rower2cyclist

Thank you Tim, good to know about the different techniques!

NoWhammies

For those of you with the wireless unit are you noticing any batter drain? Although I suppose you don't really have anything to compare it to, but I'm still curious.

I don't have the wireless unit on my Di2 setup and I likely won't get it since the whole thing is setup and my mechanic made it sound like a big chore to go back and set it all up - especially since the battery is in the seatpost. But the ability to connect to the system from my phone does seem enticing.

jadocs

NoWhammies

Hmm. If it is that easy maybe it's something for me to consider installing...Thanks.

jadocs

It's great, software updates are done right through the phone app. Matter of fact when I got my bike and installed the WU111, there were three software updates to my components waiting for me. I think without it you have to hook up to a PC using some special cable or something (don't quote me on that because I'm not for sure. I just remember reading people having to bring their bikes to the shop in order to do it). The ability to tweak settings such as shift speed, synchro shift, etc... is pretty awesome.

noodle soup

It hooks up to a PC using the charger cable. there's no need to bring your bike to a shop, unless you don't own the charger.

jadocs

Thanks for the clarification noodle, I was unsure.

noodle soup

Shimano used to recommend updates be done using the charger cable, not with wireless. This may have changed though.

Psimet2001 

They have in fact started to recommend the phone app and wireless as the primary means of configuration and updates to firmware.

Which kind of sucks because I have gotten caught in loop cycles that bomb out while updating firmware that I wasn't able to fully resolve until I went the PC etube route.

Only stopped in here because I spent 3 hours chasing a bad cable yesterday on a system. Then I saw the initial question and wondered how an easy yes/no question turned into 2 pages. I was not disappointed.

Seattle Forrest

I had it installed when I bought the bike, so I don't know. My battery is good for about 600-700 miles, I expected more, but I live and ride in hilly terrain and shift constantly.

Changing seat posts took about five minutes, and that's where my battery is too. It's not a big deal.

Seattle Forrest

An LBS near where I used to work offers a "Di2 tune up" which is $100 to update your firmware for you. I wonder if anyone every does that?

Marcus_Ti

I suspect so.

On Tour de Nebraska our official SAG has had it happen many times....Someone has a flat in camp, and the SAG's shop manager offers to personally school the bike owner, taking time out of his day, on how to change a flat tire themselves. Man knows his stuff, has been around, and is a great teacher and good wrench himself. Gratis. And the nitwit bike owner rejects the offer and doesn't want to learn about maintaining their equipment. Even the most basic thing--like learning to fix a flat.

Given the gentrification of the top-end of bike parts, and outfits like Canyon who make Di2 pseudo-affordable...but no service plan with the bike. Combined with most people generally being technologically incompetent to the point they can barely turn a cable-box on....I suspect that offer you reference gets taken.

NoWhammies

Hmm. The more I read this thread the more I think I might benefit (or at least enjoy/have fun with) the wireless unit for Di2. What's the additional fee? $100?

Regarding firmware updates and whatnot, has there been any recent firmware updates to to the Di2 system? My bike was loaded/updated with all of the current firmware back when I bought it in June 2019.

popeye

Evidence that DI2 will take you back to the future.

jadocs

I got my bike in NOV 18 (I assume you mean JUN 18), so that would be 5 months after you, and mine did have component software updates.

NoWhammies

Thanks @jadoscs. Sounds like I need to do a software update this winter. And you are correct. June 2018.


And @popeye Good catch on my date error. I never saw that my original post.

noodle soup

It's hard to believe, but I'm now an "Olde School" Di2 user.

Seattle Forrest

​​​​​​Unless you have the old battery. But you probably have the current generation in which case yeah it's a small cost.

I prefer updating firmware over the wire (I work in tech and that triggers my bad idea alarm) but I still appreciate having the wireless unit. My Garmin being able to to tell me how much % battery left is handy. I've had the bike a year and a half now and in that time the small convenience of having that over checking the light for a general idea what's left has added up to outweigh the cost. I wanted to know if having Di2 would change the way I rode, and I'm not going to count myself.

TimothyH

I spent about 25% of a thirty year career upgrading firmware on anything from Hermes telex machines to half million dollar Cisco routers.

Get the wireless unit if you want but I would never update firmware over a wireless connection outside of an emergency or lab scenario.

I acknowledge that a bike isn't a critical piece of business infrastructure but it can still be a PITA if something happens. If you have the wire, use it. Wireless is good for everything else.


-Tim-

rower2cyclist

UPDATE: I just installed the wireless unit successfully! Took me a couple hours to set it up right but in the end, I was able to connect it to the Etube app and my Garmin! It's pretty cool to update the software using my ipad and also using hood buttons.

I had a little difficulty connecting it to my Garmin at the beginning. Some on the internet pointed out, the problem was due to the unit being inside the frame. I just removed the seatpost put the garmin next to the wireless unit, hit the Di2 icon on the screen and VOILA!

Thanks to everyone for their recommendations and advice!

Marcus_Ti

Must be the Garmin is fussy. I keep mine in my ti bike with ti seatpost and don't have phone/Wahoo connecting issues.

Steve B.

Imagine that !

jadocs

Might want to move the WU111 under the bar like I showed you if you continue to have connection issues with your Garmin.

Psimet2001 

For reference for those that go to shops - that corresponds to $120 in service work. Granted with experience it takes much less time but....just sayin.

rower2cyclist

Yup, easily. Most of the time I was trying to get the battery out of the seatpost that I inadvertently pushed and trying to figure out how to properly place it back.

Also I realized (waaaay too late) that the Di2 system stops working when it is connected to the Etube app. That cost another 15-20mins to take the seatpost out unplug the cables and connect them back.

The whole thing stressed me out for a bit but now I know how to deal with this Di2 software/hardware. If I have to do the same job again it will probably take 10-15mins tops. Good investment!