Im a shop mechanic and I admit modern electronic shifting works amazing. But I don’t think it’s worth the money for me. I, like most of you, like to tinker and mix and match, and that is impossible with electronic shifting. I also don’t want to charge my bike. I have to many device to stay on top of.
I’m an ex shop mechanic and I agree. The mix and match though is more flexible with electronic inside the brand. Want a climbing shifter on your mtb, sure, want a MTB derailleur on your gravel bike sure. Want buttons to control your bike computer sure.
One of my favorite parts of electronic shifting is that I don't have to tinker. Set and forget. I keep a spare battery in my flat kit and I'm good to go.
Mixing and matching isn’t at all impossible and neither is tinkering. Just say electronics are outside your realm and leave it at that. There are people making custom di2 batteries, chargers, shifters, and doing diy mix and match groups. I don’t mean to sound rude but you’re speaking objectively about a subjective experience
@@mstrshkbrnnn1999 yeah you’re right! I can set up electronic shifting perfectly to factory spec but I don’t have the electrical knowledge to tinker with it. For my skills I can tinker with mechanical which is why I prefer it. Thanks for sharing perspective!
I have gone on several rides with friends that have electronic shifting where the shifter fails because the battery wasn’t charged or they forgot to charge it. As someone that uses video cameras for a living, I don’t need one more rechargeable battery in my life. I always enjoy your videos Russ. Best wishes
You are totally right. Industry wants to divorce you from anything not dictated by them. The tragedy is that it got all the way down to bicycles. Bottom of the barrel on disappointment.
Some might say the same thing about the leap from velocipede to chain-and-pedal drivetrains. Don't get me wrong, I'm with you 100%. But there's a part of me that thinks there might be an implementation that we aren't considering right now that could make things amazingly simple in the future in the same way the digital camera revolutionized not necessarily photography but how we document important moments in history. I'm keeping an open mind and some downtube shifters.
From what I can tell, SRAM and Shimano are adding very adjustable tuning to their electronic groupsets, which means you CAN replace a damaged SRAM cassette with a Shimano one on your wheel and your SRAM e-derailleur can be tuned to shift it just fine even if its a different number of cogs than you originally had. And honestly, these are physically simple electronic machines. So, the question is: repair what? If its jocky wheels, thats already easily done. The board however, well, as long as they make those boards available as spares, its not a RTR issue. But normally it's either working fine, or could be cleaned and lubed to return to functionality, or its broken beyond repair. That's the case with the fully mechanical ones too.
I have been on several group rides where someones electronic shifting dies mid-ride ("but the performance is so much better" they say as they are limping home stuck in one gear, totally missing the irony). Life is saturated with enough electronics, most of which are positives Riding my bike is a chance to get away from all of that and just breathe hard.
I'm glad I can cycle biggest gear for miles but I do leave traffic lights in 53x11 gear all the time and it is mechanical, I only shift to smaller when did London to Brighton
To be fair, the kind of guy who would head out on a ride without knowing the state of the battery in his electronic shifter, and who doesn't carry a spare, is probably the same kind of guy who doesn't bother to carry a multitool, spare tube, and pump, either.
I am a bar end friction shifting kind of guy. I am also a mechanical brakes guy…..including rim brakes (which I prefer, truth be told). Flexibility….ease of service and maintenance…are the biggest reasons. I am a retired engineer, I do admire technology, but for my bicycles I love simplicity and the freedom to do what I want to do with my bicycle and it’s components. Another good video…thanks!
I loved Rim brakes but here in the wet UK they don't work so well. The worse part is how they eat through rims. I used to need new rims each year mountain biking. In time I learned how to make discs work. Things like blow torch and sandpaper and silicone grease. Bleed kits from China work well. Through axels keep them from rubbing when fix a puncture. Through axels are good too, I notice the extra stiffness. For a summer bike or road bike V brakes are great. I never tried friction shift, started biking in the 90s! But I like the sound of it! I find SRAM 1:1 9 speed with a 10 speed shimano rear mech works well. Just do not need to adjust it. SRAM 1:1 is generally pretty reliable.
I really used to love the friction shifters on my first road bike. They were so uncomplicated and made riding a lot easier, especially when cross-chaining.
Dang Russ, 10 years ago I would have disagreed with you, but I have to say these days I am 100% on board with your way of thinking. Frames from Crust and Sklar with simple builds seem to be the things I dream of now. Glad you are around and sharing your thoughts!
I totally agree with you also Russ. Simplicity is advancement in cycling - too many gimmicks nowadays. Take the humble steel frame it is making a come back with advanced designing. I had a Cannondale super six Ultegra with electronic shifting but I'll take my Cannondale Synapse with Shimano105 that has been uber reliable over the electronic Ultegra.
