Shimano Dura-Ace Di2

[versanil]

Have they fixed that really annoying problem of the indexing system going out of sync every 5 bloody minutes? I guess with computer control they could possibly avoid miss shifts.

Before we get too excited this is still an unbelievably crude mechanism, moving a chain from one cog to another has been around for over a hundred years. I've had enough of it, hub gears on the next bike.

[tebonginc]

but my fingers are small and weak. i find it difficult shifting manually

[BillieJean900]

I LOVE THIS , I DONT WANT CABLES :D

[littlewing62]

this is getting redicuouls.. next time they'll include voice control and wi-fi..

[redmirror2]

I can't wait to hear the excuse - "I lost the race because my bicycle ran out of batteries." I think I will stick to using my big finger muscles to shift.

[davidwill6]

plus you can shift while pedaling at full force, you can't do that on any other system

[eshneto]

@davidwill6 No, you can't. Why do you think so? Think again.

[davidwill6]

@eshneto ya you can, i just bought Di2s and you CAN change at full force, it's one of the main reasons i bought it, so i could shift while standing and climbing

[bujablaster]

@davidwill6 wanna see it. It is not gearbox, it is still same gear-changing principle, difference is only that it is driven not by mechanical cable but by electric pulses. But still when you shift your gear you need to turn round cranks to get chain on right (shifted to) sprocket.

So show it what are you talking about ... or it doesn't exist ;)

[bujablaster]

@davidwill6 btw: yes, sure you can shift gear at full pedal force. You can do this even with standart cable-pulled rear/front deraileur too :) But your sprockets on casette and chain too will not like it :) And it seems same to me on Di2.

[davidwill6]

@bujablaster that's what i thought before i bought it, but the difference is that with Di2 the derailleur is moved with a steady force, which does two things, it makes the gears switch faster, and it means that even while you're switching gears you can still be pedaling at full force and your pedals won't drop like they would on a normal system

[reparatorii]

@davidwill6 Have you tested Super Record Campagnolo? Bytheway, the "pedaling at full force" it's still bad cause it's stress hugely your gears, even with the Di2.

[davidwill6]

@reparatorii no, i'd love to test the new campy, but i haven't been able to yet. I know it's not ideal to change gears at full force, but at least it's possible, if needed in a climb or sprint in a race if you find yourself in the wrong gear

[davidwill6]

@reparatorii no, i'd love to test the new campy, but i haven't been able to yet. I know it's not ideal to change gears at full force, but at least it's possible, if needed in a climb or sprint in a race if you find yourself in the wrong gear

[lazarra101]

It's very innovative and I would love to have this. Todays mechanical shifting is still quite cumbersome and so 90's. We should be open to new technology today because it's already 2011 and so on. Technologies evolving and we should just go along with the ride but whether you choose mechanical or electronic is up to you.

[therogermarsh]

Imagine: You choose your RPM and the system just changes gear to get as close as possible. How nuts would THAT be???

[mauro521]

@therogermarsh

Not that crazy, I actually have a friend working on this as his final Uni project (mechanical engineering)

[z08north]

some people seem to think that charging a battery is difficult. its just like your cellphone

[djpakuts]

Why cant it just charge itself by kenetic energy from the bike? Could switch on when the battery is low instead of charging it constantly. Eventhough a 1000 kms is decent.

[wlasur]

Particularly like it when Harold explains how the Shimano Di2 works.

[bassman1201]

Do any of you remember what happen to Andy up Alpe d'Huez, he shifted too fast, and slobbily, and his chained slipped! There is a much smaller chance that would happen with this!

[danfoz]

If you race, and occasionally contest bunch sprints (in my case Cat 4 bunch sprints lol), you will really appreciate the short "throw" of the shift while in the drops. As far as the bi-monthly charge (you get about 1000mi), it's really not much more maintenance than a pre-ride tire pressure or chain condition check. No one needs it, but then again we don't need tv remotes either ;-) To the fella who doesn't even like to ride with a cellphone... wait till your first hit-and-run.

