UKbikerinPH

What is known about the possible effect of an EMP event, either natural or man-made on D2i and similar systems.

Phoenix800

I'm glad someone brought this up. I actually have DI2 on my bug-out bike. I'm a prepper.

The trick is to wrap all of the components in stainless steel foil. You need a Faraday cage around the electronics. The foil is the kind we preppers use when we heat treat our home made knives. Make sure to wrap the derailleurs and shifters. The cables and batteries seem okay without the foil. The foil is available from industrial supply companies such as MSC and McMaster-Carr.

I bought a couple of used DI2 component sets on eBay a few years back and tested them in my emp chamber. I have an array of supercapacitors that power an antenna inside a steel box. The box is a modified shipping contianer I use to store smoked deer meat, white rice, dried beans, and ammunition. I'm able to blast out almost a megajoule in about 30 picoseconds. It's a crazy intense blast. I remove the deer meat, rice, beans, and ammunition from the container for the tests.

The DI2 holds up amazingly well with the foil. They did almost as well as my surplus night vision goggles, which are supposed to be designed for emp. Be careful not to leave any sharp edges on the foil as they will get burned in the blast and the foil could weld to itself. This will make it really hard to remove.

As a side note, the system that held up the best in my emp chamber is the ignition system from my '70 Dodge Power Wagon with a 200 ci slant six.

Koyote

I’ve seen some bizarre threads around here, but this takes the cake.

UKbikerinPH

I bike for fun fitness and transport, even the D2i survives the EMP if power is knocked out, then battery recharging would be impossible. I'm not a " prepper" just an average biker not wishing to be caught out in the event of an EMP event. Even no access to electricity from any other cause. So I'll give D2i a body swerve i think.

Bald Paul

For safety's sake, don't forget to line your helmet with tin foil.

cb400bill

It is Di2 not D2i.

And it reverts to very a rideable single speed when the batteries die.

UKbikerinPH

Yes i mistyped, however i hoped this would be taken more seriously. Lining my helmet with tin foil ha ha very funny.
I Don't think.
General battery, electronics failure surely renders a Di2 equipped bike vulnerable, including the rider in bad climatic conditions - extreme heat and extreme cold kills.

Koyote

It’s mighty difficult to take this seriously, though I doubt you’ll understand why.

If we ever do have an EMP event, your bike will be the last of your concerns.

base2 

Sarah Connor by Richard Mozzarella, on Flickr

Iride01 

Your foil wrapped electronics or faraday cage need to be grounded to the earth.

Maybe dragging a steel cable or chain while you ride will be good enough.

Tourist in MSN

If there is a nuclear catastrophe, I really doubt that having electronic shifting will be seen as your biggest problem. But, if you want to guard against that possibility, get a dynohub and USB charger (that you of course will have to shield) to charge up your batteries. Not sure what you would do for tires and tubes over the long term.

Or, get a 30 year old three speed utility bike with a good rack on it for your backup plan. When your chain is badly worn out on a three speed bike, it still won't skip like it would on your derailleur bike.

Unfortunately, Bald Paul beat me to the comment on foil, but I would have suggested aluminum foil, not tin.

Phoenix800

That's a common misconconception. Both cars and aircraft protect their occupants and they are not grounded.

To UKbikerinPH - you might try eevblog for a serious answer. There are many electrical engineers there and probably have experience with emp.

Iride01 

It's really gonna suck if I have to go back to riding my Raleigh when my Di2 gets hit with EMP! No power meter either... oh my! <sarcasm> <grin>

Seattle Forrest

Bald Paul

If you truly want a serious answer, I think we have someone here on the forum that could probably help you out.
Just look up LarrySellerz.

Steve B.

An EMP pulse, if generated from a high yield nuclear explosion in near space, over the general region of the Di2 user, would have the computer chips in the shifters and battery fried. No need to wait for the battery to die, the unit is a single speed in seconds.

Steve B.

Well it's a truly bizarre question. EMP pulses are generally thought to be man made, typically from a nuke exploded in space. That alone begs the question is it part of a general nuclear war and if that happens, the least of your problems is going to be does your Di2 system work.

Koyote

By the way, my Di2 bike performs very nicely in very hot and very cold conditions. I'm not really concerned about whether or not it works after a nuclear war.

grizzly59

How do I keep my tires from melting after the blast? Will tinfoil help there?

tyrion

If you can't shift to maintain optimal cadence, you're zombie food.

Mechanical shifting and crossbows.

znomit

Cables will be the first thing to be stripped off the bike as they're really good for garroting zombies with.

Seattle Forrest

I think you're wise to stick with mechanical shifting if this is a concern for you. Mech works really well. And riding a bike is supposed to be fun.

Seattle Forrest

I've heard you might be able to recharge the battery from the sun, but I live in Seattle so I don't believe it.

biker128pedal

Wow I’m going to stick with my mechanical Ultegra. I live near Williamsburg Va and the Navy stores a floating EMP source close by. If my chance it’s used while I’m on the parkway I’ll be glad I don’t have Di2. But my Garmin head unit and radar will be fried.

Funny about 20 years ago they had a time of it getting the test barge through the Coleman Bridge on the York River.

qwaalodge

If a major EMP happens, you'll have angry hordes of people with no electricity, no work.

Your biggest problem is getting beat up and your bike stolen. Worse if your bike had Di2, the angry hordes will find it doesn't work and get even angrier and beat you up even more and also hurl painful insults at you for using Di2

Your best chance of surviving EMP is riding the ugliest, most cheapest looking bike you'll find and also wearing ugly clothes