Hey everyone welcome!
With the introduction of SRAM's new drivetrain called the T-Type Transmission
we finally know what they had in mind when they introduced this, the UDH or the Universal Derailleur Hanger back in 2019.
So was this a strike of genius, innovation, or just clever marketing let's take a closer look!
As you guys know some of my bikes were stolen not too long ago,
I am rebuilding the Yeti ARC, this is the raw carbon just like the one that was stolen
and I love this bike because of the way it rides, it gives me clearance for 2.6 tires in the back
but I also love it because it gives me the SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger
and I believe this design is innovative and it could be the future of bikes the way we know it, and thi is why.
The one thing that SRAM said that definitely made a lot of sense was that you will be able to find a replacement derailleur hanger for your bike
no matter what bike you have, and no matter where you are.
And I don't know about you guys but I do have a bag full of derailleur hangers for my many bikes
so it was easy to look at UDH when it came out as being just another standard
however SRAM did a few things that were pretty smart:
Number 1 - it was 15$ Number 2 - they took care of distribution
so people that already had a relationship with SRAM they only needed to ask for another part.
Number 3 - I am sure that they whispered in at least the big bike manufacturer's ears the fact that something new was coming with this
because bikes like Yeti ARC was launched from the get-go with a new UDH.
So was this Innovative in any way?
In the past the derailleur hangers looked just like this and they were pretty much the fantasy of the frame designers
but at some point some of the companies started to move into a design like this
pretty much a through bolt going from side to side on that rear dropout
and you can see here where the rear through axle bolted onto it.
This made for a pretty strong interface, I never ever had to replace it because I think the frame would break before this would bend or break.
The UDH hanger is a very similar design to that, nice and strong made by sSRAM this time and by the way
these are the partnumbers from SRAM if you were to order one.
So companies that bought into the Universal Derailleur Hanger as a new standard that would simplify their manufacturing world
had to pretty much redesign the back of their bikes, definitely the dropouts, and that's the reason why
the new Santa Cruz Tallboy does not give you that sliding Dropout or adjustable chainstay
because that new standard, the SRAM UDH standard has very specific dimensions.
Also SRAM introduced with that something that is innovative:
and that was the ability of this little derailleur hanger to rotate backwards
and that is pretty much the ability of any of the current derailleurs rotate backwards if they are hit from the front.
Little we knew at the time that that ability of that derailleur hanger would be moved into the design of the new T-Type Transmission
and because we can do it on the frame we don't need any other their frame component to make that work.
Is this innovative? For sure. Is this the future of bikes the way we know it?
Well if you read any of the articles talking about patents put forward by Shimano and others
you know that there is definitely something into this.
If you look at SRAM marketing with people jumping on the derailleurs with their full body weight
Well, according to SRAM this design of their new T-Type derailleurs, the sandwich design, the Full Mount design that they use
can withstand up to about 600 kilograms or more. How much is that in pounds? A ton!
And that is because when you put pressure here on the derailleur hanger...
Hey I said hanger, I'm used to it!
you're putting a lot of pressure onto the axle, the wheel axle, remember this goes like that
so if the rear of your bike can withstand all the abuse that comes from the wheel I assume
that's the reason why SRAM considered this to be a strong enough design that will not necessarily ruin your frame.
And I'm saying all this by giving you guys examples from the most expensive drivetrain we've ever ever seen, happens to be wireless as well,
but if you put that aside and think about this type of derailleur mount I think this will be the future.
God knows if we're gonna have different standards of direct mount - the UDH, Shimano standard, and many others,
or they're all going to stick with UDH, I can only hope that UDH will be the standard but I doubt it.
However this is good, this is the future, I truly believe in it
and I'm glad that I have a couple of bikes that can use this new Transmission so I can review it for you you guys and see what it is about.
So what do you think? Is this something that you're interested in?
Not necessarily the new XX / X0 drivetrains but the derailleur mount.
What do you think about UDH? Are you gonna sell your bike or frame and get one that does accept this standard?
Let me know in the comments below, I hope you guys found this video useful
and if you did don't forget to like, subscribe and comment,
and until next time I'll see you folks on the trails.
Cheers guys, cheers!