SPOTTED: Electronically-Actuated RockShox Reverb Dropper Post 28
The beginning of a wireless revolution from the leaders in clean cockpits? Combined with cable-free shifting, this prototype dropper indicates that it could come soon.
What do we have here? This image of UCI Cross Country World Cup Champion, Jolanda Neff, appeared in a recent announcement that she's joining forces with Emily Batty on the Trek Factory Racing XC team in 2019. Zooming in on Jolanda's Trek race machine, things get very interesting:
Is that an electronically activated dropper post and rear derailleur? Wireless eTap style? Sure looks like it. Aside from the two brakes and two remote suspension lockouts, no other cables or housing are visible. The shifter and dropper remotes look like mirror images of one another, which will likely help make for a seamless ride experience.
A recent patent application published in July confirms that SRAM / RockShox are indeed working on an electronic dropper and may give hints as to how it works. The drivetrain was previously spotted during the World Cup race season.
How far out are things for the public? Have they gotten around the laggy actuation times other attempts had issues with? Your guesses are as good as ours, but we'll be sure to keep you posted.
Ana_Rchy
11/1/2018 10:43 AM
Question is, why isn't low compression on the fly style with wires. It'd sure as hell clean some Scott's up if they just use ant+ with a stepper motor..
Allen_Gleckner
10/31/2018 12:37 PM
Who's down to prototype test wireless brakes?
conner.kuhns
11/2/2018 8:49 AM
Brake by wire is already standard on a lot of cars.
stiingya
11/4/2018 1:42 AM
on electric vehicles where the electric motor is there to be used as a brake. (also often with back up systems)
NOT remote controlled calipers...
Garrett
10/31/2018 11:34 AM
I spoke with someone last weekend at Outerbike Bentonville who had been running a pre-production wireless dropper. They said they really liked the light touch to actuate the post and they found themselves using it more as a result. 40 hrs of trail time before a recharge. Sounds cool to me.
maximumradness
10/31/2018 10:52 AM
Speed.
Leverage.
Effortless.
Maintence.
Wear parts.
Internal routing.
Cockpit aesthetics.
Speed!!!!
I’ll gladly take the batteries in place of the 1908 technology on our bad mo fuggin super bikes.
And as a mechanic, I think this keeps a lot of people happy, including the “smart shops”
HodRaske
10/31/2018 6:33 AM
You know we are all thinking it... Will it vibrate?
Diag
10/31/2018 5:20 AM
Remind me why we need wireless derailleur/post actuation? ohh... that's right we don't #gohomeSramyourdrunk
qblambda
10/31/2018 7:10 AM
No cables, so far less maintenance.
No sh*tty cable routing.
Less effort on the shifter.
More accuracy that remains the same during its lifetime.
...
Sorry but I can't find any downside except pricetag.
onenerdykid*
10/31/2018 10:37 AM
I have an older mountain bike that doesn't have stealth dropper routing (gasp!) and this would be one way to get that ungodly hose off my bike. All for it.
casman86
10/31/2018 3:48 PM
You only have to drill one hole to run a stealth dropper on an old bike. I bet that cable really affects the ride, throws you off balance and whatnot.
onenerdykid*
11/1/2018 12:58 PM
No but drilling a carbon frame is not something that I'd care to do. Much easier to just get a wireless post.
PositronicJohnny
10/31/2018 2:03 PM
Hm. Maybe I'm lucky with my Reverb, but I haven't had a single problem with it in 9 months of riding. No bleeds, no lock outs, no hot weather problems (90 degree summer), no cold weather problems (snow rides).
At some point I might put a Wolf Tooth on it because I hate the plunger, but it isn't because it doesn't work.
I'll give you less effort on the shifter. The rest of it? meh. Internal routing. Accuracy? That remains to be seen.
millsr4
11/1/2018 6:11 AM
You are definitely lucky then... I had a reverb for a few years and that thing was unreliable and WAY too expensive to rebuild. The last time it died I just bought a BrandX dropper for the price of a rebuild, problem solved.
casman86
10/31/2018 3:38 PM
You have a hose for your brake, tell me a disadvantage to the dropper cable that attaches cleanly to that hose?
casman86
10/31/2018 3:35 PM
Wireless things on something that's literally attached to the thing it's getting the signal from, and you have to charge a battery on a human powered vehicle. Just imagine if they could make it powered by your thumb and require no battery? Then it might go along with the whole bicycle thing.
casman86
10/31/2018 1:34 AM
Another vomit inducing product by the out of touch corporate MTB industry.
onenerdykid*
10/31/2018 10:38 AM
Judging from the ratio of up-votes to down-votes you have, I would say that it's you who is out of touch with the MTB industry and what end users are looking for.
casman86
10/31/2018 3:32 PM
You're hilarious. I'm impressed that there's so many Sram employees moderating the comments with up/down votes. This is only a product for Outerbike/Ebike/Yuppie types. If you have something on your mountain bike that you have to charge besides a headlight, go find a different sport.
onenerdykid*
11/1/2018 1:05 PM
gO fINd a DifFerEnT spoRT!! deAtH tO BaTtErieS!! eLecTriCitY is EviL!! WhY caN'T yOu DeAL wITh CAbleS??
casman86
11/2/2018 11:08 AM
You'll grow up someday homie.
yzedf
11/2/2018 4:49 PM
Or maybe people that have multiple bikes and could just use one dropper amongst them all?
Stiksandstones
10/30/2018 9:14 PM
That bike is pretty bad ass.
Bennyt99
10/30/2018 8:19 PM
Saw Mitch running er a few months back
Broken_spoke.photo
10/30/2018 7:50 PM
Im calling that we will see something by the spring
TEAMROBOT
10/31/2018 7:23 PM
If SRAM is testing rough prototypes, they should be selling retail units by late next week.
FreeForAll
11/1/2018 6:49 PM
They've been on the trails in the Black Hills for a long time.
Whattheheel
11/2/2018 12:05 PM
A looong time!! Can't wait to get one!