Previewed: Unveiling Truvativ's Hammerschmidt

Installing and tightening the crankarm isn't much different from a standard drive-side crankarm.

Hammerschmidt, however, does weigh a little more than a traditional front derailleur system. According to Truvativ, the freeride version weighs 11 grams more than a traditional Holzfeller set up with shift guide and front derailleur, and the all-mountain version weighs 172 grams more than a Stylo crankset with with shift guide and front derailleur. But as sales of height-adjustable seatposts prove, sometimes extra weight is worth the sacrifice. Hammerschmidt allows riders to shift faster and more reliably, eliminate chain drops and produce better suspension bikes. For many, those benefits will greatly outweigh the slight weight penalty.

The future is bright for Hammerschmidt—and this is just the beginning. Elite XC athletes have long used 2x9-shifting systems and Adam Craig just recently won the XC National Championships with a single front chainring. It doesn't take crystal ball to predict that there's a huge potential market for an XC race version. The commuter market has also recently exploded, and even thought it's 180-degrees from World Cup racing, the potential for this technology to expand into other cycling arenas is huge.

We recently test rode the Hammerschmidt and can attest to the system’s potential. We rode prototypes that Truvativ officials said were louder and less refined than final production models, but I was impressed with system's quality and compact design. It takes a while to get used to the wide range of gear combinations now available, especially the once off-limits 24x11 gear combo. And the lack of shifting delay felt strange at first—riders no long have to wait for their cranks to rotate into a certain position for the shift to occur. But that first ride left me eager for a longer test to see how the system performs on a trail with lots of tight clearance situations and abrupt steep climbs. This could be a ground-breaking product for Truvativ, no wonder they kept it under wraps for so long.

Make sure to check out the Sept/Oct issue of Bike that includes an exclusive interview with Truvativ's product manager Brian Bos about the Hammerschmidt, on newsstands August 19.

Ready to ride—the Hammerschmidt is good to go.

Here's the all-mountain version of the Hammerschmidt

Watch an introduction to Hammerschmidt video HERE.

What do you think of the Hammerschmidt? Leave a comment below.

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Reader Comments

Posted Tue Aug12, 2008, 8:53 PM — By Disco

Good Idea, adapting Auto trans tech from cars. All that metal might have a slight weight penalty for racers but this obviously not aimed at the XTR crowd. Time will tell for durability and I would expect a few bugs/teething problems with the first two runs. Still though, I gotta have it!!

Posted Wed Aug13, 2008, 2:35 AM — By photo-john

That is f-ing sweet. Gimme.

Posted Wed Aug13, 2008, 5:21 AM — By Olly

Very interesting indeed. Obviously it'll need to be reliable and *very* well sealed if it's going to survive a typical british winter (mmm, gritty). The only slight downer is the ISCG requirement, good excuse for a new bike though :D

Posted Wed Aug13, 2008, 8:51 AM — By Interested

Hammerschmidt + belt drive + economical Rohloff = bombproof I would be all over the theoretical XC model, for sure. Far more exciting than external bottom brackets ever were.

Posted Wed Aug13, 2008, 4:56 PM — By jeremy

When can I get one? Sign me up!Not afraid of change that is long overdue in the bike industry!

Posted Wed Aug13, 2008, 6:23 PM — By Tyler, Revolution Cycles, Rossland, B.C.

Lots of suspension designs pedal poorly and offer lots of pedal kickback when pedaling in the granny gear. I'm not sure I want to be permanently stuck there as far as the chain tension/suspension effect is concerned, regardless of the gear ratio.

Posted Wed Aug13, 2008, 10:50 PM — By Peter

that looks sick I want one. It looks like its sortof like the honda bike transmision

Posted Thu Aug14, 2008, 7:44 PM — By Axle

I have been fantasizing about something like this for a long time. High and low gearing, just like my 4x4 truck- it's about fucking time. But if it relies on the 9 speed system, I am not going to buy it. I am pedaling around a heavy bike (40 lbs) and I don't really need 27 gears. I just need a super low gear for climbing, a downhill gear, and a few gears in between. This used to be known as 8 speed, and it was way more reliable and durable than 9 speed. Unfortunately, it was impossible to buy a 8 speed setup with a nice 34 tooth cassette. 9 speed chains, narrow as they are, wear out way faster, need much more adjustment to say shifting smoothly, and and are way easier to break or kink than stout 8 speed chains. Small front rings wear out fast, and if I still have to buy a new $100 cassette and $30 chain every year, I don't see myself switching to this system. But it is a step in the right direction. Go back to fatter chains, while maintaining the super low gearing, and I am totally sold.

