i was wrong. well, kinda half wrong. i guess i still don't have a problem shifting mechanical, but the electronic shifting is sooooo nice. believe me, i wanted it to be no big deal. i just rode it for the first time, and i can't believe how much i liked it. it is the crispest shifting i have ever experienced. is it worth the money? - ehh. but if you have the means, it is truly an amazing experience.

My problem with electronic shifting is that it takes was was a purely mechanical piece of equipment (the bike), and has turned into something that requires energy above and beyond what you the rider produces.


Sure - it may be crisp. Wanna know what is also really nice...a motor assist on a hill. Makes pedaling up a mountain pass so much nicer. Does not mean I want it.

My experience as well. I didn't want to like it, but....

There are few things I like about electric. I do not need to be an experienced bike mechanic to install or maintain it. Anyone with a wrench can install it; and anyone that can program a digital watch can keep it running correctly.

Not sure how reliable the electronics will be. Will it last as long as a mechanical system? It will be a while before I find out since it may be several years before the price comes down from the stratosphere.

I think they might become mainstream for race bikes. On the other hand I think I wouldn't trust them yet for a multi-day trip or longer marathon. How long is the battery life in your experience?

As with anything electronic, my bet is that within the next 3-5 years the price will drop significantly. Look at digital SLR cameras. The camera that you can find for a few hundred USD nowadays, used to cost almost the price of a small car ten years ago.

I think I know what you are trying to say, but you are still pushing the buttons to initiate the shift, electronic or not. It is not an automated system like an automatic transmission; the rider is still in control of the gear he/she wants to be in. It is just that in one the derailleurs are controlled by a motor and in the other controlled by cables. And I think the extra energy expanded by the motors are more or less canceled out by less work done by the rider to complete the shifts.

Having had the chance to ride it myself, I think Di2 is the best system out there, hands down. The battery lasts well over 1000 miles, so there really is no downside to it in my opinion. Also, the likelihood of it breaking and leaving you stuck in one gear is probably as much as the likelihood of your shift cables snapping in the middle of a ride and leaving you stuck in one gear.

like all the electronic stuff (cellphones,TVs,computers,audio/video stuff,etc) in the past 2-3 decades, prices will go down in a few years, improvements will be made in design, weight, features, etc. i remember the early cellphones the same size and weight as a brick and very expensive. we just have to wait.

I've been around long enough to see many changes to cycling. The comment reminds me of what many people said about index shifting - "shifting is an art; it's something you to learn from time on the bike riding; indexing makes people loose touch with riding, etc. Then there was the complaints about aluminum, then Ti, and CF - remember the "steel is real". Of course no one needs more than 6 gears...7....8....9...10...."Your wheels will fall apart with less than 36 spokes. It goes on and on.

Ive just ordered Di2 on my new C59. When I test rode it, it was fitted to a Madone. I didnt care about the bike but the experience of Di2 was mind blowing. It really is that good and I knew immediately that it would be on my next bike.

There is no other group set that comes even slightly close in my opinion. I cant wait to get it!

So I assume you only ride a fixed gear so as to keep the technology as simple and rudimentary as possible. Why even have pneumatic tires? Those presta valves are so darn technical. Why not just have some wooden wheels? Why even have two wheels? Just ride a unicycle so you can be more in touch with the effort it takes to balance.

Now, what is wrong with motor assist? I don't care for it myself. But if it means you go 15 mph up a hill instead of 8 mph up a hill but you expend the same level of energy, what difference does it make to you? Maybe people like having an expanded range for their cycling. It gets boring being limited to only riding in a 30 mile radius around one's house. If you had motor assist you could ride much further and much faster using the same effort.

Or why not just turn the ignition key and step on the gas for that matter...SHEESH!!!

I think you're missing the point. The poster was describing a preference that many of us have to keep the bike purely reliant on the rider's muscles. Electronic shifters, however small the motor, still replace the human engine on at least one biking function, unlike other technological changes that you describe.

