NoWhammies

I have Di2 on my bike and love it. Not looking to start a debate between electronic shifting vs. traditional shifting.

What I am curious about though is, out of those of you who have the Di2 shifting, how many of you have the WiFi module attached to the battery? And is it worth the added cost? And does it drain the battery quicker?

I presently don't have the WiFi module on my bike. I don't (think I) need to go in and modify the shifting through the Shimano app at all. And while I don't have the gearing showing up on my Garmin, I never had the before with regular cable shifting. So I don't see the need to have it now. Although it would be nice to have.

Anyway. Just thought I'd ask.

Dopefish905

Marcus_Ti

It isn't wifi, it is bluetooth. Have it on my gravel rig. Adds some nice touches, Garmin control, shifting readout on Wahoo/Edge, as well as firmware customization of Di2 via phone. Doesn't really use that much battery.

Seattle Forrest

I like having it. My watch tells me how much battery is left, and can update the firmware. It also tells me how many times I shifted. I shift a hell of a lot more often now than when I first got Di2, which makes me feel like the whole electronic shifting thing wew a good move for me.

Is any of that necessary? Of course not. Is it worth it? Depends how much they money means to you.

GeneO 

I have it, doesn't drain the battery noticeably. I have the 8050 group so I can use the hood buttons to page through my Garmin pages. Worth it just for that in addition to the already mentioned benefits.

TimothyH

The bluetooth module has been sitting inside my bike for 1.5 years and I haven't used it once.


-Tim-

Cyclist0108

You have to use it at least once. I even updated my firmware once, just to see what it would be like.

NoWhammies

Yeah, see that's where I can it being useful - the firmware updates. I haven't done any firmware updating since purchasing my bike earlier this summer. I am just hoping/assuming that there have been no updates.

And yeah, perhaps it would be interesting to see what my gearing is like on my bike. Although I don't have the 8050 groupo so I wouldn't be able to change the screens on my Garmin from the shifters.

noodle soup

No, he doesn't.

noodle soup

You don't need it to do the firmware updates.

Cyclist0108

It is the one thing they recommend not doing using the wireless interface, as it has a tendency to brick the system.

metalheart44

Ditto on using wifi to update firmware: I tried to use a wifi connection to update firmware and it bricked my system and had to use the hardwire connection to get things working again. However, I find the wireless (bluetooth) unit very useful. I pay considerable attention to gearing while riding and having that information displayed my computer is especially useful for me. I recently rented a bike while on a bike vacation and I found that looking down and guessing about the rear cog positioning was much less satisfying and more distracting than just glancing at my computer. Next to heart rate, it is the information I use the most while riding.

waters60

TimothyH

Well, the fact that I've never used it proves to me that it doesn't have to be used.

I've updated the firmware via USB once and connected to the system several times via USB for one reason or another.

I've installed the App on my iPhone and connected to the WU exactly once and then only looked at the screens in the app. IIRC, the only reason I connected to the WU was because someone was discussing it here on Bikeforums and I was interested in what they were talking about.

A wireless unit is not required for the system to operate. I wish I had saved the $80.


-Tim-

NoWhammies

The funny thing is, I didn't realize at the time it was an add-on. So when I picked up my bike I asked them how I go about connecting to the Bluetooth. That's when I found out that because I didn't ask for the option when I had the Di2 installed, and it would be a pain in the ass to add it now (since the battery is in the seat post) I just let sleeping dogs lie. But I can't help but think/wonder if it would have been worth it.

BTW, how often do firmware updates come out? I haven't connecting my Di2 to anything since purchasing my bike earlier this summer.

Cyclist0108

I used "have to" as in "you really ought to" give it a try.

(I don't have it, so I know it isn't a requirement. I also don't feel any need to have it, but if there is a button, I will press it just to see how it works.)

Marcus_Ti

No it really wouldn.t AAMOF, splicing it in before the battery is probably the cleanest and easiest route. All you need is the module, a short Di2 cable; remove seatpost, unplug battery, plug in wireless module, plug in seacond cable from the wireless to the battery and then re-insert seatpost. Takes longer to type than to do.

JohnJ80

My experience too. I really like it. Everyone I know who has it sweated the price and but now won't go back.

Last season I converted my mech cross/adventure bike over to electronic using the eTap (no wires, no wire ports on the frame). I'm almost beginning to think I like that better. Either way, I'm probably done with mech to the extent I can be.

I like the BT connection too.

J.

TimothyH

Oh. Ha ha. I should have known better.

69chevy

I literally only know what gear i'm in when I try to shift up or down and nothing happens.

It's crazy how different we all are.

FlashBazbo

I have the Bluetooth module and I use it a lot on every ride -- primarily to switch pages on my Garmin using the hood buttons. On my road bike, it's hidden inside the head tube but, on my gravel bike, it's plugged direct to the junction box and shrink wrapped to the rear brake line before the brake line and the Di2 wire enter the frame.

I prefer using the hard-wired PC-based software to update firmware and to modify shift parameters, etc. Depending on the vintage of your system, the Bluetooth software updates can (as has been said before) lock the system and make it appear that the battery instantly lost all power. (It didn't.) Then, you need the hard-wired system to get everything running again. It's easier just to go with the PC system from the beginning.

FlashBazbo

Do you not have Di2? Di2 makes a beep when you get to the end so that you don't have to shift to know which way is up.

Marcus_Ti

This is only the case with Garmin head units paired to Di2. The Garmin is what makes the beep

FlashBazbo

Which, I would guess, means you've also got to have the Bluetooth module in order to let the Garmin know when to beep. Otherwise, it would be clueless.

colnago62