Bicycle Mechanics - Hydraulic shifting design idea....?

I am an industrial design and technology student in my final year at
Loughborough University and have been riding seriously for seven years.
I am just making some enquiries regarding a project idea, whether it is a good
idea, if it has been done before.

The idea is to design and make a working prototype of a hydraulic gear
shifting system for a mountain bike.
The idea is to have a shifting system that is more accurate, smoother, more
reliable and will require less maintenance than the current cable system.

Do you think this is a good idea and worth persuing?
Do you think there is a need for it?

Any thoughts and/or information would be most helpful and greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,

Tom Macphail.

Shimano has an air shifting series which you could investigate at http://www.shimano.com

Besides, I'm aware they (and a few others) are working on some automatic schemes, some of them with an override mechanism. While these would be geared toward casual users, I wonder if they could be efficient enough for racers.

Regarding hydraulics, current shifters are relatively easy to shift, and I doubt that a hydraulic system would be faster. Besides, there would certainly be more maintenance issues than with current systems that need almost no maintenance. The only significant maintenance is the adjustment of the indexing system. Maybe some electronic adjustment could be in order (daydreaming for year 2050).

If you want to improve the current systems, improve the ergonomics of the shifters themselves, so they are easier, quicker... even when turning, going up or down a steep hill...

Regards,

A real and significant improvement would be a gear changer, integrated into the brakes, which has a non-indexed backup system.
Race-bred systems are fine until they go wrong, then they dont work at all. You cant fit derailleurs from other manufacturers and expect it to work. Thats why so many of us still use old-fashioned separate gear levers.
Modolo had a go at it a few years ago, but it was a bit clunky.


There are some innovative bike designes that need different gear systems. Mike Burrows/Giant city bike was supposed to use an derailleur system enclosed within the combined chainstay/chaincase moulding. I havent heard if the mechanism was ever developed.

I do remember seeing a retrofit kit advertised in a mountain-bike magazine (IIRC) which replaced the standard cable/housing with a hydraulic system. It used the existing shifters and derailleurs, however.

I'm a mechanical engineer by trade, and this idea sounds like the answer to a question that nobody is asking.
BTW, Mavic did make an electric derailleur a few years ago. It cost $600, worked poorly, broke easily, and weighed too much. Part of the reason why all derilleurs use cables is that they work, they are cheap, easy to adjust, easy to replace, and are durable.

Hey all,
I was just wondering if you would loose your gains in the weight differences?
Just a thought.
Filark