Movistar team bikes fitted with what look to be prototype Sram shifters this month
(Image credit: Team Movisar)
The off-season often sees new equipment rolled out for professional teams, but unusual prototype equipment is slightly more uncommon these days. At times certain riders are asked to trial or test equipment during its development for manufacturers.
The Cyclingnews tech team have been keeping our eyes peeled over the last few weeks to try and stay on top of and bring you news of several mechanical and pro-rider new tech developments. Including Mathieu van der Poel's prototype Canyon and Fabio Jakobsen's new aero cockpit. There does seem to have been a spate of new equipment silently appearing lately ahead of the 2023 race season.
The light grey tarmac in this shot highlights the new shifters’ different shape (Image credit: Team Movisar)
Most recently, we have spotted some images and video of what look to be prototype Sram shifters fitted to at least one of the recent Movistar Canyon bikes at a recent training camp. The pictures in this article are pulled from one of the recent Movistar youtube videos which we have been poring over with a magnifying glass. You can also find a thread on weightweenies on the subject.
Rumours of a new Sram groupset have been swirling for some time now, and the sight of these new prototype levers in the wild could be a sign that Sram is getting closer to launching a new groupset(s). If a new groupset does appear next year there is a decent chance it could be in the form of a new Red groupset that will then share its technology and features with the lower-tier groupsets.
The prototype shifters look radically different from current Sram offerings (Image credit: Team Movisar)
The shifters in the above pictures are a radically different design to current Sram offerings and draw comparisons with Shimano‘s GRX Di2 units which have a vaguely similar shape. The lever bodies themselves appear to be slimmer with the brake lever blades themselves having some backward sweep. The tops of the hoods also appear smaller, so it looks like Sram is trying to make a more compact shifter unit.
Lots of pro only equipment has has carried different Sram logos this year (Image credit: SRAM / Movistar)
Another point we picked up on earlier in the year was the majority of Sram-sponsored teams this year using equipment with larger and more prominent logos than what is currently listed and advertised on the Sram website. With shifters and chainsets in particular having larger 'SRAM' logos. Whether this is just pro-only branding or another signal of a coming redesign we cannot say for now.
With riders already on the equipment, we can perhaps expect an official launch in the next few months, so watch this space for the full story once Sram shares more details of the new release.
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Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
