Contador on Mechanical Dura Ace in Giro 2015

[bladerunner]

Does anyone know the actual reasons why Contador is riding on Mechanical Dura Ace and the rest of his team are on Electronic Dura Ace instead?

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Does anyone know the actual reasons why Contador is riding on Mechanical Dura Ace and the rest of his team are on Electronic Dura Ace instead?

Look at today's stage and sure enough..he is...Doesn't like the lack of 'feel'?? I donno but he is indeed doing a 'Sean Kelly'..when he was on clips and straps and everybody else was clipless.

 

[ray j willings]

Does anyone know the actual reasons why Contador is riding on Mechanical Dura Ace and the rest of his team are on Electronic Dura Ace instead?

Sams as Nibs at last year. They do not trust it. Its just not proven reliable

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QprXnpzS9_I

 

[richwagmn]

Does anyone know the actual reasons why Contador is riding on Mechanical Dura Ace and the rest of his team are on Electronic Dura Ace instead?

Complete guess of course... but AC still has a personal mechanic right? Indicates to me that he wants ZERO issues with this bike during a race.

Cancellara is another one that rides DA mech. I'm sure there are others.

 

[Benotti69]

anyone with Campag doing similar? Not using EPS?

 

[Master50]

Hesjedal is also using mechanical to get the bike down to the minimum weight. His Cervelos had electric. the Cannonade has room to lose weight.

 

[King Boonen]

I'd have guessed at it being due to weight, but I don't know.

I think electronic has proved to be reliable. There are of course failures but considering pretty much the whole peloton rides on electronic these days there don't seem to be any more failures than when they all rode mechanical. With no reference point it's very hard to know if the failures are due to the electronics or the drivechain design, it's possible the same failures would be seen with all mechanical 11-speed systems.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Re:

anyone with Campag doing similar? Not using EPS?

Entire Astana team.

 

[Night Rider]

Re:

Hesjedal is also using mechanical to get the bike down to the minimum weight. His Cervelos had electric. the Cannonade has room to lose weight.

Do you mean up to minimum weight? Or down? Di2 is lighter than mechanical.

FWIW I would use mechanical. I like the feel, there is no performance loss and it's more reliable.

 

[richwagmn]

Certainly he might just like the feel of mech DA.

Most Shimano riders see to use DI2 also so it's unlikely it has some major reliability problem.

I still think Contador is one of those riders that leaves as little to chance as possible. I guess until someone asks him, we won't know.

 

[avanti]

Does anyone know the actual reasons why Contador is riding on Mechanical Dura Ace and the rest of his team are on Electronic Dura Ace instead?

I read a few weeks ago that Tinkoff has not got a drivetrain sponsor yet and is using up last years gear or resorting to buying it. I also recall that Tinkoff is going to be sponsored by a new drive train outfit in the near future.

 

[King Boonen]

Does anyone know the actual reasons why Contador is riding on Mechanical Dura Ace and the rest of his team are on Electronic Dura Ace instead?

I read a few weeks ago that Tinkoff has not got a drivetrain sponsor yet and is using up last years gear or resorting to buying it. I also recall that Tinkoff is going to be sponsored by a new drive train outfit in the near future.

FSA.

I doubt however, that he is using mechanical for any other reason than he wants to. I can get Di2 bits next day if I want them, no way Contador is riding something for any kind of cost saving/supply limitations etc.

 

[Master50]

Re: Re:

Hesjedal is also using mechanical to get the bike down to the minimum weight. His Cervelos had electric. the Cannonade has room to lose weight.

Do you mean up to minimum weight? Or down? Di2 is lighter than mechanical.

FWIW I would use mechanical. I like the feel, there is no performance loss and it's more reliable.

Down, Mechanical is lighter.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Does anyone know the actual reasons why Contador is riding on Mechanical Dura Ace and the rest of his team are on Electronic Dura Ace instead?

I read a few weeks ago that Tinkoff has not got a drivetrain sponsor yet and is using up last years gear or resorting to buying it. I also recall that Tinkoff is going to be sponsored by a new drive train outfit in the near future.

FSA electronic..to the team by the start of the Giro...oh wait a minute...

 

[richwagmn]

Interestingly, AC rode electronic DA for the final stage:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/pro-bike-contadors-custom-pink-specialized-s-works-tarmac

 

[ray j willings]

Re:

Interestingly, AC rode electronic DA for the final stage:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/pro-bike-contadors-custom-pink-specialized-s-works-tarmac

Show bike.

