Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

More gasoline on the fire - Electronic Shifting

Search
Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

More gasoline on the fire - Electronic Shifting

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-18-23, 05:54 AM
  #26  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 4,083
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2333 Post(s)
Liked 2,097 Times in 1,314 Posts
Hogwash on the 15% increase in weight.

My SRAM Red AXS HRD bike is less than a pound more than my SRAM red mechanical rim braked bike although it is easier to achieve the UCI limit with a rim braked bike.

I see Model T Fords and old cars all the time. They work fine.

Can anyone who has not owned an electronic shifting bike even have an opinion on the matter?
GhostRider62 is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 05:56 AM
  #27  
Should Be More Popular
 
datlas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Malvern, PA (20 miles West of Philly)
Posts: 43,067

Bikes: 1986 Alpine (steel road bike), 2009 Ti Habenero, 2013 Specialized Roubaix

Mentioned: 560 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22609 Post(s)
Liked 8,932 Times in 4,164 Posts
Originally Posted by Redbullet
I think this is not a matter of “black or white” or reason to exclude some opinions, but rather of individual preference related to cost to benefit ratio. In a broader approach, 2 major upgrades affected road bikes during the last years: disk brakes and electronic shifting. They both are better than the old system (rim brakes and mechanical shifting). But together, they increased bike weight with 10-15% and its price with around 25%.
Do the changes solve well known issues of the old systems? Not quite, I think, at least for non-pro riders. Do they worth the “penalty” in weight and costs? That is a matter of individual preference.
I challenge that they are “better” depends on your goals and applications.
__________________
Originally Posted by rjones28
Addiction is all about class.
datlas is offline  
Likes For datlas:
Old 02-18-23, 06:01 AM
  #28  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
Originally Posted by GhostRider62
Hogwash on the 15% increase in weight.

My SRAM Red AXS HRD bike is less than a pound more than my SRAM red mechanical rim braked bike although it is easier to achieve the UCI limit with a rim braked bike.

I see Model T Fords and old cars all the time. They work fine.

Can anyone who has not owned an electronic shifting bike even have an opinion on the matter?
Certainly, if the cost of electronic is the reason for not changing. I could go test ride an electronic bike today. Determine it works well, way better than anything cabled. But after taking costs into consideration, still not think it's worth it to upgrade.

Last edited by seypat; 02-18-23 at 06:05 AM.
seypat is offline  
Likes For seypat:
Old 02-18-23, 06:02 AM
  #29  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 707
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 388 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 49 Posts
Originally Posted by datlas
I challenge that they are “better” depends on your goals and applications.
My complicated way of saying that was that they do not solve well known issues of the old systems, at least not for non-pro riders
Redbullet is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 06:21 AM
  #30  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
It still doesn't solve my issue of more shifting with a 2x over a 3x with the same range as noted in post 21. It just gets rid of the long, crunchy, crappy throw of a Shimano brake lever shift. I can keep using friction which is one movement with each lever no matter how many gears I want to move. I do have a couple of brifter bikes for group rides for the other riders that will give me the side eye for pulling out a friction bike.
seypat is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 06:41 AM
  #31  
Advocatus Diaboli
 
Sy Reene's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,641

Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4739 Post(s)
Liked 1,533 Times in 1,004 Posts
Originally Posted by big john
Oooh, they have Chorus for $1500!
Not too bad... though did I miss the memo on something here...

Sy Reene is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 06:51 AM
  #32  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
If the drivetrain companies really wanted to sell me electronic products, here's what they should do. Take whatever system they have and offer me a version of it for each DO spacing from 120 to the present. Use the same shifters/derailleurs on each. Offer it in 1x, 2x and 3x. The only thing different would be the number of gears in the back and the way the system is programmed. With no cable needed, it would be easy to do. No extra skus either except for the different cassettes or crankset options. I would be far more likely to upgrade a bike or two that way than what is currently offered. What am I missing?

This might sound like a talking head to some though. Maybe I should stop making sense.

Last edited by seypat; 02-18-23 at 07:02 AM.
seypat is offline  
Likes For seypat:
Old 02-18-23, 07:23 AM
  #33  
Senior Member
 
PeteHski's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 8,456
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4420 Post(s)
Liked 4,873 Times in 3,017 Posts
Originally Posted by seypat
If the drivetrain companies really wanted to sell me electronic products, here's what they should do. Take whatever system they have and offer me a version of it for each DO spacing from 120 to the present. Use the same shifters/derailleurs on each. Offer it in 1x, 2x and 3x. The only thing different would be the number of gears in the back and the way the system is programmed. With no cable needed, it would be easy to do. No extra skus either except for the different cassettes or crankset options. I would be far more likely to upgrade a bike or two that way than what is currently offered. What am I missing?

