Gwin’s ‘gram hints at new player in the shifting arena
An Instagram photo posted over the weekend by professional mountain bike rider Aaron Gwin has alluded to a new player in the mountain bike drivetrain market.
He may have done the unthinkable and won a World Cup downhill race with essential parts of his drivetrain missing, but Aaron Gwin seemingly still would like the option to shift through the gears – and the ability to do so isn’t coming in tandem with any of the known operators in the segment.
As scrutinised by PinkBike, the photo depicts a system that is neither an existing Shimano nor SRAM unit and has since been confirmed to not be one of Box’s units. Box has altered its shifter design recently, removing the single tap shifter system system as a result of a patent dispute. This has led to a redesign, but only to the method of shifting. The firm has however outlined OEM plans for its now multi-tier catalogue.
So who is behind the mysterious prototype?
There is speculation that it could well be e*Thirteen, a brand that has steadily made inroads into drivetrain goods with chainrings, cassettes and cranks.