jsf1993

Hi, Joe:

It really depends upon the frame for Di2. (Older frames can be upgraded to Di2, but you’d have to use discontinued Di2 components and the result involves some aesthetic and feature compromise.). But, SRAM offers an electronic shift alternative that should work on most any frame. I’ve never used SRAM, so I can’t comment on that drivetrain alternative. Regardless of which path you choose, as Steve noted, it is significantly more expensive to upgrade a bike to electronic shifting than it is to purchase one that has it included up-front. In the latter case, you are only being charged the “difference” in cost between the lesser groupset and the electronic one. When upgrading, you don’t get any credit for your existing groupset and your only alternative is to sell the old groupset on your own, probably at steep discount.

I suggest that you demo a Di2 bike before making your purchase decision. At least if you do, you will be making an informed buying decision. You may decide that you don’t appreciate the difference that electronic shifting affords as much as I do. Then again, you may decide that you really want that feature and save your pennies until you can afford to purchase a bike that includes it. Keep in mind, off season bike prices often are better than mid-season bike prices and this is especially true in Covid-19 2020. You may also consider looking at alternative sites to purchase from. Some are quite good at re-certifying bikes of very recent vintage (kind of CPO by car dealers) after a thorough inspection and tuning. But, you will likely need to factor in the cost of a good bike-fit afterwards.....and know the bike geometry that works for you.

Hope the above helps you in your decision making.

P.S. If looking at endurance bikes like Bianchi, you may also want to compare Trek Domane, Specialized Roubaix and Canyon Endurance models (among others). There are lots of good options for you to choose from.