I awoke this morning to a rather cryptic but down right intriguing email in my inbox. All it said was:
Join the revolution. See attached from Sram
I opened the attached file to find the handle bar mustached ‘Magic Mechanic’ left, and a short comment stating Truvativ/Sram will be releasing a ‘Revolution’ in transmission technology called Truvativ HammerSchmidt, this Fall.
I’ve read a lot of rumours regarding the HammerSchmidt, one of the most popular being a universal internal gearbox, which will tun your current derailered bike in to a GBoxx. I’m not quite sure about the universal gearbox idea, it would have to be pretty damn small and have a huge number of different mountings to fit the various styles of frame about. Although it would seem logical that Truvativ/Sram would want to get in to the gearbox game, and companies like Nicolai have been making Gboxxes for years using Truvativ cranks. Maybe there was more to their choice of crank? Like an OEM deal perhaps?
Another idea is a gearbox bottom bracket. Again it would need to be amazingly small, but it would be a true universal gearbox.
Or maybe the HammerSchmidt is a hub gear or hub gear derived gearbox. Sram are going to release their I-Motion 9 carbon internal hub gear later this year (in the Fall!) which has 9 internal speeds and a light weight design due to its carbon shell. The I-Motion is designed for the recreation bike market, but this doesn’t stop it’s technology trickling over in to the mountain bike market, take the GT DH-I with Shimano Nexus hub gear acting as its ‘gearbox’ for example.
These are all just rumors however and I guess we will have to wait until later this year to find out what the Truvativ HammerSchmidt’s revolution is.
Keep posted!
