I have run the D1X now for over a year. I initially installed it on my 170mm Enduro rig. I run Sram Eagle and anyone who has had to tune Eagle knows that it is constantly needing attention. The D1X lets you tune each shift individually. And even if you're on the trail and it starts to go out of tune the remote has a button to micro tune it on the fly without having to use the app. I liked the system so much I bought another one and put it on my steel hardtail. They both have seen bike parks, mud and rain, and seven hour+ plus days peddaling. I raced it for an enduro race. And in that time I have only charged the batteries three times. My only hiccup was me forgetting to turn it on. And for those worried about the batteries quitting on the trail. It will automatically shift to a "get home gear" that you can set in the app. I bent a derailleur hanger and didn't have a spare. I used the app to tune the bend out of the shifting in about five minutes. If you break an Eagle AXS that't it it's done. Break a derailleur with this system and just get another derailleur.
I've been using the D1x for a while now on my ebike, and so far I'm pretty pleased with it. I've already taken advantage of the flexibility it offers to swap between 9-speed and 11-speed cassettes without needing a derailleur swap as well - using a Box Two-E 9sp derailleur, and it shifts across an 11sp cassette just fine. Definitely interested to see/hear your thoughts on it when you get it on a bike! A minor correction: Those aren't AA and AAA batteries, but rather 14500 and 10400 lithium cells, respectively. Why that matters: While AA and AAA cells put out up to 1.5v, these lithium cells put out up to 4.2v. The D1x likely wouldn't run at all on the 1.5v from AAs and AAAs, and if you put those lithium cells into any device that is expecting 1.5v from a AA/AAA instead of 4.2v, you'll probably fry the device.
@@yonseimatt It's been pretty reliable for me. I've had a couple of times when the remote wouldn't pair with the shifter on startup, and I needed to remove and reinstall the remote's battery to get it working again (at which point it works again without having to reconfigure anything). A bit annoying, especially since you need a tool to open the battery compartment. But it's only happened maybe 3 times in the year and a half I've been using the D1x, so, nowhere near a dealbreaker for me. Only tangentially related to reliability, but I did once let the battery in the shifter die mid-ride, and it correctly shifted to the bail-out gear I configured in the app (you can set any gear as your bail-out gear in case the battery dies) before it powered off. Aside from that, it shifts quickly and reliably every time with no fuss and no drama. I've used it with a 9sp derailleur on a 9sp 11-50t cassette, and with the same 9sp derailleur on an 11sp 11-50t cassette, and the mismatch just doesn't matter - it just shifts fine every time. Regarding rain and cold: I've only taken it out in the rain a few times, but it didn't seem bothered when I did. Seems fine in the cold as well - I've used it down to 20F, and it performs the same as ever. Lithium batteries don't like the cold though - I haven't had any issues, but if you do a lot of cold weather riding, it might be worth keeping the batteries topped off a bit more often, just to be on the safe side.
@@jasonsebikes8716 Super detailed response, thanks! I think the big draw for me is the mix n match potential, so if I can find someone who stocks it here where I am (China), I'll probably pull the trigger. Cold isn't so much of a concern for me- it rarely drops below freezing here- but it can be really wet, so that's something I'll have to figure out I suppose.
E shifting looks cool. I get some of the use cases mentioned. I just can't get past having to charge yet another set of batteries to go take a ride. When I want to go I just want to grab the bike off the wall and go. No have a situation "oops forgot to recharge, no shifting today..."
I resemble this product! Your remarks about adaptability are well taken. I have hand issues, and most index systems are very painful for me to use, which is why I use friction shifters on all my bikes. Something like this could work well for me.
This is really cool and gives you the possibility to hack and tinker a lot. Going to enjoy this series. Big thanks to the manufacturer for sending a demo model. Don't rush your decision to purchase it. It is not cheap and you should think carefully if you need it.
I’ve been using the D1x for about a year, on both my gravel and mtb’s and have loved every minute. The micro-adjust remote makes it easy to make small Adjustments as the cable stretches etc and makes it so much easier to get it back where it needs to be even while riding. I will be honest and say that I have had a few issues with water ingress and have had to warranty, so hoping archer continues to Develop and enhance/address this issue going forward. That said, Archer has some of the best Customer service in the industry, and Saul is always so helpful and easily available whenever I need to reach out. I am so stoked to see the new trp integrated Gravel Remote in action on my gravel bike, once it releases. Overall, great review, and super happy to see Another small company getting more And more notoriety and love!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Yes! After watching your interview with “Archer” I went ahead and purchased. My wife and I ride about 125 miles per week and she had problems with the mechanical Sram thumb shifters after developing some arthritis in her “shifting” thumb. Easy to install and she loves them. We got the “lite” version they shift very easily. Note to Archer - please incorporate plug in charging in your next iteration.
Nice video. i bought a competing electronic shifting system (Xshifter) to run this season. It's an experiment but if it works out I will be able to switch between my wheelsets with different internal gear hubs and derailleurs with cassettes while keeping my cockpit consistent with one small shifter on the handlebars no matter what drivetrain I'm running. If I hadn't gotten a deep discount I would have looked into the Archer unit. Mine works exactly the same and has an app to program the cable pull. You can even pre-tension the cable so yes you can make that Sturmey Archer 3 speed shifting work. You're gonna have fun playing with this tech, Russ. it is electronic shifting for the rest of us.
My initial reaction is this is pretty cool. However for bikes with straight bars, why not just use friction in the rear. Also work with any derailler, and speed. Looks like they are going to make some that fit on drop bar levers, which I find very appealing.
If you watched to the end I talked about use cases. Carpal tunnel. Nerve damage. Any sort physical inability that doesn't give you full range of motion.
Great video Russ I have been wondering if a hack like this was going to happen eventually. It sucks that SRAM and Shimano don't offer electrical groupsets that aren't crazy expensive. I just bought one and can't wait to play around with it.
The Configure function sets up the pull "ratio" of the cable, although with no shift lever there is no ratio involved. You can only do this when it's mounted on the bike.
OK. I think your point about accessibility for those with dexterity issues in quite valid; that’s something I never considered. But I must say that my latest gravel build is GRX Di2. It’s kinda cool, but there really is no major advantage. To me, anyway. I push a button and it shifts. And yes, it shifts perfectly every time. But so does the MicroSHIFT Advent 9-speed on my new beater bike build. I am having trouble rationalizing why electronic shifting is an advantage for most riders. Is “Big Bike” simply trying to upsell? I have always said, however, “it doesn’t have to be useful to be cool.” So, let’s see how this goes. Let the bad ideas flow.
Just installed the Archer DBR remote on my drop bar road bike, with cable brakes not disks. Had to hack into a Sensah Empire right brake shifter to do it, so most folks that will be a bridge too far. My road bike has a break away frame so it is nice not not having so many cables to undo when packing the bike for travel. Also I like the idea of being able to use a wide range MTB derailleur with my 11-42 cassette - the Ultegra derailleur with Roadlink I am using is pretty darned sloppy.
