Di2 vs 50mm wheels

greasedscotsman

Still think your trying to make this into more of a problem than it really is. Are the forums full of people with problems? Stranded out of a ride somewhere when they drivechain stopped working. Electronic shifting isn't exactly new, it has been around a while now and it does seem to be as reliable as mechanical systems.

spasypaddy

you dont have to take it to a dealer, you can get the kit to work on your electronic drive train at home. i have it.

greasedscotsman

How much did it cost?

spasypaddy

came with my groupset which i got off here at less half the cost price

ugo.santalucia

I am sure it's reliable, but it's not for me. Electronics made the cars into something we can't touch anymore under the bonnet and took the fun out of owning them and electronics will do the same to bicycles, hence I am not interested in them.
I'm just not one for electronics... I have a mobile phone which was old 5 years ago and have got rid of any bicycle computer... I don't own a GPS, not even one for the car as they take the fun out of driving and finding new roads... I'm just one of those types you associate with CTC and Audaxes, just I'm not into that either...

spasypaddy

ugo, what beard trimmer do you use? and how much were your SPD sandals?

ugo.santalucia

spasypaddy wrote:

ugo, what beard trimmer do you use? and how much were your SPD sandals?

Can't grow one either... it gets itchy and I hate it... I shave lazily once a week or so using relatively old systems... Mach 3.... I think they are now selling 5 blades systems and I might even go as far as upgrading my razor in the near future... I use Assos chamois creme as aftershave, it's great! So there...

I have shoes with a carbon sole and SPD-SL... 8)

Mark Alexander

Percy Vera wrote:

I've got some money to blow and don't know if I should buy chalk or cheese - what do you think?

Can you blow all this wonga on me please?
if not then choose between the DI2 and the wheels

if you're good at maintaining the mechanical chainset then I'd go with the wheels. As for which wheels, if you climb a lot then lightweight wheelset is good. if you're anything linke me give up and buy a Ferarri

Mark Alexander

greasedscotsman wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Di2 serves a purpose for those who can't use a cable shifter

Aren't gears just for cyclists who are too soft to ride fixed?

a valid point, well made.

ugo.santalucia

While manufacturers spend R&D money trying to make the best electronic shifter, to give you the ultimate smooth shifting experience, someone with a bit more vision could try to apply the ABS technology to a bicycle and avoid half of MAMIL's accidents due to wheels locking in poor grip conditions... or could come up with a jersey that avoids your collarbone cracking when you go down.
Just a thought... there are virtually endless inventions that could improve a bicycle, but they seem to focus on the completely pointless ones in a ludicrous attempt to make us go 1 mph faster... if you want to go fast get a Suzuki bike... what's the point in all that effort to move from 23 to 24 mph when you can go to 150?

on-yer-bike

The bike is a pure piece of mechanics that can actually works perfectly without batteries. What a shame it is to add batteries to bike other than for lights. Riders who change from a badly set up mechanical system who cant change gear properly are bound to think Di2 etc is better. If you've ridden perfectly set up Record its hard to justify adding batteries. Watches without batteries are still the most desirable. As to the wheels, ask Christian House who only uses Campag Hyperons.

ugo.santalucia

I was climbing up to Oropa (featured in the Giro many times) this morning and was thinking about Di2 and EPS and had a revelation...
when I was a kid in the early 1980s my dream was to have a remotely controlled toy car... those with a combustion engine, not the battery operated ones. How come Di2, which is essentially simpler in the electronics than a cheap chinese remotely operated toy car comes to the market 30 years later? Shouldn't we feel ripped off that such a pedestrian piece of electronics is sold as a great innovation... when in fact it is a couple of buttons that operate a very simple electric motor via a cable?

greasedscotsman

ugo.santalucia wrote:

While manufacturers spend R&D money trying to make the best electronic shifter, to give you the ultimate smooth shifting experience...

*sigh* It's not just about how smooth the shifting is, is it?

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Just a thought... there are virtually endless inventions that could improve a bicycle, but they seem to focus on the completely pointless ones in a ludicrous attempt to make us go 1 mph faster... if you want to go fast get a Suzuki bike... what's the point in all that effort to move from 23 to 24 mph when you can go to 150?

Here's another thought. A bike that goes 1mph faster could also be ridden at the same speed and distance will require less energy. Or you could ride at the same speed, use the same amount of energy you'll ride further. How is that ludicrous? A more efficient bike seems a good idea to me. Your thinking about it in the wrong way.

greasedscotsman

on-yer-bike wrote:

If you've ridden perfectly set up Record its hard to justify adding batteries.