[mekore]

@danfoz totally agreed with the cellphone.......

[cjcarlosnumber1]

very nice .but what happens if you forget to charge the battries and then go out for a ride.will get stuck on the same gear all the time?.

[thisisobvious]

@cjcarlosnumber1

I just read that it will stay in the same gear. It lasts an average of 1000 miles though, so it's not likely that you'd have one die on you. Also, the average cyclist wont have Di2, but the guys that do will likely have their team carry several backup batteries with them. The randonneur may think twice about Di2, no one is going to want to stop to change the battery.

[snifnscratch]

One of the beautiful things about the bicycle is its simplicity, and in this respect di2 goes too far. I have to plug my phone in to charge it, and my tv, house lights, microwave oven, computer and kettle also need electricity. When I ride my bike I want to leave electronic equipment at home where it belongs. I dont take my phone with me either - I wouldnt want anyone to ring me, even if I`ve won the lottery

[yenrodtheoriginal]

@snifnscratch Its 2012 yuh know mate ???!!!!

[ukexpat]

Sweeeeet!

[hagenar]

These systems will likely be price and weight competitive within a few years. Watch for smaller batteries, and smarter control buttons. It'll happen eventually.

[koko56]

@hagenar Yeah and right now it has a 20kg battery and buttons from some prototype telephones from the 1970s?

[976doddy]

Perfect for hardcore racers!! if your a snobby roadie, or tour de france wannabe, then no point spending all your money on components that look and feel great, But will probaly never reach their full potential.....

[sawyerbobby]

only if you are at high speed downhill and needs to shift on corners would you realize you need this,so cut the crap talk cause this system is the future.

[DaedricDracq]

@sawyerbobby agree with u Sir :)

electronic systems is a future :)

[orecca]

I used it for a test ride. It's Fantastic !

.. but not for my pocket

[FueledByTyeler]

call it crap if you want to, if you used it for a hundred miles, you wouldn't go back, its much better than the best manual shifting systems out there

[7lofitis]

xaxa simpson voice!

[Jamboydrum]

How many people writing comments on this have automatic transmission on their cars? Do formula 1 drivers have 4 speed manual gear boxes? Whether it is for racing or your own pleasure its progress and eventually it'll be crap not to have it!

[yomynameistom]

yeah, this is pretty much useless...

[royo90]

I wish it had some kind of fail-safe mechanism where if it does happen to run out of batteries mid ride, you're not stuck in too big/small of a gear, but instead you can shift manually as if you didn't have Di2.

And it still can't drop to the smallest cog on the cassette like the Campy mechanism for sprints.

[snifnscratch]

If the UCI dropped the 6.8kg weight limit, di2 would be out of production the following week.......

The only good thing about this is the fact it self-indexes, which is a plus for lazy bastards like me. And the front derraileur works very well

For me, despite the technological advances over the last 100, the bicycle still remains quite simple, and should remain that way. Di2 overcomplicates it

[00BigEddie00]

While the shifting speed and auto trim are ok. For most people and even most pros, this is interesting but not revolutionary, and the cost is ridiculous, straight up. I've demo'ed Di2, and frankly it's not that great. Having ridden this and standard cable operated groups, I'd save the money, buy a SRAM Red group and invest it in a better wheelset or something, buy hella chris king parts, and get my frame painted, and still have a 100 dollars to blow!

[eXPerienceyeah]

Really silly.

[dnm25]

"this is the rear derarier" nice try buddy.

I thought the Di2 was wireless. major disappointment! And I was just about to ship out the $1500 it costs...without installation... or a bike. It seems that people these days often forget that it's all about BIKING.

So basically you carry the extra weight of the battery because you're going too fast to push far enough with you finger to pull the cable. priceless

[bluerallyes2]

Pointless. Ruins the mechanical simplicity and clean lines of a road bike and for very little benefit if any at all.

[wlasur]

why the f.uck the expense?, its just a couple of servos attached to a battery and controls.  Still, nice if you can have them.

