Campy wireless rumors? - Page 2

bfd · #16 03-05-2017, 12:59 PM

[QUOTE=oldpotatoe;2136943]True and Campag had electronic shifting way before shimano..Like shortly after 10s came out(2000)..a bunch of prototype groups on team bikes at the Giro..transfer to next start, lots of bikes on roofs, lots of rain..all failed...so back to basics and made it waterproof. Didn't want to let the consumer be beta tester like...well, ya know.
OTE]

This is interesting. So Campy had e-shifting in the early 2000s, when it put "prototypes" on some Giro pro teams and then found it failed in the rain?! What I don't get is why wasn't waterproofing designed into these prototypes?! Did they not know that cycling is an outdoor sport that something results in riding in the rain?!

Supposedly, Campy had started developing e-shifting back in the early 90s (93?) and it took almost 20 years to finally launched EPS. That's an awfully long time to get something right. But you're right, at least consumers weren't the beta testers....Good Luck!

FlashUNC · #17 03-05-2017, 01:03 PM

[QUOTE=bfd;2137006]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

True and Campag had electronic shifting way before shimano..Like shortly after 10s came out(2000)..a bunch of prototype groups on team bikes at the Giro..transfer to next start, lots of bikes on roofs, lots of rain..all failed...so back to basics and made it waterproof. Didn't want to let the consumer be beta tester like...well, ya know.
OTE]

This is interesting. So Campy had e-shifting in the early 2000s, when it put "prototypes" on some Giro pro teams and then found it failed in the rain?! What I don't get is why wasn't waterproofing designed into these prototypes?! Did they not know that cycling is an outdoor sport that something results in riding in the rain?!

Supposedly, Campy had started developing e-shifting back in the early 90s (93?) and it took almost 20 years to finally launched EPS. That's an awfully long time to get something right. But you're right, at least consumers weren't the beta testers....Good Luck!

The system was fine when guys were riding it, but not on top of team cars at 70mph down a freeway during a transfer.

bfd · #18 03-05-2017, 01:55 PM

[QUOTE=FlashUNC;2137007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfd

The system was fine when guys were riding it, but not on top of team cars at 70mph down a freeway during a transfer.

Fair enough, but then it took them almost 10 years to fix or "waterproof" the system so that it can be placed on team cars going 70mph?! Or did they want to wait for Shimano di2 to come out first? I guess it just makes Campy look like it's always playing catch up....Good Luck!

BdaGhisallo · #19 03-05-2017, 02:00 PM

[QUOTE=bfd;2137006]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

True and Campag had electronic shifting way before shimano..Like shortly after 10s came out(2000)..a bunch of prototype groups on team bikes at the Giro..transfer to next start, lots of bikes on roofs, lots of rain..all failed...so back to basics and made it waterproof. Didn't want to let the consumer be beta tester like...well, ya know.
OTE]

This is interesting. So Campy had e-shifting in the early 2000s, when it put "prototypes" on some Giro pro teams and then found it failed in the rain?! What I don't get is why wasn't waterproofing designed into these prototypes?! Did they not know that cycling is an outdoor sport that something results in riding in the rain?!

Supposedly, Campy had started developing e-shifting back in the early 90s (93?) and it took almost 20 years to finally launched EPS. That's an awfully long time to get something right. But you're right, at least consumers weren't the beta testers....Good Luck!

I don't know how far back into the 90s Campy was developing e-shifting. Let's recall that it was only in 1992 when Campy developed Ergopower, their combined brake and shift lever, in answer to Shimano's STI lever.

Campy did have prototypes in the peloton in the summer of 2003. Fabio Sacchi from the Saeco team had it on his bike for a number of months and was riding well with it.

FlashUNC · #20 03-05-2017, 03:48 PM

[QUOTE=bfd;2137024]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Fair enough, but then it took them almost 10 years to fix or "waterproof" the system so that it can be placed on team cars going 70mph?! Or did they want to wait for Shimano di2 to come out first? I guess it just makes Campy look like it's always playing catch up....Good Luck!

First iteration of the system took an entire waterbottles worth of electronics to make it work.

So no, it wasn't only the waterproofness.

2/10 would not troll again.

taylor_walker · #21 03-05-2017, 04:15 PM

Getting back towards the top of the post, I have read a few places that Di2 wiring can rattle loose on gravel and dirt, so wireless may have an advantage beyond travel bike applications?

