I've just bought my first bike with the gear change built into the brake levers - brifters? - and I think they're brilliant. Mind you, I haven't ridden the bike very much - early days. Imagine my delight when I saw this video on Youtube that my son sent to me. Apologies if this is old news but thought I'd share it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXVhm3xakq0
Albert

Sorry to break it to you, but this is very, very old news. And the system in question costs in excess of $5k.

Well, sort of old news, I'd seen another older system ( SRAM?) but was unaware of this one. Others more into racing certainly knew of it. Not really suitable for my use, and, $4,000 for the groupset? Ow! Ow!

Welcome to 1994.

https://www.bikepro.com/products/rear...zap_rrder.html

Shimano's group isn't THAT old. I'd wager that there would be quite a few improvements in the fifteen years since that appeared.

Doh! And I was so excited.....in another 5 years they'll be really cheap and I'll be able to afford one. And there won't be any problems with a 5 year old, well thrashed, electronic gear mechanism, will there?
But this forum will be able to sort out any problems I may have.........
Albert

Of course not, servos never strip gears, get stuck, burn up, wear out the pot, have problems with the signal wire, or short out when wet. At least in a perfect world they don't.

Yeah, but electronic shifting has been around since the late 1970s.

https://www.bikeman.com/content/view/920/47/

And then you can buy a robot to ride the bike for you!

Yeah, thats the one I had seen before. Mavic huh? I knew it wasn't Shimano.

One advantage I can see is for users of aero bars, it makes it pretty easy to fit auxiliary change mechanisms. No worrying about synchronizing the shift point.

IMHO opinion this is a solution in search of a problem.

I agree the Shimano Electric shift cost too much. I agree most of us don’t need one, unless you might be a pro racer. But I also admit the concept of a trim control that sets itself every time you shift is interesting. It becomes even more interesting as we get more gear selections on the rear Cassette. Aren’t they now producing a 11speed Campy?

Now that's another topic - 11 speed cassettes! Why? My 2 bikes have a 7 speed cassette and an 8 speed. I never thought I'd see the day when I would use more than 10 gears - 5 speed and 2 chainrings. The 7 and 8 both work faultlessly, but I'm still unconvinced that I would ever really need more than 10. The 7 speed is on an old Italian racing bike -Somec - with very short chainstays. I don't fancy an 11 cassette on that , I know the pros will use them but they have a mechanic to sort out any problems - even while they are riding.... A long wheelbase tourer would perhaps be more suitable but I still don't see the necessity.
Thanks edp773 for putting my mind at rest on the electronic change, nice to know they'll be faultless.
Albert

I think a cheap, electronically controlled gear change could be really popular on lower end bikes (uh, well relatively lower end). Imagine that you could buy a bike and would never have to go back to the bike store to get the cables/derailleur adjusted! They could build a super low powered dynamo into the front wheel to charge the battery for the system so you would never need to plug it in.

Imagine how much your non-biker friends would like to never have to deal with cable stretch or derailler adjustments again. :-)

Shimano's Coasting system does just that, with a front dynohub providing the power for the 3-speed automatic rear hub.

Okay, so it's a three speed...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srwk-i5aXRQ

(notice that it uses countersteering to initiate turns.. )

I'm still trying to find a need for brifters.

The logical extension, then, is to not use gears or pneumatic tires.

Eh, whatever -- everyone's allowed to be a retrogrouch. I've got a Brooks that I'll move to whatever fancy carbon or titanium bike I get in the future.

but can you reach down and unplug your friends rear derailluer while riding? my boss put that Mavic (actually I put it on) and we used to unplug while he was waiting to go on group rides or stoplights. once or twice I got real daring and did it while we were moving. *giggle*