Wow, so much potential! Couple of things to note: most IGHs (hub gears) have different cable pulls between the gears, it's not uniform like with derailleurs. You'd need to be able to set custom cable pull for each click (which it looks like you can do on the app?) For Rohloff, although I've never owned one, I understand the cables pull for upshifts and pull for downshifts- it should be possible to substitute one of the cables with a spring for the "return" pull. I'd love to know if it can shift a front derailleur, or if the spring tension is too great. Sturmey link chain should be easy to attach to, it's just a cable clamp, same as on canti brakes. FWIW, I think the price is very reasonable... Looking forward to seeing what you can come up with!
You do set each gear individually so it should work with most single cable hub gear boxes, although I have heard conflicting reports about the Alfine 11 having too much overall cable pull. There are a few third party "adapters" out there for converting Rohloff hubs to work with standard shifters so it may be possible to do it, just not right out of the box.
Neat bit of technology. However, I’ll probably never use it because: a. I’m physically healthy, b. It’s a level of complexity I don’t need, and (especially) c. A bicycle, by design, is the most efficient and simplistic form of transportation out there. Throwing something like this on the machine overcomplicates the system, beyond the point of a comensurate result. That said, I’m not a total dinosaur. One of these would be fun to play with. Unfortunately, I usually can restore a vintage bicycle back to daily roadworthy use for way less than what one of these costs. My compliments to the engineers who worked this out, though.
I had one of these and my experience was horrible. Halfway through a ride it jammed up and I had to cycle about 10km or so on the highest gearing. But would I give it another try? Yes I would. Irregardless of my bad experience, it’s still a decent product and it shifts relatively smooth.
Definitely try it on a dropper post. The one drawback I see is how quick it pulls the cable (judging by the servo sound) and you wouldn't get full extension. So it would take a few pulls on long mountain bike droppers. Might work on the short travel posts you gravel folks use. Seem ideal for a tandem bike, too. You can do whacky stuff like let the person in back control the shifting!
It won't work properly for a dropper. On a dropper the cable is pulled and then released. The D1x would pull on the shift up and then you would have to hit the down button to release it, making it super inefficient. I run two of these and they are the best. Especially for Eagle. You can micro-tune them to shift flawlessly.
Ahh the days of filming in a set that looks nice and cozy but is really just a freezing garage in Montana haha, get yourself a heater Russ. We want you to survive at least until spring.
I love e-shifying. It is so simple. I was about to ask though why you would use this as it actually adds weight, but then you showed how it could work with my internally geared bikes. You have to own one and use it regularly to understand what a pain it is to keep them in tune (cable wear, housing crush stops etc.).
I really can’t wait for your full review on this Russ. I hate to throw the term “game changer” around willy-nilly, but at this price this system competes with mid tier *mechanical* drivetrains.
Been running DI2 without problems for three years. I decided to try this after my trusted bike mechanic told me how reliable the system was. Yes I have been caught 25 miles out with a low battery (my fault...there are warnings, if you look), but even this just meant I was in an easy gear with top speed around 16-17 mph. But here is the most important point....electronic shifting changes how you ride and shift. Shifts that you were previously hesitant to make (it will take too long, it might mis-shift etc) happen instantly. Now depending on the terrain, I might shift 3-4 times within thirty seconds....cause I can and it is flawless. Consequently, the use of gears become much more efficient.
I also prefer cable disc brakes which is why I paired a lovely set of Paul Klampers to a mullet SRAM AXS drivetrain. Di2 also does cable brakes so I'm not sure why you mention being tied to hydros if you go big name electronic. As for gearing, for many moons I was doing weird hacky stuff to get better gearing options on my bikes. I was finally able to get AXS and now I have all the tooth count I want. Sure it's crazy expensive and not for everyone, but not having to hack and bodge my way to the gearing I want is part of the reason I dropped all that cash. This D1x is pretty cool but very clunky. SRAM dropped a patent in 2020 for essentially the same thing. It might just be e-bike specific, but it'll be interesting to see where that goes.
TLDR: e-shifting is still like manual transmission in a car. I want automatic transmission and rarely have a need to press a button. 🤓🛌🧞 I like general idea of e-shifting, but currently I think that none is designing it to its full potential. Like instead of choosing a gear, choosing strain. In simple operation it could be based on readings from cadence sensor - you pedal slower because you riding uphill - automatic quick change in dead zone of pedaling, similarly with increased RPM for automatic shifting in reverse direction - no need to press any button or leverage in coloration to changes in terrain, unless you want to adjust usage of your muscles. In more advanced solutions it could use also data from HR monitor (no need to look at bike computer if you are going to hard on yourself in uphill- you will know based on gear chosen by bike), gyroscope and accelerometer (for sensing vibrations) for quicker reactions in change in terrain, GPS height profile of planned route to optimize when to go harder (because soon you will be forced to rest in very long slight downhill), or when to go easy, (because significant uphill is couple of minutes ahead of you) in that way you optimize usage of your own body energy (and be more rested in the end, or cover trip from A to B in shorter time). For those who train it could also change gears according to intervals of planned training using data from HR or wattage sensor - less looking on bike computer. And all that sensing with ANT+ and Bluetooth, for compatibility with already own sensors. But battery for e-shifting (and actual shifting) - on cable with one common battery hidden somewhere inside the bike and thus lesser bulkiness. For bikes with dynamo battery could also be much smaller, and charged while riding.
Nice thinking but I don't think the cadence or heart rate sensors would be great and accurate enough. A power meter though... That would be interesting
I still have a 9-speed 2006 Madone that rides like silk, but the rear shifters are wearing out. This is a clever idea that might extend the life of that bike.
The Alfphine 11 speed has a Di2 option. If you can get it during the COVID shortages would be a different story, they were hard to get several years ago
@11:23 There's no way this works with a dropper seatpost in any sort of convenient way (at least not without an app update for this purpose). Yes, you could set it up as if for two speed gearing -- but that isn't going to correlate with two saddle heights, it's going to correlate to two cable pull positions. This means every seatpost position change would require using both buttons in sequence -- you'd have to push one button to pull the cable/release the seatpost for raising/lowering, then push the other button to slacken the cable/lock the seatpost position once it had slid to the desired position; this is way less convenient then the hold, then release single-control functionality of standard dropper controls.
To be constructive, here is an example list of REAL improvements I propose bike industry works on: 1. 100% flat-proof tire 2. Continuously variable, self-adjusting transmission with, say, 600% range (Rohloff and Nexus are not continuously variable) 3. Ability to change tire pressure on-the-fly, according to the surface we ride on 4. Ability to make the head and seat angle steeper or shallower for steep climbs or steep descents If any of these were available, I'd be the first one to buy, but I am not holding my breath...
