Show us your Mechanical to Digital conversion
09-08-15, 07:27 AM
#1
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Show us your Mechanical to Digital conversion
Have you upgraded your shifters and derailleurs from Mechanical to Digital?
What systems and options did you install? Did you or a professional mechanic perform the conversion? Did you have any issues to overcome?
What systems and options did you install? Did you or a professional mechanic perform the conversion? Did you have any issues to overcome?
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
09-08-15, 06:16 PM
#2
DEADBEEF
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Catching his breath alongside a road near Seattle, WA USA
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Bikes: 1999 K2 OzM, 2001 Aegis Aro Svelte
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I went from this...
... to this...
I went from Shimano 7700-series Dura-Ace with an FSA Team Carbon crankset to a mixture of Shimano 6870/9070 Ultegra/Dura-Ace Di2 and an FSA K-Force Lite crankset. I also got the D-Fly unit to feed a Garmin Edge 1000 computer. The derailleurs and brakes are Ultegra. I mainly went with Ultegra due to a combination of wanting to use the 11-32 cassette (needs a GS RD), cost (bang-for-buck) and the fact that performancewise Ultegra Di2 is indistinguishable from Dura-Ace Di2. It just weighs a bit more. The one place I did upgrade with Dura-Ace was the brifters because I wanted the extra buttons in the hoods that work with the Di2 integration to my Garmin computer. The work was pretty much done by my LBS although I did do some re-arrangement of the cables after the build. My frame is old so it doesn't have internal cable routing and I didn't fancy drilling into a carbon frame so I had the shop do an external install. The cable guides being black match my frame so they don't stand out. Everything turned out nice and clean.
I do recommend spending a little more for the PCE1 USB interface box so you can easily maintain and reprogram the system. I also recommend opting for the EW90B 5-port junction box over the EW90A 3-port junction box even if you don't initially use all the ports. Having to not peel back the hood to snake the interface cable from the PCE1 in every time is much less of a hassle.
Some other tips include:
- If you run a bike computer, try and find a mount that also lets you clip the handlebar junction box to it. It makes for a cleaner looking setup than having the rubber band holding the junction box to the stem. There are several other alternative mounting solutions out there.
- If you get the D-Fly transmitter, you can position it anywhere. It doesn't have to be at the rear seatstay and it doesn't have to be wired between the BB junction and the RD. I have mine located under my out-front computer mount (Rec-Mounts Type 17) and wired between the BB and handlebar junction boxes as you can see in the above picture.
- You can twirl excess slack of the E-tube cables around something stiffer in places where it makes sense. Be sure to take into account where it needs to move around and "stretch and pull". This will generally be the downtube cable. I've used the rear brake cable as a cable guide by loosely twirling my downtube E-tube cable around it.
If you search around, you'll find some other helpful hints.
... to this...
I went from Shimano 7700-series Dura-Ace with an FSA Team Carbon crankset to a mixture of Shimano 6870/9070 Ultegra/Dura-Ace Di2 and an FSA K-Force Lite crankset. I also got the D-Fly unit to feed a Garmin Edge 1000 computer. The derailleurs and brakes are Ultegra. I mainly went with Ultegra due to a combination of wanting to use the 11-32 cassette (needs a GS RD), cost (bang-for-buck) and the fact that performancewise Ultegra Di2 is indistinguishable from Dura-Ace Di2. It just weighs a bit more. The one place I did upgrade with Dura-Ace was the brifters because I wanted the extra buttons in the hoods that work with the Di2 integration to my Garmin computer. The work was pretty much done by my LBS although I did do some re-arrangement of the cables after the build. My frame is old so it doesn't have internal cable routing and I didn't fancy drilling into a carbon frame so I had the shop do an external install. The cable guides being black match my frame so they don't stand out. Everything turned out nice and clean.
I do recommend spending a little more for the PCE1 USB interface box so you can easily maintain and reprogram the system. I also recommend opting for the EW90B 5-port junction box over the EW90A 3-port junction box even if you don't initially use all the ports. Having to not peel back the hood to snake the interface cable from the PCE1 in every time is much less of a hassle.
Some other tips include:
- If you run a bike computer, try and find a mount that also lets you clip the handlebar junction box to it. It makes for a cleaner looking setup than having the rubber band holding the junction box to the stem. There are several other alternative mounting solutions out there.
- If you get the D-Fly transmitter, you can position it anywhere. It doesn't have to be at the rear seatstay and it doesn't have to be wired between the BB junction and the RD. I have mine located under my out-front computer mount (Rec-Mounts Type 17) and wired between the BB and handlebar junction boxes as you can see in the above picture.
- You can twirl excess slack of the E-tube cables around something stiffer in places where it makes sense. Be sure to take into account where it needs to move around and "stretch and pull". This will generally be the downtube cable. I've used the rear brake cable as a cable guide by loosely twirling my downtube E-tube cable around it.
If you search around, you'll find some other helpful hints.
__________________
1999 K2 OzM
2001 Aegis Aro Svelte
"Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send." -- Jon Postel, RFC1122
1999 K2 OzM
2001 Aegis Aro Svelte"Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send." -- Jon Postel, RFC1122
Last edited by khuon; 09-12-15 at 11:03 PM.
09-08-15, 06:31 PM
#3
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oooooh that Aegis is somethin fierce...
09-08-15, 07:09 PM
#4
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Similar to the above poster, I went from Dura Ace 9000 to Dura Ace 9070. I also later changed out to an Ultegra RD so that I could use a 32t cassette. I really liked having the 9070 (although it's true the Ultegra shifts just as well), so I at one point bought a mechanical Ultegra GS derailleur and pulled the cage to install on the Dura Ace one. This worked but it was pretty marginal shifting. I later found out that the angle of travel between the Dura Ace and Ultegra are actually different to accommodate the larger cog. I did the install myself and had a blast doing it. I would agree to get the 5 port junction box, you just don't know what might come along one day. I always thought that perhaps I would do some clip on bars with bar end shifters.
I also opted for the remote climbing shifter, I feel that the remote options are what really make the electronic shifting worthwhile. Couple of tips:
1. Wrap junction box B in bubble wrap if placing within the down tube. This just helps to eliminate any rattling sounds.
2. Do a good job of measuring the e-tube wires from shifter to Junction Box A. If the other wires are too long, no big deal since they can be hidden inside your frame (if internal)... But the wires from the shifter to stem need to be within a few mm or else you need to get creative with any excess under your bar wrap.
Older pic, now I have black tape and saddle, slightly different position
I also opted for the remote climbing shifter, I feel that the remote options are what really make the electronic shifting worthwhile. Couple of tips:
1. Wrap junction box B in bubble wrap if placing within the down tube. This just helps to eliminate any rattling sounds.
2. Do a good job of measuring the e-tube wires from shifter to Junction Box A. If the other wires are too long, no big deal since they can be hidden inside your frame (if internal)... But the wires from the shifter to stem need to be within a few mm or else you need to get creative with any excess under your bar wrap.
Older pic, now I have black tape and saddle, slightly different position
