Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Think Shimano invented Synchro Shift? Think again

http://ift.tt/1MSOUGI

Ask most people who are up on their bike tech and they’ll know about Shimano’s clever Synchro Shift technology. Many people think that this design, which allows a rider to cycle through a multi-chainring setup with a single shifter, originated with Shimano’s XTR Di2 electronic transmission, but they’d be wrong.

Related: Shimano XTR Di2 M9050 transmission – long-term review

Actually, way back in the early 90s Synchro Shift existed as an obscure, fully mechanical device, which used a gripshift and two cables to control both the front and rear derailleurs of a bike. The system was produced as a CNCed aluminum unit and in cheaper, plastic versions and was compatible with triple eight- or nine- speed setups.

ADVERTISEMENT
advertisement

Sorry about the quality – this is an image from the 90s after all…

Just like Shimano’s version today, the system followed a pre-programmed shift pattern that meant space was freed up at the handlebar and a good chain line was always maintained – and it simplified using the gears in the same way a modern 1x system does.

You can read more at BikeRadar.com



via BikeRadar All the latest from BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/1MSP018

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...