No it isn't. Have a read of this article, in particular the bit about lever shape and size.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... stem-47604

on-yer-bike wrote:

As to the wheels, ask Christian House who only uses Campag Hyperons.

And at the same time, ask all the other pro riders who ride with deap rimmed wheels.

greasedscotsman

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Shouldn't we feel ripped off that such a pedestrian piece of electronics is sold as a great innovation... when in fact it is a couple of buttons that operate a very simple electric motor via a cable?

Indeed. There was an article on Bike Radar a while back where a guy popped down to Radioshack and got the various switches, batteries and so on and built an add on electric system for a mechanical groupset. Looked a bit heath-robinson, but it only £200 or so (not including the mechanical groupset).

Cost is too high for the benefits now (for me), but doesn't mean it won't come down to something more sensible.

ugo.santalucia

greasedscotsman wrote:

Here's another thought. A bike that goes 1mph faster could also be ridden at the same speed and distance will require less energy. Or you could ride at the same speed, use the same amount of energy you'll ride further. How is that ludicrous? A more efficient bike seems a good idea to me. Your thinking about it in the wrong way.

So basically you ride until you are exhausted and can ride no more? If only you had Di2 and make it back home, huh?

I don't, I normally do a loop and if it takes 3 hours or 3 hours and 5 minutes, it's rather irrelevant....

greasedscotsman

ugo.santalucia wrote:

So basically you ride until you are exhausted and can ride no more? If only you had Di2 and make it back home, huh?

No, that's not what I've said. Try reading it again.

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I don't, I normally do a loop and if it takes 3 hours or 3 hours and 5 minutes, it's rather irrelevant....

So you can cancel the order you have for that new Genesis Fugio. As I understand it, you want it because it's lighter than your CdF. But what would the point of that be?

ugo.santalucia

greasedscotsman wrote:

So you can cancel the order you have for that new Genesis Fugio. As I understand it, you want it because it's lighter than your CdF. But what would the point of that be?

It's not to go faster... there are things the CdF doesn't do very well in combination with my old knees, like long and steep climbs. Over the years on more than one occasion I had to rest my knee (patella inflammation) after hard rides with the Croix de Fer... when I had a lighter bike I did suffer a lot less

greasedscotsman

ugo.santalucia wrote:

It's not to go faster... there are things the CdF doesn't do very well in combination with my old knees, like long and steep climbs. Over the years on more than one occasion I had to rest my knee (patella inflammation) after hard rides with the Croix de Fer... when I had a lighter bike I did suffer a lot less

So your looking for a bike that will climb at more less the same speed, but require less power input. Someone else on the same bike would go faster (comparing the Fugio to the CdF). OK, it's a crude comparison, but isn't this what I've described earlier? A more efficient bike not just being about going 1 mph faster?

ugo.santalucia

greasedscotsman wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

It's not to go faster... there are things the CdF doesn't do very well in combination with my old knees, like long and steep climbs. Over the years on more than one occasion I had to rest my knee (patella inflammation) after hard rides with the Croix de Fer... when I had a lighter bike I did suffer a lot less

So your looking for a bike that will climb at more less the same speed, but require less power input. Someone else on the same bike would go faster (comparing the Fugio to the CdF). OK, it's a crude comparison, but isn't this what I've described earlier? A more efficient bike not just being about going 1 mph faster?

Yes, you are right, I am trying to upgrade to something lighter and maybe even a tad better...
Not only that, but I am full of sxit and Di2 is a great innovation in cycling, it opens new scenarios, which were unimaginable before, in fact I dare say it is as relevant to the bicycle as the invention of rim brakes, the freewheel and pneumatic tyres... we will finally be able to challenge those roads unexplored by self propelled mankind before. The future is there for the taking, we are doing great!

greasedscotsman

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Yes, you are right, I am trying to upgrade to something lighter and maybe even a tad better...
Not only that, but I am full of sxit and Di2 is a great innovation in cycling, it opens new scenarios, which were unimaginable before, in fact I dare say it is as relevant to the bicycle as the invention of rim brakes, the freewheel and pneumatic tyres... we will finally be able to challenge those roads unexplored by self propelled mankind before. The future is there for the taking, we are doing great!

Excellent! Glad you have seen sense!