And I really don't think it's trivial from a performance standpoint, especially on a winding, hilly course where lots of constant gear shifting is required. You can actually get some forearm/shoulder fatigue after a few hours of constant shifting.

Now, if you don't like that, or similarly don’t like leg fatigue or breathing too hard and want motor assistance elsewhere, that's anyone's prerogative. So is riding a scooter, a motorcycle or a car instead of a bike. But hopefully you can at least see why changing to motor-assisted shifting is fundamentally different than changing frame materials, adding gears or reducing spokes.

Perhapse we should revert to using dynamo lights when we ride at night too, huge performance hit there!

1,134 miles on my Felt Z25 Di2 upgrade.....it's really sweet! I was lusting for it when it first came out and waited for the price to come down and recently got the deal I wanted. It was worth the $$'s I spent, it really is a VERY impressive system.

I'm a fan (in theory, never seen it in practice or a Di2 for that matter) of the third party mod that calculates the gear inches for you and automatically chooses the next combination front/rear when you just push up or down. Wonder if that's going to become standard at some point.

I take it you have no bike computer, battery lights, or a powertap then.

Would you feel better if they included a charger that charged it when you shake the battery vigorously. It'd be heavy and unecessary, but you wouldn't have to worry about the milliwatt of power from the battery!

You want your bike to shift chain rings for you at difficult to predict times?

What is wrong with your equipment that you are getting tired from shifting? The only shifting technology that ever tired me was grip shifting. I have used down tube friction shifters to STI and never once recall ever noticing any effort associated with using it. And I shift constantly. I like to maintain the same cadence within 5 rpm at all times so that requires I shift often.

I don't think it is fundamentally different from using a frame design that minimizes road fatigue or using a really bright headlight to ride in the dark. After all, you need to squint less to see so you are conserving energy. You can be a purist if you want. My point is that one person's definition of pure may differ from another's.

was thinking about this thread https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...+mountain+bike for those of use too lazy to think about where we are.

Really?

If your hands/forearms are getting 'similarly' fatigued as your legs from riding you should probably considered developing at least a modicum of upper body strength and endurance. Typing that post most have sent you down for a nap.

Yet another BF thread posing the Luddites vs. the Current Technology people. There's nothing wrong with 24- to 40-pound bikes, fixed gears, steel frames and sprung saddles. Some crave them.

But for those who appreciate current technology . . .

I have well over 4,000 trouble-free miles on my Di2 system. I have charged the battery three times, but only really HAD to charge it once. It charges in less than an hour and the charge lasts for at least three months of six-ride weeks. When the battery is about to die, it leaves the chain on the small front chainring, but provides full function to the rear derailleur for at least 60 miles of frequent shifts.

The system has never missed a shift for me. Shifting is as simple and easy as clicking a mouse. This provides a greater variety of hand positions because you can literally shift using your pinkie finger.

I have used my Di2 in all weather conditions -- including long rides where I got caught 30+ miles from home in major flood thunderstorms. My rear derailleur was even submerged a couple of times during one of these. No problems during or after the thorough soaking.

Is it durable? Mine has proved highly crash resistant. My rear derailleur and the tip of my right brake lever have scrapes and my left shifter bore an impact that cracked my sternum, but the system kept functioning like new. No problems from a crash where my personal crash damage was pretty bad.

As for function? I could not be happier. Automatic front derailleur trim is a GREAT feature. Shifting anywhere, no matter the situation, is a real luxury. Downshifting for stops is very slick and convenient. For me, it is very much like the difference between friction shifters and index. It's a small thing but, in daily use, the differences become pretty signficant. And, except for "list price only" retailers, the price has come down to an affordable level.

lol, was thinking the same thing!

It's got those newfangled ROUND wheels! Next thing you know, he'll want pedals!

I was going to replace my Campy triple with a new Campy compact this year. Now I think I will wait to see if either Shimano introduces a lower priced option or Campy introduces electronics. I have never heard anyone say anything other than great things about DI2.