 

[StinkFist]

Hard to believe this is happening in the biggest race of the year for Thibaut!!

Another reason to stay with Mechanical.....derailleur battery going flat!! ffs

As predicted, though, there was a big loser and it was Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), whose already dented GC ambitions were perhaps terminally damaged by two mechanicals in quick succession as the race reached its crux.

He waved his arms in desperate remonstration as he had to receive assistance on two occasions, the first for a puncture and the second when the battery in his dérailleur went flat. The Frenchman, whose podium placing last year had given rise to realistic hopes this time around, eventually rolled in 3:23 minutes back, leaving him a very sorry 6:30 down on GC.

 

[oronet commander]

Yes, a pity for Pinaud and a lesson for the rest: the sum of very -if existing- small advantages of electronic cannot compensate a loss so big...

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Re:

Yes, a pity for Pinaud and a lesson for the rest: the sum of very -if existing- small advantages of electronic cannot compensate a loss so big...

The 'advantage' for electronic is 'consistent shifting over time', that is, no cables nor housing to get corrupted and effect shifting. For a bunch of TdF bikes tho, with a trailer full of spares and legion of wrenches..no real need other than to showcase to 'sell on Monday'. AND the result of this silly trend toward internal batteries, that cannot be changed on the fly.

 

[winkybiker]

Re: Re:

Yes, a pity for Pinaud and a lesson for the rest: the sum of very -if existing- small advantages of electronic cannot compensate a loss so big...

The 'advantage' for electronic is 'consistent shifting over time', that is, no cables nor housing to get corrupted and effect shifting. For a bunch of TdF bikes tho, with a trailer full of spares and legion of wrenches..no real need other than to showcase to 'sell on Monday'. AND the result of this silly trend toward internal batteries, that cannot be changed on the fly.

"Electronic shifting seems a fairly pointless idea, but not quite pointless enough - it shifts really well when it's working, and hey, it's wonderfully expensive - so that's all good. But we can do better.... Let's come up with a system that's even dumber. What could make it more complex and less reliable for absolutely no advantage? I've got it! Wireless! We'll combine that with an error prone shifting logic and charge really high prices for it. They'll love it!" - SRAM marketers

 

[ray j willings]

Check this out ....mind control shifting from parlee I kid you not

http://www.cnet.com/news/prius-project-concept-bike-lets-you-shift-by-thinking/

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Re: Re:

Yes, a pity for Pinaud and a lesson for the rest: the sum of very -if existing- small advantages of electronic cannot compensate a loss so big...

The 'advantage' for electronic is 'consistent shifting over time', that is, no cables nor housing to get corrupted and effect shifting. For a bunch of TdF bikes tho, with a trailer full of spares and legion of wrenches..no real need other than to showcase to 'sell on Monday'. AND the result of this silly trend toward internal batteries, that cannot be changed on the fly.

"Electronic shifting seems a fairly pointless idea, but not quite pointless enough - it shifts really well when it's working, and hey, it's wonderfully expensive - so that's all good. But we can do better.... Let's come up with a system that's even dumber. What could make it more complex and less reliable for absolutely no advantage? I've got it! Wireless! We'll combine that with an error prone shifting logic and charge really high prices for it. They'll love it!" - SRAM marketers

No kidding, after road hydraulic calipers, now this wonkeyness, how do they stay afloat? Oh, they don't, one team in the TdF, kinda like Suntour.

 

[winkybiker]

Re:

Yes, a pity for Pinaud and a lesson for the rest: the sum of very -if existing- small advantages of electronic cannot compensate a loss so big...

It seems to me that "flat battery" may be a euphemism for "it broke". They perhaps have to claim "flat battery" under the terms of their sponsorship agreement as that makes it look like user (team) error, rather than an issue with the gear's underlying reliability. It seems incomprehensible that pro-teams would simply allow Di2 batteries to just go flat.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

Yes, a pity for Pinaud and a lesson for the rest: the sum of very -if existing- small advantages of electronic cannot compensate a loss so big...

It seems to me that "flat battery" may be a euphemism for "it broke". They perhaps have to claim "flat battery" under the terms of their sponsorship agreement as that makes it look like user (team) error, rather than an issue with the gear's underlying reliability. It seems incomprehensible that pro-teams would simply allow Di2 batteries to just go flat.

Agreed. My first reaction was that the battery connector or power to the control box may have come loose.

 

[ray j willings]

There have been issues with the junction box. It does not show up on the diagnostics....so mechanics would not find a problem.