I Rode Electronic Dura Ace This Morning.

[Bill Bove]

I liked it very much.

[BdaGhisallo]

OH come on! You have to give us more than that? :banana:

How did you find the shift buttons? Did you have to search for them or were they easy to find? I ask that because they are smaller than the levers you use on the mechanical DA. I am very intrigued by Di2.

Thanks
Geoff

[Bill Bove]

the buttons were right under my fingertips, no searching at all.the rearderailer shifts as precise as a mechanical on, the front is unbelievable, touchthe button and you're on the big ring. there adjusters under the handlebars for wheel switches and a low battery indicator.

Battery life=1500 miles. ymmv

Cost=group, no wheels, about 4000.there will b an upgrade kit of shifters and FD/RD for about 2500.

[Jeff N.]

I've heard that DA Electronic shifts like a BMW. I talked with Bill Holland last month and he said he may be able to build frames that're DA Electronic-Specific, meaning that all wires/cables would be internally routed within the frame for an ultra-clean look and feel. OMG, that's ALL I need...something else to lust for.... :crap: Jeff N.

[Climb01742]

bill, have you tried the "regular" 7900? is it worth upgrading from 7800? thanks!

[jblande]

does anyone know if the unreleased campy electronic utilizes a completely different technology?

[Bill Bove]

bill, have you tried the "regular" 7900? is it worth upgrading from 7800? thanks!
I have, it is.
Even for a Campiphile, this stuff rocks.

[Climb01742]

I have, it is.
Even for a Campiphile, this stuff rocks.

thanks. what does 7900 go for?

[vjp]

A bike designer friend of mine had a brief time with group and told me that he WILL build up a personal bike with it. He is the most practical of people and specs out 30+ different models a season and He was floored by how well it works. It AUTO TRIMS which seems unnecessary but at the same time fantastical...

vjp

[vqdriver]

i rode both the mechanical and the electronic versions yesterday. shimano had a booth set up at the ToC finish line festival area and i hopped on the test bikes they had set up on trainers.

yes it works well. works like a no brainer mechanical system. with all the hype, i was expecting to be instantaneously in the correct gear, but it's not quite like that. more like a smooth operating, foolproof cable system. it doesn't make itself known like an SMG transmission (in my head, i equate gear systems with car transmissions for some reason.......), which can be so fast in shifting that it's actually abrupt at times. don't get me wrong, it is fast, and very precise, but more smooth than i would have expected. it's the kinda thing that you forget you have cuz it doesn't draw attention to itself during a ride. cool. yes, front shifting is very nice. autotrim is a trip. altho i thought i read somewhere that there were digital readouts of which gear you're in. i don't recall seeing them.

one thing i did appreciate was the hood shape and relocation of the shift wire. nice.

as an aside, watching the racers come in after the stage, did anyone else notice that the campy riders, at least the ones i could see, were still using 10sp? i don't think i saw 11sp campy yesterday.

[caleb]

I've ridden them both as well.

The electronic group is awesome, especially the auto-trim. It makes "electronic" noises, which is a bit weird. Is it worth $4k? I'm sure lots of people will think so.

What actually blew me out of the water was the mechanical version. I expected a glorified 7800 group. 7900 is in a whole different league, especially in the front. Butter. The shifters are thinner, too.

An upgrade from 7800 to 7900 would be worth while.

[jimp1234]

I understand that DA electronic won't support a compact setup, at least initially. Can anyone confirm or deny?

[rnhood]

7900 is refined, quick acting and distinct. Quicker than 7800. Shift anytime, any grade, and under any power. It exudes confidence the moment you start using it. Having said this, 7800 is a very good group as well, especially when properly adjusted. I probably still prefer the larger hoods of 7800 but, it doesn't take long to get use do the 7900 hoods. After you get going a ways, you really don't think about it.

[Dave]

Is the new 7900 shifter only capable of a 2-cog larger shift with one sweep of the brake/shift lever, as reported? That would be a major PIA for compact users, where a 3-cog shift is common.

When I can get Chorus 11 speed for $1K, $4K for a group is not in my future.

[fierte_poser]

1) I wouldn't expect Chorus 11 to be $1k for very much longer. Campy would do well to close that loophole.

2) $4k is very expensive, but in the future you would expect the price premium for electronic DA to come down. Just like a $500 blu-ray player is too expensive but a $200 one is reasonably priced.

[bshell]

Yes, 7900 will only go up 2 gears at a time.

Can't comment about the availability of a compact version but the Shimano crew was at our shop with the battery-op Dura Ace ..."Di2"
I was told that the $4000.00 price tag included shifters, front and rear derailleurs, and battery pack ONLY.

The "buttons" are integrated into the shift levers, so you don't do anything different from 7800/7900/any sti group. Instead of the lever swinging towards the center line there is a 2mm "throw" which sends the signal. He claimed it is tank tested to 10m, which I consider to be on the verge of unacceptable. I mean, whom doesn't occasionally ride at a depth of 40 or 50 feet (on a good day)? Right?

Several riders were on 11speed Campy for the ToC.