This might sound like a talking head to some though. Maybe I should stop making sense.
Nobody who actually buys new things is interested in 3x electronic drivetrains and 120 DO spacing. If you think it makes sense then try pitching it to Dragon's Den.
PeteHski is online now  
Old 02-18-23, 07:41 AM
  #34  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 4,083
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2333 Post(s)
Liked 2,097 Times in 1,314 Posts
Originally Posted by seypat
If the drivetrain companies really wanted to sell me electronic products, here's what they should do. Take whatever system they have and offer me a version of it for each DO spacing from 120 to the present. Use the same shifters/derailleurs on each. Offer it in 1x, 2x and 3x. The only thing different would be the number of gears in the back and the way the system is programmed. With no cable needed, it would be easy to do. No extra skus either except for the different cassettes or crankset options. I would be far more likely to upgrade a bike or two that way than what is currently offered. What am I missing?

This might sound like a talking head to some though. Maybe I should stop making sense.
Yes, You could rent an electronic shifting bike for some days and have a valid opinion, but I doubt you have any saddle time on a modern bike. BTW.....120mm drop out width went out in the 70's.

No extra SKUs. How much supply chain or operations experience do you have? Or do you just holler down to Pete on the outbound side to rip up a 2x kit and cobble together a 3x kit. Stuff is designed and sold as systems and sometimes subsystems. And, 2x FD never really worked on 3x setups.
GhostRider62 is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 07:45 AM
  #35  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
Originally Posted by PeteHski
Nobody who actually buys new things is interested in 3x electronic drivetrains and 120 DO spacing. If you think it makes sense then try pitching it to Dragon's Den.
I am, as are a lot of the C & V crowd. We do whatever we can to keep those older frames going. Realize that older frames could mean something from 2-3 years ago. With nothing being backwards compatible, whatever is current becomes old/obsolete with each new system. So, whatever you're riding now will suffer the same fate in 3-5 years.
seypat is offline  
Likes For seypat:
Old 02-18-23, 07:50 AM
  #36  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
This person's in the same situation as the typical C & Ver. What should he/she do?

Realistic new bike expecations - cost and weight
seypat is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 08:09 AM
  #37  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: In the south but from North
Posts: 700

Bikes: Turner 5-Spot Burner converted; IBIS Ripley, Specialized Crave, Tommasini Sintesi, Cinelli Superstar, Tommasini X-Fire Gravel

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 406 Post(s)
Liked 389 Times in 219 Posts
The move to electronic shifters is a great business move. I would assume the margins are higher and this is the logical extension of the move from repairable components to replaceable components.

The difference between a metal wire, an electronic wire or a wireless signal is meaningless. All systems have strengths and weaknesses, the consumer can make the decision what works for them.

Companies are not looking to help you create the best cycling experience, but rather to make money. People can be convinced of anything and with enough marketing, will do exactly as they are told.
vespasianus is offline  
Likes For vespasianus:
Old 02-18-23, 08:24 AM
  #38  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
Originally Posted by vespasianus
The move to electronic shifters is a great business move. I would assume the margins are higher and this is the logical extension of the move from repairable components to replaceable components.

The difference between a metal wire, an electronic wire or a wireless signal is meaningless. All systems have strengths and weaknesses, the consumer can make the decision what works for them.

Companies are not looking to help you create the best cycling experience, but rather to make money. People can be convinced of anything and with enough marketing, will do exactly as they are told.

Best answer so far whether a person agrees with it or not.
seypat is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 08:29 AM
  #39  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
Originally Posted by GhostRider62
Yes, You could rent an electronic shifting bike for some days and have a valid opinion, but I doubt you have any saddle time on a modern bike. BTW.....120mm drop out width went out in the 70's.

No extra SKUs. How much supply chain or operations experience do you have? Or do you just holler down to Pete on the outbound side to rip up a 2x kit and cobble together a 3x kit. Stuff is designed and sold as systems and sometimes subsystems. And, 2x FD never really worked on 3x setups.
Wholesale/retail business owner for over 30 years. Plenty of experience with both. Although, most of that can be thrown out the window after the pandemic. That discussion belongs in another thread, however.
seypat is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 08:38 AM
  #40  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 707
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 388 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 49 Posts
Originally Posted by vespasianus
All systems have strengths and weaknesses, the consumer can make the decision what works for them.
Consumer's decision is less and less accepted. If you now target a certain level equivalent with similar level from 5 years ago, you are obliged to pay extra for disk brakes and soon you will be obliged to pay extra for electronic shifting. And to accept penalty in bike weight.
Another example that I started to see (just here and there, for the moment): aluminum wheels are sold only with the third level group sets (e.g. Shimano 105 DI or Sram Rival axs). But if you want the second level (eg Ultegra DI2 or Force axs), you must accept a configuration with carbon wheels and integrated carbon handlebar - some 400-800 EUR extra cost.
Redbullet is offline  
Likes For Redbullet:
Old 02-18-23, 08:54 AM
  #41  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 4,083
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2333 Post(s)
Liked 2,097 Times in 1,314 Posts
Originally Posted by seypat
Wholesale/retail business owner for over 30 years. Plenty of experience with both. Although, most of that can be thrown out the window after the pandemic. That discussion belongs in another thread, however.
Ok. Then why bring 120 mm drop outs into the discussion, it lessens your credibility. I used a 3X for decades to tour. 2x with 12 speeds or even 1x 13 speed would be enough for almost all touring. Not all. Almost all. Companies do not make products for the fringe elements. Part of my cycling is on a fringe bike, a very fast recumbent. It is probably more common than 3x but I don't expect any special concessions WRT products from big bike.

