Originally Posted by
FlashBazbo
My guess is that, like a lot of SRAM's quirky features, it's a work-around to keep from violating a Shimano or Campy patent. It was the best design not foreclosed by somebody else's patent rights. Being the third (or worse) company to design a particular part has its disadvantages.
This isn’t new. That shifting pattern was introduced with the orginial eTap three years ago. It’s been pretty well accepted already (most reviewers liked it a lot).