msu2001la

Corporate greed and market manipulation notwithstanding, electronic shifting is pretty nice and I'd happily pay a little extra to get it on my next bike.
I don't really see a downside, other than cost.

PeteHski

Refinement of existing tech is just common sense and a basic engineering principle.

big john

I missed that part of it. When the other poster said they bought the bike they wish they had bought years ago I didn't interpret that as meaning the exact bike. I thought he meant they bought the latest, greatest thing available.

That's what I meant when I said I wish I had picked up some new bikes while I still had a job. Not some used bike, something new. I have used bikes, don't need any more used bikes.

And I'm not really given to bike lust, per se. Or cars, or any other things. I'd just like to freshen up the tools and sell the old ones cheap, or even give them away.

Koyote

Maybe I misunderstood that post...Maybe the poster will clarify.

Of course, any bike's cost ultimately comes out of savings -- either actual or potential savings. I kind of wish I'd bought nicer stuff when I was younger and in a better position to enjoy it...but now (retired) I actually have more time to ride, even if I'm not as fast, so it's still nice to have good bikes.

njkayaker

Why do you prefer them?

Of course, there is. (Do some searching to see what people say the advantages are.) There are some disadvantages too.

100 miles is nothing.

Unless you have a fair amount of experience with mechanical shifting, you can’t really say you prefer it.

People who move to electronic after having lots of experience with mechanic appear to usually prefer the electronic.

Bikealangelo

To clarify to everyone who has asked why I prefer mechanical shifters:
I suppose it's more of a mindset. I like being on the bike with minimal electronics and just going where the road takes me. I don't like that I have to check and make sure that my battery is good to go (though I suppose with mechanical shifters I still had to check it before I headed out). I guess I also feel like I could fix mechanical components easier (especially in the middle of a ride).

njkayaker

Unhelpful.

Steve B.

Seems plenty of parts are available. My XT Di2 (1x system) failed last year, was causing bad battery drain, even though ot was shifting fine. My LBS saw the error in the shop diagnostic software. I quickly found a replacement for $90 from Jenson, And there’s always E-Bay.

njkayaker

That’s kind of important for people to give you useful advice.

This “mindset” isn’t unusual. Of course, it should have kept you from getting electronic shifting in the first place.

Given the path you chose (getting electronic shifters), I’d suggest you embrace that choice and appreciate it for what it is. Give it a fair shake.

(People tend to like electronic shifting. Dealing with the battery might not be as “bad” as you imagine.)

If you still want to go mechanical, it would be easier to buy a mechanical shifting bike (and sell this one).

big john

I've been retired for 5 years now. Just turned 70. Would like to get a lightweight hardtail or maybe a gravel-type bike for dirt roads and mild trails. I have an enduro bike for rough stuff.
Never had a full carbon fiber road bike. Would like an endurance style bike with a tall head tube/stack. Wide range cassette. Wouldn't object to electronic shifting but don't mind mechanical. Rim brakes are ok but I love the discs on the mountain bikes I've had.

Hell, if I won the lottery I'd even spring for a new car.

LAJ

Keep reading.....

Iride01 

It is annoying when the battery gets too low while on a ride and you can't get back into the big front. But I've always been able to make it home with full shifting available on the rear. Even when it took 1½ hours to finish the ride after the battery was too low to shift the front.

However if you get D-fly for your Di2, then you can pair Di2 to your Garmin Edge, Wahoo or other device and see the battery charge along with all sorts of other ways to display what gears you have selected. By ratio, by gear number, by tooth count, and other info as well.

Even though the battery for my 11 speed Di2 will last 3 - 4 months, I usually just charge it every other month. So pick even or odd. If the month number matches, then charge it.

Koyote

I think the 12sp D/A and Ultegra come with BT connectivity, while it can be easily added to an 11sp group. But even without BT, the battery level is easy to check, and -- as you note -- a full charge lasts a looong time. This fear of a battery dying on a ride is irrational, as a person would have to be incredibly lazy, forgetful, or just plain stupid to let that happen. I mean, if that's a real problem, then you're going to have problems keeping any bike running.

Iride01 

Keeping this in the context of the OP's 2012 Venge, I don't think that bikes version of Di2 has BT or Ant+ connectivity without the D-fly. Or did the original versions of Di2 have that included? I have seen some brands that added the option on the higher tier bikes.

Sure, the fear of a battery dying might be irrational. But so too I think other peoples fear of riding bikes in hot weather is irrational. And all sorts of other fears too, like simply riding in the road or some that won't ride a MUP. But they have that fear. I can only tell them ways they might deal with it.

Bikealangelo

Yeah, you are definitely right saying that it was an odd choice. I saw it and really liked my old venge (long story, but i had it and then it went away) and this one was in driving distance and in my price range so I thought I would give electronics a try.
Honestly, it isn't bad, per se. I just didn't see the advantages yet.

I appreciate the input from everyone, I will be keeping the current setup for now

PeteHski

The main advantage in your case is that you don’t need to change anything. Unless you have a problem I would just ride it and charge the battery before a big ride.

Koyote

I used to always charge my Di2 bike to 100% before a big race, but over time I gradually stopped doing that. I don't fill my car with gas when the tank is 3/4 full, so why would I charge my bike's battery when it's at the same level? After all, the bike will go further on a full charge than the car will on a full tank of gas -- and it's a hybrid, so that's quite a distance.

The battery anxiety with electronic shifting is beyond ridiculous.

Bikealangelo hasn't given a single solid reason for preferring a mechanical drivetrain, so the trouble and expense of converting to mechanical seems a bit ridiculous, too.

PeteHski

Yeah, I could have just said check the battery level before a big ride. It doesn’t have to be charged to 100%. For max battery longevity you are better off charging to around 80% anyway and not letting it drop below 20% for long periods.

2muchroad

Correction, a resistance to unnecessary or irrelevant change is the point here.

Change does not equal progress, that's a very important distinction to be made.

PeteHski

You can decide for yourself when you think a technology is “complete” and any further change is unnecessary. But that doesn’t mean you can decide for everyone else too. Your lecture is pointless.

2muchroad

We don't determine whether a technology is complete, the effectiveness of accomplishing the task it was invented for does that.
Electronic shifters neither improve shifting effectiveness nor efficiency, but simply change the modality of it. As a matter of fact, the requirement of a battery actually makes them less efficient.
By definition, that is a redundant adaptation or distortion of a complete technology for financial gain.

PeteHski

I was fairly sceptical about the benefits of electronic shifting right up until I eventually tried it for myself 2 years ago. It’s nice to get rid of cables and the ergonomics are a step forward for me. You might be happy with cable actuation and floppy brake levers, but those are history for me.

Underlining your key words like a primary school teacher doesn’t make your argument any more compelling either.

eduskator

Are there any objective advantages of electronic vs mechanical? This is a rhetorical question.

Yes, obviously.

eduskator

+1. Who needs 1000km+ of range in a single ride?

I'll get that ''well, I ride gran fondosssss back-to-back all the time man and I don't always have access to a charger man so my cables are more reliable man'' answer, I'm pretty sure.

Bikealangelo

I assure you this isn't a rhetorical question, I was genuinely looking for answers.