Road Cycling - Electronic Campy

http://www.campyonly.com/rumors/new_electronic_record.html

Weird.

I'd rather they put the R&D in to upgrading mechanical systems. Call me a luddite, but I would rather have a mechanical system shifting for me while out of the saddle.

Just that off chance...

I can carry a spare cable but a spare battery pack ?
Forget it .

It's been tried before- the Browning AT

It's been tried before- the Browning AT

Browning is a pretty successful system. Also, Mavic tried it too with the Zap and Mektronic systems. Campy has been expirimenting with electronic shifting for over a decade now. As for carrying spare batteries... it's not like that would be anything new either. Plenty of people do it already. What I would actually like to see is more standard way of mounting electronics so that you don't have to run wires all over the place for things like cadence, power and speed sensors. Actually I wonder if a true wireless standard (with data transport protocol) is the way to go... call it BAN (Bike Area Network). A company out there has produced a headset for mobile phones that's wireless and uses near field magnetic signals to communicate to the phone. The system is very low power and this technology could probably be coupled with something like the Citizen Eco-Drive watch power systems to keep it recharged.

If people are willing to put it through the TdF it can't be too bad, and batteries shouldn't be too much of an issue as long as your not dumb about charging. I like the idea because it allows for truly simple shifting plus multiple locations previoulsy unusable. THe biggest problem I see is at home repairs are gonna be near impossible now

A someone said, Mavic had electronic shifting once. Word on the street was that it was nothing but trouble. Some team tried it for a while and ended up throwing the thing out the window mid-season.

A someone said, Mavic had electronic shifting once. Word on the street was that it was nothing but trouble. Some team tried it for a while and ended up throwing the thing out the window mid-season.

The Mektronic system of Mavic´s was used by one of the French teams and most of the riders liked it , except the sprinters of the team ( I think Jeremy hunt was one ) hated it because in a sprint , or rather just before ,you could not hear or feel it shift , it had but the riders lacked faith in the system so they stopped using it .( was it Big Mat ? )

I'd rather stick to my own ability to shift....i dont know about electronic shifting on a bike...hell...i drive a standard, no slush for me

I'd rather stick to my own ability to shift....i dont know about electronic shifting on a bike...hell...i drive a standard, no slush for me


I think there are different camps regarding the electronic shifting concept. Some people want an automatic transmission. Others simply want to do away with shift cables. I myself would just like to have the latter.

I have an idea, how about hydraulic powered shifters?!!??!!!!!

Its been done with brakes, why not shifters? :D

I have an idea, how about hydraulic powered shifters?!!??!!!!!

Its been done with brakes, why not shifters? :D

Ask and ye shall receive...

http://userportal.iha.dk/~20033774/THE-MA~1/hydraulic_shifting_device.htm

Hmmm wireless shifting.
Does this mean I can hack the system and change Armstrong's gears for him while he's headed up the Alpe d'Huez? - Sounds like fun!

Being the computer person that i am i wound have to say there are pluses and minuses on both sides.

1. weight
ok, this is a constant debate, I don't know about all of you but i think i could lose a few Lbs and/or gain strength to compensate for some weight.

2. reliability
ok guys, technology vs. metal, who do you trust shifting? a small cable or a computer run on batteries?

3. proven?
we all have been shifting with cables for a long time, they work, right?

4. other
as a computer guru, i would be the first one hunting down the type of wireless communication that they use so i can be shifting a bike from 20 feet away, that would be cool!!! but, if would do it as a joke, people would do it on the TdF and other Pro races.

I would volenteer to be a test dummy for campy right now!!

thats my .02
-Ross

Being the computer person that i am i wound have to say there are pluses and minuses on both sides.

1. weight
ok, this is a constant debate, I don't know about all of you but i think i could lose a few Lbs and/or gain strength to compensate for some weight.

2. reliability
ok guys, technology vs. metal, who do you trust shifting? a small cable or a computer run on batteries?

3. proven?
we all have been shifting with cables for a long time, they work, right?

4. other
as a computer guru, i would be the first one hunting down the type of wireless communication that they use so i can be shifting a bike from 20 feet away, that would be cool!!! but, if would do it as a joke, people would do it on the TdF and other Pro races.

I would volenteer to be a test dummy for campy right now!!

thats my .02
-Ross

chances are, this new system would use a coded signature, the same kind used for garage door openers.

You would have a one in a million shot at craking the code :D

Electronic shifting is a prime example of technological overkill. Completely unnecessary and done only because it can be done.

chances are, this new system would use a coded signature, the same kind used for garage door openers.

You would have a one in a million shot at craking the code :D

Additionally, I imagine that much like with the current crop of wireless cycloputers, the range would be very limited in order to conserve power. I'm thinking that it would have a range limitation of around 1 meter if that.