Lengthy earlier than UDH grew to become a well known acronym and widely-adopted normal, our first Patent Patrol sneak peek at SRAM’s direct mount T-type derailleurs illustrated a clearly mechanical Transmission. Now six years later, patent workplaces simply revealed an up to date SRAM mechanical T-type utility. And on the similar time, bike vendor websites have been trickling out leaked specs for not one, however two completely different SRAM mechanical Transmissions.
It appears like we’re on the verge of seeing 2 all-new extra inexpensive mechanical shift SRAM Transmissions. Are mechanical SRAM NX Eagle Transmission and SRAM SX Eagle Transmissions coming very quickly?
SRAM Mechanical T-Sort Transmission derailleurs very quickly!
The key of the brand new SRAM Mechanical T-Sort Transmission broke first with references to a “SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission”. However how did we get right here?
Certain, we noticed a direct-mount mechanical SRM derailleur all the best way again in 2018 with that first patent submitting. However then, there was no extra concrete point out of mechanical shifting for six years, whereas SRAM pushed their UDH normal out onto tons of off-road bikes and used the T-type mount as a gross sales driver for his or her high wi-fi AXS digital drivetrains – first for XX SL, XX & X01, then extra attainable GX AXS earlier than going gravel with Crimson XPLR AXS. And, most affordably however nonetheless digital for OEM-only as S1000 AXS, simply final summer time.
So what’s Eagle 70 Transmission?
We learn rumors of ’70 Transmission’ as early as September final yr, however didn’t actually have a lot affirmation as to what that meant. And I hadn’t seen it written in any publicly accessible house till this previous month. Digging deeper into upcoming bike specs on-line although, I uncovered a second – seemingly suitable – reference to “Sram Eagle 90 Transmission”.
That’s when it actually began to click on.
Each 70- & 90-level specs embody a reference to a “Single-Click on” shifter. And there’s importantly no cross reference to any AXS (wi-fi), all however confirming that that is mechanical shifting, not digital. A number of the mixed-level specs discuss with an NX derailleur – historically slightly below GX within the SRAM hierarchy. And a few say simply Eagle 70, which may very well be the OEM-only SX stage?
Curiously, it does appear that 70 Transmission is backward suitable with the present AXS Transmission. And a few of you could have already got the brand new – in all probability lower-priced – parts in your (e)bikes. Particularly, it appears like some MY25 Bulls eMTBs with SRAM GX AXS digital drivetrains might have already been spec’d with the brand new ‘Eagle 70 Transmission’ cassettes, doubtless as a price financial savings device.
What’s new on this newest SRAM Mechanical Transmission patent?
The language of patent purposes is at all times fairly dense, and infrequently arduous to parse. However one key distinction since we first noticed a mechanical derailleur in SRAM’s direct mount T-type Transmission filings, is that this new US20240246634A1 utility (and to be truthful, a couple of others since) is now truly for the derailleur, not the direct mounting interface, like a number of earlier filings we’ve got coated. The illustrations although, are similar to we’d seen earlier than.
That stated, a couple of different earlier patents additionally immediately addressed this “Rear gearshift mechanism for coaxial set up” resolution. What’s new since these so far as I can inform, is SRAM is now defining extra clearly how the brand new direct-mount derailleur butts up immediately towards the rear wheel’s axle endcap, and higher guides it into place. This may very well be an replace for simpler wheel set up. Or it may presumably treatment the difficulty the place present T-type derailleurs may be poorly aligned or misaligned within the body due to the crash-proofing slip design that permits them to rotate out of the best way of an impression. However since there isn’t any standard B-tension screw, it isn’t at all times straightforward to be 100% positive that the derailleur is accurately realigned after such an impression.
Curiously, regardless that the T-type direct-mount ought to guarantee ‘good’ cassette alignment like with AXS Transmission, it appears like these new SRAM Mechanical Transmission derailleurs will get hello/low alter screws once more, based mostly on all the patent drawings.
I think we’ll have to attend for the ultimate SRAM Mechanical Transmission launch to get into these particulars.
When is it coming?
I’m not going to out any bike manufacturers right here, as a result of that doesn’t add any to this still-developing story…
However what I can say is, there may be at the least one large bike model on the market with product web page proper now promising a brand new spec of a present mannequin with “New SRAM Eagle Transmission” set to be obtainable from March 27, 2025.
And the way a lot will it price?
That new spec additionally occurs to promote for a full 2000€ lower than the identical mannequin spec’d with a SRAM GX AXS Transmission (extra premium suspension spec, but additionally nonetheless alloy wheels).
A SRAM GX AXS improve equipment solely prices you about 600-650€, so clearly you aren’t going to avoid wasting two grand with a mechanical SRAM Transmission. However what it in all probability means is that you just’ll begin to see Transmission-equipped bikes and ebikes promoting across the similar pricing stage as you’ll see with present mechanical GX Eagle and even cheaper than Shimano XT.