My thinging same feeling. Electro depends like Composite to Performance. But I need and love my bikes for more reasons than performance. Robustness. Independence. Fire and ice and dust in the whole and complete way of life of the metal. Which hase to be born from the earth and which will be giffen back to the earth.
I love that you drank the punch. Crust and sklar are just fuji or any other big bike brand building in Asia. They have you hoodwinked into thinking they something different. Heck big brands at least build you stock bikes for a handful bucks more. No name tubes welded shouldn't cost that much.
My weird reason for sticking by mechanical is I get a certain amount of satisfaction from getting cable actuated components dialed. Derailleurs can take some finesse to get them to shift quickly and precisely and if I can get them there, I feel pretty darn good.
I've had a 105 derailleur since 2017. Something happened at a bike shop where they went whacky. I got them fixed (this was 2019) and they've been aces since, not a single issue with them. They still feel smooth as new.
@@stevenmeyer9674there is no grey or middle ground with an automatic and you are assuming that the engineer specified certain variables that are perfect for every situation. One of the best cases going for yourself and automatics is that they are the majority in some places and are being developed further and further. The minority that love manual are stuck with no more evolution and development at least by mainstream car makers. But the biggest loss in an automatic is that one hand is free to pick your nose and one foot is free to lie on the floor bored as hell. All of my limbs are in use with manual just as when I ride my bicycle.
100% agree. Many thanks for yor inspiration. After working IT/computers since 1983, the simplicity of mechanical soothes my soul. (Yes, even brakes) And mechanical has given me freedom in components choices. As I've upgraded/updated my 2009 hardtail XC, I've introduced components to address specific problem that I have on the trails that i ride, at my skill level at the time. Ending with a transmission that is a blend of 9,10,11 speed SRAM & Shimano components. And it all works together well because the specs can be known, and paired within tolerances. And yeah, your janky 2x gearing inspired me to similar 2x9: 28-36 chainrings, 11-46 cassette. Shimano XT 11spd as rear dif interacts with the SRAM 9spd shifters (pull ratio of both is almost the same) I typically use the 28t chainring as a 1x for mtb single track. And the 36t for gravel double tracked when the single tracks are closed by mud.
Coder here. I also use 1:1 SRAM 9 speed shifter with a 10 speed shimano rear mech on my old 90s mtb.. 2x is my fav. I use a 22-36, 11-36 cassette. So similar overall range, achieved in a different way. My front mech works well with no crossover (I find I don't need it) and I get smaller steps between the gears. Most of the time I am in the 36 with no need to shift down except for big hills!
Well said. Complexity costs more and needs more maintenance to be reliable. Specialised tools needed for servicing mean those costs are much higher too. I think the bike makers are going down the same road as the auto industry.
On board, 100%. As someone who's spent most of my adult life in one tech industry or another, I have always been attracted to the simplicity of bicycles. One of the last things I need on a bike is to think about firmware upgrades or the possibility of having to bring my damn volt-meter with me on a ride to troubleshoot my dang shifting problems. Nice Rant!!!
Same here. Software Dev is my day job. Don't need to deal with that on a bike. I love fresh cable outers, smooth bearings, cables, even hydraulic stuff. Some soft of refuge from the daily digital overload.
My new MTB came with GX Transmission, there's no arguing the performance of the new stuff but I yanked it off and sold it to replace with mechanical Eagle 12x. For me it came down to a couple thigns: 1. I just prefer the feel of mechanical, its much more tactile and i like the reassuring feedback of a nice mechanical shifter. 2. I was super annoyed by the lack of compatibility with existing systems that are even just a couple years old. Keeping the new stuff means I can't have just 1 spare (chain for example) that will fit all my bikes. Or for part swapping - If feel so inclined i can swap a cassette, chainring or cranks no problem. Not so with the new stuff. 3. Who can honestly say that a dialed GX/X01/XX1 mechanical shifts "bad"?!? Seriously, even if you take away all the new electronic stuff regular 12x (from either team) is worlds ahead of stuff that came before it.
I run a mix of 11sp mechanical and Di2 on my bikes. All my chains and many of the small parts are interchangeable. I have a bigger issue with the lack of durability and and longevity of 12sp systems than I do running Di2.
I am 100% with you. I don't want some bike component software company to ever be able to tell me to throw away some bike stuff because,"it is not supported anymore" not after 2, 5, 20 or 40 years... I run a 1981 Huret Jubilee front with aTA triple and a 2002 Campagnolo 10 speed rear and nobody is going to tell I can't or "switch it off" for me...