Best,

Taylor
SF CA

ultraman6970 · #22 03-05-2017, 04:51 PM

Would not surprise me that campagnolo have the product already done since years ago, but as usually happens with them they are waiting till they figure it out a way to produce it for a good price. Same case of shimano. The wireless part is not a problem, the problem is battery life and code the thing so you can pair the levers to the fd and rd. That's the tricky part that sram figured it out really well and w/o paying licenses to use the technology,.

Cicli · #23 03-05-2017, 05:07 PM

What about FSA? I figured they would pass sHram in the race to the bottom.

thirdgenbird · #24 03-05-2017, 05:43 PM

The story I heard was that Campagnolo electronic shipping was "production ready" in the 10spd era. going full production on something like that would be a big investment for a small company like Campagnolo. Tough to justify for a small company. I'm guessing they "let" shimano test the market. I recall many people being pretty skeptical of di2 on release. About the time people srtarted accepting it, Campagnolo dropped EPS. Waiting on shimano also let them make sure their system would be reasonably compatible with di2 ready frames.

I heard or read somewhere that Campagnolo was testing wireless shifting but had no plans for production at this time. I've got no evidence and don't recall the source, so take that for what it's worth.

oldpotatoe · #25 03-06-2017, 05:14 AM

[QUOTE=bfd;2137006]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

True and Campag had electronic shifting way before shimano..Like shortly after 10s came out(2000)..a bunch of prototype groups on team bikes at the Giro..transfer to next start, lots of bikes on roofs, lots of rain..all failed...so back to basics and made it waterproof. Didn't want to let the consumer be beta tester like...well, ya know.
OTE]

This is interesting. So Campy had e-shifting in the early 2000s, when it put "prototypes" on some Giro pro teams and then found it failed in the rain?! What I don't get is why wasn't waterproofing designed into these prototypes?! Did they not know that cycling is an outdoor sport that something results in riding in the rain?!

Supposedly, Campy had started developing e-shifting back in the early 90s (93?) and it took almost 20 years to finally launched EPS. That's an awfully long time to get something right. But you're right, at least consumers weren't the beta testers....Good Luck!

Probably was but I hear it was really a YUGE and long downpour.

Urban legend says Campag was actually pad by the Italian government to develop E-Shifting, as a government grant to various industries, to promote innovation. They worked on it, got paid but then shimano marketed theirs, so Campag did to.

Tied to Another urban legend was that 'people' from Campagnolo and Shimano had a meeting..they agreed that if Shimano went to 11s(Campag already was), Campag would release Electronic..isolating sram at mechanical and 10s.

BUT shimano looks closely at the market, doesn't just throw crap out there. Look at the development of shimano 10s MTB, it came out VERY refined and functionally perfect(IMHO).
Campagnolo views themselves as a racing component company. If it will aid racers, they develop it(with some market pressures thrown in). BUT the 'big boys' at Campagnolo ask the professional peloton, the guys they sponsor, all the time to ask for ways to improve their stuff. Seldom if ever have they said, 'need better brakes'. They are small, sell all they make, are pretty comfy with their position in the market, combined with what and WHERE they make their stuff.

As for a previous post about how 'awesome' wireless would be...don't get why. I have EPS, a few wires, about 7 inches total..Having 4 batteries? I just don't get it. Install, even on a steel frame(no magnetic guides, thanks), just wasn't a big deal. Install and setup, about a hour with 'setup' part about 5 minutes.

ultraman6970 · #26 03-06-2017, 05:19 AM

The legend says that the meeting happened right after doctor evil and minime got off being frozen for several years.

Black Dog · #27 03-06-2017, 06:37 AM

[QUOTE=bfd;2137024]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Fair enough, but then it took them almost 10 years to fix or "waterproof" the system so that it can be placed on team cars going 70mph?! Or did they want to wait for Shimano di2 to come out first? I guess it just makes Campy look like it's always playing catch up....Good Luck!

Do you know how long Shimano was developing it's e-shifting? Perhaps it was longer. Being behind a market release on one technology does not always make it look like it is behind. Lots of suppositions in your post. For the record Mavic was 1st to line with e-shifting, by a long shot. There were more than a few tech hurdles that needed to be overcome and were not soluble until battery and electronic technology had developed enough to make e-shifting workable.