We have spotted an unreleased Microshift groupset, called Cypher, on Giant’s new Seek kids' bike.
On display at Eurobike, the new groupset appears to be Microshift's first electronic groupset.
It shares similarities with Microshift Sword, but we have few details about the latest addition to Microshift’s groupset line-up.
What we do know is that the groupset was used by Giant to create a more affordable version of the Seek.
Giant’s new road kids' bike has been designed from the ground up. Aimed at children from ages 7 to 12, the bike is designed to be as close to an adult’s bike as possible.
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“We knew we had a final design when we couldn’t tell it was a kids' bike,” says Marcel Yang, Giant’s category manager for kids and youth.
The other Seek bikes use a groupset from TRP. Yang says he carried around a 3D-printed brake lever for over a year, trying to find a brand that could create a small, child-friendly lever that fits all the necessary parts for hydraulic brakes and electronic gears.
After TRP wrapped up its project with Classified to design its 1x16 groupset, it said it would consider Giant’s project, according to Yang.
While TRP’s groupset for the Seek features hydraulic gears, the more affordable Microshift Cypher has cable-actuated levers.
However, the cables from the brake levers run into Giant’s MPH system at the stem. This has a cable-actuated master cylinder, which links the cable actuation to a hydraulic disc brake.
Like Microshift Sword, then, it looks as though Cypher will use cable-actuated brakes.
Also like Sword, the child-friendly Cypher levers have two shifting buttons to actuate its 10-speed cassette.
Giant’s marketing manager, Andrew Juskaitis, says the Seek is about making kids' cycling more enjoyable. “We have a commitment to get kids on bikes. We're not going to make a ton of money, but we think it's important,” he says.
Similarities continue with adult bikes through the Seek’s carbon fork, SRAM UDH dropout and D-shaped seatpost that introduces some comfort.
One area where the bike is not like an adult’s bike is the geometry. Yang says: “The geometry was dialled in from scratch. I put kids on our Dynamic Cycling Fit machine.”
So the unique geometry is another special element kids have with the Seek, alongside Microshift Cypher – for which adults will have to wait.
BikeRadar has contacted Microshift for comment.
