I think fans of AXS should take a look at the Archer system. It's clunky compared to AXS, but it has some advantages.
1\. The delicate bits are mounted where they are safely out of the way.
2\. It allows you to use whatever derailer you want/happen to have laying around. You don't have to worry about matching derailers to shifters to chains to cassettes. As long as it can handle the cogs it will work. If you explode a derailer, you're only out the cost of the cheapest replacement you can find. Like your hyperglide+ or whatever it's called? Keep it.
As much as I love my Archer system, it does have some downsides too.
1\. Charging the batteries blows. The team at Archer isn't backed by massive amounts of capital so the industrial design is decidedly utilitarian. The batteries aren't neatly integrated into a slick "ecosystem" so you can't slide out the power unit and click it into a specially designed charger. Rather, the batteries have to be removed from the devices and charged in an old-school-looking charger. On the plus side, the charge lasts a long time and nobody can easily steal the batteries.
2\. There's no cachet associated with the product. Nobody will think you're cool or feel jealous of you for having it.
I like it because it makes shifting mindless. It doesn't matter how tired or distracted I am, if I can summon the will to move my thumb to the button, I can execute a perfect shift every time.
Sept. 24, 2021, 3 p.m. - Jake Smith
I think fans of AXS should take a look at the Archer system. It's clunky compared to AXS, but it has some advantages. 1\. The delicate bits are mounted where they are safely out of the way. 2\. It allows you to use whatever derailer you want/happen to have laying around. You don't have to worry about matching derailers to shifters to chains to cassettes. As long as it can handle the cogs it will work. If you explode a derailer, you're only out the cost of the cheapest replacement you can find. Like your hyperglide+ or whatever it's called? Keep it. As much as I love my Archer system, it does have some downsides too. 1\. Charging the batteries blows. The team at Archer isn't backed by massive amounts of capital so the industrial design is decidedly utilitarian. The batteries aren't neatly integrated into a slick "ecosystem" so you can't slide out the power unit and click it into a specially designed charger. Rather, the batteries have to be removed from the devices and charged in an old-school-looking charger. On the plus side, the charge lasts a long time and nobody can easily steal the batteries. 2\. There's no cachet associated with the product. Nobody will think you're cool or feel jealous of you for having it. I like it because it makes shifting mindless. It doesn't matter how tired or distracted I am, if I can summon the will to move my thumb to the button, I can execute a perfect shift every time.