Falchoon

Spotted at Tour Down Under (not my pic)

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K.Katso

I really tried to wait for them, but they were just taking too long bringing that to market. Maybe we'll see them for sale next year some time.

BoSoxYacht

I hope for SRAM that it's trouble free, and not insanely expensive.

Being wireless isn't really a huge benefit. If it's even slightly problematic or a hassle to use(charge), they will have some huge hurdles to jump to get people to buy in.

kookie

Also hoping they come out with a SRAM Force wireless. If it's going to cost around the same as DA Di2 then I'll probably go with UDi2.

Bunyanderman

Seems pretty dumb to make an electronic shifter, and include it with a wire. Today's batteries are pretty amazing, seems really dumb to wire them to something else.

DXchulo

More here: SRAM Wireless Electronic Road Group Spotted (Again) at Tour Down Under Warmups

I really like the idea of it, assuming that it actually works.

rms13

I don't know much about electronic shifting but I would imagine the wire is for reliability and accuracy. I deal with tons of wifi and blue tooth connected devices every day and none of them have 100% reliable connections. I wouldn't want a shifter that disconnects even for 1-3 seconds if it's the 1 second that I'm trying to shift.

Edonis13

want.

Bunyanderman

Go buy a $10 cheap rc helicopter, I have not seen a 1-3 second delay. But that is different from wifi/blue tooth.

rpenmanparker 

I don't think it is either wifi or Bluetooth. But no matter, I won't buy electronic shifting until it goes wireless. That is the eventual end point anyway. I can wait. When they offer it for sale, it will be right.

cashmonee

It's cool, and it's always good to see things move forward, but what problem is this solving? What is the benefit over wired electronic?

rpenmanparker 

It is an amazing benefit. I can add electronic seamlessly on all my old frames. No holes in the frames for electrical wires. None of all those cut outs in the frames to hide nests of wires and huge batteries. As I said before, it's the only way I will do electronic.

bt

gawd that rear derailleur is hideous

bt

apparently the new wireless sram will only operate on new version frames that incorporate a wire "thread" continuously woven into all tubes.

RNAV

rpenmanparker 

Shame on you!

just dank

zero wires is pretty boss

cashmonee

Well, except for the brake cables. I agree, it would look cool, but as was said above it had better have no downsides compared to wired.

RomansFiveEight

Wireless technology has come a long way. If I can play around on the Nintendo Wii U and have zero latency on it's remote screen; then I'm sure a simple "shift up" or "shift down" command can be sent latency free!

Yeah I get that. But I think the appeal; at least to this noob; is that electronic cables to rust, stretch, need cleaning or lubing, etc. So the advantage really is the reliability, significantly lower maintenance and adjustment, and no longer a need to replace cables (or adjust for stretch, etc.) It's largely the same reason our cars have moved to electronic throttles instead of throttle cables in the old days. As the technology gets cheaper; it's just one less thing we should be needing to maintain. Despite what the crotchety old timers tell you; an electronic throttle is significantly more reliable than a cable that will eventually stretch and fray.

Wireless is even more gooder. But admittedly, I'd be more than happy with either solution

Homebrew01

Does that mean you have to recharge each component individually ?
Seems like a pain.
"Damn. forgot to recharge my rear derailleur last night"

UnfilteredDregs

Actually that's a pretty cool idea, why not weave an electronics buss into the frame material...

RomansFiveEight

Maybe it'll incorporate some of the fascinating new wireless charging technologies out in the wild these days. Include wave based ones that doesn't require contact. Imagine hanging your bike up (or however you normally store it) and having it charge your shifting components, bike computer, sensors, etc. all wirelessly. The technology IS here, even if it's in infantile states!

CliffordK

I think it will be an excellent addition to racing.

Wearing out on a hill climb, no problem, just hack your competitor's derailleur, and throw them into the highest gear.
Getting dropped on a sprint? Throw your competitor into 1st gear, and see if he can spin 300 rpm.



Perhaps all one needs is the equivalent of a cell phone signal jammer, to force your competitor to miss a few critical shifts.

RomansFiveEight

We can call the device, the
Derraileur Operation Prohibiting Emitter.

rpenmanparker 

What's wrong with a wiring harness/manifold that connects to all batteries and charges them together.