Totally agree. As you point out the charging aspect is a nuisance, but what really turned me off was that if your battery dies on a ride, there's no workaround. It's a way of thinking about bikes not as functional transportation and utility but more like a fussy sports car where a firmware update could stop your ride. Appreciate the thoughts and insights!
Exactly my hesitation! That and I have many bikes that are analog and really arent interested in replacing just to have digital shifting ($2000+), plus they still shift great!!
I ride with many people who use e-shifting and there are more issues with that system including dead batteries than the folks I ride with who have mech sifting. Neither is perfect but I think when e-shifting fails it's more likely to end a ride and happens more abruptly.
I find it easier to carry a spare tiny battery than spare shifter cable. I also don't consider it a tragedy if I have to single speed a ride. I agree no thing or system is for everyone. I don't notice any difference in enjoyment if I jump on a bike without "e" stuff.
Battery dies on a ride.... Oh c'mon. I have had the battery level onscreen my Edge 530 for months. You would have to be a retard to watch it go to zero and end up with no system. They claim 1000 kms between charges - more like 700-800 - for me that is once a month. FFS, 99% of people charge their iPhone every night. Funtional transportation and utility.... Yep, completely agree on that but the upgrade is not compulsory...ummm, except for me. Serious arthritic problem (only in my left thumb)...I had to take my left hand off the drop bar and palm the left gear change. And it still hurt - but was manageable. Also at 82 my heart objects to 7%+ hills and the 12 speed 11-34 on a carbon frame made that difficult but manageable. Now I have programmed the Di2 to change the front derailleur on the chain rings and the cassette on the rear derailleur using only the right shifter with a pressure not much greater than I would use on my iPhone. Absolute game changer for me. Having said that the di2 upgrade it ridiculously expensive - impossible to recommend for a current bike. But I bought a new bike - discounted for this time of year (and other market reasons). So upgraded to CF3 carbon road bike / 105 /Di2/ Disc brakes for around 350 AUD more than I would have paid for an aluminium bike with rim brakes 6 months ago. At the end of the day it is really whatever floats your boat. Forget the whingers - if it suits buy it - if it is too expensive wait for an opportunity. The industry have screwed the pooch and there will be even better bargains in the near future because of severe over-stocking coinciding with a deteriorating economy. No way I would have bought this bike last year. But I am delighted with the purchase. Disc brakes and Di2 and lighter frame - Woohoo - if it was not for that combination I would not be riding.
I'm a big mechanical rim brake kinda guy... we have a rental centre in Spain, mostly Di2 bikes. Honestly, you would not believe the number of STI levers we have replaced in the past two years. The second these kiss the asphalt the top of the lever brakes off and then the levers are kaput. I believe they are designed to brake. It means we have to charge our customers for any damage to the lever. It's real bummer for them and for us.
Everything you said is true. Simplicity rules. I'm building my dream all terrain bike at the moment and I'm going to give a bar end friction shifter a go. If it works out then your UNO shifter will be on my hit list. I would love to go with the vélo orange equal pull cable operated disc callipers but they have recently jumped to astronomical prices so it's mtb hydro brakes for me on the surly corner bars. Last year while on the other side of the Pyrenees in the French part of Catalunya I converted my wife's bike to hydraulic with just a multitool - no problems though sourcing the mineral oil was not anywhere as easy as picking up brake cables. I hope you both are enjoying Girona - will be there again next Spring.
I love 1x and hydraulic brakes. I’ve ridden bikes with e-shifting and was very impressed. But as a few others have said, I don’t want to have to charge my bike. With 1x it’s just a single cable/shifter. Not that difficult 🙂
Wow, I'm shocked how much hate for electronic shifting there is. I converted to Di2 a few years ago, and I'm never going back to mechanical. Never need to adjust. Never. Fear of running out of battery is a ridiculous argument. ONly have to recharge every 6 months. It's not hard to check the battery level from time to time. I have never, ever had a flat battery, but back in the old days, I have broken a gear cable. Many times, and it ruins a ride when you can't change. Very hard to predict a broken cable, but very easy to look at a battery gauge.
Plenty of people have had their electronic shifting fail on a ride; you can read their accounts of their experience all over the internet. Your one anecdotal story is as useless in terms of helping people to learn the real level of risk/reward of electronic shifting as if it were a story about your fascination with circus clowns.
@@kennethg9277 my point is that plenty of horror stories on internet doesn’t mean everyone has a horror story. I’m certainly not an outlier that I’ve had zero problems with Di2. Just that it’s not interesting to fill the internet with “no electronic shifting issues today, that’s 4017 days in a row”.
