Anyone actually using Ui2 yet? Comments?
Sammyw23
Posts: 627
Hi all - reading a lot in the press about Ui2 but nothing on the forum yet. Just keen to know if anyone has it and has put some mileage in it and what they think.
Cervelo P3
Bianchi Infinito
Cannondale CAAD10
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Cannondale CAAD10
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Comments
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Cycling weekly yesterday heralded di and ui2 as big a change as downtube to STI shifters was for racing0
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yeah saw that - keen to here of any users from the forum though....Cervelo P3
Bianchi Infinito
Cannondale CAAD100 -
Yeah I've had a play with it in Condor Cycles - seems quality and the hoods are the most appealing shape I've felt. Suspect it will be a couple more months before we get user reviewsCervelo P3
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Cannondale CAAD100 -
Ok lets take a different line of questioning on this - has anyone been out on one of the test bikes??Cervelo P3
Bianchi Infinito
Cannondale CAAD100 -
My LBS had someone come in with one the other day with one that needed adjusting. Apparently they need a special computer thingy to setup that's too expensive for your average bike shop to own.
In my mind it's just something else to go wrong, and when it does you might not be able to fix it yourself. My gears change just fine with the force of my finger. I honestly can't see myself wanting these in the foreseeable future. Much better/more important things to spend my money on.0 -
bus_ter wrote:In my mind it's just something else to go wrong, and when it does you might not be able to fix it yourself. My gears change just fine with the force of my finger. I honestly can't see myself wanting these in the foreseeable future. Much better/more important things to spend my money on.
+1 for this.
It's similar to the way cars were until about 10-15 years ago. You could service them yourself and carry out routine repairs and maintenance, now you need a laptop and commercial software just to carry out the simplest of operations. Likewise, I like being able to tinker with my bike and make occasional adjustments, not sure if you could do this with the electronic shifters and would be a big negative for me.
CheersBianchi ImpulsoBMC Teammachine SLR02 01Trek Domane AL3“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. “ ~H.G. Wells Edit - "Unless it's a BMX"0 -
you could if you are good at hacking/microcontrollers but still need expensive analysing tools. im sure someone will do it, depends how secretive they are and how interested you are. dura ace has been done and is quite easy with some knowledge, but many say ultegra uses something like can-bus like the cars you mention=lot more involved.Crescent wrote:bus_ter wrote:In my mind it's just something else to go wrong, and when it does you might not be able to fix it yourself. My gears change just fine with the force of my finger. I honestly can't see myself wanting these in the foreseeable future. Much better/more important things to spend my money on.
+1 for this.
It's similar to the way cars were until about 10-15 years ago. You could service them yourself and carry out routine repairs and maintenance, now you need a laptop and commercial software just to carry out the simplest of operations. Likewise, I like being able to tinker with my bike and make occasional adjustments, not sure if you could do this with the electronic shifters and would be a big negative for me.
Cheers0 -
Sammyw23 wrote:Ok lets take a different line of questioning on this - has anyone been out on one of the test bikes??
The one in mine was on turbo on a generic flouro yellow/lime green frame with Shimano stickers on it, I don't think that's a fair test really. Sorry.We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
They're doing Ui2 upgrade kits for about 1000 EUR. Sell the other bits on ebay and you're probably looking at £700.
I'm tempted, but it's probably unnecessary.
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Also played with it in Condor Cycles, seems incredibly light action, certainly took some getting used to !Swveeeet¡¡¡0
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bus_ter wrote:My LBS had someone come in with one the other day with one that needed adjusting. Apparently they need a special computer thingy to setup that's too expensive for your average bike shop to own.
In my mind it's just something else to go wrong, and when it does you might not be able to fix it yourself. My gears change just fine with the force of my finger. I honestly can't see myself wanting these in the foreseeable future. Much better/more important things to spend my money on.
if it's anything like dura ace di2, you dont need any extra's to adjust it, just press and hold the button on the cable junction box for 3 seconds then you can use the shift buttons to trim the rear derailleur by 25 1/10th of 1 mm steps, you can do it while your riding.
my missus has done about 600 mile's on her di2 and the battery is still showing over 50% full on it's first charge.0 -
big p wrote:bus_ter wrote:My LBS had someone come in with one the other day with one that needed adjusting. Apparently they need a special computer thingy to setup that's too expensive for your average bike shop to own.
