Bike needs a tune? The Otto Tuning System has an app for that, With Smart Phone based Derailleur Adjustment

Wow. Words fail me to describe how completely ridiculous and unnecessary this junk is. April fools?

@bikeduder (sweet name!) and @AlanM–did you guys actually read the article? Or are you just reacting based on (faulty) instinct?

“I want to begin by saying, nothing can beat an experienced mechanic. There can be a number of things affecting your shifting and it is never in our best interest to take a chance with something we’re about to take on a long journey…. that can easily ruin said journey. However, a mechanic may not always be available. Out camping or even on a ride, if you are not quite sure how all those cables and gear thingys work, this actually could be a valuable “tool”.”

One should really figure out how all those cables and gears work before committing to ride that relies on self sufficiency.

@Patrick, I did read the article and watched the video. My point was simply that this only helps with a few of the possible reasons why your shifting might be off. And if you don’t know how to check for other issues, like chain wear, cassette wear, issues with cable and housing, than this app is going to be pretty limited in how useful it can really be. It counts on the only issues being related to derailleur adjustment or a bent hanger. Not faulty logic and not a reaction based on just reading the headline.

@Reformed Roadie… +1

has bike rumor actually used the product, or are you just reposting a press release & commenting based on the same information available to the rest of us?

Technically very neat. I am not sure the intended market, but I am pretty sure nobody is forcing me to buy anything.
Otto – make a home bike fit check app using the same tech. This may be very helpful for the hundreds of people I see on super low saddles alone, if you could somehow get them to even realize something like this is out there.

I’m pretty seasoned and my derailleurs’ silent operation is the envy of my friends, but if this can help me do it quicker then bring it !! $40 bucks is a bit much though.

Quick adjust in our shop is $35 (CAD, so like $5 in real money), and you won’t end your ride pulling the remains of your rear derailleur out of the remains of your rear wheel.

On the bright side, this device could create more demand for quality shop service.

Congratulations, the tech-challenged people in the f*** the LBS camp got a new hipster app.

When will someone spend the time to build an actually useful app that can save lives instead, e.g. scan the mushroom before eating it, or scan the QR before it goes into your front brake disc, or scan your wife’s face to know if it’s safe to propose a new bike upgrade?

@Frippolini – thank you for joining us from Pinkbike – your comment is a dead give away. Well played, sir.

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@Scott, thanks for the real world experience. Seemed a little fishy, so it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that it really didn’t work very well.

Have you seen my DAG in a box?

It being able to see if your hanger is bend is pretty cool though…

Uh if your RD hanger is out of alignment, all the tuning and adjustment in the world won’t solve the poor shifting. The Park Tool RD alignment is worth it’s weight in gold.

This is still garbage.

i cannot believe anyone would waste their time making something like this. 🙂 Really , wtf.

as a mechanic for 20+ years, this isnt the worst idea in the world. You do realize how tight the tolerances for 11spd is these days right? The difference between +/- 0.5mm is the difference between annoying occasional noise and a sweet sweet silent ride.

I can tune your shifting in the stand by sight and ear bc i do it every day. For your average guy, he’ll get it close enough, but using this, it would be as close as you can get to perfect alignment, every time.

Just because you ride an ill-adjusted $5k vonderbike and dont know any better doesnt mean you should crap all over everyone else’s ideas.

This app has the worst voice synthesizer I’ve heard in a long time. It sounds like something from the ’80s.

This app doesn’t take into account why the drive train is out of adjustment. There are so many factors involved with an adjustment.

I’ll pass…

Total rip off.

Paid $50 for kit. Then informed if I want to actually tune any of my bikes I’ve gotta pay a further $5.99 for a weeks access or $60 for a year.

Pay the $5.99 just to set up my 3 10/11 speed bikes, then find out that it’s not compatible with 11-speed MTB at all and can only ‘check’ (not tune) my 10-speeds.

Really pissed off!