Eurobike 2010 - FSA launch Metron TT groupset

It's not often you get to start Eurobike with something really new, but this year we were treated to a first look at FSA's Metron groupset for TT bikes. The kit has been in testing for the last season with the Cofidis team and it's an interesting new take on the TT shifter.

We were a bit nonplussed when we saw the system first, as it didn't appear to have any shifters, just a lot of brake levers. But look again: those two levers on the extensions are the shifters, and they work in quite an ingenious way. Tucked inside the extension is a ratchet system which indexes the gears; you squeeze the lever to shift up the cassette and push the top of the unit to drop back down. The main benefit is that you never have to move your hand from the TT position, and FSA claim that the straight ratchet has less internal friction than the more usual barrel-based systems, and less friction is always a good thing on TT bikes with tortuous cable routing.

Married to the shifter is a Carbon rear mech that weights in at a feathery 135 grams, so we're told, and a front mech too to shift over FSA's existing Carbon chainset. The shifters are SRAM/Shimano compatible – though not with Dura Ace 7900 as it uses a different cable pull on the front, there will be a version for that soon – and FSA are working on a chain and cassette to complete the groupset.

We don't have word on pricing in the UK, or availability although we're assured it's close to production. Price is TBC too, we're guessing it's not going to be cheap...