A patent filed by Campagnolo has revealed the Italian brand may be looking at reviving its iconic thumb shifter, although perhaps not in the same way as before.
According to US patent US2024351663A1, Campagnolo has developed a new way to control its electronic groupsets, such as Super Record Wireless and Super Record Wireless S, and other electronic bicycle components such as bike computers, suspension systems and dropper posts.
As reported by Velo, the new control unit would work using a switch that can detect how long it is actuated for, with different actions occurring depending on predetermined time thresholds being reached (or not).
A short press of the button, for example, might shift an electronic rear derailleur down one sprocket on a cassette, while a long press could trigger an upshift.
Curiously, though, the patent also suggests this switch could take the form of a wearable device.
With that in mind, could Campagnolo be about to revolutionise how we interact with electronic components on bicycles? Let’s find out.
The return of the thumb shifter – but not as we know it
Campanolgo’s patent suggests a single electronic switch could be used to perform multiple actions.
The switch would track how long it is pressed (or "actuated") for, with at least two different actions occurring depending on whether certain "time thresholds" are reached.
With only two buttons, then, you could control both the front and rear derailleurs of a 2x electronic groupset.
This is somewhat similar to SRAM’s eTap shifting logic, with one button per shifter, individually assigned to changing gear at the rear derailleur, with a simultaneous press of both buttons activating a front shift.
As on eTap, having a single button per shifter might also make it more difficult to press the ‘wrong’ button – as can occasionally happen with Shimano Di2 shifters (especially when wearing winter gloves that may obscure the texture difference between each Di2 button).
Campagnolo's patent goes further, however, by detailing how this shifter could take the form of a button behind the brake lever, a thumb shifter located on the inside of the brake hood or as a wearable device.
The wearable device – simply referred to as 'support body 50' in the patent – would be worn on a thumb and is 'actuated by moving another finger, for example the index finger, closer to the support body 50'.
Campagnolo suggests the wearable switch could take a number of forms, such as "contact-, capacitive-, magnetic-, magneto-thermal-, thermal-, pressure-, touch-" or "dome-type".
The patent notes that, for example, if the switch were magnetically activated, the rider could wear a magnetic "auxiliary member" on a finger to activate the switch.
According to the patent, Campagnolo’s goal with this technology is to make the control of electronic bicycle systems more efficient.
Additionally, it notes it hopes to "provide a user interface for a bicycle electronic system which is simple and inexpensive from the manufacture [sic] point of view".
Could something like this help bring the price of future Campagnolo groupsets down? That remains to be seen, of course, but doubtless many will be glad to see a major brand taking this into consideration.
What happened to the thumb shifter?
For those who aren’t aware, Campagnolo’s thumb shifter was an iconic piece of road-bike tech that differentiated its road bike groupsets from those offered by Shimano and SRAM.
As explained by our in-house Campag aficionado, Oscar Huckle, the thumb shifter played a key role in the brand’s ‘electro-mechanisation’ of its mechanical groupsets, helping to retain a more tactile approach familiar to users of the brand’s mechanical groupsets.
With the launch of Super Record Wireless, in May 2023, though, Campagnolo – to the dismay of some fans – ditched this much-loved feature in favour of two buttons located on the rear of each brake lever, in a style more akin to Shimano’s Di2 and SRAM’s eTap shifters.
While the jury is still out on whether this is a change for the better (you can read our first ride review of Super Record Wireless), there’s no denying it was a divisive move that risked alienating some long-term Campag riders.
This latest patent, though, suggests the Italian brand may not be done with thumb shifting for good and is still actively exploring ways to implement it on future electronic groupsets.
Of course, wearable electronic shifters might seem far-fetched and it’s worth remembering that not every patented technology will see the light of day.
Nevertheless, we always love to see brands thinking outside the proverbial box.
Do you think the current crop of integrated shift and brake levers leaves something to be desired, or would you rejoice at the return of Campagnolo’s iconic thumb-shifting tech (even if it was something you had to wear)? Let us know in the comments below.
