SRAM "Leaks" A New Rear Derailleur Design

Sram released this image via their facebook page just a few hours ago. The caption on it was "Can you spot anything interesting?" It's pretty obvious, isn't it? Check out the rear derailleur.

Just last year Shimano introduced the XTR Shadow Plus rear derailleur. What made it special? The friction clutch mechanism that resists cage movement over rough terrain. The result is less chain bounce, which means a quieter ride and reduced chances of chain drop. We were so impressed by Shimano's rear derailleur that we gave it a Shreddy Award. Well, if we were a betting bunch, we'd be willing to bet a good chunk of dollars that this is Sram's answer to their biggest competitor.

How does it work? Your guess is as good as ours at this point. We'll be attending a Sram product launch in late February. Perhaps we'll get to play with it then...