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Post by king on Feb 19, 2008 11:21:11 GMT 8
www.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id=2008/features/toc_stage_one_08German rider Fabian Wegmann of Gerolsteiner tackled the first road stage of this year's Tour of California riding his usual Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL2 but with a version of Shimano's electronic Dura-Ace group that looked decidedly closer to a finished product than what we'd spotted previously. Unlike earlier iterations that were rife with CNC-machined aluminium bits, this one relied heavily on what looked to be aluminium forgings. Forging is a process more typically associated with mass production than CNC machining (not to mention that it usually produces stronger parts) and forging dies are quite expensive which suggests that designs have likely been nearly finalized. In particular, the rear derailleur has lost its once-chunky appearance and instead looks almost elegant. Plastic bits were also clearly moulded, not machined, and the polished finishes were in keeping with what we've come to expect from commercially available version of Dura-Ace, too... Wegmann rides proto electric Dura-Ace in California www.velonews.com/article/72308Gerolsteiner rider Fabian Wegmann is the one rider in the Amgen Tour of California on the latest prototype version of the Shimano Dura-Ace group. VeloNews spotted it before the start of stage 1 in Sausalito, and got the walkthrough with Gerolsteiner's Michael Rich, a friend and training partner of Wegmann, and the team's directeur sportif in California...
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Post by Ben Dover on Feb 19, 2008 12:00:01 GMT 8
tsk! tsk!...now bike components come with battery charger...and roadies have new excuse..."pards , na-low batt dura ace ko!" LOL!!
in the future, cyclists will able to send txt messages via shifters and levers. ;D
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Post by king on Feb 19, 2008 12:13:01 GMT 8
puede. but i'd be happy with an integrated mp3 player haha
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Post by anthrax76 on Feb 19, 2008 14:44:36 GMT 8
so... what's the weight penalty? considering that electronic wires and cable housing is lighter than the conventional shifter cable. but how about the battery pack?
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Post by mountguitars on Feb 19, 2008 17:12:34 GMT 8
wow, electronic shifting, hehehe. ;D.
this would be more useful in mountainbikes where shifting is abrupt.
i hope more pictures will be posted so we can see upclose.
nice post king.
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Post by knobbyist on Feb 19, 2008 22:29:46 GMT 8
Hahahahaha! low bat groupset. good one. ;D
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Post by hdreynolds on Feb 19, 2008 22:57:36 GMT 8
Campagnolo has been testing theirs in the TDF since 2003. Its more slick and lighter than DA.
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Post by king on Feb 20, 2008 11:27:10 GMT 8
yup both campy & shimano should be out in a year or so. whether it's a real advantage or not is the question
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Post by Ben Dover on Feb 20, 2008 12:18:18 GMT 8
what's taking them so long to produce them commercially? personally, i don't think i will be comfortable going somewhere remote with bike components that rely on battery to operate...just too much risk...if ever, that stuff will be confined to pure road racing..not for training or everday use.
in the 90's if i can remember it right, mavic actually commercially marketed an electronic shifting system...it didnt click.
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Post by Ben Dover on Feb 20, 2008 12:28:19 GMT 8
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jacklero
Free Rider
Haha! Mine is longer!
Posts: 226
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Post by jacklero on Feb 20, 2008 17:36:37 GMT 8
yup there is an older version of the mavic zap which was release in the 1990s, JOven Bikes actually imported them before and the last piece was bought by a friend. Go to cycle options and you may see one of these babies parked in the array of bike there. :-)
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Post by wcoastbo on Feb 23, 2008 3:59:56 GMT 8
I can see some benefits. Lighter weight, internal wiring, cleaner look, no more bad shifts due to corroded cables. Although, you'd have to worry about corroded connections now.
Only makes sense to those of us who don't have a team mechanic if the batteries were self recharging using braking forces (a la hybrid cars), then it would be low maintenance. otherwise I'd hate to add "check to make sure shifter batteries are charged" to my pre-ride routine. it's bad enough that high pressure tires lose enough air overnight to warrant a topping off.
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Post by wcoastbo on Feb 23, 2008 4:08:47 GMT 8
I've never seen that pedal. it looks a bit too long. anyone have info on it? or was it meant as some type of handle to show off the electronic shifter while turning the cranks?
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Post by hdreynolds on Feb 23, 2008 21:24:22 GMT 8
what's taking them so long to produce them commercially? personally, i don't think i will be comfortable going somewhere remote with bike components that rely on battery to operate...just too much risk...if ever, that stuff will be confined to pure road racing..not for training or everday use. in the 90's if i can remember it right, mavic actually commercially marketed an electronic shifting system...it didnt click. Zap Mektronic by Mavic wasn't reliable. There's still a "new-old" boxed unit still on sale at Joven in Marikina for anyone interested.
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Post by allegra on Feb 23, 2008 21:56:25 GMT 8
Nice avatar brader!
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