Originally Posted by
ilovecycling
I don't see them using a proprietary hub design. That would be a huge drawback for a lot of people that might otherwise be willing to buy it.
I also wonder why they can't make a Shimano 8/9/10 speed hub work. They use a spacer as it is to work with 10-speed cassettes since the 10-speed cassette is narrower than the 8 and 9 speed cassettes. Why couldn't they use the full width of a 8/9/10 speed hub and bring the cogs a little closer together while using a narrower chain just like Campy? I'm not a wheel builder and haven't studied the different hub designs very much, so maybe I'm missing something here.
reportedly it took campagnolo a good deal of time to develop a reliable 11spd chain. in order for shimano to go to 11spd on the current freehub they would have to have a smaller sprocket pitch than campy 11spd and an even narrower chain. couple this with shimano's inferior cassette spline it would only make sense for them to bite the bullet and change. the boys over in italy are probably glad that they did this back in the 9spd days.
something makes me think that campagnolo has a patent on their "cantilevered 11th cog". if this is true, i can think of three options for shimano.
1. make the wheel wider (requiring new frames)
2. make the freehub body wider than campagnolo (obsoleting wheels and creating even more dish)
3. licensing some, or all of campagnolo's design
option 3 is a win for everyone. wheels are instantly available for shimano 11spd buyers. most current wheels can be converted. shimano owners get the much more reliable cog spline. campagnolo owners get better wheel/cassette/chain availability. neutral wheel support becomes easier.
campagnolo also filed for a patent on 12spd but due to the timing it looks like it may have been an attempt to protect 11spd:
