push’R for Rohloff: Trigger for Twister and Fluid for Wires

As much as Rohloff has earned fans for their durability and wide gearing range, fewer people are excited by the internally-geared hubs’ fourteen-speed twist shifters.  In response, we’ve seen a number of aftermarket solutions pop up- everything from mechanical paddles to shiny CNC-machined twister barrels.  Now the Swiss tinkerers at bpod.ch are entering the mix with a hydraulic trigger system.

Given internally-geared hubs’ inherent ability to shrug off the worst of weather, hydraulic shifting does make sense.  Doubly so when the stock Rohloff shifter’s dual full-length cable runs (which can drag considerably when worn or contaminated) are taken into account.

Rather than creating their own shifters (and navigating a world of overlapping patents),  bpod have adapted Acros’ hydraulic trigger.  In Acros’ case, pushing on the top of the paddle will move one direction through the transmission, while pushing on the bottom (off-axis) will do the opposite.  Thanks to the looped nature of the system, a switch of the ports will reverse shifting action.

Given to the lightweight hydraulic lines (and Rohloff’s prioritisation of durability over weight), the push’R is expected to save 120g over stock.  For those with reduced right hand dexterity, Acros’ left trigger may also be used for what will likely be the only left-side full-range trigger shifter on the market.

A road shifter is also planned- but the flat bar version looks considerably further along.  The kit is not yet complete or priced, but interested parties can follow the project at pshr.ch or the bpod.ch Facebook page.