Shimanothe historic company based in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture (Japan) and historically known for manufacturing bicycle components, as well as equipment for fishing and sports such as canoeing, canoeing, rowing, winter sports and golf, has just patented a novel e interesting wireless electronic brake system for bicycles that is also giving a lot of talk in the industry.
By the way, this technology is based on the existing DI2 wireless shifting from Shimano and it means we could say goodbye to brake cables and hydraulic hoses on motorcycles. But, be careful. Not in a short period of time.
Now we have a nightmare. The worst case scenario we can think of is a dead battery in the bicycle’s rear wheel derailleur. That is, not being able to change gears and, furthermore, there could be much more serious consequences if the brake battery fails or runs out. Don’t tell us you haven’t thought about it.
This is how amazing Shimano’s patent for its wireless brakes is
Despite this, Shimano is determined to implement this technology. The company has presented three potential designs: a hybrid electric-hydraulic system, a hybrid mechanical-electric system and an all-electric system.
The first two systems feature fail-safes, so that if the battery runs out, the rider still has a mechanical connection between the brake lever and the bike’s brakes. These systems could be used, for example, on motorcycles to provide intelligent braking functions such as ABS and downhill control.
Shimano’s fully electric braking system is also wireless, requiring no physical connection – not even an electrical cable – between the handlebar levers and the wheel calipers and discs. This technology could be useful on complex cargo e-bikes, and perhaps on some configurations with very long wheelbases.
However, for mountain bikes, road bikes, or commuter bikes, it might seem like overkill. This begs the question: do we really need this level of technology on bikes? Bicycles were designed to be a simple, economical, environmentally friendly means of transportation, and now they seem to be becoming unnecessarily complex (and expensive).
It’s obvious, all the factories seem obsessed with digitizing everything from the throttle-by-wire systems to this new electronic brake system. ShimanoBut what if this technology comes to motorcycles? Would you install these sophisticated wireless brakes on your bike?
More importantly, would you feel safe driving on long journeys, across all types of terrain and weather, knowing that your ability to stop is entirely dependent on a working set of sensors and batteries? Well, why not. After all, airplanes use “somewhat” similar technology. What, how are you?
