Originally Posted by
sfrider
I've ridden a R8000 Di2 bike a little shy of 4000 miles / 350000 ft since this time last year. By now it would be time to replace mechanical cables and housing, as they would need continuous tweaking and the friction would prevent flawless indexing anyway. Perhaps before now even. Di2... haven't even had to adjust it. My experience has truly been set and forget, and I have bikes to ride them, with no real interest in doing an ounce more work than is strictly necessary to keep them rolling and working well. Same with my Canyon, also R8000 Di2; 1500 miles, 125000 ft since May, and zero indexing adjustments. The writing IMO is on the wall, and when the electric stuff shows up at more sensible price points mechanical groupsets will be relegated to retro hipsterdom.
Right now the difference is $1000 between R8000 mechanical and electronic, and that's after it's been out for, what 11 years? It's a pretty mature technology at this point.
BUT, I've been wrong before. Who knows? Maybe by the time I get around to buying a FIFTH road bike, they'll have 105 Di2 for only a $500 premium over mechanical. If I'm not living under a bridge eating captured rats, maybe I'll try it.