[FaulheitSiegt]

Harold, doe somsing about yor outspreek man. ;O)

[mierzykk]

what a bullpoo? disk brake, you must be kidding me

lol, and the disk itself, why so huge?

[yyuuyyaa1027]

すげ～！

変速超滑らかだね。

[obivanknb]

Extremly unimportant

 equipment

[dodoslovensko]

now i give idea for everyone. put dinamo in bottom bracket. this way u spin = u make energy to power deraileurs.

so shimano guy i give u free idea u give free bike.

thank u,.

[iceranqe]

@dodoslovensko

You heard of friction? It slows you down, not exactly the purpose of a race-bike.

Apart from that: it's a nice technology, but what's wrong with the old-fashion shifting system..?

[dodoslovensko]

@iceranqe i was worth the try to see if i get free dura ace bike.

[turtleboy84]

@dodoslovensko

A dynamo slows you down. For people spending this much money on shaving grams of their bike and .01 seconds of their shiftingtime that is not an option.

[doodzy2]

@dodoslovensko lol

[mockys2007]

heavier? or not.. not a life and death situation to switch operation for me. very innovative.

[opmdevil]

What useless piece of technology.

[shorerydr10]

no it isn't. its really cool, like snifnscratch said below is that it has self indexes automatically. That means no annoying derailleur adjusting...

[snifnscratch]

I quite like the look of it actually, although I think its greatest benifit is that it self-indexes automatically. I`d like to give it a try.

Although bike technology has improved a lot over the last 100+ years, fortunately it still remains a simple instrument. Di2 seems to overcomplicate something that should be kept simple

[datboysha40]

Wow! What's next chainless crank transmission. I will stick to traditional shifting for my road bike.

[SteveTheJazzMan]

@datboysha40 already is for mtb.... Sram Overdrive

[vicfirth97]

there needs to be a bypass that allows you to shift manually aswell as electronically if you you run out of power before a race

[shorerydr10]

yah that would be useful especially when you are out training on your own.... But in a race I presume there is a very small chance of your team 'forgetting' to charge the battery, and I bet shimano made it pretty solid so it wont just break in the middle of the race. If it did I think no one would get it.

[01mclaren]

lol whats the point in an electronic shift then!

[CycleMan2200]

Not sure what to think of this really. It has its ups and downs just like anything else. I just dont see the need for electric shifting. Its just as easy to shift manually.

[sprintbass]

i saw mavic come out with thier zap tronic in the early 90s and then by late 90s...i wasnt sold on it then and im not sold on it now...just give me a standard shifter with a cable in it please..i wont have to worry about my shifting system shorting out when a flying saucer comes near...yes its cool but it just seems (whats the point?) if the wheel is not broke dont fix it...i dont want to havew to worry with batteries..lights and indicatores...its a bike part for gods sakes..

[snifnscratch]

Pro rider Alec Zulle actually lost some time in the TDF TT when his Mektronic siezed and he couldnt change gear, but that was 15 yrs ago.......

[KneelArmstrong]

Yeah i remember that, he picked his bike up and threw it like across the finish area. He was choked, rightfully so.

[veritasdivina]

Dumbest idea to hit cycling industry ever. This thing needs to die fast death. WTF batter powered shifter on a race bike. Why don't you put an electric motor too, that would make pedaling easier.

If you wanted a moped, buy a moped, not a bike.

[FlyTheBlueSky]

Duh; two reasons why this system is not dumb: shifting speed and auto-trim.

[chanrobi]

@FlyTheBlueSky And the fact that the shifts require 1% of the effort require to shift mechanical dura ace. And the shifts are always perfect.

[chh5555]

The FD is very ugly, hope that get's redesigned quick.

[mpmcd81]

Good God. That's fast.

[TheTechnicsOrgan]

Too much resistance therefore only good for pro's? Pro cycling is all about reducing resistance philipjdall

[JaySchubert]

Needs:

1. to be powered by wheel rotation

2. Bluetooth controls (no wires or cables)

[alanw2005]

How many races will be lost because of dead batteries. Stupid!!!!

