Cafe

I need a group set for my bike and have boiled the decision down to ultegra 6800 or ultegra 6870 Di2. I got some questions:

1. Does Di2 shift better?
2. Which set up is more reliable?
3. Anybody ever have battery issues with Di2 and was stuck in one gear for the rest of the ride?
4. How is Di2 11 speed ultegra better than ultegra 11 speed mechanical?
5. Can the wiring and electronic parts in Di2 degrade over time and cause issues due to corrosion like what we see happen with motorcycles and cars?
6. Is the battery proprietary in Di2, and is it costly to replace?
7. Do you prefer mechanical over electronic, or electronic over mechanical and why?
8. Is the only difference between the Di2 group the electronic shifting?
9. Are Di2 components like the RD, FD, and shifters more prone to failure than their mechanical counterparts on the 6800 ultegra and why?
10. If Budget was not an issue...but reliability trumps all, would you consider Ultegra Di2 11 speed over Mechanical Ultegra 6800 and why?

dalava

1. not really, just different
2. 6800
3. no, unless the battery is running low
4. not really, and actually heavier
5. yes you can, but I don't think they will be put under the same condition as motocycles
6. $40 on eBay
7. mechanical for me
8. not sure what you are asking
9. not sure because I didn't have it long enough, but it would stand to reason it is because the electronics and servos in those components
10. no because 6800 is really good already as mechanical group, and you are incurring additional weight with Di2. In fact, if budget is not an issue, I would go DA9000 instead of Di2. The shifting on the new DA9000 is almost as smooth and easy as Di2

dtrain

just get the 6800 (mechanical)

Cafe

If reliability trumps all you would go with DA9000? I question this only because from my research, Dura Ace components sacrifice reliability for lighter parts(just from what I've read online, not from experience of course.) I wouldn't consider DA9000 personally unless I was a sponsored racer which I am by no means close to that(average 18-20 when I decide to look down at my computer)

dalava

I'm not aware of any DA9000 reliability issue other than the cable issue with 9000 shifters which have been fixed with the 9001 release. But again I am not that hard on my equipment and never really kept them long enough (more than 5 years) to know for sure.

RJM

Bang for buck, Ultegra 6800 has it. Between mechanical and electronic Ultegra I would go with mechanical just because of the amount of money you save and mechanical being really, really good.

However, I am seriously looking at electronic shifting for a future bike. I guess I'll decide and vote with my dollars when the time comes.

Cafe

Ya I think mechanical is a safe bet for me. I just don't want to make the mistake of not getting Di2 if it's that much better. It would be cheaper to get Di2 now if that were the case, rather than upgrade later.

HIPCHIP

I don't have any experience with either, but from what I have read, electronic shifting is quiet and immediate, so for a pro who is trying to get a jump on the pack it is a good thing, otherwise, mechanical has been around for a long time and is perfected, so if it were me, I'd spend my money on mechanical over electronic as I'm not racing and mechanical is less expensive and very reliable. You don't have to worry about a lot of the stuff you are asking if you don't have a battery, etc. to worry about.

Dunbar

FYI 5800 is the best bang for your buck. I can't feel a difference between 5800 and 6800.

You really need to test ride di2 to see if you think it's worth the extra cost.

gsteinb

One of the nice things about Di2 (DA) if you race is that you can have sprint shifters in the drops. That said I've yet to lose a sprint because someone had Di2 and I didn't. Heck, I'm still on 7800.

dalava

I was wooed by the whirring of the derailleur motor and the "look, no effort" effect of the Di2 at first, but it soon faded for me and I didn't really like the lack of feedback of Di2. I've been stuck once using Di2 because I forgot to charge and fortunately I was only about 30 miles form home with no major climbs so I was able to get home in the limp gear Di2 defaults to. BTW, I am not a racer so I can't speak to the advantage of Di2 may give you, but from what I can see during the grand tours, most riders are still on mechanical groups. And given how good the 6800/9000/Campy SR/Record have become, I just sold my Di2 and going back to mechanical.

dalava

I think the 6800 brakes are much better.

bt

wouldn't that be the last gear you were in?

