One To Make The Luddites Froth At The Mouth

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freiston

Veteran
Location
Coventry
Echoing what the bloke in the video said, Rotor brought out their first hydraulic dérailleur in April 2016 but this is the first that I've heard of hydraulic shifting. The OP's wording seems like it's pre-empting criticism to be the rantings of a mad opponent of technology, change and progress (no offence meant, Smoking Joe). Personally, I have no need for hydraulic shifting. It doesn't do anything that my bike doesn't already do (but it costs a lot more - I gather that the 2016 version groupset still retails at over £2,000); it might do it marginally 'better' but mine does it well enough and I can go into virtually any bikeshop in the UK (even Halfords) and get the bits to repair or replace my system.

Technology comes and goes and gets recycled. Shaft driven bikes, chains driven bikes with derailleur, internal hub or single gears, belt drives, cable rim brakes, hydraulic rim brakes, disc brakes of various types. You can even get hydraulic power transmission. Hydraulic shifting isn't for everyone (hardly anyone, it seems) but that doesn't make Luddites of those that don't want it or would rather stick with cable or electronic shifting. I would say that you don't have to be a Luddite to dislike or criticise it and that no-one would expect a Luddite to react positively to it.
 
There is nothing to be scared of in servicing a simple hydraulic system and an extra cog or two doesn't make any difference.

It`s not about being scared of something, it`s whether the technology improves or make things worse for the end user. Being the first of it`s kind this is like the prototype. In a few years they will have advanced further. No one can stop technology,
 

classic33

Leg End Member
Hydraulic systems are usually a cinch to bleed etc...until the seals fail. If hydraulic brakes on bicycles are an example to go by, the small scale nature of the systems doesn't make for a design conducive to easy and effetive seal replacement. Hydraulic cycle brakes are generally pretty robust, but when they do fail they're a ballache out of proportion to the relative simplicity of repairing cable actuated systems. I see no indication that hydraulic shifting systems would be any different in that regard, if not worse.

Manual gearboxes on cars have remained almost entirely rod or cable actuated. If there were a more robust, effective, and cost-effective system the car manufacturers would have pounced on it long ago. So far they haven't.
Try boats!!
 

Hugh Manatee

Veteran
Bit of a munter isn't it? As for the hydraulics, do I not remember Shimano selling some sort of airline shifter that you had to charge with compressed air?
 

mikeymustard

Veteran
Bit of a munter isn't it? As for the hydraulics, do I not remember Shimano selling some sort of airline shifter that you had to charge with compressed air?
can't understand why that never caught on :rolleyes:
Why don't they just do away with the derailleur and have an internal CVT set up? Or, keep the derailleur and use an electronic "fly by wire" system?
Oh wait - we've already got that, haven't we?
 

ChrisEyles

Guru
Location
Devon
It's already got to be getting close to the point where the weight of all those big sprockets on the back is equalling/exceeding that of a front mech and extra chain ring, hasn't it? To my mind, using a double/triple crankset seems a more elegant way to achieve the same spread of gears, and as a plus for us actual users chains and sprockets are cheaper and more robust.

IME 1x drivetrains are only really optimal for mountain biking on man-made mountain bike trails. Everywhere else I've wished for a higher (and just occasionally lower) gear from time to time.
 

ChrisEyles

Guru
Location
Devon
Right then @Drago... I'll wager my 1x narrow wide 32t oval chainring that cassette max out at 64t. Seems a nice round number (2^6) and a 42 / 64 bottom gear should be low enough for spinning out long steep climbs on a 29er, and 42/11 is a top gear I could happily live with on the road too.

Might take a while before we get to 64t though, think of all the in-between upgrade versions that can be marketed between now and then!
 
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