Rotor mechanical and hydraulic shifting groupset

[53x12]

Some of the patents for Rotor's shifting system.

Hydraulic:










Mechanical:









Here is the article with more pictures and information about it: http://www.bikerumor.com/2015/08/13/pat ... -shifting/


Quite interesting to seeing some patent drawings of it as we have been hearing about this for a long time without much to see of all of that talk. Feels like 5 years since I first heard about Rotor working on a groupset.

[wheelsONfire]

Ah, so cool but can it compete with electronic systems? Or would you guys say most would still want electronic systems?

Also would wonder, could this hydraulic system even come in at same or lower weight compared to our current mechanical systems?

It had been interesting to see some approximated sale price and weight for a complete system.

[53x12]

Those are good questions. Don't know the answer to the weight or the price. However, I remember hearing that hydraulic was suppose to be lighter than mechanical. However, that Rotor patent drawing looks quite complicated parts and design wise. Will be interesting to see what the final weight is.

Regarding cost, it will be in the same ball park as mechanical and electronic. I would say the top of the line hydraulic is going to be around the same price +/- the top of the line mechanical and top of the line electronic.

[wheelsONfire]

But there is a huge difference in top of the line mechanical and electronic!

I can't stop wondering how that hydraulic system feels..

Do you think it'll work with all frames?

I mean some frames can't accept Campas wider diameter cables and wires (i was told), so i would wonder how those hoses will be in diameter.

[53x12]

It should work with recent Cervelo frames that are future proof for future group sets. Not sure about other frames.

[Mario Jr.]

It's gonna be lighter than the current groups and the lines are thin enough to go through any Di2 ready frame. Can't say more.

[grouk]

cant see advantages over eletronic.
90´s is calling

[53x12]

[grouk]

53x12
thanks man...

i love retro tech!!!!

I wonder if that air pressure system make pfiuuu pfiuuu sound like truk brakes

[Krackor]

Some very interesting features for TT bikes. Figure 15 shows a hydraulic junction for combining two front shifters.

Figure 16 shows some kind of junction box in the downtube. Is that supposed to be for mechanical or hydraulic? The pieces on the bar ends look very low-profile, like they don't have the full shifting mechanism inside. The junction box looks like a multi-speed ratchet system like you would expect in a rear shifter, but in the figure it's hooked up to the front derailleur?

Figure 17 shows a piece in the downtube that combines shift cables from two shifters. Wouldn't this shift into the position corresponding to whichever shifter is in the higher tension position? Downshifting would be a pain if you have to switch hand positions to reduce tension on one shifter just to reduce tension on the other shifter also.

Some of these figures make it look like all the mechanicals we'd usually see in the shifter body are in fact located within the derailleur itself. Hmm...

[Krackor]

Next improvement to a cable-actuated mechanical system that comes out, people will be saying "so retro!" "90s is calling!".

I'm sure modern hydraulic systems will bear as little resemblance to retro systems as modern cable actuated systems compare to downtube cable shifters.

[XCProMD]

SunTour and Sachs on the Phone. They want their Mighty Click and Command back.

[bm0p700f]

So the mechs with the ratchet mechanism in them will make great all weather parts wont they. I can see this system giving all sorts of reliability issues unless the internal mechanisms are very well sealed or entirley serviceable with spares available.

[hjb1000]

53x12
thanks man...

i love retro tech!!!!

Me too, that image is so awesome, almost comical now when you think about it...

[XCProMD]

So the mechs with the ratchet mechanism in them will make great all weather parts wont they. I can see this system giving all sorts of reliability issues unless the internal mechanisms are very well sealed or entirley serviceable with spares available.

That's quite straightforward. If you think of electronic derailleurs, Shimano has a very similar set of worm gear to Rotor drawings, plus some set of pinions more. Campagnolo uses a planetary plus leadscrew system. All of three in the range of 0,5 module.

And neither Campagnolo nor Shimano have problems with muck getting into the mechanism that I've heard of, even when I work on dozens of electronic shifting equipped bikes every year. The only problem so far is Shimano's position reading system which has nothing to to with mechanisms.

To me it is very simple: Rotor wants to enter the shifting market and they need a way around the sea of patents. The mechanisms described can only be related to the work of Nobuo Ozaki, whose last patent on the matter was filed in 1995. Therefore expired this year.

Interestingly, FSA's electronic rear derailleur could be interpreted as infringing Ozaki's 1982 patent of the Superbe Tech mechanism . But that one expired long ago.