As “Fall 2008″ grows closer, we are getting more teasers out of the SRAM camp on the new front shifting mechanism called “HammerSchmidt.” This update included several videos that almost show you the testing and final product. They do a great job at being humorous about “almost” showing the front cranks/shifting.

The main reason behind the recent website update is to illustrate that the system is going to be geared towards the all mountain and freeride crowd. Most of us were already aware of this because of the weight issue of this mechanism. The HammerSchmidt system is going to change the way that you think about front shifting and it is supposed to make the front derailleur a part of the past.

I am really looking forward to the final product, and if it is even half as good as they say it is…it might replace every front derailleur on AM/FR bikes. I don’t think FD’s, with their funny little quirks, are going to be missed with this crowd. SRAM is already behind the best shifting in the industry with their 1:1 actuation ratio that I have found to be bulletproof under all riding conditions, so I can imagine that this system will be spot on as well.