Originally Posted by
well biked
Maybe your post was aimed at me based on my above post, I don't know. If so, as I said in my first line: I get it.
I know it works better, I know it's awesome. My problem is that it introduces an outside power source into the drivetrain of a bicycle. And I realize that I'm overthinking things and that most folks who actually use it will love it. In fact, I used it on a test ride, and was very impressed. It will be awesome to get the Di2 bikes in that we're expecting, should be an exciting product to sell.
And yes, of course, technological changes have always come about, and always will, and in the end they work better or they fade away. It's all good. The difference with electronic shifting is that it's battery powered, not human powered, and yet it's part of the drivetrain of the bicycle.
I hope it catches on bigtime and sells like crazy. But I still have a problem with it. For now. But I've been known to change my mind.
Oh, my post was not aimed at you. If you go on the roadie forum, you'll see there are still a lot of cyclists who are still sure they don't and won't like electronic-assisted shifting. All I wish is that people keep an open mind about it, and more importantly, go test-ride a bike with Dura-Ace Di2.
And people who say things like " bored engineers solving problems that were not there" should note that SRAM was eating Shimano's lunch big-time, and the only way for Shimano to respond was to shift the paradigm.
Now, I'm waiting for SRAM's response. It can only be good for cyclists. And if it's not good, it will go the way of Zap/Mektronic.
The market rules. And we vote with our dollars.