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Tiso 12 Speed Wireless Electronic Road Bike Drivetrain Unveiled!

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We spied it, they teased it and now it’s official. Tiso’s electronic 12-speed road bike group brings everything it said it would, plus a few surprises.

For starters, the wireless works with radio frequency between the controllers and/or a separate remote. The surprise is that it also works with Bluetooth, letting you control it with your smartphone. The other surprise is that it’ll work with 10 and 11 speed cassettes from SRAM, Shimano and Campagnolo!

The system consists of just five parts, the cassette, front and rear derailleurs, shifter levers and control box. The derailleurs use a micromotor and are powered by the control box/battery pack. Shifter levers have rocker switch that faces outward, a nice work around patents on the other brands’ systems.

UDPATED! More photos and details added below!

Click through for more info…

Tiso 12-speed wireless electronic road bike drivetrain group with bluetooth shifting

The cassette gets away with fitting on a standard 10-speed freehub body because they’re full titanium cogs. That makes them strong enough to be thinner and have very narrow spacing. Notice there’s no chain mentioned in the group? It’s designed around Campagnolo’s standard 11-speed chains.

Other noteworthy features:

  • The system runs off standard (or, preferably, rechargeable) AAA batteries.
  • Pulley bearings are ceramic
  • Cassette has all titanium sprockets with a total weight of just 150g for 11-29.

Assembly and set up should be super easy, just run wires to the derailleurs. Based on the loose translation, we’re assuming the shifters run on their own battery power, but again, we’re confirming. Once installed, just set it at zero (meaning the smallest cog, probably) and tell it to start and it’ll self adjust. The controller will also tell it to move the proper amount for different cog counts, so set up for 10, 11 or 12 speed systems should be fairly automatic. Presumably, you’d need a crankset running 11-speed chainrings, though.

Full tech details are coming soon, including any info about a Tiso-specific smartphone app, which we’re thinking would help with quick set up.

Dealer and consumer orders will be taken after the first of the year. For the US, it’ll come through Albabici. Delivery date and pricing aren’t finalized, but it promises to be cheaper than other electronic groups.

UDPATE #1:

Tiso 12-speed electronic wireless road bike group shifter lever

Just received photos of the lever and cassette, more coming soon.

Tiso 12-speed electronic wireless road bike group shifter lever

Yep, that’s 12, and a very nice progression. After all, that’s why Shimano said they went to 11-speeds, was to make for smoother transitions between gears.

Other tech updates:

  • Rest easy, dear commenters, these are indeed pre-production versions in the video. The rear derailleur will get a carbon fiber cover and more upscale appearance.
  • The battery box will be much smaller, and in addition to the AAA main batteries, it’ll have a smaller self contained battery for system memory.
  • The shifters can be set up to work with 10, 11 or 12 speed systems, confirming usability with pretty much any modern drivetrain.
  • They are officially developing a smartphone app that would allow for control of the system. While their purpose isn’t stated, this should open the doors to other developing training software that autoshifts to adjust cadence or intensity to keep you in the right zone.
  • Retail availability is targeted for mid-spring, likely late April.
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48 Comments
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Bob
Bob
11 years ago

WOW! Such a shitty introduction video for such a high end and top of the line product

keoni
keoni
11 years ago

That is the coolest…and…UGLIEST component group that I’ve ever seen!!!

Bill
Bill
11 years ago

I can see hacking your buddy’s Bluetooth connection and making his bike shift at random.

Duder
Duder
11 years ago

So, Tiso invented this in 1987 and we’re only seeing it now?

Mike
Mike
11 years ago

Too many gears, too much tech and too damn ugly.

luddite cyclist
luddite cyclist
11 years ago

what is the remote for?????
price??

Mk4524
Mk4524
11 years ago

Is there a warning when the batteries go down?

Brattercakes
Brattercakes
11 years ago

This is a pretty good Tim & Eric bit…

WG
WG
11 years ago

FUGLY! I’d never fit it to my bike no matter how good and efficient it was.

Technically, however, it’s pretty impressive. Let’s wait for the next revision, maybe it will be a bit more acceptable in terms of appearance.

MaLóL
MaLóL
11 years ago

it’s such a pleasure and relief, to see how, still, artisans and contemporary “handcrafters” can go beyong the largest market driven companies. Artisans beyond the forsdist, will always happen due to innovation versus marketing or market driven approaches. Nice!!! Well done Italy!!!

JonDanger FTW
JonDanger FTW
11 years ago

WTF? If you can’t ride it with 9 or 10 in the back you’re not gonna be able to ride it with 12. Also, the levers look like a hacked version of Cane Creek’s single speed drop bar levers. All in all it looks like something you could get from a mail order electronics catalog.

