That's 2 that I know about on bikes that get tuned every single day by professional mechanics. I wonder if there were any other failures among the worker bees that just didn't draw media attention. At any rate, I don't think that's a very good reliability record.

How is a rear derailleur that's locked in one gear because the electronic shifting system wouldn't work not an electronic system failure? I appreciate the fact that the derailleur got kicked but the fact is that the Mavic neutral service mechanic was able to get the derailleur lined up but couldn't get it to shift.

Quality Control wonks call that "Reasonably anticipated misuse". Then there's a whole logic tree of cost/benefit decisions because you have to design around that. I wonder if the whole pack waiting up for the race leader to get a different bike is listed on that tree. If so, then it's a good design because that's what happened. Otherwise, no.

A ruined derailleur hanger and a bent cage is not a flaw of Di2...it would happen to a mechanical component just as easily.

I didn't read this entire thread, but I'll add this - the greatest thing I've ever experience on my bike, is Di2. My dad teased me all the time since he was running it before me. I swore it was a waste of money.

I will never, ever go back to mech. ever... EVER. lol

Do you still use ancient mechanical brakes? There should be electronic brakes.

Heading to Mambo Jambo, Voo Doo ?

Just give them time. And they will be better. You dinosaurs need to catch up, it's 2017

Hell, we should all just give up and all go post on HorseForums instead. No one really needs brakes and transmissions and wheels anyway. 4 hooves should be enough for anyone.

When cell phones first came out I said I would never own one. Wrong! I bet some of these people still have an old rotary dial phone hanging on the wall in their kitchen

Enough with all this fancy technobabble.

Let's debate side-saddle. Or how about quick-release-knots for dummies? Which horse trailer is best for newbies, and can a Prius pull it? My horse refuses to go forward! My horse is terrified of strangers! Barns?!

How do you feel about hydraulic?

The same reason Thoreau spent time at Walden, and why I love the book so much, is the reason I'll not try it for at least another 25 years, if ever.

I bet Tim is strongly opinionated about flax versus chia seed!

Do you still use manual Di2 shifters? It's 2017, get an automatic shifter that does the job for you.

Believe it or not I do have XTR mechanical on my mountain bike and it's just like all the other mechs I've had, you have to tinker with it constantly. If they come out with wireless electronic I'll upgrade it.

I'm sincerely interested in how you feel about hydraulic brakes.

I've asked several questions but you seem more interested in asking rhetorical questions to prove a point rather than having an actual conversation. I believe it is possible to have a pleasant conversation with someone I disagree with and perhaps learn something.

Can you tell me how you feel about hydraulic brakes?


-Tim-

I've never used them and I don't get their purpose and advantages.

My simple front brakes on different bikes work pretty nicely. I just tighten the cable adjusters regularly and change the pads every year or so when they wear out.

If you have plastic wheels, then regular brakes don't work well and you have to install heavy hydraulic brakes. Also, modern brake calipers are too short for fenders and bigger tires, so they invented disk brakes.

You write for Drunk History? The first disc system presdates Campy Delta brakes that didn't stop your bike well. It took off with the advent of mountain biking, in particular the downhill race scene.

https://www.omniumbicycles.com/tag/bi...brake-history/

Hayes Mag Disc Brake--the Brake that Changed the World

Simplex Prestige are still my go to derailleurs.

The Campagnolo Delta brakes were poorly engineered. Brake leverage (Jobst Brandt)

By the way, have you heard about a new fad with simple and light, crisp shifting 7-speed systems?

SRAM makes the X01 7-speed groupset for downhill racers.
And downhill racers praise it. https://www.redbull.com/us-en/sram-7...in-steve-smith

I have Di2 on one bike, and 11 speed Athena on the other bike.

Di2
The Di2 bike is great on group rides, where I'm trying to keep up with the group's pace. I'm shifting all the time, trying to find the best cadence for the moment. I'll shift the back for just a couple of pedal strokes, since it's so simple and fast. I can even use my ring finger from the hoods. It's just like a mouse click.

I'll shift to the small chainring on even very short roller hills, instead of grinding the last dozen pedal strokes cross chained in the big ring. I can reliably shift to the 34 chainring and 3 smaller cogs in about one pedal revolution. (It shifts the front and 3 cogs in the back with one button press on each side.)

Di2 shines on faster rolling hills rides, with lots of front and rear gear shifts. It's not as big a difference on flatter roads or on very long climbs. (But even on very flat rides, I'm still shifting the rear cogs often to handle headwind changes, and small elevation changes. A mechanical shifter would do these okay.)

Mechanical
This is a triple (too bad they are almost gone now). It's my all-day ride, rough roads, or steep hills bike. On all-day solo rides, or slower pace groups, I'm not shifting quite so often. I might temporarily back off the pace and stay in the same gear longer. I like the wide range, and the 39 middle ring works great on fairly flat rides. I don't really miss the instant shifts on these rides. But if there was a Di2 triple, I'd consider getting it.

I don't shift the front as often, since it takes a long lever throw to shift to a bigger ring. Riding in the drops make it harder to do the full lever travel correctly. It's easier to shift the front rings from the hoods.