Reply With QuoteIf you can afford it then buy it I'd say although I don't think you wouldn't be future-proofing if you didn't buy them.
For me it's just another thing to charge so spend the cash on lighter wheels :)
I'm now starting to look for a new road bike, but torn between mechanical and Di2.
Is the Di2 worth paying the extra few hundred pounds? Should I get it as I am then "future proofing" my bike?
What's people's general thought?
If you can afford it then buy it I'd say although I don't think you wouldn't be future-proofing if you didn't buy them.
For me it's just another thing to charge so spend the cash on lighter wheels :)
When you're miles from home and have a mechanical, i suspect you'd be more likely to be able to bodge an ultegra fix to get home - Di2 less so, I suspect.
I believe Di2 is amazing when functioning well, as it will do 99.99% of the time, so in that regard it's probably worth it, but I'm a bit old fashioned and I much prefer fully mechanical Group sets, in part because I love to tinker - regularly stripping, cleaning & rebuilding my bikes right down to component parts.
For me, this and the fully mechanical nature of the regular push bike, is where the enjoyment lies.
PS agree with Gav above' the savings would be better spent on the best wheels you can afford, or kit.
When I'm on the bike, I've never had the sense that what was making me feel knackered was the effort of shifting gears.
This choice is not really about being worth it. It is more if you simply want it !!
If you do and you can afford it (and as others have mentioned you have already got good wheels) then go for it.
I had the same decision and actually decided to go for mechanical dura ace, absolutely brilliant
This works well especially if you are buying an off the shelf bike at this time of year as there are some great discounts on 2017 bikes normally starting in August and if you buy a higher spec group set bike other components such as wheels are also higher spec.
I have Ultegra and ride with a mate who has Ultegra di2. We do an overseas trip every year it's always his gears that have caused issues. It was completely broken after a flight last year as the main connection in the seat post had snapped in transit, no doubt due to baggage handlers chucking our bike boxes around. Caused us almost a days delay on a 5 day trip which was infuriating. It's fantastic when it works but based on a sample of one I prefer the simplicity of mechanical!
I've done 7600 miles on my di2 summer bike and I love it. Only had to adjust the gears once in 3 years and the change is perfect every time. I'm always glad to get back to di2 after my 105 equipped winter bike. I know quite a few people with di2 and a couple with the new wireless SRAM gears and all love it.
If you can afford it then get it, you won't regret it. I don't have it but my mates who do all say it's amazing.
My neiphiew is a pro rider, he swears by DI, says on uphill races you can't not have electronic, but the rest of us aren't pro's and don't get a new set every race, I'd stick with mechanical
Both are great but cost and simplicity dictates a standard set of 105 will be perfect, Don’t waste your money on Dura Ace
RIAC
Rented a bike in Ibiza early summer that had Di2 fitted. Great fast and efficient shifting, but share some concerns around what happens if they go wrong on a long ride, or if you have a spill and cut the wires.
I'd probably stick with mechanical Ultegra on balance.
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If you really want electronic shifting then the new SRAM Red eTAP is meant to be the nuts. Shouldn't be too long before Shimano will go wireless so you may find the DI2 quickly out of date, who knows.
For me I based by decision purely on how much I could stomach paying for replacement shifters, cassettes etc.
I do agree that electronic shifting should really be wireless - hopefully Shimano will make a wireless Di2 - I imagine that would be incredible.
I still feel that I'd prefer mechanical (ultegra or 105), but wireless Di2 would be fun to try.
I've got Di2 on my road bike & I love it. It's had its moments when I've not bothered charging it for quite a while & I've had to limp home. It does its best to get you home though. It starts limiting your gear choice initially. Gradually you lose more gears until finally you are left with one gear. Solution is to charge it once a week.
I've also hit a pothole & lost all of my gears in one fell swoop. At the time I was riding in a group of 10, 6 of whom were pros from One Pro Cycling. One of them had just won the green jersey in the Tour of Britain. Fortunately we had a following car & team mechanic. I stopped & the mechanic said that the connector had likely popped off the battery with the impact. To access the battery he would have to take the bottom bracket out. It'd take him 5 minutes he said :-/ Meanwhile the other guys were disappearing over the horizon. He put my bike on the roof of the car & we chased the group down. That was the most hair-raising ride in a car I've ever had. We overtook the group & stopped at the next feed station. I went in for a pee & when I came out the bike was fixed. It turned out that the jolt in the pothole had forced the brake hoods into my hands & had popped the connector out of where it inserted into the brake unit. He put a loop in the wire which can act as a safety valve.
I've just been looking at TT bikes & aren't considering anything that hasn't got electronic shifting. You can also have more than one set of shifters. On my road bike I've got the ones on the brake levers & another set of thumb shifters on the drops. Once you've had it you don't go back. I'd definitely prefer wireless though. SRAM Etap
I have done circa 9000 miles on my Di2. I have only had one problem and it wasn't anything to do with the electronics. I think it's fantastic!
The 105 I used to use (similar mileage) snapped the rear mech cable twice. You could suggest operator error for that but I don't think it was the case.
I have ultegra di2 on my Dolan and it's been perfect so far no issues for me.
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Regarding the "future proofing" bit, rendering the drivetrain totally dependent on proprietary electronic gadgets is the exact opposite of that.
"Guaranteed obsolence" seems more apt.
A profoundly clearly thought observation.Originally Posted by Belligero
I've had Di2 since it came out 5-6 years ago (Dura-Ace and Ultegra, on many different bikes). I've never had any trouble with it, and the shifting is simply fantastic - and always the same. I'd spend a bit extra getting the Di2.
I went for the 105 thus too.
The DuraAce is functionally not worth the extra money.
The Di2 though is something else. It is a dream. Once set up it needs no more attention and the front derailleur is beyond imagination: never even will you cross the chain again!!!
Definitely worth a few hundred quid. The problem is that from 105 it is rather more so 105 it is. In comparison with DuraAce though, I would not have had ANY doubt whatsoever. Di2 is THAT good.
I´d say get the Ultegra Di2.
There are arguments for and against Di2 shifters, I went for them on my current bike & love it, why not try before you buy & decide for yourself if they're for you?
Gone from cable gears and canti brakes to Di2 with Hydro disc brakes, would never go back.
Accurate gear changes every time and the front derailleur trims automatically, which is a nice touch.
Also Hydro makes for smooth powerful braking, without worrying about wet weather.
For the extra money on di2 I would look at getting a bike which is better specced.
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Di2 looks a pretty good spec up to me.
105 is good enough spec functionally; higher is mostly marketing fluff whereas the electronic shifting is quite a functional step up.
In my experience the gap between 105 and Ultegra is significant enough to warrant the expense... less so from Ultegra to DA.
Di2 is amazing. I have the original 10sp Ultegra Di2 (6850 ?) and it's easy to set up and perfectly reliable... more so than cables stretching on mechanical groupsets.
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