In my mind it's just something else to go wrong, and when it does you might not be able to fix it yourself. My gears change just fine with the force of my finger. I honestly can't see myself wanting these in the foreseeable future. Much better/more important things to spend my money on.
if it's anything like dura ace di2, you dont need any extra's to adjust it, just press and hold the button on the cable junction box for 3 seconds then you can use the shift buttons to trim the rear derailleur by 25 1/10th of 1 mm steps, you can do it while your riding.
This is correct. The 'special computer thingy' referred to above lets you access yet more functions, ie swapping button function etc. All normal working adjustments can be carried out stand alone without any other equipment.0 -
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greasedscotsman wrote:
To be fair, how on earth could it be as big a change? In the one case, you are physically relocating the shifter to the handlebars so that far quicker, and safer changes can be made in a race environment.
In the other, you are replacing a cable with a wire. I know there is a little more to it than that but really, to suggest it is as big a change seems a bit silly as far as I can see. Somebody at Cycling Weekly needs to step back a couple of paces
I'd have thought the principal beneficiaries of electronic shifting are to those who can't index.Faster than a tent.......0 -
I have been using Ultegra Di2 for a couple of months now...I managed to buy all the components off Wiggle while it was still quite hard to source.
I bought it to retrofit to my best road bike which was kitted out with Dura-ace 7800 components. Once I had stripped all of that off, installation of the Di2 was a doddle. I fitted the components, made neat cable runs (this was an externally wired system and so I ran the cables underneath a stick on cable sheath) and then set it up. Set up was most impressive...for the rear derailleur, it was simply a case of aligning the indexing with the cassette and then setting the limit screws. Job done!
And what's more, it will stay like that. No cable stretch will affect it and mean I have to readjust it. It has stayed optimally setup for 2 months now with no service.
On the bike, it is bliss to use. I rode the Hell of the Ashdown sportive on that bike today and the clean, dependable, rapid shifting is an absolute pleasure. No need to trim the front derailleur...you hear the actuator do that for you when you shift into certain gears.
I like the levers. There is not as much of a bulge to hold onto as my Dura-ace 7800 STI's had, but there is enough and it is comfy. I had some problems finding the right button when I first started using it, just because I was not used to it. But I have found that the upshift buttons stick out more than the downshift ones so I can easily find the upshift by just flicking my finger across the lever body and it is done.
Some people mentioned the extra setup you can do with an interface that you plug in between the spare port on one of the levers and a laptop. With this I understand you can do more complex setup such as reassigning button functionality, but none of that is needed really. The main thing is that you can configure the index position by entering setup mode without this box...by pressing the button on the battery display.
Speaking of the battery, I have had no problems with that. It still says full charge and I have heard it should be many months before I need to recharge. Even if it gets low on a ride, the front derailleur is the first to stop working...so you can get home just using the rear derailleur. Once the battery is fully discharged, the RD will stay in whatever gear you are in. But I think you need to be a bit of a numpty to let the battery get this low as it is easy to check battery status by holding a shift button and looking at the readout lights.
Someone also mentioned that this Ultegra Di2 uses a Canbus protocol that has been taken from the automotive sector. Therefore, it is well proven to be reliable as it has been in use there since the 90's with no problem. But it does make customisation harder...the older Dura-ace Di2 just has switches that close circuits to trigger shifts. But this meant it needed several cores in the cables - therefore fatter cables required that are harder to route and more prone to damage. Ultegra Di2 has just two cores and the cables are only 2mm diameter (end connectors 3mm). The signals are sent in a similar way to those on a computer network where each component (rear derailleur, STI's etc) have an address and the message is routed to them.
I would like to put Ultegra Di2 on my TT bike, but the bar end shifters for it are not available until later this year...so I will just have to live with cable shifting for now.