Cafe

Yup I think you are right actually. I overlooked 105 5800...didn't realize 105 has 11 speed. Is the difference in weight more than pound between the group set, or are we just talking a few grams? Hmmmm...definitely like saving $300 with 105 5800 versus 6800...that can go towards a garmin gps or that apple watch which will hopefully double as a cycling computer

bt

op, I just bought 9000 instead of 9070 and money wasn't an issue and I own a d12 10 speed bike.

fwiw

Cafe

Well I won't be using the brake calipers from the group set, that will go up on ebay once I get my group. I'll be using avid ultimate cantilever brakes. So is the 5800 the best bet then? I wonder what the weight difference is between a ultegra 5800 compact group and a 6800 compact group...both without the brake caliper set. If it's something like 300 grams...forget it, I'll just go with 105.

dalava

No. The front will automatically shift to the small ring, and I dont' remember the rear but it's somewhere in the middle.

dalava

So we've gone from 6800/Di2/"if budget is not an issue" to 105 in 16 posts?

rpenmanparker 

You've heard of a slippery slope? Well now you have observed one.

robbyville

I think I've said enough. But if budget were not an issue I would say that I really enjoy my DI2, far more than I ever thought I would, especially now that I'm going back and forth with demo bikes and my own. People always say that once you try the electronic shifting then you'll understand, I would tend to agree although I certainly respect those that have tried it and not found it to be their cup of tea.

andr0id

Other than Ti cassettes wearing more quickly, I don't think they sacrifice any reliability for weight.

I've use DA 9 and 10 and had one FD seize up due to me sweating on it and one shifter quit working. I think these things could happen regardless of whether it was DA or Ultegra. DA hubs last forever and the brakes are rock solid.

I usually swap to an Ultegra cassette and KMC chain after I wear out the parts that come with the group since I like them better.

Cafe

Well I don't want to pay $300 more just because it has the Ultegra name. How is Ultegra better. Because I'm convinced on 6800 Ultegra. But if there is no real difference between ultegra 6800 and 105 5800 except for the brake calipers which I will not be using...why go ultegra 6800?

robbyville

One thing I'll add on whether or not one is more prone to failure than the other... I don't know that either would be more or less prone, and as mentioned I haven't heard of many challenges but that being said, if you're racing or prone to crashing/dropping your bike, they electronic equivalents are a heck of a lot more expensive to replace!

Cafe

Wouldn't say I'm prone to crashing...probably because I'm not racing...but I'd be lying if I said I've never been down. I've been down, but never crashed into something. I've been down when I was a noob with clipless...also been down from brake lock...and I've been down from slippery stuff....and most of the time, the only thing that would take some damage is the handlebars and some road rash on the shift lever. I'm not too worried about crashing/dropping my bike basically. I'm more worried about reliability. This is an investment, and I think it should last me for many years without failing when properly maintained.

So if someone were to tell me that Ultegra 6800 shifts smoother and is more reliable than 105 I would get the Ultegra 6800.

bigfred 

I'm assisting a friend with the purchase of her new bike and we're faced with this very same question at the moment.

The things I see in favour of mechanical:
She owns several bikes and is more an MTB rider than road. The bike may sit for weeks or even months without be ridden. Mechanical allows her to hop on it at the drop of a dime and not ever worry about whether it's charged or not.
There's no battery to self-discharge die, electrical cables to corrode, motors or switches to fail. Mechanical definately seems to have a slight advantage with regard to reliability and field servicability.
Neither of us can remember the last time we "thought" about shifting a properly maintained mechanical setup.

The Pros for Di2:
It's the current cool kid on the block.
Front shifting is quicker and doesn't require that lever travel. But, really? By how much? And, how oftern are we shifting between rings compared to rear cogs? The only ones I see this really effecting are those running a 34/50 crank with a wide range cassette, who have limited overlap and may be cruising right at that perpetual cross chained speed.

I'm leaving the decission up to her and we're arranging an extended demo of Di2 equipped bike for her. But, I'll be really surprised if she doesn't opt for mechanical 6800.