Electric gear shifters

[ianrauk]

It's here to stay.
Give it a few years and the majority of new bikes will have it.

 

[ColinJ]

Ha ha - I was reading the original posts and hadn't noticed the date. I was wondering why nobody was aware of the electric shifters on the market now!

 

[VamP]

Awesome grave digging skills!

As for electric shifting, it's deffo here to stay. I confidently predict Di2 Tiagra by 2014.

 

[BJH]

Yes apologies for the thread necrophilia but this is really getting to me. Giving serious thought to a new bike and everything seems to say to me that this is going to stick but the fear is that committing to an electronic group set will mean no going back should it prove a flash in the pan.
Feels like waiting is the best option at the moment

 

[simon.r]

Two points:

1 - Through bitter experience I never buy the Mk 1 of anything. Manufacturers seem to have a nasty habit of using the buying public to test out their not-quite prototypes. I now wait until the Mk 2 appears and has had most of the bugs ironed out. (This applies to almost anything, not just cycling related).

2 - This is an age thing, I'm sure, but at approaching 50 I have no interest in buying something like this (although I'm interested to read about it and see it). I can see how it would benefit a racer, but for the average cyclist?? But then, as Smokin Joe points out, the same is said about most new innovations. Sheesh, I'm getting old

 

[screenman]

Simon.r I am older than you and I will be buying into electronics.

Growing old is compulsory, growing up is not.

 

[Svendo]

Personally I'd wait until the new 11 speed Dura-Ace has a Di2 version that has filtered down to Ultegra level, and the Ultegra Di2 developments have filtered back up. Then it'll be well bedded in, and lots of real life experience will be available.

 

[screenman]

Blimey I am 56 how old would I have to be if I waited that long, I bet there will not be a lot of problems now as they tend to be reliable suppliers of technology.

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

Electric shifting!

I'm about to, reluctantly, try the as yet unproven brifter-gubbins: real men reach between their legs to change gear!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Two points:

1 - Through bitter experience I never buy the Mk 1 of anything. Manufacturers seem to have a nasty habit of using the buying public to test out their not-quite prototypes. I now wait until the Mk 2 appears and has had most of the bugs ironed out. (This applies to almost anything, not just cycling related).

2 - This is an age thing, I'm sure, but at approaching 50 I have no interest in buying something like this (although I'm interested to read about it and see it). I can see how it would benefit a racer, but for the average cyclist?? But then, as Smokin Joe points out, the same is said about most new innovations. Sheesh, I'm getting old

I'm like you, I'm nearly always one of the last to move to something new, by the time I get to something most of the bugs are well known and most of those have been ironed out, makes life a lot easier. Like a lot of people I wonder if all this innovation and technology is really necessary, I do most of my riding on a fixed with toeclips, I have one of the 10 speed on the back modern bikes with clipless but it doesn't make me go faster or further than the fixed, or the old five speed I used to ride, the main difference is the shifters which, because they are easier to reach, I tend to use more often increasing the wear on the transmission.

 

[CopperCyclist]

I'll be getting one at the start of next month. LBS has said that the Cube Agree Di2 should be in stock by then, and if it isn't I'll get the Focus Cayo Evo 2.0 which they do have in stock now. Can't wait!

 

[mchunt]

I think I will wait for auto shifters - can't wait for my bike to throw me into top gear half way up a killer hill!

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

I run dura-ace di2 and a standard ui2, under no circumstances are these comparable. The dura-ace is far more slick and consistent, it even functions ok with an eliptical chain ring, where as ui2 does not. You can also replace the battery on the di2 for custom installations, although you can also replace the battery on the ui2 the CANbus interface would require you to either destroy your battery mount, or buy another as it is the chip in this which identifies it to the network. Thus increasing the costs.
My di2 is now extensively modified, the cost of doing the same to ui2 makes it prohibitive. im now replacing it with di2