ProShift's Automatic Electronic Shift Assist - Interbike 2016
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ProShift's system, which has been in development for two years, ties into your electronic drivetrain and uses real-time power, cadence, speed, and heart rate data in order to decide when to shift gears for you. The company says that the system will ''keep you at your optimum performance level and within your optimal power band - continuously, accurately, imperceptibly.'' As of right now, ProShift is compatible with Campagnolo EPS, SRAM eTAP, and Shimano's Di2 road drivetrains, but the Texas company says that they're about three or four months out from a setup designed to work with Shimano's XTR and XT Di2 mountain bike drivetrains.
Will the future of electronic drivetrains be automatic?
Will the future of electronic drivetrains be automatic?
ProShift Details
• Automatic shift system
• Compatible with eTAP, EPS, Di2
• Shimano XTR / XT Di2 version available soon
• Measures speed, cadence, power, heart rate and shifts for you
• ANT+
• Fifty-hour + battery life
• Weight: TBA
• MSRP: $799 USD
• Automatic shift system
• Compatible with eTAP, EPS, Di2
• Shimano XTR / XT Di2 version available soon
• Measures speed, cadence, power, heart rate and shifts for you
• ANT+
• Fifty-hour + battery life
• Weight: TBA
• MSRP: $799 USD
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This is the ProShift 'brain' that does the thinking for you while also showing all the data. There's even a fuel gauge that gives you a theoretical estimate of where you're sitting energy-wise.How does it work?
Riders don't have to modify their pricey electronic group at all. Think of the ProShift system as a brain that only tells your drivetrain when to shift and how many gears to shift, and it knows this thanks to power, cadence, heart rate and speed data that it takes in from sensors on the bike. This data comes in via ANT+ from any number of different devices (it's compatible with products from Stages, Garmin, SRM, Quarq, and a lot more), but the ProShift computer can also be taught that the rider prefers a certain pedaling style and adjusts for that. If you feel best in a tall gear and at a low cadence or vice versa, you can program this into the computer via the simple two button controls on the head unit.
The idea is two-fold; one, it's claimed to be able to keep the rider at his or her optimum cadence, which is ideal for energy management; and two, it removes having to think about shifting.
Laugh if you want, but getting into a rhythm and focusing only on turning the pedals over can be just the ticket for some types of road riding, especially when the rider is extremely fatigued to the point where they're making mistakes.
ProShift says that the system also makes sense for those who ride a hand-cycle where shifting gears can sometimes be an awkward job, or for other riders with a disability.
Laugh if you want, but getting into a rhythm and focusing only on turning the pedals over can be just the ticket for some types of road riding, especially when the rider is extremely fatigued to the point where they're making mistakes.
ProShift says that the system also makes sense for those who ride a hand-cycle where shifting gears can sometimes be an awkward job, or for other riders with a disability.
There are ProShift systems for both wired Di2 and wireless eTAP drivetrains, and a Di2 mountain-compatible version is in the works.
There are, however, a few more challenges involved when it comes to mountain biking, mainly the sudden and sometimes unexpected need to shift through the gear range when a rider makes a mistake and loses forward momentum, or how different cadences can suit different conditions. Regardless, ProShift says that a mountain bike-specific version to work with Shimano's XTR and XT Di2 drivetrains is only a few months out and that the system can shift as quickly as twice in a single second.
It's also important to note that the rider is also always able to shift as if their electronic drivetrain was completely manual - your shifters automatically override the ProShift's wishes - and your drivetrain will also revert to normal operation if the fifty-hour rechargeable battery does empty while you're out on your bike.
A Garmin heads-up display can show all of your data without you needing to look down.Word is that representatives from both SRAM and Shimano who stopped in to take a look at the system were impressed, although I doubt very much that either company would ever endorse or go down the automatic transmission road.
There's much more pushback on electronic mountain bike drivetrains than there was from the road crowd, some of it for valid reasons, so I doubt very much that ProShift's automatic drivetrain will be widely accepted in mountain bike circles. After all, most people using Di2 groups are relatively capable riders who wouldn't want to give up control of when they shift. Regardless of if ProShift's off-road system dies on the vine, the road setup, which is already in production and selling, is clever enough that it's at least worth taking a look at.
We've come a long way from when indexed shift first came out in the late 1980s, haven't we?
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but I"m sure it will sell, so there's that.
Also as you get tired, hydration, nutrition and maintaining the shortest line of travel become more difficult. By knowing that you are “always in the right gear” takes some of the stress and burden away and you will be able to do better with the other tasks.
Every cyclist who competes in longer races has reinforced these benefits and resulted in better race times.
For ROAD RACERS, the strategy is a little different. While riding in the Peloton, the bike can be kept in Automatic Control and, by always being in the optimum gear, the racer knows that energy is being conserved.
When the time comes that the racer want to "break" or follow a breaking group, ProShift can be put on Manual Control (in 1 second) and ALL the normal gear shifting functions remain. The racer can shift gears as he normally would. At any time later, the bike can returned to Automatic Control - if desired.
Contrary to some of the posts included here, ProShift DOES NOT REPLACE the gear shifting judgement of the cyclist. It merely provides a way to optimize/minimize the energy used during certain portions of the race. With ProShift, you ALWAYS have control of the gears and the POWER you put out.
Please see our website www.ProShiftRacing.com for additional articles related to cycling optimization.
Further proof that the bicycle industry is being taken over by complete non riders. Sure they may "own" a bike or bikes. But they're not riders in any sense of the word!
Road conditions, driver intent, and other variables also vary significantly with each instance, but there's no way that having the gps data available inhibits performance.
As for being unable to evaluate your physical capability, I think you grossly underestimate what the current tech is capable of.
For me the highest perceived value of this would be for frequently alternating climbs and descents. With gps data and heart rate monitoring, it doesn't seem far fetched that your smart could accurately determine if you're riding more or less vigorously than past rides, and similarly compare you're energy outputs as that particular ride has progressed.
if that sounds too intrusive maybe you'd be open to having integrated gps track where you usually like to retract/extend your dropper and automate that =P
@pcmxa at the end of the day it comes down to what you want from your car, if you want maximum involvement you have a manual, if you want the fastest car possible you have an automatic gearbox there is a reason all supercars have them
There's a large step in a short climb coming up, the step saps you of 95% of your speed so you need to downshift to have the correct gear ready to pedal out of it. An automatic system would never be able to account for this.
Even if it can detect a stall and react in realtime, the current drive systems (casette and derailier) require you to be pedalling to change gear, so the system would just result in snapped chains, stalls, walking or all of the above.
Cool idea, but not applicable to mountain biking.
Really though? Bunch of engineers and techs, this is inovation? Kind of cool, but impossibly wrong.
There may be a good intention behind these things but when you´re to fatigued to shift properly you may should stop and have a break!
But in the end - if you don´t like it don´t buy it! When there is no market for stuff like that it will vanish. In my opinion mountain bikes should stay as simple as possible. ( By the way...simple does not mean "No technology " but well developed, sturdy bikes with a clean design for a reasonable price ). The ability to have fun out on the trail is not a question of latest technology!
Hello!
Does it have an app for my i phone?
I jest.
This is great for newbies on E bikes.
- "oh you are against progress!"
-Yeah and FU!