Wish your bike would just shift for you? With the new ProShift control unit, that possibility may not be far off. The idea is pretty simple – plug in or connect your electronic drivetrain to the head unit wirelessly, and allow the computer to figure out the optimal shifting. Putting that into practice is certainly more complicated, but Baron Controls, the creator of the ProShift seems to have the answer. Available for Shimano Di2, SRAM eTap, and Campagnolo EPS, ProShift is ready to keep you in the optimum gear on your next ride…
Each ProShift system includes a head unit that is either wireless or wired depending on the application. The Shimano system is plug and play with an e-tube compatible system, while the Campagnolo box included wires and a new junction box that is ProShift compatible. SRAM systems will be offered with wireless or wired for TT applications with the bar end shifters included.
In order to make the whole system work, the rechargeable head unit receives data from your bike’s sensors including cadence, speed, watts, or heart rate to determine the optimum cadence for any given situations. Based on those parameters, the ProShift brain will shift the derailleurs for you in order to keep your output in the sweet spot of the power band. There is also a manual override mode that allows you to shift on your own at any given point using the shifters normally. This causes the ProShift to stop functioning for 20 seconds but without any additional manual shifts it will switch back to auto mode. Additional gear mapping is included to avoid cross chaining when in auto mode, though the whole system is able to be personalized with different user profiles.
Available for multiple bike set ups, the concept could be especially useful on adaptive bikes where using traditional shifters may not be an option. The information from the head unit can also be projected to smart glasses so you can see the training metrics that would otherwise be on the screen. Pricing starts at $799 for the base model and they are taking orders now.
