Electronic shifting v Mechanical?

[Oldman]

Me. All the races I lost are because of that.

Honesty is good.
All of my wins came because I did not have electronic shifting....also came before it existed but that's a detail I can ignore.

 

[ElChingon]

Are you sure you want that? AFAIK Frank and Fergie are still members here...

All the better they need a few new pupils to convert.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Classy! Maybe you should have researched what tools you would need before fully committing to thousands of dollars worth of components.

wow, dude got banned...

 

[Benotti69]

wow, dude got banned...

and is already back posting .......

 

[alitogata]

Which brings me to THE QUESTION: Has anyone here lost a race because they did not have electronic shifting or PT cranks?

I suppose not. A capable cyclist can take the most from with any kind of bicycle and any kind of shifting, either mechanical or electronic. The rest are just philology, and blah blah to discuss.
If someone isn't strong enough and doesn't know how to handle his or her bicycle, will always find excuses.

And I think that this is the most distinctive difference between a bicycle and any other vehicle.

 

[simo1733]

I suppose not. A capable cyclist can take the most from with any kind of bicycle and any kind of shifting, either mechanical or electronic. The rest are just philology, and blah blah to discuss.
If someone isn't strong enough and doesn't know how to handle his or her bicycle, will always find excuses.

And I think that this is the most distinctive difference between a bicycle and any other vehicle.

Is that what Cadels mechanic said to him after his gear fail in the Giro

 

[biker jk]

Campagnolo's cranks do have their problems.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Campagnolo's cranks do have their problems.

Well, unless it broke, I'd say the mechanic had the problem, not the gear.

I've installed 'more than a few' of these and one thing for sure, if the customer isn't happy, you will certainly hear about it. Have seen no issues with UT or PT cranks..not shimano ones either. sram/truvativ/fsa..soft shainrings and really crappy bearings..particularly the ceramic(oooooceramic) from sram..one ride in the wet and they are history.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

and is already back posting .......

Got a PM from him apologizing but couldn't answer..so...

to Dennis-fair enough, apology accepted..just bike stuff afterall.

 

[winkybiker]

Campagnolo's cranks do have their problems.

Yep, I've had that happen twice on UT cranks. The bolt breaks. Likely from not being tight enough and the cyclic loading and/or movement causing it to fatigue. Campy are very specific about the torque on that bolt. It needs to be very tight (RTFM and use a torque wrench). I now also use loctite, but that's just me. Not specifically recommended by Campy.

 

[Benotti69]

Campagnolo's cranks do have their problems.

It is the extra weight from the hair on the leg bearing down on the crank. It is not designed for hair loads either that or as others said, sloppy mechanic.

 

[ElChingon]

What about brakes? Do they suffer from the same aliments as cranks?

 

[Ruby60]

Brakes only slow you down.....


But back on topic, I still see no real reason for electronic shifting on a bike...
oh yeah... ft derr. self centers...BFD...

 

[42x16ss]

Campagnolo's cranks do have their problems.

Seen it happen regularly on early SRAM cranks. The allen bolt keeps undoing itself and needs copious amounts of loctite to prevent it. Guess it's handy in a way - makes it easy to clean/replace the crappy bearings and chainrings....

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Yep, I've had that happen twice on UT cranks. The bolt breaks. Likely from not being tight enough and the cyclic loading and/or movement causing it to fatigue. Campy are very specific about the torque on that bolt. It needs to be very tight (RTFM and use a torque wrench). I now also use loctite, but that's just me. Not specifically recommended by Campy.

Wow, been installing these since 2007 when they came out. Installed a bunch..never seen a bolt break. Yep, I use grease and make them RFT. Really F Tight.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I have Di2 9070 on my Time. Nice group. I enjoy it. Is it better than Campy Record mechanical? I don't think so.

 

[Oldman]

I have Di2 9070 on my Time. Nice group. I enjoy it. Is it better than Campy Record mechanical? I don't think so.

Thank you. At last, a direct user comparison without brand bias.

 

[winkybiker]

Wow, been installing these since 2007 when they came out. Installed a bunch..never seen a bolt break. Yep, I use grease and make them RFT. Really F Tight.

The watts I am pushing take my equipment right to the limit. Snapping stuff is just an occupational hazard .

 

[alitogata]

Is that what Cadels mechanic said to him after his gear fail in the Giro

I suppose not too. If the mechanic didn't do well his job or the electronic shifting isn't ready yet and has bugs and problems is a completely different matter.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

I suppose not too. If the mechanic didn't do well his job or the electronic shifting isn't ready yet and has bugs and problems is a completely different matter.

