@Seevio to actually answer your question. I have di2 on two of my three bikes. Would I go back to manual? No. Is it a necessity? No. Is it a gamechanger? No, but................
I was resistant to electronic shifting for many years, initially based around cost and is it really necessary? As time passed my resistance probably grew based on the real world experience of friends and fellow club members. I was forever hearing stories of "my di2 packed up," " I ran out of battery," "the bikes been laid up for a week or more." These stories deterred me from making the change. Now I'm a user I understand the majority of issues are down to what I will describe as "user error." These I have experienced or heard from others:
My battery ran out - did you check it the night before?
Shifter batteries, this is a good one. I've met people who didn't know they existed, don't know the battery type or that you need a screwdriver to open the battery cover. I haven't got a spare battery. How do I check the battery level? Etc. Some will argue the foregoing are a reason not to use di2. Just more things to check. I fully understand that view but would argue that once correctly setup none of these points should be an issue I argue all of these points are simple "user error." Everything surrounding a bike needs to be learned and set up correctly initially.
Why am I a convert? In June 2024 I had a major RTC, amongst my injuries were three broken fingers on my right hand. My consultant happened to be a keen cyclist. He advised my fingers might become stiff and uncomfortable on longer rides and/or in cold weather. He advised I explore di2. He was right about the stiffness but wrong about the cold weather. The bike which replaced my written of Kinesis was equipped with di2. A key factor in my recent decision to buy another new bike was a desire to have di2 on my main road bike.
I see the benefits as crisper, faster and smoother shifting; rapid changing when one has got the selection wrong is much improved; I ride a lot of gravel and this rapid change can be very helpful; very, very rarely is any adjustment needed; fewer dropped chains (I'm bad at this); it's pretty much silent; there is less "thought and/or action" involved, just a click and that's it.
Some peripheral fluffy stuff I enjoy. My Wahoo displays the current gear selection and records every change. This data is interesting to study and to learn from. The Wahoo also displays and gives warning for
Criticisms? The Shimano app is very poor. I get all my data from my Wahoo. The location of the rear deraileur charging point is poor; the cover can easily open/fail to close properly leaving the charging point exposed. The charging cable attaches "upside down" meaning the cable is bent over at the point where it attaches to the bit that connects to the battery, a potential weakness. The mode button on the rear deraileur is small, difficult to locate and can be tricky to use. So far I've only been able to get battery information direct from Shimano as green = 11% or more, red = 11% or less - so is that 1% or 11%. BIG difference. I've given up on all the Shimano related data. Wahoo is hugely superior on this aspect.
Is it necessary? Definitely not. Does it improve my overall cycling experience? Without doubt and I would not go back to manual. One might compare it with car air conditioning. Completely unnecessary but once you've had it you'll never buy a car without.
These are just my thoughts and personal experience. I know plenty will dismiss some or all. I love it. Electronic shifting is without doubt a big leap forward in gearing.