@@chris1275cc Thanks! It looks interesting. The weak point appears to be the use of CO2 cartridge for raising the tire pressure. It means after the cartridge is empty, the system no longer works. It would be better if they found a way to use the rotating wheel's kinetic energy instead. Still, it's a step in right direction. Let's hope SRAM buys them and brings the device to the wide market
@@sgfahhdhsdhd So I don't know much about this system BUT the co2 bottle (if it is Co2) appears to be a Paintball/Airsoft/Air Rifle canister and there is a thing called a High Pressure Air (HPA) system that allows you to convert co2 guns to run air, you need to buy a special bottle with a regulator that drops the pressure to CO2 levels (850psi) and an air rifle stirrup pump to fill it with (they fill up to 3000PSI/207BAR). Here in the UK the system sells of around £35 and you can get a cheap pump for around the same price. I see no reason why it wouldn't work and it would be better for tubeless tyres as co2 can cause issues with the sealant. The only down side is the bottles have to be pretty thick and therefore heavy because of the extreme pressures and they can take a lot of effort to pump up. BUT looking at the pictures more closely on the website I think this is what they may already using.
@@chris1275cc Refillable cartridge would still not solve the problem I mentioned - you have only a limited amount of air in the cartridge(of whatever type) during the ride, and once it's gone, you can adjust the pressure only downward. I'd bring an analogy from the high-altitude mountaineering - first there were open circuit oxygen systems, with air coming from disposable canisters. Once they were used, that's it. Then closed-circuit system was invented, where the breathed-out air was captured and reused, which significantly increased the longevity of the system
Yes to using this with Brompton, but also could you do a general Brompton for Newbie video? You’ve got some older content on touring with Bromptons, but doing a video covering lighter, more everyday details on the Brompton, what it feels like, geometry, etc would be awesome. There really is only one other good video on RUclips that goes into depth on living with a Brompton and that experience and I feel it would make for a great mini series.
Our Cargo bike has a cable actuated Rolling Jackass kick stand. It's a hard pull but we think worth it with a kid on the back. Idk if it would add value to a user for an electric actuation.
I am very interested, but would want some way to display which gear you are in. For riding on the street, it is nice to be able to glance down and see where you are gear-wise when stopping at lights.
I would love to see this thing on a gear hub that has irregular cable pull intervals. Or would love to see this thing operate a 10spd derailleur over a 12 spd cassette.
Not quite the same, but the same concept, I use my D1x to operate a 9sp derailleur over an 11sp cassette. It just works - no fuss, and no excitement beyond the initial novelty of it.
The actual design and aesthetics of the whole unit resemble made in China toys found at the dollar store. There’s a reason why SRAM charges so much for true wireless technology. Their R&D really put effort not just into the tech but the design and looks and feel of product.
Cool product. Looking forward to your experiments with it. Dig that this could help upgrade some bikes for folks. But doesn't it invite the things you say you don't like about the electronics to creep into your ride? I have Di2 because I got a deal on a bike that made it equal in price to normal Ultegra. Really like it. Yes, I have run low on battery power and was left with only 1 chainring choice until charged. But it shifts consistently & seems easier to keep clean and maintain overall. Set a reminder on the phone's calendar to charge it monthly. I have had shifter cables snap 30 miles from home and ended up doing those 30 miles single speed. So that's a wash.
Great vid, so interested to see how it works out once installed. First glance device looks as though it’s still a prototype, work in process that was released too soon. Reason being with today’s technology, it should be closer to half its size with rechargeable internal internal batteries and bar mount buttons much less clunky looking. Conceptually? Brilliant but functionality pending your follow up review. If the design was improved and functionality proven, price would be justified. Great find, hope the results are all positive! Thanks for having at this, well done!
so are you saying that in theory, one could use an SRAM 11spd force derailer with a 12 speed cassette or maybe even a Campenago 13 speed cassette? mind officially blown
Providing the derailleur has a long enough cage to clear the biggest cog (or you can make it clear with a hangar extender) it will work. You can even use something like a Sram X5 and a hangar extender with a 12 speed+ cassette and the great thing is you wont get poor shifting. Because you set each gear individually, you can effectively tune out the less precise manufacturing tolerances of lower speed and lower end derailleurs.
That's super neat! Any insight into if it could be doubled for a front derailleur? Maybe even do something like the older 9 speed Campy that isn't really indexed, but rather multiple ratchets to dial in front derailleur position.
Looking forward to your review on this. I Had one of these and it kind of sucked to be honest, worked well for a few rides then signal would drop out and the remote would refuse to reconnect, Archer (who were fantastic BTW, no quibbles) replaced it. The second was better but still had the same connection issue occasionally, and then it just died. While searching online for possible solutions I found that many of the positive reviews (by normal riders) I read on the MTB forums that initially convinced me to buy one, had been updated with similar issues further down the line. The whole experience left me with the impression that there are quality issues. However I have recently been hearing good/better things, so I might be willing to give them another go based on your review. The concept is fantastic and when its working its pretty flawless and I do like the new "road" shifter.
Hey Russ. Thanks for posting this and calling that guy an ass. Im a rider with one arm and shallow pockets so this might be a great hack to get the Gravel Bike super trick to just how i need it.Perfect for rides like the GB divide where constant use and technical trails might prove problematic. Would love to see it paired with a GRX STi and GRX sub lever?
It will, the DX1 does not care about pull ratios or even what its pulling on, during setup you tune every gear individually. As long as the gear system uses a single cable it will work.
Yes, but they are not AA or AAA batteries, almost the same size and appearance but they are Li-Ion 14500 and 10440 3.6 V. batteries. I have 2 units and extra batts incase of brain fog and forget to charge the ones in the units.
I'm glad you did this review! Love it! I've been all about Di2 in the back and friction in the front. The moment these guys have more remote shifting button options I'm all in. How about a sequined glove with the shifting buttons in the finger tips. Just saying.... it's the bike bling of the future....everyone's gonna be doing it.
Really want to see the electronic shifting brompton. I've been pretty interested on internal gearhubs lately (particularly SA hubs) and I'd love to see how it works since the shift points are somewhat irregular on those hubs.
Wireless or not, the main isue with nowadays' groupsets is that manufacturers always went at great lengths to make them incompatible to one another. 11-speed MTB derailleurs incompatible with 11-speed road levers, old Di2 levers incompatible with new Di2 derailleurs, so on and so forth. It's all in the name of maximizing their profits and manufacturers surely hate it when people "hack" and "improvise" and "customise". This system, as agricultural as it looks, attempts to solve exactly this issue of infinite proprietary standards and compatibility between them. It's sort of an electronic WolfTooth TanPan. The design still has to go a long way, and I think the ergonomy of its future road version will be no match to that of a "proper" groupset, but with solutions such as this on the market, maybe, just MAYBE, manufacturers will stop this "forced incompatibility" malarkey that is targeted at people who simply have different needs than what they offer on the shelves.
