Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
With electronic shifting wouldn't the rear shift the same? The mechanism is the same, the chain, the cassette. Under pressure the shifts are determined by where the ramps are on the cogs along with the chain design/shape. How the pulley moves from cog to cog won't alter the rest of it. A well set up mechanical rear derailleur shifts as quickly as an electronic one, from what I can tell.
I hear what you are saying, but pretty much everyone says the same thing - it makes the shifts cleanly, so cleanly that one does not get the same "feedback" that most of us are used to. That little "thunk" feeling as the cable releases a bit and moves to its new position - even with Shimano, you are dealing with a spring and ratchet mechanism - it works by making small jumps. Shifting smoothly is largely about being able to match one's pedaling to that jump. With electronic, the servo sweeps smoothly - there is no little jump as tension is either released or increased, and no little catch at the end as the ratchet mechanism engages.
My boss described it this way after this first race - he would make a shift, and then the bike would just be in the new gear. Lacking the feedback, however, he would generally look down after the shift to make sure it had happened - he was so used to feeling and hearing the shift, that when that feedback was lacking, he doubted that the shift had been made.