Posted Fri Aug15, 2008, 3:47 PM — By gregb406

I assume the chainrings are replaceable and either 22 or 24 teeth. I wonder if a few other sizes will be available, because either of those would be too low for a Rohloff hub.

Posted Sat Aug16, 2008, 1:24 AM — By Dan

Looks pretty sweet, though the necessity of ISCG tabs mean we're all on the hook to buy new frames, too. Bummer. Maybe the likes of Dave Weagle can come up with a reliable retrofit kit?

Posted Sun Aug17, 2008, 4:50 AM — By Webitor

Axle - It doesn't have anything to do with 8 or 9 speed rear shifting. It's only the front gearing. You can run it 7,8 or 9 speed or single speed or with a rohloff, although each of those systems will have its own advantages and disadvantages in different environments. Greg - For starters the chainrings are 22 and 24, I have a feeling other sizes will be available in the future. The current FR and AM designs completely capture the chain though and so they will have some sort of tooth limit because of the chain guide/bash guard design.

Posted Tue Aug19, 2008, 10:25 PM — By Evan

I want one for my townie with an 8-speed Nexus hub. Now that would be sweet. The design looks like it would be very commuter-friendly.

Posted Mon Aug25, 2008, 6:34 AM — By adders from Sillygrin

this unit replaces a 22T & 36T from a standard 9speed set up. it wouldn't make sense to use it with a rohlof as you get a full range of ratios (over 14gears) just like a 27speed set up but with with a single front ring. The application is a replacement for duplex 9 speed front - leaving the 9 speed cassette and rear mech which SRAM already manufacture. it does however open the door for rohloff to develope a new unit with fewer ratios that you could use WITH this system to multiply up to your 27speed equivalent - but then why have 2 levers & cables which rohloff already have a 1 lever, 1 cable solution which does the job. Hmmm could be a betamax/VHS showdown on the horizon...

Posted Tue Aug26, 2008, 11:50 AM — By JaKeefer

HammerSchmidt + improved version of shimano's 8 speed alpine rear hub = potential greatness...

Posted Wed Aug27, 2008, 11:45 PM — By Jerome

looks interesting, agree might require a larger (but still small!) ring to work for many folks' purposes seems would also mean shorter caged derailleurs could be used, thanks to no chain slack from front shifts

Posted Thu Aug28, 2008, 11:29 PM — By Tim

Looks cool. Immediately I think of BMX. It looks like the only thing that limits the size of the front sprocket is the chain guide piece. It might require a custom sprocket, but if you were running a single speed in the back you wouldn't need a chain guide. Being able to shift under load and have that 1:1.6 ratio would change everything.

Posted Fri Sep 5, 2008, 1:00 AM — By Andrew

For all those commuters who are lamenting being neglected during the debut of this thing, you should know that your product has already existed for some time made by Schlumpf Innovations (http://www.schlumpf.ch/md_engl.htm). And it's way cooler anyways because it dumps the cable and shifter. Ride on.

Posted Tue Oct21, 2008, 8:35 AM — By a

you nerds...

Posted Wed Dec 3, 2008, 9:59 PM — By Ben

I want this in a unicycle. would really help with going fast on my 26in. That Coker is fun but kinda big.

Posted Fri Mar20, 2009, 5:48 AM — By thinker

Good idea but poor execution. SInce rear cassettes already offer 1:3 ratio with 11:34 teeth on cogs the planetary front system should offer at least a 1:2 or ideally a 1:3 ratio. As is it there will be the same wasteful overlap of ratios as found in classic derailleur based systems. A 1:3 front and 3:1 rear would allow 1:9 overall. Allowing same cadence at 3 mph and 27 mph.

Posted Mon Sep28, 2009, 11:47 AM — By Megaspin

thinker: Blah! Geekout misses point. There's no effing front derailleur! Furthermore, it's not about sitting around talking about ratio's. It's about dropping 6 feet or pounding through a rock garden at 24 mph and not losing your chain. Andrew: Are you kidding? The Schlumpf is weak. And by weak, I mean not durable. Even a cross country "oh no one of my wheels lifted off the trail for 1/2 second" pussy would destroy that thing.