Then anytime a mechanical failure means it 'isn't ready'? This stuff breaks, it all breaks, that's why teams have car's a-chasing, a truck full of spares and a legion of wrenches to keep this stuff working.

 

[alitogata]

Then anytime a mechanical failure means it 'isn't ready'? This stuff breaks, it all breaks, that's why teams have car's a-chasing, a truck full of spares and a legion of wrenches to keep this stuff working.

Com'on . It is quite the opposite. Electronic shifting is the one that is not ready enough yet to be reliable. Just because companies want to sell their new hype this doesn't mean that this stuff is ready for use.
Is not that electronic shifting brakes down often but it is that when this happens the consequences are very bad and not possible to be repairable immediately on the ( every ) site, don't mention that it is not possible for the rider to find out easily what is the problem.

And as for that you've said previously about Cadel, you know very well that the guinea pigs of every new technology are always the pros. They try, they test everything before it gets on the market for the rest of us. If you think that he doesn't know it you are mistaken.

 

[alitogata]

But in order to get back to what we've discussed previously, the performance of electronic or any other shifting doesn't have to be an excuse for the performance of any rider. If you are good you are good and you can ride your bicycle with not so advanced technology and have the best of results.
My point is that teams experiment and test electronic shifting risking the same time the results of their riders. ( if this stuff brakes down).

For me is unthinkable that Wiggins didn't had the other day a spare bike with a mechanical shifting just in case that something would have gone wrong ( which indeed happened) to his electronic shifted bike. Strangely they had two of the same technology bicycles and the spare one not even properly set up for their rider. So they don't care about the results. They are testing this technology ( obviously they are paid to do so from the companies that produce this technology).

If they did care for the results of their athlete they would have gave him from the very beginning something that has proven its reliability over time and its easily repairable.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Quite honestly, this new 9070 doesn't shift any better than the old 7090 Di2. I had that on my previous time. What I do notice is that it feels a bit more..plasticky, for lack of a better word. I think the improvements on Di2 have been in regard to the battery placement (inside seat tube without 3rd party modification), the port in the front (which is held by an ugly band that goes around the stem-WTF Shimano?) which allow for more satellite shifters, and light weight.

Steps backwards seem to be the general feel that this is a more cheaply made product. That's just my own opinion, and deals with only the electronic components

Strictly as a matter of personal preference, I think I like Campag better, but I have heard mixed reviews of the EPS system. My Record mechanical seems to shift just as well for now.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Quite honestly, this new 9070 doesn't shift any better than the old 7090 Di2. I had that on my previous time. What I do notice is that it feels a bit more..plasticky, for lack of a better word. I think the improvements on Di2 have been in regard to the battery placement (inside seat tube without 3rd party modification), the port in the front (which is held by an ugly band that goes around the stem-WTF Shimano?) which allow for more satellite shifters, and light weight.

Steps backwards seem to be the general feel that this is a more cheaply made product. That's just my own opinion, and deals with only the electronic components

Strictly as a matter of personal preference, I think I like Campag better, but I have heard mixed reviews of the EPS system. My Record mechanical seems to shift just as well for now.

As I mentioned, referring to Di2(all) and EPS..like the mechanical stuff, the EPS is more bulky, less 'pretty'. Fewer connectors, less whizbangery(like USB charging and software updates for 9070-whocares?)..very typical Euro electronic design and samne for mechanical(actually made by a Swiss company).

All the hubbub about 9000..yes 11s but w/o the slick cable system, gee it works like 7900 except ya can't put the cogset onto a 10s shimano hub(oppps).

And nothing on 9000 or 9070 for that matter, is compatible with groups before or underneath it, not until 6800 comes out. At least if ya kill a SR mechanical RD and all ya can fine is an Athena, it will still work great.

 

[Oldman]

As I mentioned, referring to Di2(all) and EPS..like the mechanical stuff, the EPS is more bulky, less 'pretty'. Fewer connectors, less whizbangery(like USB charging and software updates for 9070-whocares?)..very typical Euro electronic design and samne for mechanical(actually made by a Swiss company).

All the hubbub about 9000..yes 11s but w/o the slick cable system, gee it works like 7900 except ya can't put the cogset onto a 10s shimano hub(oppps).

And nothing on 9000 or 9070 for that matter, is compatible with groups before or underneath it, not until 6800 comes out. At least if ya kill a SR mechanical RD and all ya can fine is an Athena, it will still work great.

That was the last write-off of Shimano for me. Spend $3k for a gruppo that's obsolete the next year....computer age marketing.