With the introduction of electric Di2 shifting on Shimano’s Dura-Ace and Ultegra road groups, it wouldn’t have been a particularly outlandish guess to think it might transfer over to offroad bikes at some point.
Well, Canuck racer Geoff Kabush is helping to throw petrol on the fires of rumour after posting this picture up on his Twitter account, which would appear to show a Di2 style battery nestled between the water bottles on his Scott – which we assume is his mountain bike from the BB92 spacing…
The picture was bylined with “That’s weird. Someone just put a battery on my bike.”
He also posted a wider shot of what would appear to be the same the bike…
…captioned with “Something feels different today.”
Is he just being a naughty rumour-starter? Has electric shifting for mountain bikes arrived? Is that a 650b rear wheel or a 26″? Are the wires heading from the shifters a thinner diameter than usual? Does the rear mech have enough of a bulge at the back to be a Di2 item? What does it all mean?
We’re currently loading the images into our CSI-style photo programme and repeatedly selecting the convenient “Enhance” option so we’ll have an answer for you shortly. Or not.
What do you lot reckon then?
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Never trust a man with sideburns. The bike looks way top small for him.
This game is unfair! Didn’t one of you lot go to the Shimano 2013 whatsit last week? You must know the answer already.
(For what it’s worth, it’s a given that they must be working on electric shifting for off-road, but in my opinion the shifters/cables look too bog-standard in that pic.)
Surely they are working on electric shifting for their off-road kit but, for UK conditions?
It’ll need more seals than Seaworld….
“Surely they are working on electric shifting for their off-road kit but, for UK conditions?
It’ll need more seals than Seaworld….”
Ever ridden in Belgium? Wetter than an otters pocket and the Di2 works there.
TBH its more a case of Peak grit wearing through cables I’d be worried about & rock strikes
TBH its more a case of Peak grit wearing through cables I’d be worried about & rock strikes
^This. Plus the price.
Just because it can be done, doesn’t mean it should.
They will though.
I’m still on 9 speed (and 8 on the cross bike), so not interested!
Has Mr Kabush; A. Forgot that there are 29 days in February this year? B. and even if that is the case AprilFools day is APRIL 1st not March?
Has he fallen on his head recently?
Why would grit wear through cables? There are no moving parts. Or are you thinking about grit between the cable and frame/parts causing wear as the cables vibrate/move about?
To my way of thinking a lot of the arguments against electrical shifting smack of all the arguments we had from the media (almost no internet in those days for s$*t talking all day) when Shimano introduced Rapidfire to replace thumb shifters. Apparently we were all going to die as we wouldn’t have the back up of friction mode when the indexing died.
I’m just arguing against spurious attacks on electric shifting.
TBH I am also of the opinion that just because one can do something doesn’t mean one should.
I personally think it will be a VERY long time before I get it on my Road Bike let alone on an MTB.
Ahem!!!!!! The bike he is sat on seems to have gear wires!!
How about it’s for an electric dropper post? Think of the fun you could have with one of those? 🙂
“speaker2animals said: On February 29, 2012
Why would grit wear through cables? There are no moving parts.”
I thought that until I started riding in the Dark Peak 😉
TBH as an industrial electronics engineer I know they can be made to work in conditions we would have nightmares about but it costs
Electric shifting off road = bad idea
Internal routing = no problems with rock strikes/wear ??
Electric shifting off road = bad idea
Riding off road – bad idea, wear out parts there’s bumps off road it could be dangerous.- Actually how about civilisation, the written word , the spinning jenny? THE WHEEL IT IS EVIL! We should all go back to being nomadic tribes people shouldn’t we really.
I am waiting for electronic shifting for single speed… will this happen? ; )