Originally Posted by JaceK (Post 10804926)

What is with your ipad fetish?

It's a stripped down tablet, or a fluffed up e-book. Big deal, been done to death already.

Originally Posted by patentcad (Post 10804734)

The advantages are far clearer on TT bikes for a couple of key reasons, but that's a very slim segment of the market.

Originally Posted by patentcad (Post 10804661)

I'm under the covers with my laptop and a flashlight.

Busted.

Originally Posted by patentcad (Post 10804646)

Why? Not because it doesn't work. It does. But it's the question nobody asked, and even if they did and this stuff is all that (I hear it is), it's not an answer people are willing to pay a $1000+ premium for. You don't see it too much in the pros. As great as it may work, it just seems to introduce a new pointless complexity to an already complex arrangement. Batteries and electronics on bikes that race in the cold, hot, wet and dusty crashed laced conditions of pro and amateur racing? For huge incremental premium price? All so the shifts can happen 1/50th of a second faster and crisper?

I am the Schwag Junkie Bar None here, and I have no interest in this stuff. What does that tell you?

I have no doubt Shimano didn't R&D this crap to have it sit in bike shop cases. I'm confident the price will drift downwards. I'm confident there will be an Ultegra version soon for less than half that premium. I have to tell you, that even if the price were the same, I'd have a hard time convincing myself I wanted the needless complexity and potential fail factor for what appears to be minimal benefits.

You want to move shifting to the next level? Hubs with lightweight internal gears and wireless electronic shifting. That would confer some real advantages that external gears and derailleurs don't deliver.

I'm sure that ten years from now that's what may be prevalent on pro bikes. I'll be in the 65+ and you will all Rue the Day.

Originally Posted by mike868y (Post 10805222)

The "I don't want to worry about charging it" argument is crap. I've heard people getting 800-1000 miles out of a charge. Cabled bikes need more maintenance (adjusting cables, keeping the cables+housings in good shape, etc.) than just getting plugged in over the same time period.

Originally Posted by mike868y (Post 10805222)

The "I don't want to worry about charging it" argument is crap. I've heard people getting 800-1000 miles out of a charge. Cabled bikes need more maintenance (adjusting cables, keeping the cables+housings in good shape, etc.) than just getting plugged in over the same time period.

Originally Posted by AngryScientist (Post 10805231)

i dont know wtf you think you need to do to keep cables "in good shape" over 800 miles jr. - whatever it is, you're doing it wrong.

Originally Posted by mike868y (Post 10805265)

No but if you ride in a lot of crappy weather, you have to replace them every 2000-3000 miles, the electric cables on di2 should last much longer than that.

All of us clowns can manage to charge our cell phone every night, I highly doubt that when electronic shifting takes off (and it will) we will have a hard time remembering to charge our di2.

Originally Posted by AngryScientist (Post 10805310)

i agree with what you're saying to a point. bottom line is that i dont think they will work all of the kinks out of electronic shifting until the price comes down, and many more everyday enthusiasts have it, to collect more data.

i dont know what's out there honestly, but i dont know how well di2 is going to do with prolonged exposure to crappy conditions (a few years of riding wet, salty, cold / hot, sandy roads). time will tell, for sure.

Originally Posted by JaceK (Post 10804926)

What is with your ipad fetish?

It's a stripped down tablet, or a fluffed up e-book. Big deal, been done to death already.

Originally Posted by merlinextraligh (Post 10805363)

I think Di2 is about to become much more common. Felt has it on a bike that retails for $5900, and actually can be had for $5400.

Pro Bike Kit has a full Di2 group now for $2400.

It's about to hit a price point where the premium over 7900, and Super Record will not be that large.

Originally Posted by ColorChange (Post 10663976)

The performance of the Di2 is devastating. You simply tap and get a gear, fast, any time, under any conditions. That means full load, front or rear derailleur - or at the same time, cross chained or not, 700 watts or more, or less ... do you get the point? Touch and it's done. That's it. You can't screw it up, even when trying. The closest thing I have had to a mis-shift is taking 1/3 crank to catch the next set of pins and ramps to make the jump on the fd. Operator error still occurs every now and then as I am still getting used to tapping the buttons and am trying to perfect my "left side big ring, right side up two gears" upshift or "left side small ring, right side down two gears" downshift. I do these changes at the same time, one tap left side, two taps right side. Super cool! Since shifting is so easy and reliable, I shift constantly, tweaking my ideal desired cadence.

RD shifting is quieter than RED (almost silent unless the FD auto-trims or your pumping major wattage).

I am now running the RED powerdome 11-26 cassette with good results so far. Shimano claimed 11-25 was the largest rear cog that was compatible. It was so cool to throw the new cassette on the bike, start riding it, hit the trim adjustment button, and within 1 minute of putting on a new cassette, I was dialed in and riding. No tools, no twisting cable stops in the bike stand. Too cool!

It does weigh more but this difference can be reduced by using RED components in some areas. I have heard the RED crank will work as well but haven't tried it.

Is it "worth" the extra money? Not anymore than RED is worth the extra money compared to Force. I'm a techy guy and LOVE it. Seriously, it's that much fun. Other people may not care so much.

Originally Posted by patentcad (Post 10804646)

I am the Schwag Junkie Bar None here, and I have no interest in this stuff. What does that tell you?

Originally Posted by AngryScientist (Post 10804994)

from my very casual observing standpoint, it appears to me that campy dominates the giro bikes.

Originally Posted by patentcad (Post 10804646)

Why? Not because it doesn't work. It does. But it's the question nobody asked, and even if they did and this stuff is all that (I hear it is), it's not an answer people are willing to pay a $1000+ premium for. You don't see it too much in the pros. As great as it may work, it just seems to introduce a new pointless complexity to an already complex arrangement. Batteries and electronics on bikes that race in the cold, hot, wet and dusty crashed laced conditions of pro and amateur racing? For huge incremental premium price? All so the shifts can happen 1/50th of a second faster and crisper?

I am the Schwag Junkie Bar None here, and I have no interest in this stuff. What does that tell you?

I have no doubt Shimano didn't R&D this crap to have it sit in bike shop cases. I'm confident the price will drift downwards. I'm confident there will be an Ultegra version soon for less than half that premium. I have to tell you, that even if the price were the same, I'd have a hard time convincing myself I wanted the needless complexity and potential fail factor for what appears to be minimal benefits.

You want to move shifting to the next level? Hubs with lightweight internal gears and wireless electronic shifting. That would confer some real advantages that external gears and derailleurs don't deliver.

I'm sure that ten years from now that's what may be prevalent on pro bikes. I'll be in the 65+ and you will all Rue the Day.