Ritterview

The only hope for having a triple version of electronic shifting that we can use on tandems is a mountain bike version. The problem is that the trend in mountain bikes has been away from triples. Shimano has no plans for triples. Campy will introduce electronic shifting, probably this year, but there is no triple hope from that quarter. SRAM will eventually have electronic. They have been strong in mountain biking, will need to provide something different, and so maybe SRAM will fill the triple niche.

Shimano does make an electronic shifting triple, believe it or not, the NexaveC810, for electric commuter bikes sold outside of North America.

mtnbke

I was really excited when it first came out as Mavic Zap, and then later kind of excited for Mavic Mektronik. I'm not impressed with the Shimanoculture attempt.

I don't think I'd ever consider anything electronic for the tandems. The rear derailleur would just be too application specific and not offer anything close to the wide range and long cage rear that our applications require. Though, I don't see why a dedicated flatland tandem racing team couldn't effectively use one.

To me its just one more thing to go wrong on the bike. We don't get to ride the tandem enough. The last thing I'd want to hang on the bike is a higher zoot part that only introduces another fail point that could potentially ruin a ride and leave us stranded. Remember, a tandem, captain and stoker can't exactly hitch a ride with well meaning cyclists driving subcompacts!

WebsterBikeMan

The FD automatically adjusts trim to account for changes in the RD, so you never have to trim. When dealing with high noise levels from traffic or wind, I sometimes wind up with the FD rubbing for awhile before the stoker can even hear it and let me know. If things are quiet enough I can hear it myself. So yes there is a problem this solves. A second attraction, at least for some, is two less cables to disconnect when splitting a coupled bike.

For me, the problems it introduces are not worth it.

Other than the expense, I have other reasons not to go there. A purported 1 year battery life is good, but I doubt the life is measured in clock time. How many shifts is that, and how much distance of the average tour does it correspond to? I'd better know how to change that battery and carry a spare. And is it 1 year on a typical single ridden a typical distance? We all know tandems need more shifts than singles. How many more depending on the team.

And then there's the whole attraction of being able to completely maintain every part of my bike. Already I don't like the fact that there are a few things that have crept in thatI don't know how to disassemble and rebuild.