I'll be interested to see if you can get it to work with the dropper. I don't think it'll work, to get my left lever to work with the dropper I had to take out the ratchet mechanism, basically the shifter. I don't think you really want the dropper to stay open
I've been keeping an eye on them, but with no blip button support 👎. I kept hoping they'll launch a blip button version to make my mullet dreams come true but now I've got a Rival/Ratio/Eagle 12 speed mullet setup so don't really need it... And I see they made an integrated shifter, which would work... Oh well, to late for this bike.
Please put it on the Rivendell; it would be hi-*larious*! Another bike technophobe here, but I can see the lure of playing with new toys; have fun! Please get yourself a space heater; frostbite is no joke (except when it is). Also, your sound levels have been crazy low the last couple months; I had to turn my volume up to 96 to hear you. Love the stickers, patches, and postcards; I need to hit Michaels and find some frames.
As much as I hate the idea of adding electronics to a bicycle, this could really solve a lot of problems in getting indexed shifting with weird combinations of parts.
Was a great video. Best unbias informative video that company could have hoped for. If it was my company i would give you two. Im sure this will bring many to there site that would never have gone and reap rewards exponentially.
I bought into the XShifter system at the crowd funding stage. Similar set up as Archer - I run 2 of these modules on a 2X10 duallie. XShifter modules are slightly smaller/lighter. Much cheaper than the big names and yes - any old derailleur will work.
@@chinarello2928 Yes, I got lucky - especially getting the kit all the way to AU. My dealings with Paul were good and I'm sure like any inventor/engineer with a great idea he meant well. Getting your item manufactured and to market is extremely tough for anyone.
Mine failed twice. First on Remote (under warranty) and and time on the shifter (dead motor) which was a few days after the warranty. Now Archer wants to charge me $76 for rebuilding the shifter. Total mileage is only 2184 km in a year. not so worth it after all.
This is interesting to me, had a bit of a what if moment. I currently have a 7 speed setup would it theoretically possible to get a 10 speed cassette and chain, then would it work with the 7 speed derailleur as the movement between gears is tweaked by the motor pulling the cable the travel from high to low would be the same. It’s the gaps between that would be smaller to accommodate the extra gears
Its not AA or AAA batteries they are Lithium-Ion that happen to be the same size. From the Archer website- The D1x ships with 14500 and 10440 protected lithium-ion batteries. You can get replacements from the Archer store online. 14500 cells are AA size, 900mAh capacity, 50mm long and 14mm diameter. 10440 cells are AAA size, 600mAh capacity, 44mm long and 10mm diameter. Archer uses Trustfire Batteries, they are easily available and cheap.
@@carloaustria2329 Yes the same TYPE of battery as vape units but a different size and they have built in protection (vape batteries usually don't) Very easy to find them. NOTE- Archer says the 10440 cells are 600mAh but they are NOT they are 450mAh not sure why they lie about it.
Alfine hubs use alternating short and long pull lengths of cable, so unless this has a mode for alfine, I doubt it will work. I’d like to hear someone who has tried this tho.
If the Archer is anything like the Xshifter (and I think it is), every shift can be programmed for a specific length of cable pull. I run a Nexus 7 IGH and am switching to an Alfine 8. This type of shifter will let me go back and forth between the 2 wheelsets by just changing the shift program.
Rando Recumbent is correct - each shift is programmed individually with the Archer, and they can each be different amounts of cable pull. I haven't used it with an IGH, but I have used it to tune out the effects of a slightly bent derailleur hangar.
I'll start considering electric shifting once they use capacitors that are charged from a hub or crank generator, or perhaps from some other means like solar or bump energy harvesting. I'm not interested in babysitting more batteries in my life. Even the "real" systems are hacky from the standpoint of my bicycle being a human powered vehicle.
Why not make that remote run on a watch battery and be able to be slipped under brake hoods. This thing seems so dang cool - and such a good solution for old levers - but that control module? I’m not trying to be mean but think of what every Bluetooth controller for lights or stereos looks like. The motor is the motor and being able to change batteries is cool - I can’t get over the shifter....it’s way to big and frankly gross. 🤢 That being said I still can’t wait to see you test it - I have a lot of 9 speed groups and maybe there will be a smaller and more practical V2 at some point.
The system limits isn’t accurate as you are able to mix and match your derailer and shifters within the brand so if you want red mechanical disk shifters with a xo1 derailer you absolutely can
I have run the D1X now for over a year. I initially installed it on my 170mm Enduro rig. I run Sram Eagle and anyone who has had to tune Eagle knows that it is constantly needing attention. The D1X lets you tune each shift individually. And even if you're on the trail and it starts to go out of tune the remote has a button to micro tune it on the fly without having to use the app.
I liked the system so much I bought another one and put it on my steel hardtail. They both have seen bike parks, mud and rain, and seven hour+ plus days peddaling. I raced it for an enduro race. And in that time I have only charged the batteries three times. My only hiccup was me forgetting to turn it on. And for those worried about the batteries quitting on the trail. It will automatically shift to a "get home gear" that you can set in the app.
I bent a derailleur hanger and didn't have a spare. I used the app to tune the bend out of the shifting in about five minutes. If you break an Eagle AXS that't it it's done. Break a derailleur with this system and just get another derailleur.
I've been using the D1x for a while now on my ebike, and so far I'm pretty pleased with it. I've already taken advantage of the flexibility it offers to swap between 9-speed and 11-speed cassettes without needing a derailleur swap as well - using a Box Two-E 9sp derailleur, and it shifts across an 11sp cassette just fine. Definitely interested to see/hear your thoughts on it when you get it on a bike!
A minor correction: Those aren't AA and AAA batteries, but rather 14500 and 10400 lithium cells, respectively.
Why that matters: While AA and AAA cells put out up to 1.5v, these lithium cells put out up to 4.2v. The D1x likely wouldn't run at all on the 1.5v from AAs and AAAs, and if you put those lithium cells into any device that is expecting 1.5v from a AA/AAA instead of 4.2v, you'll probably fry the device.
Oh wow, I thought those where standard AA and AAA batteries too. Thanks for that info!
It's reliable then? How does it do in the rain/ cold etc?
@@yonseimatt It's been pretty reliable for me. I've had a couple of times when the remote wouldn't pair with the shifter on startup, and I needed to remove and reinstall the remote's battery to get it working again (at which point it works again without having to reconfigure anything). A bit annoying, especially since you need a tool to open the battery compartment. But it's only happened maybe 3 times in the year and a half I've been using the D1x, so, nowhere near a dealbreaker for me.
