jonleigh7

Removed.

WalksOn2Wheels

So... Did you not test ride the bike?

colnago62

Fabian doesn't use electronic. I would give a few weeks. It might just take time to get used to.

dcsix

It makes me feel better to know Fabian has not picked up on it, since I work to be more like Fabuloso every day . I'll be throwing new white bar tape on soon to that end.
The Pro Peleton has run with Di2, but this doesn't mean "everyone is flocking to electronic shifting". I like to read actual books, and hate e-readers, some of us are just that way. Having said all that, I was in my LBS the other day and they were assembling a new Spesh Roubaix with Ultegra Di, for about 3 grand or so, and the new owner was stoked. It has its place, but it's not like you are defective if you don't like it.
Live to be more like Mister Fab, like I do.

StanSeven

Di2 grows on you. The first few weeks are just okay. A couple months and you are sold. A year and you won't have anything else.

RoderWrench

Not sure what you expected. I too appreciate tactile feedback and the feeling of being connected to my machine. For that reason alone, I have never once even considered Di2.

StanSeven

Can one of you explain how pushing a lever an inch or so or hitting a mechanical button gives a different feel of connection than electronic?

rmfnla

Well...

SpeshulEd 

As my riding buddy says, mechanical shifting is for poor people. I giggle every time.

Seriously, give di2 a bit longer to grow on you. I will never go back.

k0ric

I've never tried a Di2 but maybe its just like driving a manual in a car, you can row through the gears with your brake lever. If you dont push all the way, you can miss shift. It makes you feel like you have to put in the effort instead of the shifting being automated.

softreset

Most of the feedback I've gotten from customers is the fact that with Di2 it's two buttons and the equivalent of clicking a mouse button. Not to mention with Di2 the brake lever doesn't move. Often times what I've witnessed (at least initially) is under clicking. Once people realize how little effort it takes they actually won't press the Di2 button hard enough. Sort of funny how that works...

When I made the transition to Di2 it was a bit chilly out and with my thicker gloves it was a tricky to down shift the RD. I adjusted, it's fine now but it was a little frustrating for the first 15-20 minutes.

It does seem pretty odd that the OP would plunk that sort of money on a bike setup and not ride it but to each their own. I've yet to meet someone who bought a Di2 bike and couldn't figure it out. I've also yet to sell someone a Di2 bike or a Di2 upgrade on a bike that didn't classify the purchase as some variant of "transcendent."

I really like my Di2 bike but I'm just as happy with my mechanical bikes.

Nachoman

I borrowed that line from you the other day. Got a good chuckle.

colnago62

That is a nice bike. I don't have the discretionary money to spend on a bike right now, but that would be the bike. You could always sell the drive train and buy mechanical if you find you don't like electronic after a few months.

datlas 

If you had asked before buying, I would have advised Dura Ace 9000.

But since you already have the Di2 I agree you should give it some time and I suspect you will learn to like it ok.

gc3

If you didn't want it, don't like it, why did you buy a bike that has it? Needed a reason to enlighten us regarding the foibles of modern cycling technology? Maybe you should have purchased a Trek with the non-electronic version of Di2.

spec84

I've never tried the Di2. It's kind of hard to find a demo bike around these parts. It has always peaked my interest though. I've always said to myself that whenever I buy a new bike it will probably have di2 but no disc brakes. Now I'm not so sure. I've grown to really love the connected feel of mechanical gears. Ya know that sexy feeling of connectedness when you upshift to the big ring?

rms13

Should have waited for wireless...or hydraulic

TrojanHorse

Wireless hydraulic or nothing. Or would that be tubeless hydraulic?

If I can't mental-shift I'm not interested.

colnago62

Sometimes you try something and it doesn't work out.

RoderWrench

Seems obvious.

Jiggle

Di2 would seem better if mechanical hadn't gotten so good.

WalksOn2Wheels

Wow, so it's a little hard to wrap my brain around the fact that you spent 12 THOUSAND dollars on a bike you hadn't even touched, but at the same time: thank you for keeping the cycling economy alive.

The good news is that if you give it a few more rides and really don't like it, I'm sure your shop should be able to "downgrade " the bike (It's an awesome frame) to mechanical DA. At that price point, it shouldn't be hard for a successful shop to move the Di2 to another shop build. If they're a smaller shop and can't afford to sit on the product, you might have to sell it on your own time. But since you already dropped 12K so casually, this may not be an issue.

StanSeven

No it doesn't. At least to me. What road feel do you get from non electronic? It's not like a car where shifting is turned over to an automatic. The rider controls the shifts. In the case of manual you push a lever for one direction and hit a button release for the other. With electronic you push a bottom for both. The rider does it all. So where's the connection and feel difference?

RJM

You spent like 12 grand on a bike and didn't know if you liked it? Seems weird to do such a thing especially given that you don't know the advantages of electronic shifting. Here is a few....

You can shift while sprinting and putting down lots o' power.
You can shift while going up a hill and putting down lots o' power.
You don't have to do any maintenance on cables/housings and your cable pull will never make your rear derailleur hesitate.
You can be then envy of everybody in your Monday night club ride given that you can ride that bike like it should be ridden.

Frankly, when I rode Di2, I was convinced I wouldn't like it but the reality is that it worked great. Now, it didn't work that much better than my 6800 to pony up the scratch to go that route...but it is nice shifting. The mechanical Dura Ace is really nice too.

I don't think everybody is flocking to Di2...at least, it's not totally common around me. 105 mechanical is a common groupset.

WalksOn2Wheels

Specifically, there is a much more tactile response with mechanical vs. Di2. This is the reason Campy put a bit of a "click" in their EPS group. But it's still electronic. The difference between EPS and Di2 is a bit like a full on mouse click, vs. a tap on a touchpad. Both have the same result, but the tactile response is very different. This is why lots of phones have that slight buzz when you type onto the screen. It gives the user a sense of feedback.

Now compare both to mechanical and it's very different, yet again. Especially for something like Di2 vs. any 9000, 6800, or 5800 group. You're actuating a cable, and need to move the shifter X amount to accomplish anything. As stated earlier, the brake lever doesn't even move on Di2. And the push button have little to no travel when compared to the shifter throw required to pull a cable.

Taking it back to cars, it's not really manual vs. automatic, but closer to something like a stickshift vs. a paddle shifter on the steering wheel. Both have the same effect and require user input, but they are very different experiences.

I think I'm sort of talking around what you already acknowledge as fact, that the input is different but the end result is the same. But for lots of people, removing the mechanical push-pull system does reduce feel and changes the experience. Just go over to C&V and tell those guys they're idiots for complaining about indexed shifting vs. friction. Both have the same end result, so what's the big deal, right?