Originally Posted by
corrado33
You could say the same about an automatic transmission in a car, yet they're still massively popular in the US.
Sure, bikes are a bit more of a niche market, not really having a lot of people interested in them that don't know how to shift, but maybe shifting is the activation barrier that most non-bike people can't overcome?
But I think the Nuvi constant gearing thing already solved that honestly.
Personally, I'd love to have an automatic shifting bike as long as I could play with the algorithm, simply for scientific and programming fun.
That's a good idea for scientific people, or even it's possible to allow a simple interface to join all kind of people too.
The idea it's not change the way of cycling, because I know that the professionals or even who rides a long time, have totally the knowledge of how gears set use, or how relation use for each situation. And I totally respect the opinion about an automatic Gearshift, prefering the manual.
The case is that the amateur cyclist, or the mom who rides twice a week the take her son from school, doesn't know exactly how gears work, and most of them let the bikes in the garage instead of use them, because the waste of physical energy, or the huge effort that they have using just one gear for all situations, don't motivate them.
Also, its directed for people who have difficulties to twist or push a handle in the bike, where the system would be well applied.
I like the Shimano Di2 honestly, but I'm not a professional and most don't as well, that's why not everybody can pay for that. So, a low cost project, wireless, which could do the same or even more than Shimano Di2, seems to be a very interesting idea IMO.
I wnat to thank you all that discussed about it, and got your opinions, the project is based on that and I really appreciate it!