Archer Electronic Shifters

Is anyone using this system? And if so, how is it working?

 

I would give it a pretty good grades thus far. However, it has been used for only two rides on a new ride. My own thoughts are that once you figure out how to set it up; it is dead simple.

The setup is a pie-plate Sunrace 11-50, Sunrace MX 8 Der, w/50-34 crank.

 

I'm using the Archer D1X on my Azub Max, and have used it for the past year or so, about 3,000 miles. I'm using it with a SRAM GX and a 10-cluster (and a triple in front, bought when I got the Max about 6 years ago), but it's supposed to work with most any components. It works really well for me. It is a bit slow to shift (see below), compared to the bar end shifter on my other bike (Schlitter Encore), but it always shifts spot-on, never a miss. No matter how much I and the local mechnic tweaked my old cable system, it would miss shifts, erratically. I attributed that to unavoidable friction in the long and circuitous cable run. Maybe it was something else. But whatever the reason may have been, the problem is now gone. It's nice to be able to rely absolutely on the shifter. As for the speed of shifting, Archer has just started offering a modified battery pack (three shorter batteries instead of two AA batteries) that provide increased voltage and supposedly significantly faster shifting. I'm still using the old two-AA setup, being slow to try new stuff if the old stuff still works well, but I think I will go for the three short batteries this coming summer. Note that you do have to spend some time fussing with programming the shifter. Each individual gear setting must be programmed, tested, and tweaked until you get it just right. But I find it to be well worth the trouble. You didn't ask about customer support from Archer, but I have found it to be excellent -- prompt, courteous, and effective. I could say more about the shifter, but I'll stop here.

 

I just installed one on my BBW offroader. Despite a new drive train, the cable shifting had always been dicey in some gears, (had to overshift and drop back down) so hoping this will be more precise. Will give it a first ride this weekend.

 

Ok, installed the Sprint batteries and did 90 min of fairly technical mountain biking.

So far so good. The bike has never shifted better! I did a little fine-tuning on the fly with the micro-adjust. Shifting is every bit as fast as my Shimano XT cable shifter.

Unlike the XT, there is now no more overshifting, having to shift up 2 and down one just to go up one gear etc.

 

No, the previous manual cable shifting is the one that always gave me issues. It was a Shimano XT 11 speed.

The Archer is new to me, and from the get-go is working the best this bike has ever shifted. I only rode it with the Sprint batteries.

I edited the previous post now if it wasn’t clear.

I had left the cable housing in place just in case, but now I’ll remove it. I will leave some thin cable guide tubing just in case I ever have to replace it in future.

 

I got the sprint batteries with my D1X and it shifts just as fast as my XT trigger shifter. I’ll carry the original batteries as spares.
Note- I think you could run 3.6v 2/3 AA size batteries for triple the life on a tour or something, but they are not rechargeable. Might be a good option for spares too.

https://www.batteryjunction.com/xl-055f.html