What brand eMTB offer Electronic Shifting on Bosch CX?

[xenon]

The big trend in 2018 was the ability to use the battery on the eBike to shift gears electronically.

The Bosch system is capable of this feature using the Shimano Di2 or SRAM DD3 Plus but I haven't found any bike brands that offer the electronic shifting option...

With that said, I see plenty of brands that offer the new Shimano E8000 system but I am not interested. The lack of shift detection is absolutely unacceptable.

 

[itsaulgoodman]

I haven't seen any. I have a Bosch powered bike, and I don't trust the shift detection. I always ease off when shifting. But I can see why it would be a requirement for the electronic shifting.

 

[xenon]

If no bike builders are taking advantage of the new technology that Bosch is offering, it would be interesting to find out why...

 

[itsaulgoodman]

If no bike builders are taking advantage of the new technology that Bosch is offering, it would be interesting to find out why...

Yes, but I would suspect it's because they maybe couldn't be bothered? Those electronic shifting sets are hugely expensive, and haven't really gotten much traction outside of competitive road cycling. I'd be far more interested in that new Continental motor with the integrated automatic transmission personally.

I'm not surprised Shimano is offering it though, seeing as obviously the motor and Di2 are both their products and they'd like to showcase them together. Like you said though, funny they don't have shift detection.. It's like the two products don't really belong together, imagine that.

 

[xenon]

Those electronic shifting sets are hugely expensive, and haven't really gotten much traction outside of competitive road cycling.

Considering the price for a high end Haibike.. whats another $1,000 for electronic shifting. lol

 

[E-Wheels]

The new Rohloff E-14 is compatible with the Bosch platform
Rohloff reference ebike brands that use the E-14 here https://www.rohloff.de/en/products/speedhub/e-14/

 

[itsaulgoodman]

Considering the price for a high end Haibike.. whats another $1,000 for electronic shifting. lol

Oh I hear ya, but here's the thing. That Shimano Di2 was designed to provide riders with the optimum gear combination between front and rear derailleurs, and to shift quickly obviously - great for competitive cyclists. ebikes are usually a 1 x system.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

With that said, I see plenty of brands that offer the new Shimano E8000 system but I am not interested. The lack of shift detection is absolutely unacceptable.

The E8000 with the Di2 is super nice.
I did not even notice there was no physical shift detection. The latest iteration of the drive is tuned pretty well and I concur with some of the findings in this article.
https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/shimano-steps-e8000-mountain-bike

The natural ride feel is def noticeable.

 

[xenon]

Looks like it got a pretty decent review in that article.

I couldn't help but notice Court was disappointed with the Shimano E8000. From what I can tell, he seems to lean towards the Bosch CX when compared to the competition...

 

[Trail Cruiser]

Looks like it got a pretty decent review in that article.

I couldn't help but notice Court was disappointed with the Shimano E8000. From what I can tell, he seems to lean towards the Bosch CX when compared to the competition...

This is the major reason why I am reluctant to get new ebikes since I cannot manually cut the power off anymore like I used to when shifting gears. The old mid drives have brake motor cut off which I can tap to insure drama-free shifting. I read that Bosch has the best shift detection program, I tried it and it doesn't perform all the time, I dreaded the slam on the drive train when I shift so I ended up stopping my cadence momentarily when shifting which is very un-natural bicycling feeling to me. Maybe I need to spend more time with the Bosch shift sensing mechanism. However, if it is paired to a Nuvinci, that would be a perfect match esp if it is automatic shifting and I can just choose among 3 preset cadence or manually enter my preferred cadence while also having the option to manually shift myself.

Option for 3 preset cadence switch.
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[xenon]

Can an electronic derailleur like the Shimano Di2 be added to a Bosch system after the fact or does that need to be integrated at the manufacturer???

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Can an electronic derailleur like the Shimano Di2 be added to a Bosch system after the fact or does that need to be integrated at the manufacturer???

Yes, you could install the XTR Di2 on any Bosch eMTB.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/shimano-xtr-di2-m9050-11-speed-rear-mech/rp-prod119809

It can be done after the purchase and you could adjust the settings via E-tube software. http://e-tubeproject.shimano.com/

 

[xenon]

Yes, you could install the XTR Di2 on any Bosch eMTB.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/shimano-xtr-di2-m9050-11-speed-rear-mech/rp-prod119809

It can be done after the purchase and you could adjust the settings via E-tube software. http://e-tubeproject.shimano.com/

That's cool.

I am sure I can find a way to tap into the battery to power the derailleur but what about shift sensing?

I assume this is something that should be integrated at the factory level to make it a seamless integration...

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

That's cool.

I am sure I can find a way to tap into the battery to power the derailleur but what about shift sensing?

I assume this is something that should be integrated at the factory level to make it a seamless integration...

Shift sensing has nothing to do with the derailleur.
It is a characteristic of the motor+ controller combo. Yes you can set the delay in the derailleur actuation but it has nothing to do with the sensing mechanism.
Trying to read too much online without actually test riding a bike can lead to flawed judgements.

 

[TrevorB]

I've bosch CX with 11spd XT, no shift detecting that I've notice. I'm always careful not to shift under heavy load, better up the assist than down shift on unexpected climb. Never upshift more than one gear at time under load and try to stop pedalling, motor will run on for second and complete shift.

From what I've read SRAM EX1 is design to shift under heavy load at max assist, downside is big ratio jumps between gears. I'm always moving between lowest 4 gears on sunrace 11-46t and find spacing perfect so expect the EX1 is not for me. Try avoid using 46t to much as it is alloy compared to steel for rest of cassette.

The CX drive does like its chains, around 400miles for KTM e11 with lot of MTBing, but the grin factor is worth every penny.

As for Di2 doubt extra price is worth extra price on 1x11 for ebike, especially when manual XT is so good. Where Di2 shines is on 2x10 or 2x11, the lever controls both derailleurs. Will shift front derailleur and rear at same time so there is no big jump, its like having 1x15 with super fast precision shifting. Brilliant on unassisted bikes which need large range of gears.

 

[dev]

Riese & Muller Delite Mountain Rohloff has the electronic shifting for 2018.

 

[EddieJ]

As for Di2 doubt extra price is worth extra price on 1x11 for ebike, especially when manual XT is so good. Where Di2 shines is on 2x10 or 2x11, the lever controls both derailleurs. Will shift front derailleur and rear at same time so there is no big jump, its like having 1x15 with super fast precision shifting. Brilliant on unassisted bikes which need large range of gears.

I'm in 100% agreement with everything that you have said there.

I took an Orange Alpine 6 out today for a quick spin, and the Di2 left me wondering what both the point of it was, and why is there all the fuss being made about it. The only aspect that appealed was the lack of cockpit clutter and cable. Beyond that, I'll give it a miss on a 1x set up.

 

[bob armani]

Hi EddieJ-The Orange Alpine 6 ebike is RAD! I see they are available in the US, however the price point is at over $10,000 US. and looks like a a slightly different design. Is that the European model in the pic you have posted?

 

[EddieJ]

Hi Bob. From a quick look at the Orange UK website, it appears that there are now three models available for 2018. They aren't my kind of bike, but those that own them, can't speak highly enough of them.

 

[bob armani]

Eddie- Thanks for the update. I did some digging and they are hand welded in the UK with limited availability. Looks like a very high end product line. I think I would compare these to one of the BULLS MTBs or perhaps a Commencal 2018 META V4.2 POWER. I am also seeing a lot of the 2018s using the E8000 offered in the US. Not sure how good of a performer it is compared to the Bosch CX or the Brose' S.