We initially thought the rear derailleur was a roughly machined prototype but now that we can see the contours more closely, it looks much more production ready.(Image credit: Future Publishing)
The new levers are nearly identical to current SRAM Red 22 mechanical levers, at least visually. As with other SRAM road groups, the new electronic drivetrain apparently uses a single shift button to move each derailleur in either direction(Image credit: Von R Buzard)
The individual wires leading back to the derailleurs is a significant difference from either Shimano's or Campagnolo's electronic drivetrains, both of which feature a single wire connecting the front and rear ends(Image credit: Matthew Cane/digitalcane.smugmug.com)
Two individual wires are clearly visible running from the box atop the stem back to the front and rear derailleurs(Image credit: Matthew Cane/digitalcane.smugmug.com)
SRAM's upcoming electronic drivetrain first made an appearance at last weekend's Illinois state cyclocross championship. The levers look fairly standard from this angle but there are wires connecting them to the derailleurs, not cables(Image credit: Matthew Cane/digitalcane.smugmug.com)
The electrical tape attachment isn't exactly production ready. Our guess is that SRAM will actually intend for this to be mounted underneath the stem(Image credit: Future Publishing)
This is the first up-close image we've managed to get of the new SRAM electronic front derailleur. It's quite bulky but then again, so are comparable units from Shimano and Campagnolo. The inclusion of the company's trick 'Yaw' automatic cage angle adjustment means there will be less drain on the battery, too, as it won't have to constantly trim itself depending on the position of the chain out back.(Image credit: Future Publishing)
For now, the combination battery and 'brain' are affixed atop the stem with electrical tape. A more elegant mount is sure to come(Image credit: Matthew Cane/digitalcane.smugmug.com)
The rear derailleur is a little blocky looking at the moment but it'll certainly adopt a sleeker appearance once it reaches production(Image credit: Von R Buzard)
SRAM's new electronic group was spotted under company employee Mike Henne during last weekend's Illinois state cyclocross championship(Image credit: Von R Buzard)
SRAM continued in-house testing of its upcoming electronic group this past weekend with at least two employees – Mike Hemme and Scott McLaughlin – running the prototype bits at the Midwest regional championship event in Chicago, Illinois. SRAM kept the bikes under wraps until it was time to race but we still managed to get a few fresh images to share.
So far, it looks like everything we hypothesized in our earlier article is holding true: SRAM is sticking to a one-button format for the levers and there are separate wires joining each derailleur to a combination 'brain'/battery up front. Currently, there is definitely no clutch on the carbon fiber rear derailleur pulley cage, which at least for now is wholly shared with the standard Red 22 unit.
The front derailleur shares the current Red 22's hybrid aluminum-and-steel construction along with a different version of SRAM's trick "Yaw" angle-adjusting geometry. While the mechanical version's sliding pivot mechanism is visible from the outside, the electronic version appears to have it tucked away in the inner pivots. As a result, SRAM's system shouldn't need to automatically trim depending on rear cog position as does Shimano and Campagnolo.
We now believe that the box mounted atop the stem is a combination rechargeable Li-ion battery and 'brain' as there still appears to be no additional connection to an internally mounted power source. The current electrical tape mounting system is obviously a stopgap measure but perhaps we while see tabs for an o-ring style attachment method. What's still in question, however, is where SRAM intends for this box to go. Road racers will likely be able to tuck this underneath the stem but as these images show, 'cross riders running cantilever brakes might not have sufficient room.
What's also interesting to note is how small the unit is. Shimano and Campagnolo have both had to battle with consumer fears that an electronic drivetrain would prematurely run out of power but now that both systems have proven to last far longer than they really need to, we can't help but wonder if SRAM has taken the aggressive position of downsizing the battery to save weight. The inclusion of the Yaw-style front derailleur should help in this department as that cage will only have to move during an actual front shift, thus reducing the power drain on the system.
What we didn't expect to see at all, however, is how production-ready everything looks. Several of the aluminum pieces still bear a pretty rough finish but others appear to have come out of more mass-manufacturing-friendly tooling. This seems to point to an electronic group that is getting close to production.
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