I like cool, technologically advanced stuff but I wasn’t really sure electronic shifting for bikes was worth the cost or effort.  Mavic tried it years ago with pitiful results and I think Campy has abandoned its recent effort as well.  At the core, bicycles are relatively simple devices and it might be best to keep them that way. Even internal cable routing can turn simple maintenance into an hour-long exercise in frustration, so adding motors and batteries could certainly make things worse.

Of course, Shimano sees it as something worth doing and they have had working groups under pro cyclists for over a year now with good results.  I’ve had the opportunity to ride the recently released Di2 road group and I have to tell you, it was an eye opening experience.  That first, 40 mile ride was all it took to move me from skeptic to convert so let’s step through the experience and try and give you an idea of what Di2 is all about.

Installation

As my friend Kyle (Barnett trained wrench) and I opened the boxes, we felt a mixture of familiarity and newness.  The brakes, cranks, chain and cassette are the same as the fabulous new 7900 Dura-Ace we’ve worked with, but that’s where the similarity ended.  The derailleurs are recognizable but they work so differently and are connected to the battery, shifters and small control unit by a wiring harness that resembles nothing I’ve ever installed on a bike.  While it didn’t take much longer to install than normal cable and housing, it was a bit like wrestling an octopus for a few minutes.  Once complete, the installation is very clean thanks to the included adhesive backed wiring covers.  Other than plugging wires into ports with a special tool, the rest of the installation is fairly straight-forward.

Derailleur adjustment is different and much better.  Press and hold a button to enter the setup mode, use shift buttons to move the derailleur into the proper alignment, then press the button to exit setup mode.  Quick, simple and can be done while on the bike without touching the drive train.

Of course, if you don’t normally set up your own bikes, none of this matters; you’ll just get on and ride.

Riding

Many of the pro cyclists who’ve ridden Di2 note the minimal effort required to effect shifts versus the traditional cable actuated systems.  They say that after 120+ mile races, shifting gears usually takes significant effort and they appreciated the light “touch” required to effect the same shifts using Di2.  I didn’t really think that would apply to normal folks who don’t regularly race full out for 5 - 7 hours at a time (often in horrible conditions).  However, I found the lack of effort required to shift gears to be remarkable, resulting in noticeably less fatigue after only an hour or so on the bike.  It is certainly similar in magnitude to going from aluminum handlebars to carbon and experiencing less fatigue resulting from less vibration being transmitted from the road to your body.  So, while I don’t race bikes for a living, less fatigue is less fatigue and I like it.

I also didn’t think that shifting could possibly be noticeably faster than the newest top groups from Shimano, SRAM and Campy.  Again, I was wrong. Shifts on the rear end are incredibly quick and precise and even more impressive are the movements from small to big chain ring and back.  The precision may be the most impressive part as the derailleurs move to their exact location without noticeable lag after pressing the shifter.  I never realized how much over shifting and lag there was in a Dura-Ace derailleur until it wasn’t there anymore.   Since Di2 does not rely on the imprecise balance between a spring and cable tension, Di2 puts the derailleur where it is supposed to be on every single shift.

The shifters are the most comfortable of any I’ve ever used.  Since they do not have to house moving parts, they can be shaped to optimally fit your hand.  The shifters are also noticeably softer than 7900 (or 7800 D/A, SRAM or Campy) shift hoods enhancing comfort and reducing vibration felt in the hands.

Comfort, precision, shift speed - Di2 adds up to an amazingly impressive riding experience.

Aero

At the time I received the Di2 group, the bar end shifters were not available (and still aren’t at the time of this writing) but Di2 will serve up some amazing gear for triathletes.  Since shifting is electronically controlled, multiple shifters can be used at once.  As you can see on Shimano’s web site, aero bar end shifters will be offered (and are being used currently on some pro bikes - Dave Zabriski) along with brake levers for time trial and tri bikes with integrated shift buttons. That means, you can have a tri bike with shifters on the bar ends and on the brake levers on the cow horns or a road bike with standard integrated shifters and with shifters on clip-on aero bar extensions!  Now that’s cool!

Durability

After a season and a half in the pro road racing world, Di2 not only seems to be holding up well but is becoming the choice of some of the pros over traditional set ups.  I have heard of no Di2 specific failures yet and I think that says something positive about the viability of the group.

Battery Life

The last thing we’d want is a battery we have to recharge every night or to be left without the ability to shift in the middle of a ride.  From what I’ve experienced and read, you can go weeks and many hundreds of miles between charges. Further, there is a battery indicator that gives plenty of warning before the battery dies. Charging only takes about an hour.

Price

There’s no getting around it, Di2 is really expensive and in the end, there are less expensive ways to shift gears that work very well.  Di2 is also in the “early adopter” stage of life.  One must be willing to pay a price that will surely decrease over the next few years in order have the cool, cutting-edge gear. However, it is very cool and worth the cost it if you can afford it.  If you don’t have nice, aero race wheels, an aero helmet, a top shelf frame, a nice road bike for long training and group rides etc, then the money spent on those things will net more benefit than Di2.  Of course, if the $4,000 price tag doesn’t give you pause, step up and buy Di2 - you will be impressed, not to mention you will be at the top of the gear heap among your friends.  Di2 is right up there with Lightweight wheels when it comes to conspicuous consumption.  Like all of the truly slick, unobtainium gear in our sport, Di2 is completely unnecessary and undeniably cool - I love it!

Mark