Video: FSA 'semi-wireless' electronic gear system spotted at Tour de France

DublinPort wrote:

Wireless transmission is a terrible idea. Less will go wrong with a copper cable; less again with a take a steel cable.

Actually, there's probably more to go wrong with wired transmission - in terms of what is on the bicycle. Wires can break, connectors can corrode, water can get in. etc. None of that can happen with wireless.

brooksby wrote:

Can someone please tell me what the point of an electronic shifting system is? I mean, an old fashioned non-electronic one can be fiddled with at the side of the road, fixed if necessary. What are the advantages of an electronic one that you might want to have all that additional complex electronic jiggery pokery on your bike?

Much more precise shifting, micro level trimming at the front as you switch gears at the back, programmable shifts so you can set it to dump you in the small ring at the front and shift two up at the back if you hold the button for a particular length of time, multiple shift points e.g. Rodriguez has shift buttons on the tops as well as at the actual levers, etc. I don't think it's anything earth shattering for most of us on the ground, but I'm sure it makes a difference to the pros.

Not sure because of the battery, but I think there's a weight saving with thinner cables and housing, and the shifters are very simple compared with all that fancy kit inside the levers. At a guess they will eventually be cheaper to produce. I'm not sure how the wireless will work. Nice idea but what happens if someone decides to jam the signal in a race thus costing that vital second as you shift down to tackle a hill?

brooksby wrote:

Can someone please tell me what the point of an electronic shifting system is?

It fuels the 'igottagetmesomeexpensivebling' market and makes companies lots of money by making perfectly adequate systems redundant by introducing more complicated and expensive versions which you don't really need. It then costs you an extra £800 when you have a minor knock and find you have knackered the sensitive electronics on your mech and shifters.

Oh, something about smoother shifting as well but I would rather not have to plug my bike in for a charge.

I'm riding Ultegra 6700 at the moment , and have been for 18 months or so now...so in my view, the advantages are :-
Accuracy...the shifts are sweet, quick and accurate and have remained just so since the day i built it up...I can change while sprinting, climbing hard, or make quiet surprise shifts to drop out an attack, the front shifts are especially robust and satisfying. I don't miss the need to trim my front mech to avoid chain rub at all
Maintenance...effectively nothing ! no cable lubing, replacement or stretch to accomodate, im just keeping the mechs clean and lubed

Setup... Setting up the gear shift from new was an absolute dream (i built the bike up myself), and i've had to do it just once more as a result of a crash that knocked the rear mech.10 minutes later and it was back working as sweet as new, despite some obvious impact damage to the rear mech

I would never go back to mechanical by choice, the electronic shifting system makes for a much more enjoyable ride. Ive never had any battery issues, and all I do is pop my di2 battery on an overnight charge once every couple of months.

The biggest downside at the moment is the cost, but with the predicted introduction of Shimano 105 electric, that should become less of a barrier, and its only time before it trickles down further.

From a manufacturing point of view, mechanical STI shifters are vastly more complex and costly (dozens of parts) than what essentially is just a simple switch in my Di2 shifters...The mechs themselves aren't far different from standard mechs with a small actuator bolted on.
I wouldn't be at all surprised in the near future to find that electronic gears end up matching the current price point of mechanical, or even being more cost effective when the point where the initial technological investment has been recouped and mass production on a larger scale can drive down part by part costs. In five years, I'd expect the majority of £1000+ bikes (or less) coming with electronic gears rather than mechanical.

If your into riding hundreds of miles away from home, for long periods, then fair enough, im sure you can justify mechanical shifters from a dependability point of view and ability to repair in field....but I (like most riders) probably gets out for a few hours a ride, and I'm never more than a phone call from home

Im sold, Im not going back..and I'm certainly not some affluent early adopter that follows the latest "must haves"