The only big problem with electronic shifting is price.
GhostRider62 is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 09:19 AM
  #42  
your god hates me
 
Bob Ross's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,592

Bikes: 2016 Richard Sachs, 2010 Carl Strong, 2006 Cannondale Synapse

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1254 Post(s)
Liked 1,291 Times in 712 Posts
Originally Posted by mschwett
electronic shifting isn't totally silent, and there's the button itself, and the fact of it getting harder/easier to pedal.
LOL. Yeah, ^^^this. If the author can't tell whether or not he's shifted gears, he's got bigger problems than just "electronics"
Bob Ross is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 09:54 AM
  #43  
Senior Member
 
Trakhak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 5,383
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2490 Post(s)
Liked 2,961 Times in 1,682 Posts
From the Mods: WE HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU!

Bike Forums>Pre-1990 Road Bikes with Electronic Shifting

Let's see if it can beat the 76 threads that have accumulated over 2 years in the sadly moribund Early Brifters thread!
Trakhak is offline  
Likes For Trakhak:
Old 02-18-23, 11:22 AM
  #44  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,956

Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3957 Post(s)
Liked 7,310 Times in 2,950 Posts
Originally Posted by seypat
I am, as are a lot of the C & V crowd. We do whatever we can to keep those older frames going. Realize that older frames could mean something from 2-3 years ago. With nothing being backwards compatible, whatever is current becomes old/obsolete with each new system. So, whatever you're riding now will suffer the same fate in 3-5 years.
Time for a dose of reality: the cyclists you’re referring to are a very tiny fraction of the general cycling population. The major manufacturers don’t care one bit about your desires.

Originally Posted by seypat
This person's in the same situation as the typical C & Ver. What should he/she do?

Realistic new bike expecations - cost and weight
There’s nothing similar about his situation.
tomato coupe is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 11:23 AM
  #45  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
Originally Posted by Bob Ross
LOL. Yeah, ^^^this. If the author can't tell whether or not he's shifted gears, he's got bigger problems than just "electronics"
With 1 tooth changes, I can't tell at times.
seypat is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 11:37 AM
  #46  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
Originally Posted by GhostRider62
Ok. Then why bring 120 mm drop outs into the discussion, it lessens your credibility. I used a 3X for decades to tour. 2x with 12 speeds or even 1x 13 speed would be enough for almost all touring. Not all. Almost all. Companies do not make products for the fringe elements. Part of my cycling is on a fringe bike, a very fast recumbent. It is probably more common than 3x but I don't expect any special concessions WRT products from big bike.

The only big problem with electronic shifting is price.
Because of post #33. He states nobody. Not most, or a very small amount, or almost nobody, etc. etc. His statement is not true. There are people out there, including myself that are doing it or at least trying. 126 is not much of an issue because you can jam a 130 hub in there. The 3X is more of an issue for reasons stated in post #21.

Last edited by seypat; 02-18-23 at 11:44 AM.
seypat is offline  
Likes For seypat:
Old 02-18-23, 11:40 AM
  #47  
ignominious poltroon
 
Polaris OBark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 4,055
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2244 Post(s)
Liked 3,448 Times in 1,807 Posts
Originally Posted by Redbullet
disk brakes and electronic shifting. ... together, they increased bike weight with 10-15% .
So together they increase a 20 lb bike's weight by 2 to 3 lbs?

I hear 87.6% of statistical claims on bike forums are just made up.
Polaris OBark is offline  
Likes For Polaris OBark:
Old 02-18-23, 11:42 AM
  #48  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,516
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times in 1,510 Posts
Originally Posted by tomato coupe
Time for a dose of reality: the cyclists you’re referring to are a very tiny fraction of the general cycling population. The major manufacturers don’t care one bit about your desires.


There’s nothing similar about his situation.
His situation is worse than mine. He'd shell out a bunch of coin for a heavier bike. I'd about break even.
seypat is offline  
Old 02-18-23, 11:45 AM
  #49  
ignominious poltroon
 
Polaris OBark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 4,055
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2244 Post(s)
Liked 3,448 Times in 1,807 Posts
Originally Posted by Bob Ross
LOL. Yeah, ^^^this. If the author can't tell whether or not he's shifted gears, he's got bigger problems than just "electronics"
Thankfully, there exists a simple solution, and it only weighs 12 more pounds:


Polaris OBark is offline  
Likes For Polaris OBark:
Old 02-18-23, 12:19 PM
  #50  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,956

Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3957 Post(s)
Liked 7,310 Times in 2,950 Posts
Originally Posted by seypat
His situation is worse than mine. He'd shell out a bunch of coin for a heavier bike. I'd about break even.
You want the cycling industry to produce electronic shifting for 3x setups and 120 mm rear spacing, and he wants to know if he can get a 17 lb. bike with disc brakes and electronic shifting for $5k. How are those two situations even remotely related?
tomato coupe is offline  
Likes For tomato coupe:


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.