I’m in the market for a new TT bike and leaning towards a Speed Concept 7.5. I’ve been hearing and reading great things about Ultegra Di2 and would really like to make that upgrade with a new bike. The base 7.5 is $4199 (Ultegra). However, to get Di2 on the 7.5 you have to go with Project One and just going with a base Project One causes the price to jump to $5145 (still Ultegra mechanical). To get Di2 adds about $1400. So now it’s up to grand total of about $6500.
Would it be crazy to just get the base 7.5 and then get an Di2 TT upgrade kit? I’ve seen it on-line for around $1400 (would see if LBS would have it for about the same). That would give me a grand total of $5600. I could maybe (maybe?) even sell the Ultegra mech parts that I take off the bike and make a little money.
Any thoughts? Maybe I’m missing something. I’d probably give the install a shot myself (then go to the LBS with tail between my legs when I can’t do it). Anybody ever do this install on a SC?
Sure, installing Di2 on an SC isn’t so hard… easier than installing mechanical shifting. I took the same route with a 2013 SC 7.0, it worked out great. Have fun!
Thanks Alex. Were you able to find a resource online for installing specific to an SC? I found the general install manual for Di2 and the service manual for SC but nothing specific for combining the two.
I’ve been looking at upgrading my 2014 7.5 as well. FYI you will need to order the carbon seatpost and battery holder from Trek as well. This allows the internal battery to fit inside the seatpost. After a few adjustments and subsequent cable reroute projects I’m totally sold on Di2. I nearly ordered the whole set up last week but had to restrain myself as I’m one week out from a race. Good luck!
Were you able to find a resource online for installing specific to an SC?
No, but AFAIK my frame wasn’t designed with Di2 in mind, unlike yours. For instance I had to “mount” my battery by shoving it up into my seatpost.
Not trying to spread rumors or anything but you might just buy the 7.5 and wait until December-ish when (maybe) SRAM will release their wireless groupset. The only reason I mention it is I’m basically in the same boat: have a '14 7.0 with the 7.5 cockpit.
The 2010-2013 SC was designed with 7970-series Di2 in mind, because that was the only Di2 which existed at the time the frame and associated parts (like the seatpost) were designed. The e-tube version of Di2 with the internal battery option didn’t come into the market until the original SC was near the end of its production run. Even then, you had the option to mount an e-tube version of the external battery in the same place we designed for the 7970-series external battery to go: on a purpose-designed rear brake cover.
while the SC Di2 installation manual was written for original DA Di2 (7970-series), there really isn’t much difference where the new e-tube versions of Ultegra & DA Di2 are concerned…the second half of this post summarizes what’s going on in the old Di2 manual. the parts and how they connect are different, but the order of operations really hasn’t changed.
Thanks Carl! I was hoping you would pop up on this!
Just curious if I’m missing something on this with the Project One price increase. From what I can tell the main difference from the standard 7.5 to the base Project One 7.5 is the carbon seat post. A price increase of nearly $1000 for similarly equipped bikes seems odd, so perhaps I’m missing something. Or maybe it’s just a matter of numbers and the additional cost is for the service of Project One. No problem if you don’t know the answer as this is likely more of a sales and marketing question and not an engineering question.
Thanks again for the help. Your input on the other SC threads has honestly been what has pushed me towards that bike than some others… tell the sales team that!
One thing to check as you go through the P1 specs is things like paint schemes and some of the different parts. You can usually find some things here and there where a different option lowers the price. Your also paying a bit extra simply for the non-standard paint schemes on the more mass produced frames.
If the only change you want to make to a stock 7.5 is the seatpost then no, P1 probably isn’t the way to go. As you guessed, it’s a service thing. P1 customers tend to want to change other things from their stock bike…like crank length (no extra charge), stem and monospacer sizes (no extra charge), mono-extension shape (no extra charge), and they prefer one of the other Select Series paint schemes (no extra charge) *and *they’d like to color coordinate their bar tape with that change (no extra charge)…add up the cost of those new parts and the labor to tear down and rebuild an off-the-shelf 7.5 to those specs and maybe they’ve ended up spending the same (or more) as they would getting it built that way the first time…but it won’t be the color they wanted.
I installed di2 on my 2014 7.5. It is REALLY straight forward and easy to do the install but the reassembly of the bike itself is a chore. If you don’t have a torque wrench and a general understanding of bikes I would pay a shop to do it. Otherwise just take your time, heck and double check torque of all bolts and you will be fine.
It really depends on how comfortable you are in wrenching your own bikes. If you have built and rebuilt bike components before - multiple times, then changing mechanical components into Di2 in a Speed Concept is fairly easy. However, if you are the type that can’t seem to ever properly tighten a perpetually loose headset - or always have to adjust your rear derailleur because it never seems to shift correctly no matter what you do, then the challenge you intend to undertake will be hard.
Like I said, it all depends on your mechanical skills and familiarity with bike components in general. I know many who could change all the spark plugs, remove the gear box, and bleed the brakes on their 20 year old cars but can’t figure out how to adjust the limit screws on their derailleurs.
Should be a fun project overall though. But do note that Carl has a good point in just getting everything you will need in a P1 bike. That way you don’t end up with a bunch of components that you never wanted and will have to sell at ebay at a steep discount.