electric tiagra shifters !?

timmyturbo
timmyturbo Posts: 617
edited January 2012 in The bottom bracket
just working on my friends bike . It is giant ocr2 about 5 years old i guess . The 9speed shifters have a little button on the hoods and printed electronic ribbon cable inside each shifter . Am i going mad ? Or was this a DI2 PROTOTYPE ? seriously confused , please help . Cheers
Britannia waives the rules

Comments

  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    Sounds like Flightdeck controls - the Shimano cycle computer system that can be controlled from some shifter levers.
    "Mummy Mummy, when will I grow up?"
    "Don't be silly son, you're a bloke, you'll never grow up"
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    It's not 'controlled' at all - It just shows what gear you are in if using the Flightdeck and gives a 'virtual' cadence figure.
  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    Timmy

    I heard rumours of the original Shimano DI-1 tests when I was a mechanic on the '06 HTC Lotto Strong Shack team. Shiguro Hiroshuti visited us when we had a team in the Tour Of Tokyo and, as we were the 'unofficial' field test and development team I was able to chat with him about the future of Shimano components. He let slip that future development would be 'cable-based, but not the kind of cables you're used to'! The system used the version 3 Flightdeck computer to control a fully-automatic shifting mechanism (effectively a 20 speed auto gearbox) with anti-lock brakes front and rear and traction control as an option. Although DI-1 was eventually replaced with DI-2 before it officially released, several 'hack bikes' made their way into private ownership. They run full Dura Ace (but badged as 105 or Tiagra) and have the 'raised button' controls you've mentioned.

    I bet an early set of Tiagra or 105 DI-1 shifters would be quite rare and worth a lot of money. Got any pics?
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    The HTC Lotto Strong Shack team was disbanded in '05. I call BS.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
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  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    Ben6899 wrote:
    The HTC Lotto Strong Shack team was disbanded in '05. I call BS.

    You're right. I meant '05. Sorry for any confusion.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    It's not BS, it's a wittily penned, almost believable piece of satire.

    I like your style!

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