Only tangentially related to reliability, but I did once let the battery in the shifter die mid-ride, and it correctly shifted to the bail-out gear I configured in the app (you can set any gear as your bail-out gear in case the battery dies) before it powered off.
Aside from that, it shifts quickly and reliably every time with no fuss and no drama. I've used it with a 9sp derailleur on a 9sp 11-50t cassette, and with the same 9sp derailleur on an 11sp 11-50t cassette, and the mismatch just doesn't matter - it just shifts fine every time.
Regarding rain and cold: I've only taken it out in the rain a few times, but it didn't seem bothered when I did. Seems fine in the cold as well - I've used it down to 20F, and it performs the same as ever. Lithium batteries don't like the cold though - I haven't had any issues, but if you do a lot of cold weather riding, it might be worth keeping the batteries topped off a bit more often, just to be on the safe side.
@@jasonsebikes8716 Super detailed response, thanks! I think the big draw for me is the mix n match potential, so if I can find someone who stocks it here where I am (China), I'll probably pull the trigger. Cold isn't so much of a concern for me- it rarely drops below freezing here- but it can be really wet, so that's something I'll have to figure out I suppose.
Some of your paintings would be nice in background 🙂
E shifting looks cool. I get some of the use cases mentioned. I just can't get past having to charge yet another set of batteries to go take a ride. When I want to go I just want to grab the bike off the wall and go. No have a situation "oops forgot to recharge, no shifting today..."
Very relatable
It's very tempting, in the way social media can be. But once again, cycling tech is finding a solution where there is no problem.
Can't wait to see this put on all sorts of bikes you'd never see a Sram or Shimano e-shift system on. Big yes to both the Rivendell and the Brompton.
I resemble this product!
Your remarks about adaptability are well taken. I have hand issues, and most index systems are very painful for me to use, which is why I use friction shifters on all my bikes. Something like this could work well for me.
This is really cool and gives you the possibility to hack and tinker a lot. Going to enjoy this series.
Big thanks to the manufacturer for sending a demo model.
Don't rush your decision to purchase it. It is not cheap and you should think carefully if you need it.
I’ve been using the D1x for about a year, on both my gravel and mtb’s and have loved every minute. The micro-adjust remote makes it easy to make small
Adjustments as the cable stretches etc and makes it so much easier to get it back where it needs to be even while riding. I will be honest and say that I have had a few issues with water ingress and have had to warranty, so hoping archer continues to
Develop and enhance/address this issue going forward. That said, Archer has some of the best Customer service in the industry, and Saul is always so helpful and easily available whenever I need to reach out. I am so stoked to see the new trp integrated Gravel
Remote in action on my gravel bike, once it releases. Overall, great review, and super happy to see
Another small company getting more
And more notoriety and love!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Yes! After watching your interview with “Archer” I went ahead and purchased. My wife and I ride about 125 miles per week and she had problems with the mechanical Sram thumb shifters after developing some arthritis in her “shifting” thumb.
Easy to install and she loves them. We got the “lite” version they shift very easily.
Note to Archer - please incorporate plug in charging in your next iteration.
“System that’s not locked in “ 😏 haha
This should be addressed on the next ACN episode 😆
Nice video. i bought a competing electronic shifting system (Xshifter) to run this season. It's an experiment but if it works out I will be able to switch between my wheelsets with different internal gear hubs and derailleurs with cassettes while keeping my cockpit consistent with one small shifter on the handlebars no matter what drivetrain I'm running. If I hadn't gotten a deep discount I would have looked into the Archer unit. Mine works exactly the same and has an app to program the cable pull. You can even pre-tension the cable so yes you can make that Sturmey Archer 3 speed shifting work. You're gonna have fun playing with this tech, Russ. it is electronic shifting for the rest of us.
I using the xshifter on 3 different bikes and love it.
My initial reaction is this is pretty cool. However for bikes with straight bars, why not just use friction in the rear. Also work with any derailler, and speed. Looks like they are going to make some that fit on drop bar levers, which I find very appealing.
If you watched to the end I talked about use cases. Carpal tunnel. Nerve damage. Any sort physical inability that doesn't give you full range of motion.
Great video Russ I have been wondering if a hack like this was going to happen eventually. It sucks that SRAM and Shimano don't offer electrical groupsets that aren't crazy expensive. I just bought one and can't wait to play around with it.
The Configure function sets up the pull "ratio" of the cable, although with no shift lever there is no ratio involved. You can only do this when it's mounted on the bike.
OK. I think your point about accessibility for those with dexterity issues in quite valid; that’s something I never considered. But I must say that my latest gravel build is GRX Di2. It’s kinda cool, but there really is no major advantage. To me, anyway. I push a button and it shifts. And yes, it shifts perfectly every time. But so does the MicroSHIFT Advent 9-speed on my new beater bike build. I am having trouble rationalizing why electronic shifting is an advantage for most riders. Is “Big Bike” simply trying to upsell?
I have always said, however, “it doesn’t have to be useful to be cool.” So, let’s see how this goes. Let the bad ideas flow.
Just installed the Archer DBR remote on my drop bar road bike, with cable brakes not disks. Had to hack into a Sensah Empire right brake shifter to do it, so most folks that will be a bridge too far. My road bike has a break away frame so it is nice not not having so many cables to undo when packing the bike for travel. Also I like the idea of being able to use a wide range MTB derailleur with my 11-42 cassette - the Ultegra derailleur with Roadlink I am using is pretty darned sloppy.
Interesting product. I’ll be curious to see how it works.
Wow, so much potential! Couple of things to note: most IGHs (hub gears) have different cable pulls between the gears, it's not uniform like with derailleurs. You'd need to be able to set custom cable pull for each click (which it looks like you can do on the app?) For Rohloff, although I've never owned one, I understand the cables pull for upshifts and pull for downshifts- it should be possible to substitute one of the cables with a spring for the "return" pull. I'd love to know if it can shift a front derailleur, or if the spring tension is too great. Sturmey link chain should be easy to attach to, it's just a cable clamp, same as on canti brakes. FWIW, I think the price is very reasonable... Looking forward to seeing what you can come up with!
I think Rohloff is too different. It has gear index inside the hub so much less precision needed to shift.
You do set each gear individually so it should work with most single cable hub gear boxes, although I have heard conflicting reports about the Alfine 11 having too much overall cable pull. There are a few third party "adapters" out there for converting Rohloff hubs to work with standard shifters so it may be possible to do it, just not right out of the box.
Neat bit of technology. However, I’ll probably never use it because: a. I’m physically healthy, b. It’s a level of complexity I don’t need, and (especially) c. A bicycle, by design, is the most efficient and simplistic form of transportation out there. Throwing something like this on the machine overcomplicates the system, beyond the point of a comensurate result. That said, I’m not a total dinosaur. One of these would be fun to play with. Unfortunately, I usually can restore a vintage bicycle back to daily roadworthy use for way less than what one of these costs. My compliments to the engineers who worked this out, though.
