Guillermo

The thread about Campy electronic in '05 motivated me to take a couple pics and post a thread about Mavic Mektronic shifting.

Mavic's wireless Mektronic shifting system uses a traditional cable front derailleur, and a wireless rear derailleur. Shifts within the cassette are then executed with slight pressure on one of several buttons located around the handlebars, which transmits via a unique frequency to the rear derailleur. Batteries are located in the rear derailleur and integrated computer. It appears to me that the rear derailleur has all the usual adjustment features.



There are three locations you can shift from with Mektronic. When your hands are on the tops, there are two buttons located on the computer that allow you to shift into a lower or higher tooth gear.



With your hands on the hoods, you can shift from two locations. There is a button on the top left of the right hood that moves up and down with a little pressure to change gears. you can see this in the photo above.

The other location can also be reached from the drops. There are two buttons here that control the rear derailleur.



The computer is also integrated with the system. It displays the gear that you are in, along with all the usual computer functions minus cadence.

The levers are extremely comfortable and ergonomic, as you can shift from pretty much any position. I have logged roughly 200 miles with Mektronic, and shifting occurs with ease. You can hold the button in to shift multiple gears, or push it rapidly. There is usually a slight delay before the derailleur engages. I would compare this to the time it would take you to shift with Shimano STI levers.

Weakness I see in the system are as follows. The shifters have accidently changed gears over rough bumps on several occasions, but not often enough to become a nuisance. Battery life worries me, as I don't know what would happen if you ran out on a ride - carry a spare?! Also, possible lack of familiarity at LBS's, and future support by Mavic also worry me.

Overall I think this system works magnificently, and is ahead of it's time. However, I don't see the point to spend the R&D to develop such a thing. Is cable shifting so bad? I don't think so. That said, I will probably swap the system out for Dura-ace componentry.

It may be for sale soon if anyone's interested.

Dax
lponced@umich.edu

usnagent007

Great review, and nice bike!

orcanova

I had the Mavic Zapp gruppo, which predated the Mektronics...it was not wireless.

Shifting was so smooth and precise, and instantaneous, it was a joy. As far as batteries, all the batteries were required to do was to trip a selenoid valve. The front deurailler was manual.

One drawback was that connection from the wire to the deurailler would unplug easily when pulling the bike in or out of the car. One duathlon I didn't notice it until I got on the bike and had to stop and dismount to find out why I wasn't shifting and lost probably 45 seconds, and it knocked me out of the top ten overall.

Another duathlon it simply failed on me during a race and I was stuck in the middle of the rear cog so I had to finish the race with two gears. So it probably deserved to die a failed project, but man was it awesome 99.99% of the time.

Oh, it was fragile. I had a collision with a car and it was broken in pieces...the external cover was plastic and it could not withstand a crash on pavement. Mind you, My TT bike was pretzled and I was hauled away in an ambulance...it was a bad wreck, but I had the impression a traditional duerailler would have been salvageable.

Doge

Anyone want to sell theirs?

Walter

Huh?

Doge

Does anyone want to sell their Mavic Mektronic ?
Use it for TTs.

Homebrew01

We haven't had a 12 year bump in a while !

Debunks the myth that Shimano was first.

cyclebycle13

Had it. Worked great until the battery in the RD died. Changed it and nothing worked. Mavic warrantied it and the replacement never worked correctly. Eventually they refunded my money and I moved on.

Jiggle

Many years
Such necrothread
Wow

Doge

I have 3 now. One broke, one unreliable and one currently on my juniors TT bike. The only thing I don't like is I can't replace the pulleys. It makes a super clean TT bike. In action this summer.
https://vimeo.com/105725225

Doge

I also used to use them on the rear of the tandem. Sprinting on the old steel tandems could cause enough frame flex to auto shift a cable system and the long cables were also an issue with feel.

The Mectronic on the rear caused a think-shift and I could upshift several times while out of the saddle. Made for killer sprint tool. The Di2 we us now is quicker, but not as easy to shift as the Mavic.

cdstheboss

Bump, bump

Resurecting an old thread!!! I'm looking for information, anyone?

I bought a used Mektronic group for my Look 196 restoration. Trouble is, the seller couldn't find the speed sender unit. Then he found it, then he ignored my messages!

Does anyone know the frequency used between the sender unit and the computor?

Any help will be appreciated.

big john

Wouldn't it be the same as any similar type speed sensor? Is it just a magnet and a switch? Magnet creates pulse each revolution?

I did some research and I see it was a wireless system. People also say it doesn't work very well. Have you tried contacting Mavic?

cdstheboss

Thank you Big John. I've sent an email to Mavic Europe, but no response yet. The local agent doesn't have a clue!

Yes, it's a wireless system, so trying different wireless magnets could be a solution, but not one I want to try, unless I have to.

Doge

Only guessing because I had a discussion with the Shimano product guy that the Mavic was standard wireless and pre-Bluetooth and that is why it sometimes got interference.
So my guess is 2.4GHz
https://www.wired.com/2010/09/wireless-explainer/

cdstheboss

Thanks Doge, I'll try 2.4GHHz first, I think that's the Garmin f and I have a Garmin.

Doge

Just tried to see if I could see any stamping - nope.
I assume this is what you are talking about.

cdstheboss

Hi Doge, Yes, that's the one!

I've still to try anything, but if you see a sender unit (hens teeth I know), please let me know.

Vic

Doge

PM me and I can find a way to get this to you.

tomato coupe

Curious. How is it that the first post in this thread was on 8-4-02, but it contains a reference to a Campy product in '05? Was Campy announcing products 3 years in advance?

Leinster

The OP refers to a "thread about Campy electronic in 2005." Campagnolo introduce EPS in 2011. It might be that the OP was referring to a thread or article posted in 2002 that said Campagnolo were working on electronic shifting, with a then-anticipated delivery date of 2005. I think I remember reading somewhere that the development of EPS took a looooooong time (long enough that they had to completely rework everything when mechanical 11 speed was introduced; 10 speed was the brand new standard when they started development).

The other odd thing about the time stamp is that Mektronic was introduced in 1999, but a 2002 post already treats it like a historical object. As if people knew just months after Mektronic was released that this was dead as a doornail.

cdstheboss

Resurrecting an old thread again, 2nd time in a year!!
In May 2020 I asked about the sender unit for a Mek groupset, which I didn't have (have the groupo, not the sender unit).

Now, thanks to DOGE I have one, thank you DOGE.
DOGE offered to send me one he had and I, of course, said 'yes please' and jumped at the chance. DODGE kindly posted to me on 21st October 2020, to South Africa. We have corresponded infrequently over the last few months wondering where the sender unit was and if it would ever arrive. On 16th January I checked the tracking number again, in hopes of a miracle I suppose. I found it, it had arrived in South Africa (no idea when, but probably months ago) and was waiting at customs for clearance. Ten days later and I collected from my post office today.

Our post office does work!!!!!
Incredibly inefficiently, but it does work.

Thank you DOGE, your generosity and willingness to help are very much appreciated.

Doge

It was Big_John that alerted me to your request. The USPS would not accept the package in the May-June timeframe as they said the SA post office was down and not accepting packages. Fed-Ex and UPS both wanted over $125 to ship something about the size of the shipping label. So I carried this thing in my car for a couple months and when I'd go to the USPS I'd ask if South Africa was opened yet. I think I became more attached to the box and the address. I grew up in West and East Africa, so while completely different places, I kinda got attached to the box (not that I want it back @cdstheboss).
I'll look forward to a picture of it on the bike.