[tombuckley91]

None, because people that take racing seriously enough to buy DI2's aren't retarded enough to forget to charge them before a race

[fmadu2]

wtf are all u guys talking about, its Dura-Ace Di2 Road Bike parts, nothing about cars!?

[r3di2watch]

I kinda want to take a stepper motor and optical position sensor and retrofit this to standard derailleurs.

[TireuxdeRoche]

This is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

[folklore2]

your point?

[videodream1]

dont need to buy extraweight

[kotapaka]

@TireuxdeRoche in other words - this is how they get your money.

[eriscmorales23]

price is $4000 Dlls

[rxdocintn]

My question is why would you want one? Seems to me as though it's just another battery you have to keep up with and a very expensive repair if something goes wrong.

[veroooom]

Why not have a little dino that you coud flick onto the road wheel on down hills to recharge so you would never get stuck in one gear.

[philipjdall]

too much resistance, these are for pro's not everyday commuters.

[daviddetan]

can't belive this sys....Shimano..let u aim to the top

[gmarte12]

i want a nuclear powered next.

[djvft50]

I used to be ablt to trim my front der. when bikes were friciton shift instead of indexed. My bike with the XT tumb (best shifters ever made) I still run friction.

[karldiesen]

How about automatic transmission next? That would be cool!

[BeretCyclist]

They already have it.

[karldiesen]

Shimano? Where can one buy it?

[dahgutone]

Its new for the Shimano 7900 series. And yes they already have it out. Pretty sure you can order it. Not too sure that any store will just have one in stock.

You are looking at a few thousand dollars yeh' know.

[asadaburrito]

It's like adding power windows and locks to a car. Convenient, but unnecessary, costly, and more crap that's going to cost more than it's worth to fix.

It's a nice idea though, I like how the front derailleur compensates for the change in the rear. Not having to worry about the chain rubbing the front derailleur would be nice.

Next step is a wireless link to your brain, All you have to do is think about shifting and viola!

[stefaanvandamme]

we placed one on a bike last week in our shop; fancy stuff 8)

[noster88]

I don't see the advantages.

[roadworms]

just because there are none ...

[noster88]

I think he specified "you don't need any power in your fingers" which I guess is a plus if you have rubber fingers.

[roadworms]

LOL ... but how does one with rubber fingers (too weak for shifting) brake the bicycle?

[speedoflite1]

Computerized shifting is invariably faster than manual shifting ...especially on the climbs/breakaways/sprints, where optimal (efficient) pedaling cadence is paramount. Racing cyclists understand this best: speed kills!

[Strideo1]

That's a fer cry from the noisy old Shimano friction shifter on my ten speed. :P

[Strideo1]

*far cry

[hwygti]

So what if Im riding in a closely knit pack of riders who are also using this system? Will my de-railer(s) activate when a rider close beside me shifts?

[allgoo19]

It's not wireless.

[razgriz38]

imagine they did it for Saint gruppo

[cycling1900]

I don't think the automatic shifting people will like. it looks cool but i don't think the elctronic will catch now.

[allgoo19]

People actually used this saying it's more acurate, fool-proof than regular one even if it's under heavy load like climbing. And it's quicker too.

It may not be legal in UCI race, which means just about all bicycle races.

[davejohncole]

Stephen Schumacher used it in the Tour de France

[trouser]

ZOMG fake photoshopped. And everybody knows Schumacher is Formula One driver. You are so stupid. LOL.

[allgoo19]

trouser:

It's Stefan Schumacher.

/watch?v=hdQ1ifV3MC0

[trouser]

WTF? There are no racing cars in that video. Makes no sense. Photoshop FTW!

[allgoo19]

Sorry, this one is better. ^_^;

There are many Schumachers out there.

This is not Michael or Ralf.

[allgoo19]

I meant this guy.

/watch?v=s4WStf5DFmo

[Microglia1]

the test rear wheel is seriously out of true.

[nikonslikeminerule]

youd think itd recharge