You are hereForums / By Discipline / Mountain (off road) / MTB Gear / EI (Electric Intelligence) Shock by RockShox
EI (Electric Intelligence) Shock by RockShox
Lapierre will shortly have their 2013 range in the shops over Dec / Jan and some models will include the new EI (Electric Intelligence) Shock developed with RockShox
I wondered what you peeps think about electronics coming into biking? I'm quite intrigued by the system. All reviews online seem to be very positive even though the reviewers start out with a healthy level of cynicism towards the system actually working. Apparently, in Auto mode, it does work very well. The whole system adds an additional 325g. Comments? Opinions? Thoughts countrymen?
You can have the choice of either RS or Fox or other forks but the rear has to be the RS Monarch which is exclusive to RS.
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
I have just put Di2 on my road bike and I can tell you, once you have tried it, you will never go back. The front shifting is absolutely unreal and i think it is only a matter of time before Di2 makes it's way on to MTB's.
As I said to a few of my friends via email last week. The Front shifting pisses all over any mechanical group bar none. The first pin that comes past, is the last. No messing around and you can do it while your standing out of the saddle, going up a berg and all sorts.
In the mag 'New Scientist' this week there is an article on automatic transmission currently being tested on bikes. It uses a smart phone app, taking in data such as speed, grade, cadence, power, etc. and using GPS to work out what the immediate terrain is ahead so it can decide what gear you need to be in! They testing this now.
So the system shifts automatically given the data, the test rider claims he never feels in the wrong gear.
Was surprised to see the article in this New Scientist as it is a serious, high quality mag that summarises science research in a wide range of areas, including Quantum theory, medical research, earth science, climate change and many others. Yet they considered this enough of an 'advance' to give it nearly a full page.
If you take all this to it's logical conclusion and integrate it all, then you could incorporate all electronic info, including biometric data, into the system adapting to the terrain and the riders physical state, adjusting the bike gearing and suspension to suit. In some race situations, all you would need to do is ride the course once and the data would be used to adjust the bike as you re-rode the course. Yeah I know, there is going to be problems, but can they be sorted for mtb use?
Now if they would just teach the darn thing to cycle uphill for me!
Anyway, technology will evolve, if it can be done, then somebody, somewhere will do it.
Will be very interesting to see what it's like to ride a bike that changes compression damping when you coast into a jump, while in the air after a drop and just before a corner.
Very curious.
Apparently, they have allowed for just these scenarios you have pointed out Simon. I thought that too and then read they have factored these in to the 'brains' of the unit. Clever stuff.
Not sure I'm so keen on it being an integral part of the bike.
Built-in obsolescence.
Just update the software.
Hawkeye, I'm not so sure it would be built-in obsolescence as you think it would be. The software on the computer brain bit should be upgradable and so would the battery, which would have a limited life to it (likely 2-3 years) before requiring a replacement one. No doubt this would become smaller and lighter as battery technology improves. Also, you could swap out the RS Monarch when it is eventually worn out for another brand if you wanted to (without the EI functionality) or maybe RS will have a refurb or upgrade plan as they develop and improve their shocks. Either way, it's more than likely you'd still be able to ride the bike.
http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/11/26/hacktastic-d...
Very interesting and impressive for a DIY job.
I'd love to try these systems out but the cynic in me is very sceptical, especially about such issues as 'how robust are they when you stack it?' and the replacement costs of the servo's etc when they need replacing?
Personally I think this is only going to help the super duper elite racers - I expect to see it on Ant's bike next season!