The future
is here! Digitally tuneable shifting customisable to individual preference that
avoids issues of conventional cable-gearing.
However,
the infamous Jurassic Park quote “Your scientists were so preoccupied with
whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should” could be
applied just as easily to Shimano’s tech team. Not because of rampaging
dinosaurs (although this will take a healthy bite out of your bank account) but
because it simply seems like unnecessary faff; without name-dropping, I’ve
ridden 1-by-9, 10, 11 and 12 speed drivetrains and never have I wished that I
could tune my shifter to how I ride. Similarly, conventional cable shifting has
never seemed an issue; yes, a cable can stretch or get caught, but the Di2
system still has wires which risk damage. However, it’s come on a bike I bought
so I don’t have to shoulder the hefty initial price tag, reviewing it from a fairly
ambivalent standpoint.
Does it shift
seamlessly? Absolutely. The lever has the reassuring feel of a conventional
cable system, and the bleep when you max out at either end of the range is a
bonus – I suspect top flight riders (or decent mathematicians) among us don’t
need a buzzer to let them know, but I found it really handy. The LCD readout is
cool, in a retro 1980s-watch kind of way, and I see massive potential for where
this could be going with tracking systems etc running off of a single battery.
Similarly, the battery is brilliant – tucked away in the steerer and holding
charge for a loooong time - I can’t envisage a scenario where it will run out.
Tuning-wise I largely left it alone, although there are android and phone apps
for the tech-savvy among us to fettle away with it. This, I sense, is the real
selling point for the Di2. For those of us chasing that extra decimal point
(and most people in between) the concept of a gearing system tuneable to you is
attractive, providing a trailside talking point and potential racing edge.
However, despite being quite easily dismountable (the wires are simply pushed
into the main unit) I suspect many owners will ‘set and forget’ rendering it,
like most top-end shocks, a fairly futile purchase when subjected to this method of use.
I’m not one
to mince words when it comes to whether something is worth its price tag, and
in my opinion the XT Di2 system is competitive, but I wont be rushing out to equip
it on any new bike. It’s a trailside talking point, but I didn’t feel that I
was gaining anything over a traditional system. Is it effective? Absolutely.
Equipped as standard on a new build, I wouldn’t hesitate, and I can’t imagine
the XTR feeling significantly better in any other category except weight, which
is high praise! However, were I running a traditional (fully functioning)
system in any of the now numerous one-by options… I’d think twice.
