Originally Posted by
Redbullet
Due to some unpleasant events, I need to replace my road bike. I started to contemplate the new and expensive world of electronic shifting and I wonder about maintenance costs.
I am used with the very low maintenance costs of a Sram Force 22 mechanical group set - I only replaced chains, cables and brake pads over many years of riding.
So: what would be maintenance costs for an electronic group set in a long run (5-10 years)?
Thanks
My Di2 from 2016 (6-8K miles/yr) has required roughly zero dollars in maintenance. Ask me again in 2026 and I'll let you know how it's doing at 10 years.
FWIW, MY Di2 also requires fewer adjustments and is more reliable than my manual (all Ultegra). No cables to stretch or corrode. You can make minor tweaks while riding, if necessary (maybe once every 5-10K miles, or after a crash or dropped bike). There's a reason electronic shifting has effectively taken over.
Pro tip- always carry a charging cable in your travel kit, and check your battery charge periodically. a charge lasts several months, but if your bike gets stored with something pressing the shift lever, you can run a charge pretty low without knowing that. In 6 years of riding Di2, I've only run a battery completely out once. Every other time I let it get low, even when was flashing warning lights, it still worked.
BB