I'd try it on a single speed bike.😉
I had one of these and my experience was horrible. Halfway through a ride it jammed up and I had to cycle about 10km or so on the highest gearing. But would I give it another try? Yes I would. Irregardless of my bad experience, it’s still a decent product and it shifts relatively smooth.
Personally, this is just complexity for its own sake. With a friction shifter you can use any cassette with any derailer and it is nice and simple.
And what does this thing weigh? (Maybe I didn't pay attention)
Definitely try it on a dropper post. The one drawback I see is how quick it pulls the cable (judging by the servo sound) and you wouldn't get full extension. So it would take a few pulls on long mountain bike droppers. Might work on the short travel posts you gravel folks use.
Seem ideal for a tandem bike, too. You can do whacky stuff like let the person in back control the shifting!
It won't work properly for a dropper. On a dropper the cable is pulled and then released. The D1x would pull on the shift up and then you would have to hit the down button to release it, making it super inefficient.
I run two of these and they are the best. Especially for Eagle. You can micro-tune them to shift flawlessly.
Good video! I've been riding a friends bike with Archer. Works just fine and it appears easy to install.
Ahh the days of filming in a set that looks nice and cozy but is really just a freezing garage in Montana haha, get yourself a heater Russ. We want you to survive at least until spring.
I love e-shifying. It is so simple. I was about to ask though why you would use this as it actually adds weight, but then you showed how it could work with my internally geared bikes. You have to own one and use it regularly to understand what a pain it is to keep them in tune (cable wear, housing crush stops etc.).
I really can’t wait for your full review on this Russ. I hate to throw the term “game changer” around willy-nilly, but at this price this system competes with mid tier *mechanical* drivetrains.
Been running DI2 without problems for three years. I decided to try this after my trusted bike mechanic told me how reliable the system was. Yes I have been caught 25 miles out with a low battery (my fault...there are warnings, if you look), but even this just meant I was in an easy gear with top speed around 16-17 mph. But here is the most important point....electronic shifting changes how you ride and shift. Shifts that you were previously hesitant to make (it will take too long, it might mis-shift etc) happen instantly. Now depending on the terrain, I might shift 3-4 times within thirty seconds....cause I can and it is flawless. Consequently, the use of gears become much more efficient.
Grant Peterson is rolling his eyes 👀, fascinating product
I also prefer cable disc brakes which is why I paired a lovely set of Paul Klampers to a mullet SRAM AXS drivetrain. Di2 also does cable brakes so I'm not sure why you mention being tied to hydros if you go big name electronic. As for gearing, for many moons I was doing weird hacky stuff to get better gearing options on my bikes. I was finally able to get AXS and now I have all the tooth count I want. Sure it's crazy expensive and not for everyone, but not having to hack and bodge my way to the gearing I want is part of the reason I dropped all that cash. This D1x is pretty cool but very clunky. SRAM dropped a patent in 2020 for essentially the same thing. It might just be e-bike specific, but it'll be interesting to see where that goes.
TLDR: e-shifting is still like manual transmission in a car. I want automatic transmission and rarely have a need to press a button.
🤓🛌🧞
I like general idea of e-shifting, but currently I think that none is designing it to its full potential. Like instead of choosing a gear, choosing strain.
In simple operation it could be based on readings from cadence sensor - you pedal slower because you riding uphill - automatic quick change in dead zone of pedaling, similarly with increased RPM for automatic shifting in reverse direction - no need to press any button or leverage in coloration to changes in terrain, unless you want to adjust usage of your muscles.
In more advanced solutions it could use also data from HR monitor (no need to look at bike computer if you are going to hard on yourself in uphill- you will know based on gear chosen by bike), gyroscope and accelerometer (for sensing vibrations) for quicker reactions in change in terrain, GPS height profile of planned route to optimize when to go harder (because soon you will be forced to rest in very long slight downhill), or when to go easy, (because significant uphill is couple of minutes ahead of you) in that way you optimize usage of your own body energy (and be more rested in the end, or cover trip from A to B in shorter time).
For those who train it could also change gears according to intervals of planned training using data from HR or wattage sensor - less looking on bike computer.
And all that sensing with ANT+ and Bluetooth, for compatibility with already own sensors.
But battery for e-shifting (and actual shifting) - on cable with one common battery hidden somewhere inside the bike and thus lesser bulkiness.
For bikes with dynamo battery could also be much smaller, and charged while riding.
Nice thinking but I don't think the cadence or heart rate sensors would be great and accurate enough. A power meter though... That would be interesting
To the bike! Don’t leave me hanging Russ! How will I sleep? 😂
I’m looking forward to the next video in this series 👍🏼
I still have a 9-speed 2006 Madone that rides like silk, but the rear shifters are wearing out. This is a clever idea that might extend the life of that bike.
The Alfphine 11 speed has a Di2 option. If you can get it during the COVID shortages would be a different story, they were hard to get several years ago
@11:23 There's no way this works with a dropper seatpost in any sort of convenient way (at least not without an app update for this purpose). Yes, you could set it up as if for two speed gearing -- but that isn't going to correlate with two saddle heights, it's going to correlate to two cable pull positions. This means every seatpost position change would require using both buttons in sequence -- you'd have to push one button to pull the cable/release the seatpost for raising/lowering, then push the other button to slacken the cable/lock the seatpost position once it had slid to the desired position; this is way less convenient then the hold, then release single-control functionality of standard dropper controls.
To be constructive, here is an example list of REAL improvements I propose bike industry works on:
1. 100% flat-proof tire
2. Continuously variable, self-adjusting transmission with, say, 600% range (Rohloff and Nexus are not continuously variable)
3. Ability to change tire pressure on-the-fly, according to the surface we ride on
4. Ability to make the head and seat angle steeper or shallower for steep climbs or steep descents
If any of these were available, I'd be the first one to buy, but I am not holding my breath...
Number 3 already exists its called the ADAPTRAC system.
@@chris1275cc Thanks! It looks interesting. The weak point appears to be the use of CO2 cartridge for raising the tire pressure. It means after the cartridge is empty, the system no longer works. It would be better if they found a way to use the rotating wheel's kinetic energy instead. Still, it's a step in right direction. Let's hope SRAM buys them and brings the device to the wide market
@@sgfahhdhsdhd So I don't know much about this system BUT the co2 bottle (if it is Co2) appears to be a Paintball/Airsoft/Air Rifle canister and there is a thing called a High Pressure Air (HPA) system that allows you to convert co2 guns to run air, you need to buy a special bottle with a regulator that drops the pressure to CO2 levels (850psi) and an air rifle stirrup pump to fill it with (they fill up to 3000PSI/207BAR). Here in the UK the system sells of around £35 and you can get a cheap pump for around the same price.
