Electronic Gearbox Shifting: Our Experience with Pinion Smart.Shift

At Nua Bikes, we’ve integrated Pinion Smart.Shift across dozens of titanium builds and have been impressed with its real-world performance. Riders benefit from precise, consistent, and low-maintenance shifting, combined with the versatility of our frame designs. Smart.Shift introduces the ability to shift under load, a feature that complements the already robust mechanical Pinion gearbox. This means riders can shift gears even while climbing or sprinting without reducing pedal pressure.

NUA Roure ATB titanium bike equipped with Pinion Smart.Shift electronic gearbox. ToroLoco handlebar setup with Zirbel Twister shifter, integrated downtube battery, design for low-maintenance and precise shifting under load. Ideal for long adventure rides, bikepacking in the most remote places and all-terrain rides.

What Smart.Shift Does

Smart.Shift adds electronic control to the gearbox, offering two key autoshifting modes:

Moving Autoshift: Automatically shifts gears while you are moving but stop pedaling, adjusting to speed and cadence.

Stop/Start Autoshift: Detects when you stop and start pedaling, selecting the appropriate gear for a smooth restart.

These modes, combined with the ability to shift under load, provide a great riding experience. For example, when climbing a hill in lower gears, you can reach the top, start descending, and the system automatically shifts to higher gears as your speed increases. When you reach the bottom and start pedaling again, you’re already in the correct gear, avoiding “ghost pedaling.”

It is worth mentioning that we de-activate these parameters before shipping out our bikes that are assembled with Pinion Smart.Shift gearbox as we prefer our customers to test the bike without the system shifting by itself. These features can be activated through the Smart.Shift app at any point.

NUA Luna trekking and commuter titanium bike featuring Pinion Smart.Shift electronic gearbox. Smart.Shift provides seamless gear changes and autoshifting for stop-and-go urban rides and long-distance trekking.

Pinion Smart.Shift Integration on Nua Bikes

We integrate Smart.Shift thoughtfully to preserve clean aesthetics and functionality. On our builds, the battery is installed inside the downtube, which provides a streamlined look. While the battery requires removal of the gearbox for replacement, the process is straightforward. The charging port is handily positioned on the handlebars for easy access.

It is visually impossible to see that this Nua Roure Pinion Smart.Shift carries the battery integrated inside the downtube.

We also install a speed sensor on the left dropout to support the autoshift feature, which we consider one of the biggest advantages of Smart.Shift. While it is technically optional, we include it as standard because it significantly improves the riding experience.

How We Use Smart.Shift Across Nua Models

Flat-Bar Builds

We equip the Kensho, Luna, Roure, and Drac with Pinion Smart.Shift. Riders can choose between:

Pinion E-Trigger (push-button interface) - for riders who prefer push button over a rotary shifter. A lighter bulkier and heavier (38g) than the Zirbel Twister.

Pinion TE-1 Trigger Shifter and Pinion Smart.Shift battery charging cable neatly integrated on the Nua Roure cockpit.

Zirbel Twister (rotary control) - extremely lightweight (22g) and nearly invisible on the bars the cleanest and minimalist look.

Can you spot the Zirbel Twister shifter on this Nua Roure build?

Drop-Bar Builds

For drop-bar bikes like the Silice and Terra, we use TRP Hywire electronic brake/shift levers, offering full Pinion Smart.Shift functionality while maintaining standard ergonomics.

TRP Hywire shifters are specially designed for the Pinion Smart.Shift gearbox and provide the smoothest shifting experience on our drop bar models Nua Terra and Nu Silice.

Nua Terra build featuring Pinion Smart Shift and TRP Hywire shifters. The Smart Shift is a perfect companion for the Terra adventure ready gravel bike.

Pros and Cons of Pinion Smart.Shift

Advantages

• Shifts under load reliably.

• Autoshifting modes improve efficiency and reduce manual intervention.

• Fast, precise electronic shifting (0.2s per shift).

• Minimal maintenance compared to cable-driven systems.

• Clean integration, with hidden battery and accessible charging port.

• Battery recharge only every 20,000 shifts (~100 hours of operation), so charging is infrequent and usage-dependent.

Considerations

• Higher price point compared to mechanical Pinion setups.

• System complexity and dependence on electronics.

• Battery needs charging periodically, even if it lasts for 20,000 shifts, you still need to remember to recharge it.

NUA Silice gravel titanium bike equipped with Pinion Smart.Shift electronic gearbox and TRP Hywire shifters. This very unique Silice build also features the Cannondale Lefty Oliver Carbon fork. The customer asked, we delivered.

Conclusion

Smart.Shift improves the Pinion experience by enabling shifting under load and providing autoshift features that optimize gear selection automatically. While it introduces complexity and additional cost, the practical benefits and smooth integration make it a worthwhile consideration for any rider seeking reliable, low-maintenance, and technologically advanced drivetrain performance on both flat-bar and drop-bar titanium bikes.

💬 Ready to build your dream bike?

We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at contact@nuabikes.com