Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
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DSK
Senior Member
Converting an existing setup to DI2?
Apologies to take this thread in a slightly different direction but, I though as its related to DI2, may as well ask here since there's a lot of experience and knowledge. Is it possible to covert an existing cable setup to DI2 without buying an entire groupset? If so, what is needed?
Looking at similar model with DI2, it seems the brakes are still cable operated, so those could stay? My cassette/chain/cranks are perfect, so no need to replace those. Is it just the DI2 electronic boxes, front/reat mechanism needed or, is there more?
Apologies to take this thread in a slightly different direction but, I though as its related to DI2, may as well ask here since there's a lot of experience and knowledge. Is it possible to covert an existing cable setup to DI2 without buying an entire groupset? If so, what is needed?
Looking at similar model with DI2, it seems the brakes are still cable operated, so those could stay? My cassette/chain/cranks are perfect, so no need to replace those. Is it just the DI2 electronic boxes, front/reat mechanism needed or, is there more?
You don't need a full groupset, but you will need:
Shifters
Front Mech
Rear Mech
Battery (internal or external) + relevant mounting hardware and charger
Junction box A (For charging internal battery, changing modes etc)
Junction box B (for connecting cables together around the bottom bracket)
D-Fly wireless unit (optional, only if you want to connect to a computer or upgrade firmware via the phone app)
cables (normally around 6 needed, at around £16(!) each)
You can keep your existing brakes, chainset, bottom bracket, chain, cassette etc as they're identical
I'm doing the same at the moment for my wifes new bike, ive got a thread about it in the projects section
Almost all of the different group sets are interchangeable except the original dura ace 7970 so avoid that
If you are 11 speed you wont be able to use 6770 front or rear mechs. You can however use the 6770 shifters with later 6870 or newer mechs to achieve 11 speed If you want synchro shifting and/or wireless connectivity you need a specific battery too so watch out for that
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
Can you shed some light on that please? That may be where my current problem lies.If you want synchro shifting and/or wireless connectivity you need a specific battery too so watch out for that
The early batteries (eg internal BTR-1) dont have the required internal memory to do synchro shifting or wireless firmware updates. Later ones had this added to allow the functions, ie internal battery DN-110. Not sure what the codes for the external batteries are as I dont have any.
Synchronized shifting is quite clever - when you set it up you tell the Di2 which ratios you have front and rear and it then shifts the front mech for you as and when needed. You just use the buttons to go up or down gears and it does the rest. You can program the four (or six, depending which shifters you have) buttons to be up or down so it's quite flexible.
It also has a mode called Semi Synchronized shifting which is what I use - again you tell it which ratio cassette and chainrings you have but this time you are in control of the front mech. The rear mech shifts up and down as normal with the right hand shifter but when you shift the front with the left hand shifter the rear simultaneously moves up or down a few sprockets to achieve the next ratio. So if you're approaching a climb and you shift the front down to the smaller ring you're not suddenly spinning like crazy as it shifts down a few at the back too - you can then move back up the cassette smoothly as the incline increases
Clever stuff!The most annoying thing I find about it is it will not let you use the lower two sprockets on the cassette when you're in the small ring at the front. Sometimes it would be useful to be able to override this - I know all about cross chaining etc but sometimes I want to use those combinations and I find it irksome that it stubbonly refuses to let me - I would like an option in the settings somewhere to leave it up to me which gears are allowed
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
Thanks for this, but I want to suck up some more info if you have to give.
I have an older battery, from 2016, I think, paired with a new MT-800 display, MU S-705 motor unit, BL-785 shifters and JC-41 cable junction. The set-up won't wake up and is completely dead. However, I can make the motor unit and Shifters work with another Di2 setup I have, using the same battery. With this process of elimination I've convinced myself that it is either the battery or the junction box that's the problem. It seems as if it is the battery then.
What's your opinion?
Could be that the firmware versions arent compatible, have you got everything at the latest version? Have you plugged it in to a PC to check diagnostics? If you are using an internal battery you can use the internal battery charger SM-BCR2 to connect to a PC via USB and use the eTube software to do most of the diagnostics you can do with the more expensive PC link device
Thinking about it, if your battery isn't a DN-110 you won't be able to use it with the MT-800 as it has built in D-Fly connectivity (ANT and Bluetooth). If you can check the battery code it would confirm it. The only batteries any D-Fly components will work with are the external battery BM-DN100 or internal battery BT-DN110.
I learnt a lot of this stuff from the Cartlon Bale website here - it's not fully up to date anymore as the latest Dura Ace 91xx bits are missing but it's very handy
I learnt a lot of this stuff from the Cartlon Bale website here - it's not fully up to date anymore as the latest Dura Ace 91xx bits are missing but it's very handy
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
Thinking about it, if your battery isn't a DN-110 you won't be able to use it with the MT-800 as it has built in D-Fly connectivity (ANT and Bluetooth). If you can check the battery code it would confirm it. The only batteries any D-Fly components will work with are the external battery BM-DN100 or internal battery BT-DN110.
I learnt a lot of this stuff from the Cartlon Bale website here - it's not fully up to date anymore as the latest Dura Ace 91xx bits are missing but it's very handy
Thanks, you've nailed it. My battery is a SM-BTR2. I've just found a compatibility chart and it doesn't feature on there. New battery shopping tomorrow.
Elybazza61
Guru
Upgraded the Helium to Di2 by getting the shifter parts bit by bit on ebay; was lucky as the new DA was out so plenty of the older(but nicer looking!) kit was available.
Double check pics on ebay though as some bits(especially rear mechs) are in worse condition than described.
Di2* can be very addictive;have two bikes with it now.
*Other electronic gear systems are available
.
Double check pics on ebay though as some bits(especially rear mechs) are in worse condition than described.
Di2* can be very addictive;have two bikes with it now.
*Other electronic gear systems are available
.
PaulSB
Squire
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
jay clock
Massive member
- Location
- Hampshire UK
Love it. But I would not upgrade a bike to it. I would retire the bike to second best and buy a new bike set up with Di2
