Ultegra Di2

monsterhill
monsterhill Posts: 106
edited April 2012 in Road buying advice
Ive just received an email off Ribblecycles saying they can supply a full Di2 groupset for £1,179.99
Is this lagit? It seems far too cheap

Comments

  • Can get it at Merlin Cycles with 10% off this weekend for 1,057.50. Ribble seems expensive to me :wink:
    time flies like an arrow
    fruit flies like a banana
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,742
    Nah, sounds about right...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Frank pole
    Frank pole Posts: 112
    Wow ! Still a lot of dollar!

    would love to see these Shifters in action!
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Ive used them on the Shimano demo bike. They are very nice, but I cant justify the extra cost just at the moment.
  • ShutUpLegs
    ShutUpLegs Posts: 3,522
    Dura ace Di2 has hardly set the world alight
  • mallorcajeff
    mallorcajeff Posts: 1,489
    it set my world alight i love mine
  • rpd_steve
    rpd_steve Posts: 361
    From what I've heard everyon who has used them has been stunned at how good/smooth they are. That said its VERRRRRY expensive and I dont think that they have publisised just how different the experiance is, people think 'its a button instead of a cable'...
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    How long is the warranty on this stuff?

    As an electronics engineer I'm very wary of it. Wonder what spares availability will be five years down the line.
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • mallorcajeff
    mallorcajeff Posts: 1,489
    one thing i have foud with Di2 is its not fit and forget as suggested I still have to re index it every few months and again today third gear has gone out again as has first. I would fiddle myself but the shops are shut here until tuesday and if i nause it up myself as i did before i wont be able to ride till tue night. but it is great. expensive yes but many of those i think that frown upon it have never tried it. I wonder how many people laughed at the first automatic car that came out? i bought my bike secondhand a year old so it was great value for money but woudl i buy it new as a groupset No too expensive. Ultegra Di2 on the other hand better value and I have tried it. I found it exactly the same very slightly slower to change the big ring but you would never notice day to day and lets be honest its by far quick enough for 99% of the worlds population. If I needed to buy a new groupset id buy the Ultegra version as the difference is so suttle but the price difference huge. There will be some bargain later in the year I think
  • doubledenim
    doubledenim Posts: 119
    You seriously need to index it yourself - it's so easy. That's the whole point of owning Di2 that its not at the mechanics workshop all the time....

    It takes 2 mins. Check the Shimano guide online.

    Trim using the button guide then flick to index and it does it all for you
  • mallorcajeff
    mallorcajeff Posts: 1,489
    tried that sodded it right up ended up way worse. did the fifth cog thing and then the rest went out. they say you can adjust it while riding but i struggle with it on a stand but if next time im in the uk can get a shop to go through it with me i would be ok with it. Im not that mechanically minded!
  • doubledenim
    doubledenim Posts: 119
    I am not mechanically minded either! but it is worth making it work yourself and it may take a couple of goes.

    This was the best guide to indexing I found (scroll down)

    http://www.parktool.com/blog/calvins-co ... stallation

    Adjustment section of this guide:

    http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content ... ining.html

    Give it another shot!
  • mallorcajeff
    mallorcajeff Posts: 1,489
    double denim took your advice sorted! thanks mate took the bike out today did 99 miles over the mountains here in mallorca and a round trip of the north of the island and its bang on now and i did it myself! Many thanks another job saved from the shop, result.
    thanks again
    jeff
  • doubledenim
    doubledenim Posts: 119
    My pleasure, I'm glad you got it sorted. What a ride you managed.

    Just seen the picture of your bike... Seriously nice !
  • bisoner
    bisoner Posts: 171
    I'm thinking about a new bike and am wondering if it's really worth getting a Ultegra Di2 bike over one kitted out with regular Dura Ace. I've been using SRAM Rival and when it works it's great but I find it does need tweaking way more than bikes fitted with Shimano. I used a bike with standard Ultegra at the weekend and was impressed with how smooth and quiet it is compared with SRAM. Sold on Shimano, just debating which one to get.
  • doubledenim
    doubledenim Posts: 119
    Bisoner,

    That my friend is a very good question. Dura-ace mechanical is a seriously good groupset and in my opinion I would prefer it to Ultegra Di2. If you get the mechanical Dura-ace you can get used to the quality and then look to upgrade to dura-ace Di2 at a later date. Which is exactly what I did with my Cervelo S2.

    Here was the process:

    Sourced the transmission internal cable DI2 kit (I already had mechanical dura-ace)
    Set aside a good 5 hour block of time (just in case)
    Printed out the Di2 instructions - I found cervelo, parktools and shimano's guides the best
    Stripped the bike down (BB off, forks off and mechs)
    Tested the Di2 gear to make sure it all worked (off the bike)
    Installed the internal cables (a real pain but I got there) - gear inner cables are essential for this! Fitting the junction box was also a pain. Drilling a hole and widening a hole as per the instructions was easy!
    Installed the mechs and cabling and battery holder
    Trimmed the mechs using the setup function on the Di2
    Test rode
    A very annoying knocking discovered
    Used some extra tape on the battery mount and it was sorted
    Rode again and again and again and again

    I have had no problems since this was installed. I do not have much experience with bike mechanics at all which is why DI2 appealed to me in the first place. So if I can do it most other can.



    The shifting is super smooth and the bike feels transformed. Well recommended.



    Now the maths....

    Di2 transmission kit purchase price - £800 (used)

    Mechanical dura-ace parts sold afterwards - £500

    Cost of upgrade £300 + tools (£90)


    Some food for thought for you...
  • bisoner
    bisoner Posts: 171
    Thanks for the information Double - always nice to see someone putting the effort in to making an informed response.

    I don't think I would upgrade a bike from standard mechanical to Di2 so my decision point is something I need to make now. Your upgrade path does look interesting from a numerical standpoint but I'm not sure I could do or want to do it (I'm an accountant so that always gets my attention though!!)

    What I can glean from your response is that Dura Ace mechanical is very good. Di2 is definitely better in terms of slick changes but I'm still questioning is it really worth it. I'm no racer - other than against myself and a few mates no and again. The reason for the Di2 interest is that I love tech and I also love the thought of less index issues - maybe SRAM is tainting my decision against mechanical because it can be flakey from an indexing standpoint.

    P.S. Your bike looks too nice to ride!!!
  • doubledenim
    doubledenim Posts: 119
    No problem at all. I am not sure it has helped, but I guess it may help in the long run making the best choice for you.

    Mechanical Dura-ace is very good value at the moment and it is at the top of the tree as far as mechanical shifting goes from Shimano and I can tell you that it is excellent. I did not have to index or trim the rear mech once since owning the bike, for me it was by chance a good Di2 bargain came up and the maths made it work otherwise I would still be using the mechanical dura-ace.

    The ultegra Di2 would also be a wise choice given the lack of maintenance that it needs, but lets be clear, it isnt Dura-ace and will you kick yourself for not pushing the button on the mechanical? It does leave you the option to only part upgrade in the future, much like I did.

    not a great picture but here it is

    15146b1c.jpg