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Home / Mountain Bikes and Gear / Components / Drivetrain / Survey

Do any of your mountain bikes have electronic shifting?

Electronic drivetrains for mountain bikes are becoming more widely available, but the change isn't for everyone.

By Jeff Barber
August 25, 2024

16 comments

Singletracks may receive compensation for purchases made through any affiliate links in this article.

Last year we asked readers if any of their bikes were running an electronic drivetrain, and we want to see how things have shifted over the past 12 months.

Has your answer changed? Tell us why or why not in the comments below!

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Jeff Barber

Jeff Barber has been mountain biking since 1992 and has tested hundreds of mountain bikes and components. He is the co-founder of Singletracks and serves as Editor in Chief. Contact him at [email protected].

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16 Comments

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TK34 Minnesota // 2018
Aug 26, 2024

I don't need another thing in my life to plug in at night!

4 reply

rooharris California // 2022
Aug 25, 2024

No electronic shifting until my thumb wears out. Too problematic. Guided last week at the Ibis Migration and fellow support guide lost his electronic shifting pod to some issue. He was a single speeder for 20+ miles. Oh, the pain...

3 reply

Missin_Lynx Antarctica // 2024
Aug 26, 2024

Absolutely 100% agree, battery dies or some such and you're royally fvcked, can't use the limit screws to set to a useable gear, also expensive AF. No electronics on my bike, except for a bike computer, otherwise, bikes are human powered and adding anything ruins the experience.

2 reply

1stPlaceMediocre Massachusetts // 2024
Aug 26, 2024

I ran x01 axs for a year and a half. It was really good but I went back to Shimano mechanical 12 speed. AXS shifted slow in comparison. Shimano just feels more solid too. Transmission is slower than AXS and can only go one gear at a time. It’s not tempting to me.

2 reply

Vincent_e Arkansas // 2023
Aug 26, 2024

I’m not convinced that the added cost (and need for batteries) is worth the comparatively small gain in shifting performance. Especially since I’ve had very few issues with mechanical (XT and XO1) over the years, and I’m really happy with shifting performance already.

I suppose in part I’m a mechanical purist. We have so many batteries and electronics in our lives already- I love that the bicycle doesn’t require anything more complicated than ‘human power’ as an input, and I enjoy the feel of a well tuned mechanical drivetrain.

One last point- I also think 11 speeds was plenty for a MTB, and much of the cost and complexity in modern drivetrains comes from the push to 12 speed. XT Linkglide offers 11-50 range with increased durability. I honestly think it’s the drivetrain most of us should be hyped about … not Transmission.

*one of my 3 mountain bikes is a Single Speed

2 reply

Mark Obsniuk 2018
Aug 26, 2024

Mechanical 12 spd XTR shifts so well that I'd be hard-pressed to go electronic if it was available. It's a must-have with 2x as the front mech trimming is automatic. Secondly, you can use one shifter for synchro shifting so you only need to ask for easier or harder gear and the front shifts wheen appropriate.

2 reply

Bikequake Spain // 2024
Aug 26, 2024

Why would you use such a highly environmentally costly battery for a device that can work perfectly without? It is just not required and we can save metals for other purposes.

2 reply

OhioFatBiker Ohio // 2016
Aug 26, 2024

I’d be the guy to forget to charge the battery or forget the battery altogether. The biggest limitation of my bike remains the guy using the shifter, not derailleur

1 reply

highland.hippie Queensland // 2021
Aug 26, 2024

Just an unnecessary cost for me at this stage. Particularly as I like to try to work on my bikes myself as much as possible.

But if money is no object, I wouldn't say no.

1 reply

Sunspot Colorado // 2019
Aug 25, 2024

Just looking to drain my pocket for another item that is likely to be problematic.
If anything, I would go Pinion for a durable transmission that is not exposed to grunge and will eliminate defailures entirely.

1 reply

74cruzah Utah // 2018
Aug 26, 2024

My previous bike had 12 speed Shimano XTR. I rode it for 4 years and 8,000 miles. I changed the cable and housing annually. 1 clutch service and a 1 cage replacement. It was flawless and shifted fast.

My 1 year old bike has XX1 axs (not transmission). It's not as good as XTR.

1 reply

rod4400 New York // 2024
Aug 26, 2024

The color similarities between each partition on the pie charts for the previous years make the charts much harder to read than they need to be. The purples in 2023 are especially difficult.

1 reply

RemyMac Colorado // 2022
Sep 1, 2024

I don't have anything against electronic shifting, but I'm running Shimano XT on all my bikes now which seems to work as well to me as the electronic SRAM offerings. I won't pay a premium for something that performs no better just for the sake of eliminating a cable.

0 reply

GazP United Kingdom // 2013
Sep 29, 2024

It’s like a dropper post, thought it was a waste of time until I had one, can’t live without it now. Wireless shifting is brilliant

0 reply

AUTHOR

Jeff Barber Georgia // 1998
Aug 26, 2024

So sorry everyone, the survey was broken yesterday so if submitted and didn't see the results right away, please submit your response again.

0 reply

87vr6 2016
Aug 28, 2024

Unless they change something fundamental in the way it works, I went AXS in 2020 and don't see a need to use anything else.

-1 reply

Tagged: electronic shifting, survey, gear, drivetrain

First published August 25, 2024 @ 3:35:00