Electronic Drivetrain: Is it worth the hype?

[Stefan Mikes]

I have not yet configured the third switch on my Deore XT shifter. Screen swap is a great idea. I am familiar with D-Fly from my road Di2 setups.

Stomp, I was so stupid on the shifter replacement... The Di2 Deore had been configured with D-Fly. After the swap for XTR, i found the third button didn't swap the Wahoo data pages. I panicked and went into E-Tube Project, to not be able to find the right setting! My panic was growing...

Turned out:

• Wireless Di2 is very slow to
  • Wake up
  • To later communicate with Wahoo
• Because of the panic, I searched under the wrong section of the app

Everything was OK from the first moment (D-Fly had been configured before). I just forgot how slowly the wireless Di2 worked on the initialization!

 

[PedalUma]

Hey, @Gionnirocket. It goes as fast as a 1949 single speed Schwinn with a loose bearing bottom bracket and a forged single piece crank, 15 mph. Then it takes a dump. But it does have proprietary electronic shifting that even connects to your phone and then goes beep! And it requires walk like a pregnant penguin when you get there shoes. Click, click.

 

[LandoftheGiants]

I went to a really nice bike shop that has an indoor track and sat on a very nice Santa Cruz gravel bike. The shifter's battery was dead. Useless.

I never considered that. What do riders do, carry a spare in case?
Nice vid on the cyber truck, I loved the Hyper Loop Hype myself. Once when it was first being chatted about on all the forums I asked a poster what it was? He said it was a giant tube to flush taxpayer money down

 

[6zfshdb]

I never considered that. What do riders do, carry a spare in case?

I carry a short USB cable and charge mine via the USB port on my bikes display.

 

[jabberwocky]

Electronic group sets typically have very long battery life. You just charge them periodically? Doesn’t seem like that should be a sticking point among people who ride ebikes.

 

[PedalUma]

Step one, get a better bike. Shitty bikes are proprietary. Ditch all that tech crap. Get something real and free. Aritha, Fredomom.
Think, Think. Three bikes come to mind. Two riders have Pashley Prosperous, one is in Mazula, Montana. It made it over the continental divide off-road, backpacking. That bike has 2.7 times the power over her wimpy Specialized 5.0 SL. She owns a sucky Vado SL 5.0. So do others who then own real bikes, like Susan they awake to the difference. Awake, Awake. Riding a real bike makes all the difference, you are not looking at shadows on a wall anymore. You are free.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

That bike has 2.7 times the power over her wimpy Specialized 5.0 SL.

Has anyone already told you you're an eejit? A motorcycle has many times the power of an e-bike.

Go spam elsewhere.

 

[6zfshdb]

Electronic group sets typically have very long battery life. You just charge them periodically? Doesn’t seem like that should be a sticking point among people who ride ebikes.

I need to charge the Bluetooth paddle shifter twice per season. The derailleur is powered by the bike battery. Not a big issue for me.

 

[stompandgo]

Shimano E-Tube reports battery status through the E-Tube Cyclist app, and sends low battery warnings via ANT+ to compatible computers.

 

[kevinmccune]

Shimano E-Tube reports battery status through the E-Tube Cyclist app, and sends low battery warnings via ANT+ to compatible computers.

OMG,get a single speed coaster brake cruiser geared high enough so you can outrun the angry mob( used to do that after night with no flashlight,collisions weren't no fun though "chicken fighting" till 4 am was a last ditch effort when the bikes were down,used to carry forkers around that outweighed me by a couple of stone,( stone you say? stoned? nay just usually drunk,vados were not available back in the day( well rarely) sorry you Guys were discussing electronic shifting our version would have been a "Monty Python" skit.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Shimano Di2 Wireless MTB Switch-Shifer Is A Disgrace

I know @stompandgo wouldn't like it but I need to say the Shimano Di2 wireless switch-shifters (like XTR) are terrible in regards to the ergonomics. Let me explain after I have completed my latest gravel e-race. I was for 5 h 32 minutes in the race and my right hand hurts terribly.

Shimano was a champion in drivetrains for years. The mechanical MTB shifter was developed to the perfection; even SRAM could not replicate the ergonomics (I guess due to the Shimano patent). Namely, you could both push or pull the upshift lever. I can operate my mechanical Deore XT shifter easily and with no pain even on extremely long and hard rides.

After SRAM developed its wireless electronic MTB drivetrain, it took Shimano several long years to come up with an answer. One of the specific design tasks was to mimic the mechanical shifter the way the use and feel were the same for the electronic version. Only Shimano has forgotten to make the push-pull functionality for the upshift lever.

SRAM AXS Pod Controller are two push buttons oriented on the vertical. You easily access either button and push it effortlessly.

Wheeltop EDS are two large push buttons of a different size, depth, and pattern. The shifting could not be easier!

Shimano Di2 XTR shifter are two paddles one behind the front one, both to be only pushed with a noticeably long travel.

I rode for 107 km on short rolling hills and with varying terrain, so I had to shift constantly. When you upshift, the rear paddle is obscured by the front one, so you need to twist your thumb to touch the rear one!

My right hand is swollen and it hurts badly.

Mark my words: in a year or two Shimano would come with a new "the greatest and latest" shifter with the pull capability at exorbitant price. Now, I'm stuck with this monstrosity...