Bike Forums - View Single Post - The End of the Front Derailleur?

05-01-21 | 11:11 PM

#5

mstateglfr

Sunshine

Joined: Aug 2014

Posts: 18,752

Likes: 10,314

From: Des Moines, IA

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

2x - 1 Derailleur <--- prior discussion.

This is about the coolest bit of new tech that Ive seen in the last handful of years. Everything else has been 'meh' and quite bluntly most of it seems to just be stuff that is clutter and doesnt really improve a riding experience(at least mine).
I never would figure that I will switch to a 1x for gravel since gravel roads are just unpaved roads and my road bikes are 2x. This though?...I could see this being a possible change.

- The battery lasting 3 months is good and important to highlight.
- The ability to shift under load is neat, though I have never approached a 15% grade in my largest ring so is it super needed?

- $200USD for a different cassette is serious money.
- The cassettes only going up to 34t is limiting. Hopefully a 36t will be added soon.
- $2860 for their wheelsets is bonkers. That will eliminate all but the most willing of early adopters.
- The lack of standalone hub so you can just build your own wheel(or have it built) is a massive drawback.
- Service is a question- how fast will issues be resolved when something breaks or the bluetooth simply doesnt connect? You have a cyclist with a $3000 wheelset that only works in whatever gear ratio it happens to be set on.

It doesnt really do much for me that a 2x doesnt already do though, so if my view is similar to others, the cost may be a big hurdle. If this catches on and comes down to a more accessible price point, I would for sure consider it when I need to change my drivetrain.

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