Originally Posted by
Leinster
It's surprising that the etap seems to have been developed completely independently of the WiFli and 1x systems, as you'd think the 3 would complement each other very well. No hydraulic brake option either? Do people working on new systems at Sram just not talk to other people at the company working on other new systems?
The combination will surely come about in the 2017 range you would think, or at the very least whenever etap starts filtering down to Force etc.
Originally Posted by
Mumonkan
considering this has supposedly been in development for 5 years, im sure they have a whole slew of **** based on the wireless concept, discs, hydro levers, longer cage rds, 1x, and whatever other "standards" they might want to join in on
Sounds like SRAM has been concentrating on functionality and reliability. If they screw either one of those up, they'd be toast in this business. To make all those other changes is going to require a ton of money into tooling. I'm sure they are trying to get the basics right and then will extend. That said, I'm pretty sure this was a bet the company investment for them and branching out into all those other areas can't be done until they get the rest of this right.
Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
It is imperative SRAM get this thing out into the market ASAP. Shimano and maybe also Campy must be hot on their heels. This is SRAMs chance for redemption, they don't want to blow it. So picking the biggest potential seller and getting it commercial is the number one priority. Other variations can come along afterward, but SRAM has to plant its flag on this very quickly now. Clearly rim brakes are the base case that has to be introduced first.
The rumor Ive heard is that Shimano already has a wireless system pretty much ready but there was no reason to go out and capitalize on their own market at this point.
At this point, speed to market is not going to be as important as getting it right. Shimano and to a much lesser degree Campy are already out there with their systems so it's not like they are beating anyone to market except for FSA. SRAM has had issues with recalls and can't afford to screw this one up. If there was a problem with reliability or missed shifts, the entire product line would be toast and SRAM would forever be stuck with the label of not being able to do electronic shifting. As conservative as the bike equipment world is, it would be decades before they could get past that.
There is also the steep learning curve that is going to come with having production units in the field. General purpose users lack no creativity in making things fail or finding ways to use this stuff that the original designs did not contemplate. SRAM needs that feedback in order to extend the system. If this is a bet the company investment, as I believe it is, they are going to make sure that they don't jeopardize that by jumping the gun in any way. They've already been deliberative in testing this - a very good thing, I think - and hopefully that argues well for this being a long term successful product. I'm not an SRAM fan but we all win when there is good competition and a robust set of competitors so I hope they do this right.
J.