A better future is where frames all come with wiring harness built in, with a standard electrical interface, that you can plug your shifters/derailleurs/lights/etc into all powered by a single internal battery.

wireless is dumb, amplifies battery hassle and increases cost with no benefit.

Of course being dumb doesn't mean it isn't the future anyway.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Lots of people say the same thing about electronic shifting, period.

I know.
But that doesn't mean that more 'advanced' is always better.

I still see zero advantages to wireless. So I will call it dumb. But I am opened to reasoned argument.

I see some advantages to electronic shifting. So I don't call it dumb.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Unless you are a pro tour mechanic who has to handle dozens of bikes each day and time saved is time saved. That is the big draw to DI2 and wireless, much faster setup, general maintenance, and take down. That is a huge element that many people overlook, that is why people/teams are buying DI2 with their own money simply because it saves time in addition to working really well. The wireless is huge because it takes one less step out of the process and "potentially" eliminates the issues related to wire failures, though there is significant debate about wire vs wireless reliability.

Running wires to the shifters, derailleurs, junction boxes, and batteries is a huge hassle, especially for bikes that are super integrated. Wireless solves this.

I started off being a big fan of the idea of wireless shifting. But I am starting to get a little bit of "electronic fatigue" when it comes to bikes. Basic checklist is:

• Garmin Charged (once/week)
• Rear light charged (2x/week)
• Front light charged (every time I ride starting in the dark)
• Helmet light charged (1x/week)
• Power meter battery good? (2x/year)

This whole internal wiring w/ one battery to rule them all seems like a great option. I'm not sure how much power the dynamo hubs cost, but it seems like if you could draw a watt or two and keep lights/shifters charged, that would simplify my life.


All that said, as long the wireless shifters have a CR2032 battery that needs to be replaced once/year, then why not charge a couple more batteries for the derailleurs?

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/kj

http://kjmcawesome.tumblr.com/

How is Sram "hopelessly behind" on their wireless unit? They have a pro tour team riding it right now, they have been extensively testing it over the last year, and they have made no timeline predictions so no way to be behind. From all current reports it shifts very well, is lighter than DI2, and is almost at full production. Also there is a real benefit to having separate batteries for FD/RD, the extra 5 seconds it takes to plug in a second charger is worth the work in my opinion.

Love the idea. If I had a choice, would rather use a hardwired setup any day, even though I love the cool factor of wireless.

So, I wonder if there are any forward looking frame builders that see an opportunity to create something unique?

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I agree wireless is dumb if frames were made with a standardized built in wiring harness that would work across all brands of components and frames. But since there is very little chance on that actually happening, wireless is a pretty nice solution.

You do that approximately once, and it is a minor hassle on frames designed for wires, which is a lot of them now.

Wireless saves you that step, in exchange for the ongoing hassle of having 4 batteries to keep track of and charged. (or 3 batteries, but then you still have some wire)

I prefer the single 1 time hassle.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Next really interesting step will be integration with power meter, with different programs such as constant cadence, constant torque, etc.

For electric power, a wireless system integrated in the frame to charge all the appliances. You link the bike to an electric power source and everything is powered. A dynamo system would be great too, something that you use in training and disconnect for racing.

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Francois-Xavier Li @FrancoisLi
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." George Bernard Shaw
http://www.swimrunfrance.fr
http://www.worldofswimrun.com

Wireless IS the standard harness. Removes frame construction, size, configuration, etc., from the columns of concerns. Swappable batteries, and bonus if one of them trickle-charged off, say, a jockey wheel, then when the front fades you can swap and keep on going. Shifters work like a car remote. How often do you need to change the battery in a car remote? Sure, you'd be hitting the "shift" button more often than the "unlock", so that makes it last only 6 months instead of 3 years.

My beef is with the shift pattern (rumors are that FSA would control both front and rear with one set of "upshift/downshift" buttons). SRAM's marriage to one-paddle-per-shifter is forcing them into some strange dances with what you have to do with your hands. If, like Shimano, they're programmable (making it one set of switches per derailleur) would be nice.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

How do I plug my headlight into it?

=)

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Yes, that would be great if a frame builder already had the pathways, holes, etc. to have most, if not all the wiring for a Di2 setup in the frame. Plus a place to put the junction boxes and battery.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

The component companies need to be forward thinking. A frame builder could easily add wiring to any frame if they had one standard to follow.

Frame companies have pushed new BB standards for years. Now we have a half dozen different standards that are all the right BB ;-)

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Di2 came out in 2009. It's now 2015, and still no SRAM wireless groupset has ever been publicly available.

For me, I'm looking forward to having an easier time traveling. My dream is to pop a cover on a front straight-pull break, pull out the wedge, undo the stem, and pack the bike away.

There is no Di2 wireless either...

SRAM is hopelessly behind on their wireless system but they are the only one with a wireless system on the Pro Tour?

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Rodney
TrainingPeaks | Altra Running | RAD Roller
http://www.goinglong.ca

mr aereo doesn't see advantage on a bike with no cables on the front? uhmmmmm

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev

No cables on the front is achieved on most good aero bikes already, whether with di2 or regular cables.

The only cable really left is the derailleur cable, because di2 doesn't route that real smart. But that could be fixed.

I suppose there could be some marginal drag by the cables just behind the bar on the way to the top tube on road bikes, but then there may be some marginal drag added by batteries taking up space on all of the components too.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

How is rear brake felt with? Coupling?

Also, you have to account for the old bike market that could be retro-fit it with wireless therefore making them more aero as well!

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev