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-   -   Di2 Climbing Shifter (https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/1143923-di2-climbing-shifter.html)

SkepticalOne 05-12-18 02:17 PM
Di2 Climbing Shifter
 
Anyone have any experience with the Shimano R600 climbing shifter? I'm planning a Di2 install shortly and wondering just how essential this little guy is in practice. Looking for user stories opinions.

Warmly:)

SkepticalOne

JohnJ80 05-12-18 03:56 PM
Essential? Probably not. Nice - sure. But it's a little large. I'm going to go this hack on my bike.


You can take the sprinter'sswitches that fit (I think that's the link) under the handlebar tape and make the up/down shifter to replace the climbing shifter. It's a cleaner installation more like what you can do with the eTap blips.

FWIW, I have both an eTap bike and a Di2 bike. If I had it to do over, I'd probably go all to eTap. The Di2 bike is a more refined shift but the eTap installation is much cleaner and the blips are just brilliant for shifting while climbing AND you can shift both derailleurs.

TimothyH 05-12-18 07:53 PM
I built a Di2 bike in the spring of 2017 intending to add climbing shifters later on. 14 months and 2000+ miles later I still have not added them and don't feel like I have any need to spend the $85.

I should have saved the money and not bought the wireless unit either.


-Tim-

robbyville 05-13-18 06:44 AM
I’m not using the climbing shifter this time around due to my ego and wanting to keep my paint matched integrated bar/stem clean... but I do miss it. For me one of the best parts of DI2 is the remote shifting capabilities. I used the shifter all the time on my last bike, I still constantly push a phantom button when climbing on the tops. One day soon I’m sure my ego will give up to practicality and I’ll put another one on!

JohnJ80 05-13-18 08:38 AM
Originally Posted by robbyville (Post 20337442)
I’m not using the climbing shifter this time around due to my ego and wanting to keep my paint matched integrated bar/stem clean... but I do miss it. For me one of the best parts of DI2 is the remote shifting capabilities. I used the shifter all the time on my last bike, I still constantly push a phantom button when climbing on the tops. One day soon I’m sure my ego will give up to practicality and I’ll put another one on!
Do the hack and mount the buttons under your tape.

Here is where SRAM has done a really nice job. Their blips can be attached to the bars with double sided tape for a very clean installation. Put them wherever you want and because of the shifting strategy, you get full functionality.

J.

robbyville 05-13-18 07:32 PM
Originally Posted by JohnJ80 (Post 20337620)
Do the hack and mount the buttons under your tape.

Here is where SRAM has done a really nice job. Their blips can be attached to the bars with double sided tape for a very clean installation. Put them wherever you want and because of the shifting strategy, you get full functionality.

J.
I’ll definitely take a look thanks! The tape only comes a little past the hoods however. It’s the Pro Stealth integrated bar/stem with a flat top and the entire unit is painted to match the frame by the builder

JohnJ80 05-13-18 08:00 PM
Originally Posted by robbyville (Post 20338538)

I’ll definitely take a look thanks! The tape only comes a little past the hoods however. It’s the Pro Stealth integrated bar/stem with a flat top and the entire unit is painted to match the frame by the builder
yep. That’s pretty much what I did with my blips on
my eTap installation. I have a carbon bar that has flat tops and with tape on them they are too bulky. So I have the blips mounted on the underside towards the front where I can use them with my middle fingers when my hands are on the flats. The wire comes out of the bar about there. The blips are anchored with double sided sticky tape that can be moved (not permanent and no damage if you remove them). The buttons are so small that you don’t see them and they work great.

I think the sprinters switches are just a
switch closure. If so, you could probably even use the Sram blips splices to the Shimano cable end. But you’d have to check that and verify it.

robbyville 05-13-18 08:06 PM
That’s a great idea, I will check into. I think that I could also modify shimano’s sorinter shifters to suit my needs

JohnJ80 05-13-18 08:10 PM
Originally Posted by robbyville (Post 20338590)
That’s a great idea, I will check into. I think that I could also modify shimano’s sorinter shifters to suit my needs
let me know what you decide to do. I’m going to start working on that for my Di2 bike too. I realized how nice that is from my eTap bike.

Dean V 05-13-18 08:17 PM
I have mounted sprint buttons to use as climbing shifters before. One on each side as pictured above.
It works well although I would prefer them together and on the same side to be used just by the right thumb.


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