[Closed] To Di2 or not

Do you want it?
Can you afford it?
Errr..... Is there anything else?

Do it. It's awesome.

I'd do it. Yet to hear anything negative about it.

After looking at Bertie's new ride for this season I noticed that Di2 is conspicuously absent.

Went Di2 last year. Not looked back. Shifting is really smooth and the micro adjustment process superb (no more fiddling with cables and barrel adjusters plus you can can do it as you are riding along if you are so minded....).
Do make sure you know about the crash recovery mode as the first time this happens you may think it has broken (did it to me in the Pyrenees last year and I thought I was going to have to ride in single speed mode for the day before figuring it out!).

Good points of Di2:

Less effort = more energy saved in your fingers (?)
Consistent shifting in all weathers and conditions. Works great in tornado's
Auto trim (Warning - Try not to chop your fingers off when you are working on the stand)
No cable stretch or fraying or faffing about cutting and fitting outers and ferulles. WIN
It makes a whirrr noise like a robot.

Bad points:

Its double the price
Its heavier and bulky looking.
Its too fancy to be on a bike.
The shift buttons feels vague.
The wires are still a pita to feed through the frame.
The battery can run out.
Replacement parts are expensive.
Its total overkill for a bike.

I reckon Shimano will release a new wireless version soon after Sram releases theirs.

I'd question if it's actually heavier than mechanical. I'm sure njee will correct me shortly.

I'm currently riding Di2 and I don't want to go back to mechanical.

DA di2 is lighter than the mechanical equivalent. Ultegra is slightly heavier than mech (we're talking grams rather than kilos here)
Even if you were going for the year mileage record, you'd still be only looking at charging once a week.
It's only a pita to fit if it's not oem/fitted by an lbs 😉
Too fancy/overkill for a bike? Should we all still be riding steel, 5speed, DT shifter equipped gates from the 50's then?
Price? Fair enough for aftermarket, not that big a gap when oem.

Di2 is really nice, any other check than indexing you have to plug into a computer. (Can be extra cost involved)
All latest Di2 software can be upgraded, which is good as tech/other gadgets come alone. (like adding climbing or sprint buttons to a system)
BUT T/S can be a real pain in the arse, more so when it is a intimidate type fault as software does not keep any error codes or anything. (really hope/think shimano might sort something out in the furture)
Apart from that, really nice kit.

I'd question if it's actually heavier than mechanical. I'm sure njee will correct me shortly.

You called?! Tom has it. 9070 is lighter than 9000 if you use the internal battery, 6870 is slightly heavier than 6800. But so much cooler.

Di2 all the way!

Does it hook up to a Mac or does it have to be a PC?

Has to be PC atm (or was when I last checked)

Shame. 🙁

Tbf, I don't have a PC and I don't feel I'm missing out. Shifting is set so that I just hold the button till I reach a gear I want at the fastest speed. While all the adjustability is great, I'm not sure why you'd set it any other way, other than 'just because'.

I've not bothered as I prefer the simplicity of mechanical and I like fiddling, not that mechanical requires that much attention. It's not all about the cost.

After riding my new 105 (5800) properly for the first time today I just can't see how Ultegra can be that much better unless it's electric, still dream of an auto trimming front mech...

As for Di2 being heavier, my carbon road bike is still 7.2 kgs with it on and was lighter than the 105 groupset I took off, albeit I changed a full groupset.
As for a faff running cables. Took no longer than feeding the gear cables as electric cables VOE.
Love Di2 , its just great with the auto front mech. Do it.

I have di2 ultegra

I really like it - no cable adjustments/cleaning/replacing, auto trim on the front is great. It is EASY to install.
I changed the set up of my rear shifter to mimic a rapid-rise mech (more intuitive to me; on either side you press the big lever for a harder gear, little one for easier)

However, buttons are a bit "dead" - I'd have preferred them to retain a bit of lever throw instead. Crash mode had me confused too (after taking out & replacing a wheel - wait til that happens in a big race !) but ded easy to sort once you know about it

Feel like a bit of a broken record with this comment, but I don't run it on the training bike as the buttons are too fiddly with thick winter lobster gloves and liners. Lovely on the race bike though.

If the extra cash isn't an issue then it's a yes vote here.

I got a whole 9070 drive train, including cranks, chain, cassette, shifters and mechs for under £1000. Yes it's OEM but it came from Ribble.

It is fantastic. Does take a bit of getting used to and the buttons can be a little vague in full finger gloves but I very rarely fumbly a shift and only do it if I've not used it for a long time (like now when I've not ridden the best bike for several months over the winter).

I particularly like how you can so easily shift down a gear while climbing out of the saddle with barely any change to your grip.

That is a bargain! Showing as "from £1100" but out of stock at the moment.

Just buy it, its amazing. I have 9070 and now SR EPS and they are both fantastic. In fact I'm going to build a Di2 winter bike over summer for next winter to be done with cable shifting altogether on my road bikes.

For the [u]same[/u] money as Ultegra Di2 I went for Dura Ace mechanical. DA9000 is wonderful. The shifting is peerless.

For my next race bike upgrade to 11 speed, I may consider Di2 Ultegra for other reasons. But I'm very happy with DA9000 for the best bike, each shift brings a smile.

Hoods on DA 9000 are IMHO terrible compared to the slender hoods of DA 9070, I have had both and the mechanical ones were very bulbous and uncomfortable.

6870 Di2 groupo at merlins for £860 ish here:

http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-ultegra-6870-di2-groupset-65274.html

That is a bargain! Showing as "from £1100" but out of stock at the moment.

It was an amazing price. I got it at the end of last season, around the start of October so I think it was a bit of a special. Didn't take much thinking before hitting the 'buy' button at that price.

Hoods on DA 9000 are IMHO terrible compared to the slender hoods of DA 9070, I have had both and the mechanical ones were very bulbous and uncomfortable.

This +1. I do like the smaller levers of 9070.

I've run both 10 and 11sp versions of Ultegra Di2 on my 'cross bike. I like it for these reasons:

Very consistent, effortless shifting, whether front or rear.
Auto-trim front mech
I love the lever hood shape
You can programme it if you fancy - I have it in set up paddle-shift style and love it.
I've easily got 600 miles out of a single charge.
It's been hugely weatherproof. I raced the 'deluge' Three Peaks a couple of years ago and the gears worked flawlessly - and still worked a week after having been put away wet as I never wanted to see a bike again after that race 🙂

Downsides
Buttons can be hard to find consistently with big gloves on or on bumpy ground
Troubleshooting can be harder than with mechanical (I had the bike stop shifting into easier gears - thinking it might be possessed by Sufferfest, I discovered that the left hood had slipped on the bars and pulled the wire out of the socket.
Spares and repairs might be an issue if you're not near a clued up bike shop
Software is PC only and I need to borrow a laptop to change anything (which is rare)
The 11speed doesn't work with the 10speed, but I guess that's the same as mechanical!