I see no reason why it wouldn't work and it would be better for tubeless tyres as co2 can cause issues with the sealant. The only down side is the bottles have to be pretty thick and therefore heavy because of the extreme pressures and they can take a lot of effort to pump up. BUT looking at the pictures more closely on the website I think this is what they may already using.
@@chris1275cc Refillable cartridge would still not solve the problem I mentioned - you have only a limited amount of air in the cartridge(of whatever type) during the ride, and once it's gone, you can adjust the pressure only downward.
I'd bring an analogy from the high-altitude mountaineering - first there were open circuit oxygen systems, with air coming from disposable canisters.
Once they were used, that's it. Then closed-circuit system was invented, where the breathed-out air was captured and reused, which significantly increased the longevity of the system
Treat yourself to a heater for your garage...
Great review as always 👏
You had me at Stickers!
Do you think this could be run inside the chainstay to protect from an inevitable future bail?
If there is enough clearance it will work form anywhere, Archer do a bracket that allows it to attach to bottle cage mounts too.
Yes to using this with Brompton, but also could you do a general Brompton for Newbie video? You’ve got some older content on touring with Bromptons, but doing a video covering lighter, more everyday details on the Brompton, what it feels like, geometry, etc would be awesome. There really is only one other good video on RUclips that goes into depth on living with a Brompton and that experience and I feel it would make for a great mini series.
My first thought was pairing this with a alfine 8 on a Brompton.
Our Cargo bike has a cable actuated Rolling Jackass kick stand. It's a hard pull but we think worth it with a kid on the back. Idk if it would add value to a user for an electric actuation.
I am very interested, but would want some way to display which gear you are in. For riding on the street, it is nice to be able to glance down and see where you are gear-wise when stopping at lights.
I would love to see this thing on a gear hub that has irregular cable pull intervals.
Or would love to see this thing operate a 10spd derailleur over a 12 spd cassette.
Not quite the same, but the same concept, I use my D1x to operate a 9sp derailleur over an 11sp cassette. It just works - no fuss, and no excitement beyond the initial novelty of it.
The actual design and aesthetics of the whole unit resemble made in China toys found at the dollar store.
There’s a reason why SRAM charges so much for true wireless technology. Their R&D really put effort not just into the tech but the design and looks and feel of product.
Cool product. Looking forward to your experiments with it. Dig that this could help upgrade some bikes for folks. But doesn't it invite the things you say you don't like about the electronics to creep into your ride? I have Di2 because I got a deal on a bike that made it equal in price to normal Ultegra. Really like it. Yes, I have run low on battery power and was left with only 1 chainring choice until charged. But it shifts consistently & seems easier to keep clean and maintain overall. Set a reminder on the phone's calendar to charge it monthly. I have had shifter cables snap 30 miles from home and ended up doing those 30 miles single speed. So that's a wash.
All right! it should be able to open a wide options for mullet builds isn't it? :)
Great vid, so interested to see how it works out once installed. First glance device looks as though it’s still a prototype, work in process that was released too soon. Reason being with today’s technology, it should be closer to half its size with rechargeable internal internal batteries and bar mount buttons much less clunky looking. Conceptually? Brilliant but functionality pending your follow up review. If the design was improved and functionality proven, price would be justified. Great find, hope the results are all positive! Thanks for having at this, well done!
OMG! A new 110mm camera! To mount on your bike! To get cool vegetation shots!
Could use this to build a bike that converts relatively easily back and forth between fixie and 1x.
the sride rd might be a good pair for that shifter for a 11/12 speed setup
It just allows absolute hacking! Any cassette with any derallieur. 🤯
so are you saying that in theory, one could use an SRAM 11spd force derailer with a 12 speed cassette or maybe even a Campenago 13 speed cassette? mind officially blown
Providing the derailleur has a long enough cage to clear the biggest cog (or you can make it clear with a hangar extender) it will work. You can even use something like a Sram X5 and a hangar extender with a 12 speed+ cassette and the great thing is you wont get poor shifting. Because you set each gear individually, you can effectively tune out the less precise manufacturing tolerances of lower speed and lower end derailleurs.
@@chris1275cc my only question now is will the hoods be hydo or mech brakes? Mech brakes is a deal breaker for me.
That's super neat! Any insight into if it could be doubled for a front derailleur? Maybe even do something like the older 9 speed Campy that isn't really indexed, but rather multiple ratchets to dial in front derailleur position.
Looking forward to your review on this. I Had one of these and it kind of sucked to be honest, worked well for a few rides then signal would drop out and the remote would refuse to reconnect, Archer (who were fantastic BTW, no quibbles) replaced it. The second was better but still had the same connection issue occasionally, and then it just died. While searching online for possible solutions I found that many of the positive reviews (by normal riders) I read on the MTB forums that initially convinced me to buy one, had been updated with similar issues further down the line. The whole experience left me with the impression that there are quality issues.
However I have recently been hearing good/better things, so I might be willing to give them another go based on your review. The concept is fantastic and when its working its pretty flawless and I do like the new "road" shifter.
Hey Russ. Thanks for posting this and calling that guy an ass. Im a rider with one arm and shallow pockets so this might be a great hack to get the Gravel Bike super trick to just how i need it.Perfect for rides like the GB divide where constant use and technical trails might prove problematic. Would love to see it paired with a GRX STi and GRX sub lever?
Definitely would like to see if it works on a Nexus or Alfine.
It will, the DX1 does not care about pull ratios or even what its pulling on, during setup you tune every gear individually. As long as the gear system uses a single cable it will work.
Yes, but they are not AA or AAA batteries, almost the same size and appearance but they are Li-Ion 14500 and 10440 3.6 V. batteries. I have 2 units and extra batts incase of brain fog and forget to charge the ones in the units.
Shout out to the CROC in the Backdrop!! Lolol
I'm glad you did this review! Love it! I've been all about Di2 in the back and friction in the front. The moment these guys have more remote shifting button options I'm all in. How about a sequined glove with the shifting buttons in the finger tips. Just saying.... it's the bike bling of the future....everyone's gonna be doing it.
Wow!
Great Idea!
Really want to see the electronic shifting brompton. I've been pretty interested on internal gearhubs lately (particularly SA hubs) and I'd love to see how it works since the shift points are somewhat irregular on those hubs.
Wireless or not, the main isue with nowadays' groupsets is that manufacturers always went at great lengths to make them incompatible to one another. 11-speed MTB derailleurs incompatible with 11-speed road levers, old Di2 levers incompatible with new Di2 derailleurs, so on and so forth. It's all in the name of maximizing their profits and manufacturers surely hate it when people "hack" and "improvise" and "customise".
