Di2 in the sales ...is it worth it

[Blue Hills]

Once R&D costs are recouped and electronic gears start to become the norm

mm - more and more popular very probably - not sure I can see them becoming the "norm" for all sorts of reasons - cycling is a broad church.

 

[Smokin Joe]

mm - more and more popular very probably - not sure I can see them becoming the "norm" for all sorts of reasons - cycling is a broad church.

Similar sentiments were expressed about everything from indexing onwards.

 

[Mike_P]

Any interference issues with wireless ones? Last year my Garmin went briefly crazy for a while which I took to be a low battery but it was okay and then I realised another cyclist had been behind me / alongside / just in front when the Garmin was having its fit.

 

[Mark pallister]

Any interference issues with wireless ones? Last year my Garmin went briefly crazy for a while which I took to be a low battery but it was okay and then I realised another cyclist had been behind me / alongside / just in front when the Garmin was having its fit.

no ,not sure how but I think it uses ant private ,I have two bikes with it and they have separate connections with my wahoo roam and I ride with several people who have it on there bikes and never a problem

 

[Mark pallister]

As I wrote elsewhere I've tried Shimano, SRAM and Campag electronic shifting during Cyclist track days and I thought they were all magnificent. It's just that I can't justify spending an extra £1000 on a system I probably can't repair or will be expensive to repair in case of damage, weighs more than a cable system and - presumably - will need a new battery in a few years. A well-maintained cable system does everything an electronic system can do and by gauging the amount of lever I'm needing to push before it triggers a shift I can sense when the system needs adjustment.

Once fitted it should not need any maintenance ,no cables to stretch as for the battery depends on use I would think,ive a bike with over 12k miles on and will have been charged no more 6 times so I would think there’s a good few years left in it yet
as you say if you’ve tried it you can’t really compare it with cable type it’s a totally different beast

 

[Algarvecycling]

I have SRAM Red etap on my road bike and while it has been flawless, I'm not sure I notice anything significantly advantageous over mechanical apart from fewer cables - more cosmetic than anything else to me - in terms of function.

What I do find better, is the gear display on my Garmin. I like being able to see what gear I'm in on the computer without looking down further to see for myself. It seems trivial, but I miss it when on my MTB where it is Shimano mechanical. It is a quicker double-check just before I launch into a sprint, for example.

 

[Inspector Monkfish]

...A well-maintained cable system does everything an electronic system can do...

That's just not true. With Di2 you can automatically shift the rear cassette one or two sprockets when changing the front ring, you can shift multiple gears by holding down the lever, you can make adjustments mid ride without stopping pedalling, and with the addition of the wireless unit you can see what gear you are in without taking your eyes off the road and even control a bike computer from the hoods. None of that can be done with a cable system no matter how well maintained it is.

 

[addictfreak]

Took the plunge into Di2 today, pick up my new Scott Addict RC next week. Everyone I know who rides Di2 absolutely love it.

 

[pawl]

I very rarely look what gear I’m in.If I am spinning to fast I go up a gear.If I am peddling to slowly I change down a gear.

 

[BianchiVirgin]

Here's a useful website for anyone who wants to browse.

https://di2center.com/

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That's just not true. With Di2 you can automatically shift the rear cassette one or two sprockets when changing the front ring, you can shift multiple gears by holding down the lever, you can make adjustments mid ride without stopping pedalling, and with the addition of the wireless unit you can see what gear you are in without taking your eyes off the road and even control a bike computer from the hoods. None of that can be done with a cable system no matter how well maintained it is.

All the things you describe can be done with cable shifting apart from auto shifting the rear when you change rings at the front.

 

[keithmac]

I have Di2 with an Alfine hub and drop-bar levers. There is no front derailer. Unfortunately you cannot buy a left lever without switches and you can't (not on E-Tube project for smartphones, in anyway) configure it so that the gears can be changed from any side.

Those two superflous switches are burning in my mind. Maybe I should manually connect them to two different electronic hoooters or something.

I fancy an Alfine Hub with Di2 and Gates Carbon Drive on my next work commuter, won't be for a few years yet though!.

 

[Smokin Joe]

All the things you describe can be done with cable shifting apart from auto shifting the rear when you change rings at the front.

All the things you can do on any modern bike can be done on a 1950s butchers bike.

Just not as well.

 

[Drago]

All the things you can do on any modern bike can be done on a 1950s butchers bike.

Just not as well.

Imdunno. Delivering boxes of sausages is much easier on a butchers bike, and those centre stands were just de rigueur.

 

[Inspector Monkfish]

All the things you describe can be done with cable shifting apart from auto shifting the rear when you change rings at the front.

Sorry but how are you indexing your cable gears mid ride whilst still pedalling? Or seeing what gear you are in without looking back? Or using the shift levers to control your bike computer?