Di2 users: do you have/want the D Fly?
 

Shimano link about the wireless communications module aka D Fly

In another thread, we're talking about whether the D Fly should be included with Di2 bikes. There's a feeling that most cyclists have no interest in the thing, so here's a poll to see whether that's true.

I made some choices for non Di2 folks so that no one feels excluded. :hug:

pretty much a must have, a small price to pay to never look down for gearing again

Want it....have it.

A must have for sure.

Largest reason for me is the Di2 battery level indication sent to the Garmin
Second would be control of Garmin screens from my shift levers.

The rest is nice but I don't use it.

I agree with psimet, the biggest thing I like about it is seeing the battery level on my computer. :beer:

Could take or leave the other features, changing screens sounds neat, but I found I rarely use it, and seeing what gear I'm in is of absolutely no use to me.

You must have a Garmin. I wish you didn't have to back out and select the sensor in a Wahoo to see it.

I was convinced that I needed it for the hood button support, because the silicone cover for my Edge 520 (which I needed because the Garmin's altimeter would go crazy whenever it rained) made the buttons nearly impossible to press when wearing long-fingered gloves. Then I switched to a Wahoo that on the plus side has buttons in a more accessible place and on the minus side doesn't support customizing what the hood buttons do. So truthfully, I don't get a whole lot of use out of having D-Fly anymore, but I don't regret paying for it.
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Pretty sure you can add the Di2 battery field to a Wahoo page.

Edit: or maybe not. Can't find it in the settings, oops.

Are you talking about customizing the hood buttons directly from the computer? Yeah, you have to use the E-Tube app on your phone.

I don't think so....I'd love to be wrong. Pretty sure the only way to view it is to go directly to the sensor (Di2) then click about or something like that.

Wahoo doesn't support that. Are you telling me it will work? This is what their documentation says:

In the other thread, I predicted that 90% of Di2 users don't want the wireless communication unit. I was so wrong! Bike Forums cyclists are more passionate about cycling than just anybody on a bike so the poll isn't representative … but you have to be pretty passionate about cycling to pay for Di2.

I don't have buttons on my hoods, I have the previous generation Ultegra Di2. So all I get is for my Garmin to count shifts for me, tell me how much battery is left, and for me to be able to change synchro settings from my phone. It can tell me what gear I'm in, too, but I never use that.

We might be talking past each other. I'm saying that hood button assignment is done through the E-Tube app, and it can't be done directly from a Wahoo computer. However, you can assign page turning (as an example) and the hood buttons will turn the page of a Wahoo computer.

Gotcha. Yeah, I'm aware Wahoo supports default actions for the hood buttons. But because they are just mapped to the l/r computer buttons that are easy to press, they aren't that useful compared to what you can customize the buttons to do on a Garmin - I found the jump to map screen and turn backlight on functions really useful.

I don't have it, but have long considered getting it.
I mainly want it, so that I can control my Garmin from the hood buttons, but I'm also interested in the gear tracking ability it provides (i.e. how much time I spend it each gear).

The questionable reliability is what's keeping me from actually pulling the trigger on it, though.

Nope, I have a wahoo, but even having to go into the sensor info is better than the blinking lights on the junction box. It would be really nice if Wahoo would incorporate that into the battery page, the data is there, they just need to write the code for it.

I thought I wanted it, and even did a firmware update in anticipation of purchasing it, but then I realized:

(a) I was buying it just because it was a geeky add-on toy

and, more importantly,

(b) I read that it drains the battery faster.

Also, I shift by how it feels to pedal, rather than knowing what numerical gear I am in.

I have it, I use it, and I love it. Changing Garmin screens using the buttons top of my hoods has become essential to my training. I'd pay for anything that makes my rides more efficient.

I wouldn't pay extra to get D-fly. If in the mass marketing scale of things, including D-fly with any Di2 bike wouldn't add but a few dollars, I'd be okay. But if it added more than fifty dollars, I might go hmmm, and wonder what other things I don't really care to pay extra for are included and adding to the increased price of the bike.

That has not been my experience

I wouldn't be without it. Purchased it online and gave it to my dealer so they could do the install when they did the bike build-up.

Favorite features:
Gear Combo display on computer. I've become dependent on it.
Battery level display on computer. Can check the Di2 battery when I check my lights. Made a separate battery level page.
Hood switches. Use them every ride.
Ability to access Etube settings without having to drag the laptop out the garage and plug it in every time I want make a change or just look at something.

Honestly, when you're investing a fairly large amount of money in a Di2 bike it is a pretty minor cost to add it when you look at the big picture.

I've never heard that before, but it makes sense in general, and it explains why my battery doesn't last as long as I keep reading it's supposed to.

At the end of a ride, my Garmin can tell me I shifted 297 times, or whatever. The actual Garmin unit can go back into its history and tell me how many times I shifted on that ride last week, too. This isn't displayed anywhere in Connect. It has to be in the file for the history to work, so there's probably some software that can throw more light on your gear usage. Golden Cheetah seems most likely. But what I'm trying to say is it's not easy at all to get at this info.

https://di2stats.com will also get you this info if you upload your .fit files ;-)
(and the SRAM AXS Web app/site does too)