Cycling Weekly ask the question of "What is Ultegra Di2 for?". The road racer, the sportive rider, the commuter? I think they are quite right in concluding it suits all of the above because it has merits that benefit all those uses.
My commuting bike gets a lot of crud on it particularly in the winter and I have to spend a lot of time (more than I would like anyway) maintaining the cables / cable outers so that shifting remains smooth and consistent. If I stick Ultegra Di2 on there, I won't need to do that anymore. It will work, every time. No longer as susceptible to rain and crud.
The release of Ultegra Di2 is quite revolutionary...ok, we have had electronic shifting available for a while now in the form of first generation DA, but now, it is available to the masses for the first time. The cost, especially if you keep your old chainwheel etc, is sub £1k. Also, when 2nd gen DA comes out, people will be able to just unplug their Ultegra component and stick on DA instead if they so wish...as the cables / protocol will be the same.
Manufacturers and LBS's will love Ultegra Di2 aswell because they can build a bike with easy setup and then supply it to the customer without them so likely to need to come back for it to be adjusted once the cables have stretched. OK, some adjustment will still be necessary to the brakes, but it will be much simpler.
I think electronic shifting is the way forward and it benefits all types of rider and bike builders.0 -
well done Pinnacle Roadie on a decent honest review of the Ultegra Di2.
Its interesting, isn't it - the people with the negative comments (and in some cases laughable preconceptions) are invariably the ones who have never even seen the technology in reality, let alone used it.I remember reading one post somehere and a guy was ranting that electronic gear changing was going to take the skill out of cycling!. If it was the 1900s I'd bet the same guy would have been in arms at the introduction of dropped handlebars!0 -
+1 - exactly.Rolf F wrote:greasedscotsman wrote:
To be fair, how on earth could it be as big a change? In the one case, you are physically relocating the shifter to the handlebars so that far quicker, and safer changes can be made in a race environment.
In the other, you are replacing a cable with a wire. I know there is a little more to it than that but really, to suggest it is as big a change seems a bit silly as far as I can see. Somebody at Cycling Weekly needs to step back a couple of paces
I'd have thought the principal beneficiaries of electronic shifting are to those who can't index.0 -
fbeechinor wrote:well done Pinnacle Roadie on a decent honest review of the Ultegra Di2.
Its interesting, isn't it - the people with the negative comments (and in some cases laughable preconceptions) are invariably the ones who have never even seen the technology in reality, let alone used it.I remember reading one post somehere and a guy was ranting that electronic gear changing was going to take the skill out of cycling!. If it was the 1900s I'd bet the same guy would have been in arms at the introduction of dropped handlebars!
Sadly, that's par for the course on this section of the BR forum. Check the NeilPryde Diablo thread for another classic example...My cycle racing blog: http://cyclingapprentice.wordpress.com/
If you live in or near Sussex, check this out:
http://ontherivet.ning.com/0 -
My oh my - saw a bike on display with Ultegra Di2 yesterday at the Dorset Ride to the Pies sportive. I normally don't have much of an opinion on aesthetics of bike stuff, and I'm pro Shimano and Campag so there's no agenda; however, I was quite shocked how pig ugly the front and rear derailleur designs appear. Quite shockingly crude looking - like something out of a tonka toy factory.
I'll wait a while longer before considering the electric side.....
Peter0 -
I'm using Ultegra Di2 - it's fabulous. Simple to install and set up and a joy to use. I've nothing much to add to the very full review above. It's the natural next step for shifting before wireless at some point. Canbus is as old as the hills and ultra reliable. It's not pretty but then nor am I. Besides that, I'm riding the bike not looking at it.
This being road cycling, there will be plenty of Luddites and nay-sayers. I run a road bike with discs and Di2 - give it 5 years or so and so will many of you. I'm remember plenty of folks saying the iPad was nonsense and would never catch on.
Di2 isn't essential but it is greatROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0 -
meanredspider wrote:I remember plenty of folks saying the iPad was nonsense and would never catch on.
