“Hello, Wireless? It’s Shifting. You win.”
Spotted at Sea Otter last year in prototype form, the Archer Components D1x wireless shift system showed potential as a simple upgrade thanks to its focus on 1x drivetrains only. In December, they updated us to say they were close to production, and by Sea Otter 2018, they had a fully finished, retail ready package to show off.
The system is exceedingly simple – it’s just a remote and the receiver/actuator. By limiting the design to 1x drivetrains, they only need two buttons, one for up shifts and one for downshifts. And yes, it will work on SRAM Eagle and anything else with smaller cassettes. In fact, they not only sell the regular kit as shown above for $389 (minus derailleur), they also sell bundles with SRAM GX Eagle cassette and derailleur ($624), eThirteen DRSr cassette ($699) or DRS+ cassette ($599). All kits include a SRAM chain, too, and end up giving you a discount versus buying everything a la carte.
The shifter unit houses a rechargeable Li-Ion battery that’s the same shape and size as a AA battery, so in a pinch you can swap in any standard AA. It needs about 6″ of clear, straight space on the chainstay, or you’ll need to find somewhere else to mount it…like maybe your seat tube. Other than that, they say there’s no limitation to which type of bike you can use it on, and it should work with any drivetrain. Battery life is claimed at 50 hours in low power mode (which still shifts the same, but GMHG and auto shut down are deactivated) or 30 hours in standard mode.
What’s GMHG? It’s the Get Me Home Gear that you select in the app, and if power gets critically low, the system will automatically shift to that gear, then power down.
The unit does fill the space inboard of the chainstay, so it’s important to get it installed tightly to avoid accidental contact with the cogs or spokes.
The shifter uses a Li-Ion rechargeable AAA-sized battery, so emergency swaps are possible here, too. It’s a simple up or down button combo with a Matchmaker+ mounting compatibility. Three mounting holes let you customize its position.
The remote is paired to the shifter and turns itself off once you turn the shifter off. The entire system is highly water resistant (it’ll survive a quick creek crossing, but not meant to remain submerged) and operates between -10ºC and 50ºC (14ºF to 122ºF).
This installation video shows how to set it up. They’re available now on their website.
