Hi all,
I am considering upgrading my road bike and getting a bike that was made in this century. I would like to get a new road bike with disc brakes and electronic shifters. I have heard that I should get DI2 electronic shifters and then I have heard that I should get the electronic shifters where there is a battery? Tell me which you prefer and why…or should I forego electronic shifters?
Thanks!
KK
I have Di2 on my TT bike and eTap on my road bike. I like eTap far more on the road bike because the shifting UI is easier and more intuitive. And, if you are riding with gloves or have something like Raynaud’s syndrome, eTap is massively easier to shift.
Di2 has one battery, typically located in downtube, that’s rechargeable and lasts a month or longer between charges.
SRAM has multiple batteries— a rechargeable one in RD that lasts ~60 hours and coin cell batteries in each shifter that you might change once or twice / year.
I have both systems on different bikes and they each work really well. I prefer Shimano hoods but SRAM has better gearing, IMO (12-speed with a 10-tooth cog).
What Carl said. I have built many bikes of both types and definitely prefer the ease of SRAM, it’s what I have on my own bike. I prefer being able to just pull my batteries and charge them without the whole bike having to be there. Also easy to carry a spare battery if you want. The Shimano hoods are more comfortable, but the SRAM shifting sequence is better, and this was is after using Shimano for years. New SRAM will be released soon with probably better hood ergonomics. They are both excellent, you won’t be disappointed by either.
Hi all,
I am considering upgrading my road bike and getting a bike that was made in this century. I would like to get a new road bike with disc brakes and electronic shifters. I have heard that I should get DI2 electronic shifters and then I have heard that I should get the electronic shifters where there is a battery? Tell me which you prefer and why…or should I forego electronic shifters?
Thanks!
KK
Divisive topic this one, you will get roughly 50/50 split between SRAM and Shimano. Both are very good and very reliable. Personally I have always used Shimano di2 on both my road and TT bikes. Shimano is lighter than SRAM equivalent systems plus I prefer the Shimano aesthetic - the SRAM batteries look a bit clunky to me on the front and rear derailleurs - whereas the di2 battery is hidden inside your seat tube. I have found di2 works flawlessly, never once let me down in probably 10 years of riding with di2. Battery lasts for ages……longer I think than the SRAM batteries.
I suggest you go with the new 12 speed di2 simply because the shifters are now wireless which makes your cable routing much simpler - especially important on a TT bike. Which version of di2 to go for is a good question. To be super honest there is very little difference between 105 di2 (the cheapest) and DuraAce di2 (the most expensive).
I mean, both work exceedingly well at this point and both have plusses and minuses.
With SRAM you sometimes get into questionable design decisions about chainrings, cassettes, and gearing I feel isn’t a thing with Shimano. I have nothing nice to say about deciding to use a 10t cog to get range into a groupset. Also, to my knowledge, you still cannot custom setup the FD shifting synchro on SRAM like you can with Shimano. Shimano you can tell it to swap the FD rings whenever. I haven’t done it yet, but maybe is good idea to own extra SRAM batteries due to shorter life and charging. So if you have an issue, keep a charged one in your saddle bag since they’re so small. And keep a button battery in there for the wireless shifters.
That said, people have been figuring out they can run SRAM 12spd with Shimano chainrings and cassettes fine.
I have Di2 on a road bike and TT bike, then SRAM on my cyclocross bike. All those setups are dreams compared to mech. Especially with modern aero hidden cable bikes, which made mech shifting feel like shit due to the cable bends with modern bikes versus old school exposed cable bikes.
I feel like if I had to build up a TT bike: SRAM with Shimano 12spd crankset/cassette so you can have wireless TT shifters to make cockpit stuff super super easy to adjust or replace.
Road bike: Full Shimano di2, once setup you’re never really going to do anything but hydro fluid flushes or bar tape to your cockpit and the longer battery life is nice since most folks ride road bikes more than their TT bikes
Gravel/cross: tossup
i have a suspicion that if you stick around slowtwitch for the next day or so you might read content that helps inform your choice.
Di2 has one battery, typically located in downtube, that’s rechargeable and lasts a month or longer between charges.
SRAM has multiple batteries— a rechargeable one in RD that lasts ~60 hours and coin cell batteries in each shifter that you might change once or twice / year.
I have both systems on different bikes and they each work really well. I prefer Shimano hoods but SRAM has better gearing, IMO (12-speed with a 10-tooth cog).
Like the OP I just made the shift to eShifting and disc brakes recently. My previous bike, while top-of-the-line ( a Cervelo R3 with full Shimano DA) was 10+ years old. It was a big change for me.
The bike I settled on ( an Argon 18 Krypton GF) FWIW came with SRAM Force AXS eTap - once set up it shifts amazing and is very intuitive, in it’s native format - shift up with right button shift down with left button to work the rear derailleur and push both buttons at same time to move the front derailleur back and forth. However, you can format it different ways if you like.
Disc brakes have been great. Just make sure to always have the little chips handy to put in between the brake pads when you remove the rear wheel. Not for short changes of tubes tires, but for longer periods or travel - this will maintain the brake pad separation and the hydraulics.
I must admit I like the fully clean look of no cables with the SRAM. There are two main detachable rechargable batteries that drive the Front and Rear Derailleurs - that will tell you in several ways that they need chaging via, lights on the units, or an App that you can download to keep track of that . There are also two coin sized batteries in the shifters themselves that, I believe as one other poster said, usually need replacing about once a year.
Looking at the bike market these days - basically if you are buying ANY mid to higher end Road Bike you will be into eShifting and Disc brakes.
One thing to think carefully about is - how much traveling you will be doing. If you plan of traveling by air and using a bike case of some kind, with some of the fancier fully integrated front-ends on the newer bikes - you can’t just take off the handle-bars and stem and stuff the bike in the box/bag. My new bike has what I would refer to as a faux fully integrated front end - Everything is hidden . . cables etc . . but it’s easy to pull apart and put into a travel case and then set back up again quickly with basic tools and a torque wrench.
see our front page.
Just be aware that once you have electronic shifting on one bike, your old mech is going to feel hateful to you and soon all your bikes will be electronic.
Or maybe I’m the only one in that…
Related question on the difference between SRAM Rival eTap AXS and Force AXS group sets…what are the key differences between the two? Loving the look of the new Force (esp. with the rainbow Red cassette and chain), but is it materially any better (racing at all distances from Olympic to Ironman)? If you were considering some upgrades from stock Rival, which components would you prioritize?
Thanks!
I suggest you go with the new 12 speed di2 simply because the shifters are now wireless which makes your cable routing much simpler - especially important on a TT bike. Which version of di2 to go for is a good question. To be super honest there is very little difference between 105 di2 (the cheapest) and DuraAce di2 (the most expensive).
FYI, Shimano Di2 12-speed is not wireless on TT bikes. There’s no wireless Di2 12-speed TT shifters so you have to use cables just like with the Di2 11-speed group (actually, you have to use the exact same shifters as Shimano hasn’t made any new TT shifters for the new group).
Related question on the difference between SRAM Rival eTap AXS and Force AXS group sets…what are the key differences between the two? Loving the look of the new Force (esp. with the rainbow Red cassette and chain), but is it materially any better (racing at all distances from Olympic to Ironman)? If you were considering some upgrades from stock Rival, which components would you prioritize?
Thanks!
Red Cassette (80g lighter) - its a single piece of machined metal - defo upgrade.
Chain - meh - maybe for the cool colour.
Cranks, looks like the new Force are just the current Red ones but with different graphics - that’s almost 300g saving