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Two recently published patents from Tien Hsin Industries, the parent company of FSA, suggest that a 13-speed Wireless Electronic Groupset could be on the way soon. Will it mean the first FSA KFX mountain bike groupset?
The first patent – US11529827 – depicts and describes a 13 Speed Cassette with a fairly wide 10-48T sprocket arrangement, while the second – US11560200 – describes a wireless electronic rear derailleur with a clutch mechanism and the ability for non-contact charging… Is an FSA 13-Speed Electronic Drivetrain on the Horizon?
The 10-48T cassette shown in US11529827 would give this hypothetical FSA 13 Speed drivetrain a 480% gear range, wider than Campagnolo’s Ekar 13-speed 9-42T cassette that delivers a 467% range, and wider than the more niche Rotor 1×13 gravel 10-46T, but less than their 10-52T MTB variant. The FSA 13-speed sprocket breakdown is as follows: 10-12-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32-37-42-48.
My eyes hurt. That translates to steps of 2-2-2-2-2-2-3-3-4-5-5-6… tighter spacing than you get on most modern wide-range cassettes thanks to that extra cog, much like Campy explained with Ekar. Not only is its range wider than any of Campagnolo’s 13 Speed Cassettes, it also offers a different perspective on gear spacing ( Ekar in gray, above ). Presumably, with more off-road focus, it gets bigger steps percentage-wise between the two smallest ( fastest ) cogs, then a more consistent 10-15% gradient throughout the rest of the cassette ( see that orange […]
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