Dura-Ace electronic 7970

WickedWheels · #1 03-15-2009, 11:53 PM

What are your thoughts on this? Are any of you guys going to be picking it up?

I'm asking because my shop should have these groups available to ship to us tomorrow. We have a couple coming in because we've been "pre-selling". Shimano still hasn't told us what the MSRP on it should be, so I just priced it below any mail order price I've been able to find.

Do you think it will be hot? Should we stock more than a couple?

1centaur · #2 03-16-2009, 04:03 AM

I think a lot of people will want to test ride it (making it a PR tool for the shop - install it in the middle of the size range) and very few will buy it. Cool and different is not the ticket for the extra $thousands. I just considered it for an upcoming blingy build and said no because I don't like what the battery does to the looks (or the weight) and I think the battery integration will get better in a couple of years making this version look like one of the first cell phones. Maybe the buying base will be the gotta have the newest and best so I can show it off crowd. If there really are 200 for the country as I read somewhere then I have to believe there are that many buyers of that sort. For $500 more I would have been more tempted, but the price point makes it easy to wait for version 2.0 or later.

soulspinner · #3 03-16-2009, 05:26 AM

I would prefer my Ferrari to have a manual (throw yer own) shift. I just hope they dont make it so good it ends up on everybike someday....

Hobbscooley · #4 03-16-2009, 05:37 AM

i was recently ridingwith a guy from specialized at the toc who has it. he is a cat1 so roughly 250+ miles a week and he is on only his second charge since nov. we road in the rain for several days and no problem shifting. the coolest benefit i can see is the great lately improved front shifting. you can go from 39 to 53 while hammering up hill without hesitation. also the automatic trim is a nice feature. the weight of the groupo w/ battery is around 100 grams light than 7800. So it isn't for everyone but there is some real validity to the group.

CNY rider · #5 03-16-2009, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1centaur

I think the battery integration will get better in a couple of years making this version look like one of the first cell phones..

I agree that this, and the huge price tag will make most people hold off.

WickedWheels · #6 03-16-2009, 07:17 AM

This is what I was thinking about it...

There's definitely a hefty price tag with this group. I'm guessing that anyone who's considering upgrading to a Pinarello Prince over the FP3 (or to a Meivici, for that matter, over an HSG) will probably be in the running for this group. It's about a $2k upcharge for a very noticeable difference. Arguably, more noticeable than the upgrade in the frames. Does anyone need it? Probably not. But does anyone NEED Lightweight wheels? Or an all-carbon saddle? Or the upgrades so many of us get for our cars?

jhcakilmer · #7 03-16-2009, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulspinner

I would prefer my Ferrari to have a manual (throw yer own) shift. I just hope they dont make it so good it ends up on everybike someday....

Say no to flappy paddles in a F430 or on your bike.....come on, a motor on a bicycle....serious??

1centaur · #8 03-16-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WickedWheels

I'm guessing that anyone who's considering upgrading to a Pinarello Prince over the FP3 (or to a Meivici, for that matter, over an HSG) will probably be in the running for this group. It's about a $2k upcharge for a very noticeable difference.

I have personal reason to believe that "anyone" considering a Prince is not in the running for this group

Also key there is "noticeable difference" which is a lot different from "significant improvement." Perhaps pros might find the FD shift to be a meaningful improvement, but all those who can afford it will see it as different and cool (from what I gather), not obviously better. The number of times you'll hear, "wow, that's such a cool feeling but it's just not worth $2k to me" will be high. Also at the high end weight is a consideration, and +70 grams or so to 7900 with worse aesthetics makes it $29 per gram added and a blob of black zip-tied near the bottle cage, all to be an early adopter and tell people you have it knowing that most of them will not be impressed.

Equal weight, no visible battery, +$500 and people would be buying in droves.

Climb01742 · #9 03-16-2009, 10:44 AM

the economy won't help sales/adoption. version 2.0 or 3.0 will be much more popular.

sg8357 · #10 03-16-2009, 10:56 AM

Here is the pricing borrowed from the good people at Competitive Cyclist.

Price includes a Pegoretti, me I'd just take the Peg and put Simplex on it.
Red is looking to be the hot setup, leaving $3k bucks to get to Italy to ride it.

Duende $2775
Super Record 11 $6144
Red $5060
Dura Ace 7970 Di2 $8188
Dura Ace 7900 $5915
Ultegra SL $4335

MilanoTom · #11 03-16-2009, 10:59 AM

I saw it in operation at the Park Tool Tech Summit in January. To me, it seemed more like a novelty than anything else. I mean, it was cool to hear the little motor trim the front derailleur, but I wouldn't bother with it (or the Campagnolo version, if they ever get around to marketing it) on one of my own bikes.

The rear derailler shifted very nicely, but for what it's worth (and there may be newer versions than the ones I saw), I didn't think the front upshifted very well. It just sort of methodically smashed the chain into the big ring. I also thought it was a pain to fine tune the derailleurs (there was an electronic brain unit that could be switched to simulate turns of a barrel adjuster). Interestingly, when the battery starts to fade, the front derailleur will quit before the rear, so riders shouldn't be left with only one speed (unless they're particularly inattentive).

Regards,
Tom

Lifelover · #12 03-16-2009, 11:11 AM

Coming from a guy whose 2009 cycling budget is around $500;

I would drop the extra money for the group before I even considered dropping that kind of money on a bling frame.

There are only a few companies making components and there are 1000's making frames for a reason.

Making a frame is easy, put you money where the real tech is.

Shimano will sell all they produce this year and electronic will be standard on Ultegra in 5 - 10 years.

If you built a rig up for folks to test ride, you will sell more than a couple.

Volant · #13 03-16-2009, 11:16 AM

I won't be an early-adopter; I just don't see the value in it.

Acotts · #14 03-16-2009, 12:21 PM

I demo'd it at NAHBS. It is pretty sweet. It is purely for racers. You can shift anytime anywhere, not matter how much torque you are putting on the pedals. As long as you keep a a good cadence you can do major shifts, both front and back, simutaniously while in a full sprint. I think it will give a decided advantage to Pros.

I think as a CAT 4, I would certainly like to have it on my race bike. It would have been useful yesterday in my race where we went from a downhill, to a 90* turn (where everyone was using their brakes!), to a steep up hill to another down hill in the space of about 50 yards.

I have to pre-shift and load up my gears instead of shift on the fly becuase i dont trust them enough out of the saddle.

E-DA is super solid and confidence inspiring. AS for the trim adjustments, that should be a thing of the past. It has little computers that adjust the trim automatically for every gear combo.

i wouldn't put it on every bike in my stable. But I would put it on my race bike. I think you will see plenty of CAT 3,2,1s who can afford it, buying it.

It aint poetry, but its cool stuff.

Charles M · #15 03-16-2009, 02:54 PM

Man the test group function of production sets is sweet... Really sweet.

The front mech Auto trims. the rear is very fast.

Honestly after trying it I would buy it but I'm not saying everyone is as big a geek as me...

What I realy really want?

XTi...

This teck on mountain bikes would be FANTASTIC.

Two buttons on each side, auto trim... instant shifts...

fuggedabouditt...