Originally Posted by
ColorChange
The primary benefit is any gear, any time, under any constitutions. In fact, the Di2 has superior reliability compared to Red and Shimano (I haven’t used Campy), in that when I shift, I get the gear I want. With the others, you still don’t always get the right gear because of too short a push or not enough pressure on the shifter, cross chaining, too much load while shifting (especially the fd), etc. Additionally, it takes more mental energy to focus on getting the shift right. Not with Di2, it’s simply tap and forget. Also, barrel adjusters and cables are a thing of the past.
Totally made for the American "I've got money so I can look like a pro but can't ride for ****" market then right? If the best part about Di2 is that it makes shifting easier and we no longer have to put any sort of effort into it, we are so screwed as a species. I'm not sure about you, but shifting is not hard and does not require much effort - mental of physical. If you cannot operate a shifter correctly, then you need to learn. Gawds, this is almost as good as the argument for not using turn indicators while driving.
Disclaimer: I have downtube shifters on my geared road bike. I can have any gear, any time, and I get the right gear every time. Under load. Without looking. But then again I don't cross chain like a mother because I care about the well being of my drive train, I rarely if ever need to shift under heavy load because I actually stay focused on my riding and anticipate things.
And besides, all the new Shimano parts are just ugly and crude looking.