It is nonsense. It's neither nowt nor summat, a huge clunky cross between a netbook and a smartphone whose main use is as an accessory for bourgeois bohemians to put in their iPurse and be seen with. History has shown us, however, that you can't equate a totally moronic idea with one that won't catch on . . .Specialized Roubaix Elite 2015
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Something the industry doesn't want you to know is that the FD is so strong that can rip off the seat tube if the chain gets stuck whilst it's trying to change...
If the seat tube is strong enough to support, then the chain will go, which is annoying but bearable...left the forum March 20230 -
I'd like to see a youtube clip of that!!Cervelo P3
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Sammyw23 wrote:I'd like to see a youtube clip of that!!
Well, I can't speak for experience, but that's what a rather large LBS in Italy told me... he also told me that frames designed to carry Di2 and the likes have a reinforced section of the seat tube to bear the load...
I guess the message is not to use Di2 or Ui2 on frames which are not specifically designed for that... it would look ugly anyway, with all the routing and stuff...left the forum March 20230 -
Giraffoto wrote:meanredspider wrote:I remember plenty of folks saying the iPad was nonsense and would never catch on.
It is nonsense. It's neither nowt nor summat, a huge clunky cross between a netbook and a smartphone whose main use is as an accessory for bourgeois bohemians to put in their iPurse and be seen with. History has shown us, however, that you can't equate a totally moronic idea with one that won't catch on . . .
Got to discagree with you there Giraffoto. If you're not at work then most people use the computer for internet/email and a little bit of multimedia playing, very little else (games having been dominated by consoles for ages). Yes people need a reasonable PC for word processing and excel work but unless you run your own business that's probably <2% of your computer use. Tablets are very convenient for most of that and let you do it all in Starbucks, I'm not planning on getting one but I can see why they're a sucess.
I don't think electronic shifting is as revolutionary as moving from down tube shifters to indexed brifters but being guarenteed flawless shifting every time, even under load with no need for fettling has it's attractions for both racers (great, quick shifting in sprints, climbing etc) and more casual riders (minimal maintenance). Given the money in cycling at the moment I can't think of a better time to launch it, it may be an expensive luxury but it is better (however marginally).0 -
ugo.santalucia wrote:it would look ugly anyway, with all the routing and stuff...
I'm sorry - but that's utter tosh as well. All what routing? Even if it's installed externally, as it is on my bike, it's one wire (in an adhesive sheath stuck to the underside of the tubing where you can't see it) replacing two cables. I'm pretty sure just about every bike could run it internally as any holes in the frame would be tiny.
The who FD story is totally fanciful to me too. If I operate my FD inadvertantly with the bike stationary, it just stops in a very unspectacular way. If it was as strong as you say, you'd have people losing fingers.
It's all part of the utter bolleaux that exists around new tech...ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0 -
racingcondor wrote:Giraffoto wrote:meanredspider wrote:I remember plenty of folks saying the iPad was nonsense and would never catch on.
It is nonsense. It's neither nowt nor summat, a huge clunky cross between a netbook and a smartphone whose main use is as an accessory for bourgeois bohemians to put in their iPurse and be seen with. History has shown us, however, that you can't equate a totally moronic idea with one that won't catch on . . .
Got to discagree with you there Giraffoto. If you're not at work then most people use the computer for internet/email and a little bit of multimedia playing, very little else (games having been dominated by consoles for ages). Yes people need a reasonable PC for word processing and excel work but unless you run your own business that's probably <2% of your computer use. Tablets are very convenient for most of that and let you do it all in Starbucks, I'm not planning on getting one but I can see why they're a sucess.
I don't want to get into an iPad debate here because it's been done to death. What characterises those threads and this one is the misunderstanding and misinformation that exists around new technology which is seized upon by those who don't like it.
I've no doubt when automatic ignition advance on cars came along, people said it was just for people who couldn't operate an advance & retard lever properly and now most people wouldn't have the first clue what ignition advance was or why they needed it. Same probably goes for wind-up windows. Why people should feel good about pulling a piece of wire to change gear, I have no idea. You can't even argue that it's simple because I'm betting that electronic shifting will be both simpler (more maintenance-free) & more reliable - if not instantly, then in time.
By all means argue that it's expensive and that it isn't essential but please argue based upon fact and experience.ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0
