If Di2 and mechanical were the same price..

[Alex321]

DI2 isn’t about being able to afford it for many, it’s about value for money. It’s not consider good value by most at the moment.

If you are buying a new bike, the difference in price between mechanical 105 and Di2 105 seems to be about £600. (These two seem to be identical apart from the 105 groupsets, and that is the difference
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Orro-Terra-C-HYD-7020-RR9-2022-Gravel-Bike_230937.htm
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Orro-Terra-C-105-Di2-RR9-2023-Gravel-Bike_257327.htm
)

If I were in the market for a new bike, and they were the same price, I'd go for the Di2 equipped one. But for £600 extra? I don't think so - I agree with you that it doesn't seem good value.

 

[wafter]

No, since it's not something I could repair myself and is far more likely to become obsolete / unuseable over the passage of time.

Plus there's the whole need to charge it; which quite frankly remains utterly ridiculous as a primary system on a device that's otherwise 100% mechanical

 

[Sallar55]

I felt I was lucky finding a nice bike with mechanical Dura ace when all the good spec bikes turned to electronic shifting . One of the last Cannondale hi mod bikes with no electronic gear, no need to spend extra just to tap a button to achieve the same result . It might be fine for those who turn to the turbo every winter, could be very expensive if you hit ice with Di .

 

[All uphill]

I like the mechanical nature of my bikes; easy to understand and adjust, and likely to be functional in 50 years time.

Shame I won't be there to enjoy them.

 

[cyberknight]

if they did d12 claris at the same price as mechanical it would be closer to my budget

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I'd have electronic shifting if it was the same price as manual. The only reason I don't now is that I can't afford it.

This

 

[pawl]

My Planet X originally came with 11 speed Ultegra Changed to 105 when I wanted to change to a med cage Didn’t feel any difference In shifting performance. Certainly will not change to D12

 

[Petrichorwheels]

No would stick to mechanical for sheer bloody simplicity. The joy of the bike is its simplicity. Why bugger it about?
Appreciate that the Shell powered competitive world is different but that's not my sort of cycling anyways. Am not aiming to thrash anyone.

 

[Chislenko]

Am not aiming to thrash anyone.

I couldn't even if I wanted to although I did pass a very young boy with stabilizers the other day🙂

 

[fossyant]

Some of us, probably me included, will not go to Di2 due to cost reasons but instead will talk about how we have used cables for decades and it's been fine so no need to go with Di2.

But what if Di2 and mechanical were the same price? For example, 105 Di2 and 105 mechanical are the same price, same with Ultegra and so on. Would you then buy a Di2 bike?

Added complication. No, don't need it. Running vintage Dura Ace, 600/Ultegra and Deore LX/XT - it just works. And my SRAM X9 10 speed is ace. Won't go leccy, nor willI go leccy leg assistance unless I have a bad medical condition (PS it will need to be bad).

 

[mustang1]

I could write a whole screed on this and might at some point, but for now it's worth just throwing in that Di2 isn't the only electronic groupset out there. Campag have EPS, which is just a Di2 clone in many ways, but SRAM's implementation is a different (but equally pricey) beast. It's not perfect but I think it is a better example of where electronic shifting is heading.

Yup that's true. I meant (but did not at all make clear) that I'm using Shimano's Di2 as a generic example. Editing my Op now....

 

[Vantage]

In my 20's I never would have considered a GPS to find my way around. Got my first one in my mid 30's and never looked back.
A few years ago I never would have considered an ebike. Converted my tourer back in July. Haven't looked back.
I met a cyclist who swore by Di2 because due to severe arthritis in his wrists it enabled him to keep riding as my e-conversion has done for me.
I'll never say never as no one knows what the future has in store for us.
One thing I will say is that despite all the benefits electronic wizardry has to offer, it's turned my once elegant looking tourer into a bloody eyesore. I'd get rid of all that crap if I could.

 

[Bollo]

Yup that's true. I meant (but did not at all make clear) that I'm using Shimano's Di2 as a generic example. Editing my Op now....

It certainly wasn't a dig at you!

Being a failed tech bro I've always been into the joins between cycling and tech so was a relatively early adopter of electronic group sets, and yes it was Shimano Di2. Since then I've had another Di2 equipped bike (a TT bike), refitted my original Di2 groupset to another frame post-collision and now my latest bike is fitted with SRAM Red eTap AXS, so I've got an opinion for sure. For balance my old-reliable has had various mechanical Shimano groupsets fitted and I've even got a Rohloff flat-bar tourer if we want to do derailleur vs hub shoot-off.

I really had been meaning to open a thread like this for a while because, while some of the criticisms are valid, I think there's an element of groupthink across the forum that has a whiff of the old git about it. I'm lacking the time to go full Benstead on the subject so here's my TL;DR;

Gearing in general - different strokes for different folks. Different solutions work for different disciplines and budgets.

Electronic gears in general - more reliable and tougher than you think. Great indexing and shifting consistency. Shifting up to big ring easier 😜. Can customise shifting - i.e. let the software manage big ring shifts. Too expensive. Needs some standard/open protocols. Requires charging. Problems generally can't be repaired in the field. Diagnosing problems can be difficult. Obsolescence more of an issue ATM.

Mechanical derailleurs in general - not as reliable as you think (looking at you brifters! ). Modern indexing is good but can be tricky to set up. Cost-effective. Some ability to repair in the field and diagnosing issues usually easier.

Shimano Di2 - first viable electronic groupset. Single battery solution gives loooong battery life but can't be charged away from bike. Great shifting performance. 4 paddles for shifts is very flexible and configurable. Wired (or partially wired) system increases damage risk and reduces reliability IMO. Typical garbage Shimano documentation. Awful software. Shimano closed protocols (see recent hammerhead integration issue).

SRAM eTap - Absolutely no wires. Double battery solution requires charging more frequently but can be done away from the bike - very neat. Had zero problems with water-ingress etc. Also great shifting (maybe slightly less good than Shimano?). Two paddle shifters are less flexible and "double tap" not for everyone. Documentation much more consumer focused and better software. Better and easier 'soft' configuration options. Potential for more open and standard hardware/software stack. Confusing product lineup and inter-generation compatibility.

Campag eps - 🤷‍♂️

Rohloff - "wow, you fitted a coffee grinder to your rear wheel!"

 

[Ian H]

...I'm lacking the time to go full Benstead on the subject...

😄

 

[matticus]

while some of the criticisms are valid, I think there's an element of groupthink across the forum that has a whiff of the old git about it

I was wary of e-shifting, but then I realised it was just groupthink, and i was sounding like an old git. Now bollo will tell me what to buy - huzzah!