Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
Let's cut to the chase. It is a phenomenal accomplishment and development. This will give SRAM a huge boost in market share. Wireless is the only sensible appraoch. The DI2 control box and wire connections are a frequent source of malfunction. Managing the multiple batteries will surely turn out to be a non-issue. I'm watching prices.
Props to SRAM. They have done a great job and deserve the credit.
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but the two most unreliable parts of an electronic system are the interconnect and the batteries. Reducing interconnect and quadrupling the batteries is not going to change the reliability much and will likely make it go the other way because you have a crucial interconnect between the battery and the system (i.e. no power if it fails) besides the inherent low reliability of batteries in general. If it is a reliable as Di2 is with it's mechanical interconnect, it will be doing well. The bar is pretty high.
We just don't know the "job" they've done so far. It's going to take a lot of units in the field to make that point. I do agree that it looks interesting, especially as a retrofit on mech bikes.
I heard somewhere that Shimano had a wireless design too. Be great if they popped that out for competition to help drive prices down. Isn't the FSA system partially wireless- wireless shifters but the FD and RD wired together with a single battery? That might have a more reliable architecture.
J.