Adam
Adam
11 years ago

I’m calling shenanigans. Doesn’t add up.
Elaborate hoax that is conveniently revealed on 12/12/12.

Give away is the pedals on the bike, amongst other things. Someone that interested in hot new tech would have equally hot and fresh pedals/shoes.

Collin
Collin
11 years ago

Why would you want to control your shifting from a smart phone? If it transponded what gear your in to your smart phone, so you could then pair that data with your power and cadance info, then I could see some benifit, but overall, sounds like a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. BTW, sweet music!

djconnel
11 years ago

This would make a cool 1×12 system. Who need a front? As many useful gears as 2×9 with a clean front end.

carl
carl
11 years ago

The guy in the video is wearing a face mask (but no gloves) so he won’t be recognized. I’m thinking this is a joke.

moove
moove
11 years ago

Maybe SRAM can buy this company to get back into the game?

someslowguy
someslowguy
11 years ago

I’m with Adam – this has got to be a 12/12/12 joke.

boroboonie
boroboonie
11 years ago

April fools come early? This is a joke…

Tropt
Tropt
11 years ago

B-B-B-BUT. It’s not Campy. Or SRAM or Shimano. No! Bad!

Awesome.

The Goats
11 years ago

That it will work with Shimano/SRAM or Campy cassettes is simply brilliant in itself.

Now that’s a fantastic advantage to electronic shifting.

Goats

Dex
Dex
11 years ago

You need the remote to shift while changing songs on your ipad. That way you have both hands off the bars and look even more like a tool with a way too fancy gruppo.

Toilet Bunny
Toilet Bunny
11 years ago

ti cogs=garbage in a month or 2
super thin ti cogs= garbage that slips out of gear even sooner.

a great set up for a porcine exec who rides a big 20 miler on Sunday… for anyone doing real riding steel is the long lasting intelligent choice…

Rizanoel
11 years ago

I have been using Shimano Ultegra Di2 for six months. Just had the battery recharged after six months of fair use, just like my battery-powered toothbrush. You who have not used electronic groupset should not comment negatively. I saw Tiso website, it is official, not hoax. I think the idea is good. Phone app and remote control might be useful for the trainer or technician. Wireless concept removes the wiring and simplifies carbon frame design. I just don’t understand why Tiso uses Bluetooth, because continuous connection is not necessary. Agree that the appearance need some artistic touch though. Some more ideas to digest: we do not really need the traditional way of doing the shifting. Shifter buttons might be relocated to the handlebar, to allow control by thumbs, or to other possible and comfortable locations, because they are basically elctronic buttons, not mechanical. Also think step two or three cogs button provided, to allow quick gear change/jump.

Adam2
11 years ago

Terrible video. Terrible. But, typically Italian. Have you ever watched Giro coverage from the early 2000’s? This is so much better.

Exciting product. Yup – they go for function over form. This release is weak on details. Ex. can you shift multiple gears whilst holding the down button? if so, what kind of delay is there?

mrtopher39
11 years ago

Could someone please explain why you need a remote control unit to shift? Last time I checked shifitng was done via levers while your hands are actually holding the bars. Is there a point to wireless shifting?

Xris
Xris
11 years ago

Terrible commercial, terrible looking aesthetics, but very intriguing idea. Aside from Mavic, it’s one of the first wireless shifting groups which should be given some kudos even if you don’t like it right off the bat.
Secondly, given someone with proper marketing and engineering skills it could turn into something successful. Sell the technology to someone like Bontrager or Specialized and let them mess with it until they find something they can market.

dale
dale
11 years ago

I hope it gets released and is awesome, can’t tell until I try it. I say the more the merrier with this e-shifting tech.

Good point about the remote Rizanoel, I can see how that would be handy while working on the bike.

And finally, who gives a shit about the music or the video quality? Do you actually like the (deleted) stock audio in most product marketing videos? Or the corny rock in some Cannondale or S-Works vids? Who cares.

Maxx
Maxx
11 years ago

The video looks odd. They seem to be trying to hide something on the functionality of the groupset.

But a remote wireless system opens up a lot of possibilities. Especially when you want to sync your powermeter and cadence. For ultra-endurance athletes, it can be pre-programmed via some smartphone App to shift gears according to the parameters of power, cadence, speed, heartrate and optimise performance for those ultra-distance races. Will be very useful.

For the gym or computerised hometrainer, it can be programmed likewise too!

A lot of possibilities since the latest Bluetooth versions are pretty power efficient now and smartphones are getting more and more powerful by the week.

ijws
ijws
11 years ago

I expected more smoking in an Italian home movie from the 80’s.

nick
nick
11 years ago

April’s fool coming early this year? seriously, the vid could not do worst at introducing a would be high-end product.

