the shifters weigh about the same)
    Fast, accurate shifting. Yeah, because Shimano and SRAM cable systems really don’t have this sorted do they?

    Granted, I really like products engineered with KISS (Keep it simple stupid) principals applied and this really doesn’t meet that goal for me.

    STATO
    Free Member

    I know I shouldn’t judge but when someone tries to pitch an ‘amazing product’ using a crap example (is that an 8 speed bike!) then I just assume its not actually viable.

    twisty
    Full Member

    X-shitter looks a bit crap because it involves a large box zip-tied to the frame attached to the mech with a significant length of cable. If it was small enough to attach to the mech then it might be viable.

    superleggero
    Free Member

    I’m intrigued by the concept. I like its simplicity and the universal fit idea. Seems simple to install from the video. Also promises very accurate shifting and (possibly) sequential shifting in two derailleur system (for those antedeluvians like myself who run such systems).

    I’m assuming there will be a weight saving making it lighter than the discarded traditional cable gubbins and shifters – one lightweight electronic shifter can control two derailleurs. They imply this but I would like to know more.

    However….

    – no price given at the moment (crucial!),
    – reliability – small outfit which won’t be able to test like big firms
    – how weatherproof and robust it will be in real world conditions
    – no idea how long the battery will last/take to charge

    …and I have a loathing of expensive things that use cable ties

    rossburton
    Free Member

    Unless it does single-trigger shifting for 2x and 3x like Di can, and will handle trimming on the front, then this is entirely pointless.

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    I’ll tell you where it would really woork….kids bikes.

    No, seriously 🙂

    Light shifters would solve a lot of problems for kids. If these were cheap enough…..they could be taken from bike to bike.

    If they made a drive-sided drop-bar shifter version- I’d like this an awful lot.

    thepodge
    Free Member

    I like the idea but the guy needs to up his presentation of the product and the press / videos

    otsdr
    Free Member

    I don’t know about that ^, I’m kind of sick of snazzy music and hired talent presenting vaporware on Kickstarter.

    lovewookie
    Full Member

    The idea is great and something that should work for a lot of folk, providing it’s going to be cost effective and far less than a DI2 setup.

    The idea of being able to setup the gears via an app is nice (hopefully android app also available). There’s no way around having a cable attahed to a normal mech to actuate it really. I suppose there could be a rod and gear setup engineered in there, but a short bit of cable is easier.
    however, re-learning what buttin does what on a shifter is not something a ‘halfway house to e-gears’ should do. either use the existing shifter, in a similar setup-stub of cable to monitor shifts, or have something ergonomically similar to shimano/sram triggers.

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    I like it.

    Still attaches to the mech via a cable, but it’s a much shorter run of cable so should give better shifting.

    Be nice if it works with a front mech and does the automatic trimming. Be interesting to see what they have in mind for drop bar bikes.

    It’s still a prototype so I’d assume they’d tidy up the packaging.

    Rubber_Buccaneer
    Full Member

    I want a version of this that will work with a pinion gearbox. If they can pull one cable it wouldn’t be a great leap to push/pull two

    zilog6128
    Full Member

    I know a guy who has (independently) developed a very similar system which apparently works very well. I’ve just sent him an email telling him to pull his finger out before this guy beats him to market!!

    chrismac
    Full Member

    Rubber_Buccaneer – Member
    I want a version of this that will work with a pinion gearbox. If they can pull one cable it wouldn’t be a great leap to push/pull two

    This in spades

    Rubber_Buccaneer
    Full Member

    Looking at the videos he has front and rear shifting coordinated and front derailleur trim sorted too. I don’t see why a pair can’t be programmed to work a pinion gearbox so long a they can pull enough cable. I think I’m going to start harassing the guy about this…. or maybe I will wait to see the cost on kickstarter before I get too excited

    PJM1974
    Free Member

    It’s a product searching for a point.

    lister
    Full Member

    The kids bike idea is a good one, shifting is a faff at times.

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    It’s a product searching for a point.

    So is Di2, when you think about it.

    honourablegeorge
    Full Member

    rossburton – Member
    Unless it does single-trigger shifting for 2x and 3x like Di can, and will handle trimming on the front, then this is entirely pointless.

    They do suggest it replaces two shifters, so I was taking that as the main USP for it.

    codybrennan – Member
    I’ll tell you where it would really woork….kids bikes.

    No, seriously

    Light shifters would solve a lot of problems for kids. If these were cheap enough…..they could be taken from bike to bike.

    Yeah – I think that’s very clever

    larkim
    Free Member

    Depends on price point, but I’d buy if I was in the market for broken shifters.

    Just the fact that you don’t need to put any force through your thumb to shift the front mech would be enough of a selling point for me compared to the SRAM X5 shifters I’ve got at the moment.

    nixie
    Full Member

    Probably a market to replace the grip shift on a Rohloff as well.

    solamanda
    Free Member

    An XTR DI2 shifter is £120, if they can produce this for under £90 then I’d certainly consider buying one. I’d imagine it would almost remove the need to ever change the cable or atleast extend the service life dramatically plus I like the novelty value.

    thepodge
    Free Member

    I see this is now live on Kickstarter, I like the idea but feel the second generation might be much better as this one looks a bit clunky.

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598276649/xshifter-worlds-first-universal-wireless-smart-shi

    Mackem
    Full Member

    I see it’ll do dropper posts too. One shifter for everything. I’ll need to see as real-world review first.

    thepodge
    Free Member

    I’m thinking it’d be more use (for me) on the road bike being that I still have a front mech but there seems to be nothing other than a fleeting glance of a road shifter pic.

    Also 250$ + 45% for a front & rear system is pretty expensive when it hits the main market. Would have liked to have seen it cheaper but I suppose that’s true of everything.

    firestarter
    Free Member

    I’d like that for my rohloff

    thepodge
    Free Member

    I’m no techno-wizz but it mentions updates via an app, please tell me I don’t need my phone running just for my bike to work.

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    hey siri, change gear…

    papercutout
    Free Member

    I can definitely see the benefit – 1x very short cable (the closer you mount the box, the shorter the cable), which will make for very precise shifts an probably never having to replace the cable.

    Never routing internal cables again – what a ball ache!

    1 remote can be used for a 1x system (hopefully upto 12speed, it would make sense, as it uses a stock mech) and at the same time, operate your dropper post.

    As above, it has potential for a LOT of applications. Battery life is one of the biggest questions for me. Is it ‘set up and forget’?

    Klunk
    Free Member

    demo bike still has the plastic spoke guard so I’m out.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    PJM1974 – Member

    It’s a product searching for a point.

    And therefore will probably sell millions.

    thepodge
    Free Member

    papercutout – Battery life is one of the biggest questions for me. Is it ‘set up and forget’?

    One of the kickstarter rewards is an extra battery, I suspect the current life isn’t brilliant given that.

    dirkpitt74
    Full Member

    So will one box do front and rear?
    Looks simple, but not sure about cost.

    thepodge
    Free Member

    1 box has 4 buttons so you could have up and down using the sequence shifter (or whatever it was called where it moves both as needed) and still have 2 left over for open and close on your fork or something.

    Lots of potential but I dont think its quite there yet.

Viewing 37 posts - 1 through 37 (of 37 total)

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