This system, as agricultural as it looks, attempts to solve exactly this issue of infinite proprietary standards and compatibility between them. It's sort of an electronic WolfTooth TanPan. The design still has to go a long way, and I think the ergonomy of its future road version will be no match to that of a "proper" groupset, but with solutions such as this on the market, maybe, just MAYBE, manufacturers will stop this "forced incompatibility" malarkey that is targeted at people who simply have different needs than what they offer on the shelves.
I'll be interested to see if you can get it to work with the dropper. I don't think it'll work, to get my left lever to work with the dropper I had to take out the ratchet mechanism, basically the shifter. I don't think you really want the dropper to stay open
Will this go on a separable Moulton? The cable couplers are pretty good, but one less step during travel would be nice, too.
I've been keeping an eye on them, but with no blip button support 👎. I kept hoping they'll launch a blip button version to make my mullet dreams come true but now I've got a Rival/Ratio/Eagle 12 speed mullet setup so don't really need it... And I see they made an integrated shifter, which would work... Oh well, to late for this bike.
will it work with 2 archer units? both front and rear e-shifting on a budget would be baller
Please put it on the Rivendell; it would be hi-*larious*! Another bike technophobe here, but I can see the lure of playing with new toys; have fun!
Please get yourself a space heater; frostbite is no joke (except when it is). Also, your sound levels have been crazy low the last couple months; I had to turn my volume up to 96 to hear you. Love the stickers, patches, and postcards; I need to hit Michaels and find some frames.
As much as I hate the idea of adding electronics to a bicycle, this could really solve a lot of problems in getting indexed shifting with weird combinations of parts.
Was a great video. Best unbias informative video that company could have hoped for. If it was my company i would give you two. Im sure this will bring many to there site that would never have gone and reap rewards exponentially.
2 and 3 speed could possibly make it modifiable to front shifters, too.
Please do try it with a dropper post!
I don’t have a dropper on any of my bikes, I’m just interested to see if it works
Was your mic buried in your coat? Audio in this video sounded really low for me. I had to turn my volume all the way up to hear you.
Why does it seem like Russ is going nutz in that garage? Did you check it for radon or gas leaks?
I think the less likely of a bike that would have E shifting the funner it would be to have it on. I'd like to put it on my 7 speed cruiser. 😄
I bought into the XShifter system at the crowd funding stage. Similar set up as Archer - I run 2 of these modules on a 2X10 duallie. XShifter modules are slightly smaller/lighter. Much cheaper than the big names and yes - any old derailleur will work.
Pity that Paul scammed most of his kickstarter investors. Bad karma.
@@chinarello2928 Yes, I got lucky - especially getting the kit all the way to AU. My dealings with Paul were good and I'm sure like any inventor/engineer with a great idea he meant well. Getting your item manufactured and to market is extremely tough for anyone.
I see a lot of grist for the Cave of Bad Ideas. Great stuff Russ!
So for fun try this on a triple front derailleur!
Mine failed twice. First on Remote (under warranty) and and time on the shifter (dead motor) which was a few days after the warranty. Now Archer wants to charge me $76 for rebuilding the shifter. Total mileage is only 2184 km in a year. not so worth it after all.
Question two: how were u able to project your phone screen in the video? A dedicated app?
Screen capture on iOS and dropped into FCPX.
Can you sort your audio levels out please? Very quiet. I have to uo my volume so when the ads come on its deafening.
This is interesting to me, had a bit of a what if moment. I currently have a 7 speed setup would it theoretically possible to get a 10 speed cassette and chain, then would it work with the 7 speed derailleur as the movement between gears is tweaked by the motor pulling the cable the travel from high to low would be the same. It’s the gaps between that would be smaller to accommodate the extra gears
It should work.
I love that its aaa batteries, security that you will not be stranded with dead batteries. What is the IP rating of them?
Its not AA or AAA batteries they are Lithium-Ion that happen to be the same size. From the Archer website-
The D1x ships with 14500 and 10440 protected lithium-ion batteries. You can get replacements from the Archer store online. 14500 cells are AA size, 900mAh capacity, 50mm long and 14mm diameter. 10440 cells are AAA size, 600mAh capacity, 44mm long and 10mm diameter.
Archer uses Trustfire Batteries, they are easily available and cheap.
@@chris1275cc so they are like the same batteries used on vape machines? Thanks for the info.
@@carloaustria2329 Yes the same TYPE of battery as vape units but a different size and they have built in protection (vape batteries usually don't) Very easy to find them. NOTE- Archer says the 10440 cells are 600mAh but they are NOT they are 450mAh not sure why they lie about it.
As a Bearclaw owner this is a mechanism that I would implement on my bike, However I would like to see a rigorous field test, Just a thought...
Which model? I plan to buy a Thunderhawk frame
Try it with one of the Alibaba 13 speed cassettes that are hg compatible!
I appreciate this video (though I’m pretty loyal to cables.) I have two questions: what kind of knife is that?
Small CRKT knife. Forgot the model.
Alfine hubs use alternating short and long pull lengths of cable, so unless this has a mode for alfine, I doubt it will work. I’d like to hear someone who has tried this tho.
If the Archer is anything like the Xshifter (and I think it is), every shift can be programmed for a specific length of cable pull. I run a Nexus 7 IGH and am switching to an Alfine 8. This type of shifter will let me go back and forth between the 2 wheelsets by just changing the shift program.
Rando Recumbent is correct - each shift is programmed individually with the Archer, and they can each be different amounts of cable pull. I haven't used it with an IGH, but I have used it to tune out the effects of a slightly bent derailleur hangar.
I'll start considering electric shifting once they use capacitors that are charged from a hub or crank generator, or perhaps from some other means like solar or bump energy harvesting. I'm not interested in babysitting more batteries in my life. Even the "real" systems are hacky from the standpoint of my bicycle being a human powered vehicle.
This would be sweet on a 1x13 S-Ride
Why not make that remote run on a watch battery and be able to be slipped under brake hoods. This thing seems so dang cool - and such a good solution for old levers - but that control module? I’m not trying to be mean but think of what every Bluetooth controller for lights or stereos looks like. The motor is the motor and being able to change batteries is cool - I can’t get over the shifter....it’s way to big and frankly gross. 🤢
That being said I still can’t wait to see you test it - I have a lot of 9 speed groups and maybe there will be a smaller and more practical V2 at some point.
Could the archer product be set up for 12 speed, using a 11 speed derailleur?
Yes as long as the derailleur has the reach. You have to mess with the limit screws
I’m 5’1” what size frame do I need?
Replace a wire with a ”Roku player”?🤔 Well, I’m not too stoked on digital shifting anyway, could be just that
Please try it on a dropper post!
Cool video. Share your passion!
Cool mug bamboo glaze
Can't wait to see it on a bike.
sign me up for friction/electronic combo. also very excited to see if this works with a dropper!
The system limits isn’t accurate as you are able to mix and match your derailer and shifters within the brand so if you want red mechanical disk shifters with a xo1 derailer you absolutely can