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Old 10-23-20, 02:00 PM
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RiddleOfSteel
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Location: Portlandia's Kuiper Belt, OR
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Bikes: 1982 Trek 720 - 1985 Trek 620 - 1984 Trek 620 - 1980 Trek 510 - Other luminaries past and present

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Originally Posted by Andy_K
I agree. My favorite quote when Di2 first came out was from BikeSnobNYC, "Electronic shifting will completely change the way you think about bicycles--assuming, of course, that you previously thought of them as being relatively inexpensive and easily serviceable." I think he's since warmed up to it, but I definitely haven't. I don't care if it's better. It's just not right. (Especially on a Paramount!! I'm looking at you, @RiddleOfSteel )


If not a Paramount, then an Expedition. Why? Precedent. Wire-in-frame + holes-drilled-in-frame (both from the factory) precedent. Sure, it was for a generator, but still, it counts! External Di2 is super easy to service, but a bit fussy to organize extra wire length (around the base of the seat tube) neatly. Internal battery and routing can be annoying, but you hide the rats nest of extra wire length, it looks clean, and really the only servicing you need to do is battery removal (wedged inside the seatpost per design) for charging. Small price to pay for dynamite shifting and the hottest looking STI levers ever made, IMO.

There was one generation of XTR Di2 that had its front derailleur 3x capable. XTR Di2 is heinously expensive, but hey, it's a triple, and you can run normal road STIs to do the shifting (talk about compatibility!). It's what I would do, and yes, I have thought about it!

*****

As for areas that won't change, I tend to not have any (and am given to heretical bicycle acts, as Andy has pointed out!). Carbon and disc are the two areas that I've had experience in before, and don't mind, but have some reservations on their ability to mesh with what I want my bike to feel like and how easy I'd like to operate/maintain it. Carbon dampens road buzz really well, but it doesn't have (due to its innate qualities) the springiness of steel, titanium, or good aluminum. I do still have much affinity for it, and would love to try a Cervelo R5 or Madone from ~5-10 years ago. And as for disc, it's the fork stiffness and feeling when braking that has put me off before. Well, that and pad contamination (I do like a quiet bike in all conditions). For the right bike, and with a test ride (new road disc forks are a lot better than they were 5 years ago), I'd be up for it again. I love my side pull calipers, though.

Last edited by RiddleOfSteel; 10-23-20 at 02:06 PM.
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