I just replace cables every 6 months, spring and fall. That's my approach to avoiding getting stranded, but in my area, losing a front or rear derailleur wouldn't mean I can't make it home. It just means I'd go slower or suffer a bit more on the hills.

I switched to Di2 when it first came out...what’s that now 10+ years. Personally I’d never go back to mechanical,Di2 for me just ticks all positive boxes and no negative ones. Now on my old road bike, new road bike and gravel bike. I actually test road my new bike which had a mechanical groupset.....hated it!

Well, all that would have happened is that your ride home would have taken longer due to being in a less than optimal gear.

I’ve never broken a cable, knock on wood.. it isn’t something that I really need to be prepared for on the road.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Just to make it more confusing...

Chorus 12 spd is about the same cost as Ultegra 11... I'd definitely go with Chorus: https://www.bikebug.com/...d-rim-brake-groupset

Cables NEVER fail or need to be charged. My vote is mechanical all the way

+1

Di2 is so nice in bad weather. Also in the winter with cold fingers as less force is required.

Ummm, incorrect. I’ve broken a rear derailleur cable before, and don’t think I’m the only one.........

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Let food be thy medicine...

I'm in the camp that caries spare brake / shift cables but hasn't had to use them. But when commuting I've had two snap on me over the years (and about 100,000 miles), in both cases then I got home stuck in one gear. I've also been on group rides (two I think, can't remember a third) where others with DI2 have had issues and been stuck in a gear for part of the ride. Oh, I've also had an almost new Ultegra 11 speed mechanical mech snap in half on a ride - both of the parallel plates snapped. And a DA bar end shifter side bolt fell out meaning a 50km ride to get back home with a choice of 39x11 with grinding noise from front mech or 53 x 11 with grinding noise from knees.

So I'd say the odds of a system failure are about the same and extremely rare for mechanical or DI2. Good maintenance (cleaning, charging, lubing) will reduce it, but every now and again, both will go. On a tour, I'd prefer mechanical as I can botch something together from whatever system, make or model that I can find in a rural second hand shop. Even a thumb friction shifter off a kids bike.

What would I do on a new build? Well last year I went mechanical for my new road bike just as I preferred the frame colour that the mechanical came with over the same frame Cannondale supplied the DI2 version. I've just 'upgraded' a 9 speed bike to 10 speed which was a major mission and cost me a fortune as only tiagra is 10speed, and that needs a special mech as it's a different 'throw' to the old 105/ultegra/DA 10 speed mechs.