Bonfire
Bonfire
11 years ago

How long until someone hacks EPS or Di2 to work with this cassette. Or even a little upgrade for 11spd campy stuff.

Bonfire
Bonfire
11 years ago

The remote is also super awesome for TT or Tri.

SWijland
SWijland
11 years ago

I actually liked the prototype you showed earlier a lot, but this version looks even worse than Campy EPS…

RUSTYDOGG
RUSTYDOGG
11 years ago

Why would anyone choose this over Shimano?

tt
tt
11 years ago

“this version looks even worse than Campy EPS…”

Campagnolo EPS looks almost the same as its mechanic counterpart after all. Both look OK to me. Very modern but also very elegant.

bc
bc
11 years ago

Mark my words – this is the last time most of us will ever hear about this crappy product. If anyone sees this on a bike, let me know, and I’ll eat my shoe.

Al H
Al H
11 years ago

This group, if it’s for real, stirs the imagination. Pair this with a clever iPhone app and some available bits like an accelerometer & angle sensor and and you have a bike that can auto shift. Add a communicating power meter and everything can be sensed, climbing, descending effort, cadence and so on. Now use the app to create a user profile and some ride profiles and you’ve got it all.

Ready to ride?. Hop on, go for a ride and let the app tune the profile as you go. Seems far out but if this group is for real then all the pieces to make it happen are there just waiting for integration.

The Goats
11 years ago

“Why would anyone choose this over Shimano?”

I think the ability to run Campy or Shimano cassettes is a big advantage. Wireless makes for some clean and less labor intensive frame building as well as less time to build up/strip down bikes (If this works well team mechanics will LOVE it),

Shimano and Campagnolo have been the major players for years with Suntour coming and going and SRAM now on the scene. If Tiso is able to make inroads into the market the competition and technical additions will be good for all of us whatever we ride.

The Goats
http://www.retroshift.com

The Goats

Adam
Adam
11 years ago

I’m still saying it’s a hoax.
Pedals/shoes, as I said earlier.

But also, no one introduces themselves or the product. Wouldn’t you be proud of what you have created? Example: the two women behind the invisible helmet.

They have tight shots of the shifter, and of the derailleur, but never both in the same shot.
And as someone else noted, the face mask, with no gloves.

Not real.

Tiso’s website leaves a little to be desired…
http://www.tisobike.com/home1.htm

Nash
Nash
11 years ago

The controller is to stop somebody from cycling off with your pride and joy. You can just change the gears to hamper their get-away. Similar to having a central locking controller on a car.

123rv
123rv
11 years ago

Its look is atrocious… “Functionality over form”? OK, but why doesn’t it look nice and tidy? Look at Campagnolo and Shimano… – functionality AND form! (I’ve been ridng Campagnolo EPS for 4 months in every weather conditions. Even -2C yesterday. Just one word: PERFECT).

The Real Dude
The Real Dude
11 years ago

Me Likey. And it doesn’t look that bad. White Tiso written on everything is bad… Price anyone??

notmikeb
notmikeb
11 years ago

Now just combine this with Cancellara’s seattube motor and you can send your bike out for a ride while you hang out on the couch!!

Hank
Hank
11 years ago

Looks like the old Ofmega parts from the early ’80s. Is it available in powder blue?

Bre Rue
Bre Rue
11 years ago

I think I’ll stick with my Mektronic… It has thousands and thousands of miles on it, is actually wireless and I have a spare button set that I use as a remote. I think they would be better hacking the Mek stuff and adding Bluetooth and 11 speed compatible than try to get anyone to believe that their system rivals Shimano or Campagnolo!

nickobec
11 years ago

For the hoax theorists, do a little homework, a whois shows that tisobike.com was registered 10 years ago. A google search for “tiso cassette” reveal 5000+ pages. So tisobike is genuine,

On the 12/12/12 any better day to launch a 12 speed system.

Do I want one. probably not, too old school I like 10 speed mechanical drivetrains. Still appreciate the lateral thinking and technology involved.

You will not be able to change gears on somebody else’s bike without some very efforts against each other bike. Far easier just to jam the signal and stick them in one gear.

Also illegal according to the UCI as a radio transmitter is involved,

Jon
Jon
11 years ago

Do you think Roger Waters knows that they used “What Shall We Do Now” from the Wall for their intro music? And does Tiso appreciate the irony of the song (lyrics here: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/pinkfloyd/whatshallwedonow.html) as it relates to introducing yet another extremely expensive drivetrain system?

robert
robert
11 years ago

so FINALLY :D…. i cant wait for my 11-22 one-step 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22 cassette

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