patentcad

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.

patentcad

As always, discuss. Flame wars and digression encouraged.

powpow

Shouldn't you be asleep?

patentcad

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

Busted.

powpow

I'm all for new tech but it's just too pricey right now. Shifting under load would be a nice benefit, as would automatic trim adjustments. Still too $$ for me.

NathanC

I keep falling asleep before the Giro coverage is on. Are any Pro Tour teams running it?

patentcad

I think one or two, but they get it for free from Shimano, and I think mechanical 7900 prevails in the pros. Increasingly Shimano has seen its market share at the top eroded by Sram.

ADSR

The technology just needs to trickle down. Give it a little while.

patentcad

I think this technology is nowhere. We need better technology than this to displace mechanical systems which are arguably superior in simplicity and reliability. No matter how slick the function of Di2, and the end of the day if the gears change and this stuff doesn't break, that is what's critical. Who cares how cool it shifts if the battery fails or there is some stupid electronics glitch in the middle of a ride or race?

rpeterson

I've seen a few people use it on TT and Tri rigs lately, seems pretty cool being able to shift from both the aerobars and the basebar. Seeing 5 bikes with it is 5 bikes more than I ever expected to see though.

patentcad

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

patentcad

I mean, it's not a revolutionary product like iPad.

https://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/05/12/new_apple_ad_ipad_revolution_has_just_begun_video.html

rpeterson

Yeah, but the guys riding those bikes like to buy all sorts of wacky things no one else would, like speedos.

Randy5040

Di2 would be nice if it had a manual mode also in case the electronic portion failed.

ADSR

Sure it's solving a problem that didn't exist, but that happens over and over in pretty much everything. I'm just saying that if you can pick up a 2000 dollar bike with electronic shifting it will happen for the same reason that people buy pro bike replicas. Everyone wants a piece of the high-dollar pie.

botto 

incorrect and incorrect.

patentcad

You may be right of course.

Regardless I know of ONE person outside the pros who is actually using this in the local peloton here in the large NY area. After a couple of years.

So the acceptance rate in the real world and in the marketplace is non-existant. Overpriced at best for minimal benefits.

It's an evolution towards technology that will be different, more elegant, far simpler, and offer more real world advantages. But in and of itself, it's nowhere. Still, credit to Shimano for the technology and evolving it. They came out with stuff that actually works, and nobody else has stepped up to offer a competing product. Primarily because there appears to be little market interest in my view. Expensive to develop, hard to sell at a price that will recoup your investment.

And I don't see a lot of this on pro bikes, at least from casual observation. botto, you were at the Giro in Mokum, was it more widespread this year?

botto 

i know several.

patentcad

What?

kleinboogie

Bingo, which is why I went Red on my latest build. I do like the promise of Di2 but only if head units get on board with automatic shifting linked to the power meter and if I can get a BB30 version. If SRAM does something I'll take another look.

JaceK

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.

davida

I am not a big drinker, but you can get a lot of beer for $1,000+. Most people would go for the beer I reckon.

davida

gsteinb

so far it's mostly been speced on uber expensive unobtanium bikes. I'd race it on a 6500 bike that I got for half off.

AngryScientist 

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

AngryScientist 

and while i can definitely see the benefits, eff electronic shifting, my garmin has died on me mid-ride many times because i'm too lazy to keep it charged, i dont need a 5000 dollar single speed because i forgot to plug it in the night before.