@@peterlip8 you missed th3 point: your little anecdote is the equivalent of "my granddad smoked 90 cigarettes a day and lived to be 105 years old, not every smoker has a horrible death from lung rot". Your anecdotes don't inform anyone about anything, not the relative risk factors, not the pros, not the cons, nothing. A total waste of keyboard wear and tear. And there are *so many people* who think the same as you do, on a wide range of issues. It's terrifying.
I am with you Russ, thank you for articulating these so well. Probably the biggest negative of e-shifting for me is my lack of knowledge and ability to work on it... like when cars went from distributors and rotors and distributor caps and carburetors to electronic ignition and fuel injection - too complex and computerized for me, no longer fun to maintain and tinker and requires expensive specialist tools. Bikes are headed the same way I think.
I agree with that comparison 100%. Rebuilding a carburator was one of my first car experiences... I loved that. When fuel injection came along, it was often just easier and simpler/faster to replace the system than sort out the problem. But that's the down side of technology, it serves to make life easier and in so doing makes itself obsolete. Plus... (i must add) People are damn lazy... most folks don't want to know how something works, they just want it to work and when it doesn't, they don't care to fix it, they'd often rather just replace it.
I was at a bike shop today for the first time in decades and blown away by their hourly rates and service schedule. It felt like being at a car service shop both from a cost and complexity standpoint. With the advent of e-shifting and e-bikes, few will have the knowledge or the tools to service them at home. It’s why I’m sticking to my mechanical MTB and road bike with rim brakes.
You make an interesting point about adding additional gears via firmware. It's perfectly valid and in theory, it should also work backwards, an 11sp electronic should also work with 10sp/9sp/etc with the proper programming. I fully agree with your points about the repairability of bicycles, and it's something i mention to my customers all the time with touring. For touring 9 speed gear ratios just win across the board, you can go to any decent bicycle shop and find a compatible part if needed, you have the freedom to build a bicycle anyway you like with any shifter.
Love your philosophical videos, Russ. I agree 100%. While friends fawn over the new technology and are "updating" their bikes, I am super happy with my decision to stay 2x with friction. Recently on Strava I've witnessed multiple people in the cold have their little batteries die on them with their rides turning into single speed efforts at the end. My knees say no thank you to that. The fact that my bike is all powered by ME, reminds me of the freedom I felt as a kid being able to go fast, far, and explore all on my own.
My Archer DX1 electronic shifter gave new life to my Alfine internal hub on a mountain bike, especially with the arthritis in my thumb. I love it and I heard about it from you! Otherwise I love bar end shifters and friction.
@@cynic777 They are doing a holiday sale right now. I love it because with the app you can adjust the cable pull by .25 mm steps - in my case the Alfine cable pull is not linear per gear so when you shift it pulls different amounts for different gear shifts. I was able to calculate it based of a cable pull chart from Sheldon Brown.
My old 3x7 with trigger shifters just keeps working. Not costing me anything. I'm happy. 😊 Changing now would make me feel like a shifty guy. See what I did there?😅 All the best.
I've toured on a fixed gear granny vintage bike, not as bad as some would think, then again i am used to it, i am a big fan of fixed gears, even living in Norway which is full of hills.
Loved the parallel between cable pull and protocol, it's accurate AF. As an electronics engineer I'm predisposed to minimize the "things that can go wrong" list, so I'm staying with mechanical shifters and brakes, so easy to adjust and fix.
I agree with you in general. Though, I had a spring snap in the Shimano 105 ST-5800 shifter after about 5 years and 30 000 km of use. Turns out they are not very repairable and need to be replaced.
It's cool that you can put additional shift buttons and have the front shift automatically to avoid cross-chaining, however I really find it essential to have the feeling through my hand of what my bike is doing as it shifts gears. My experience with electronic shifting felt like drawing in a computer program vs. drawing on paper where you can feel how the pencil reacts to the paper and your pressure and you can sense the input through the pencil.
I would consider trying out drawing on Procreate on iPad. It is not the same feeling, but just the feeling that you don't have to repaint stuff as much and be as precise gives you confidence to experiment and have fun drawing. But you're 100 % right, it's a great comparison.
Spot on. Locked into ecosystem is exactly the point here. I'll choose mech brakes, mix and match and lower ratios (without a dinner plate rear cassette) over electronic shifting until I hang up my bikes.
Electronic shifting is very good, brilliant in fact, I've used it for years now, but it's a bit ugly, a bit heavier, and takes away some of the simple joys, and currently I'm heading back to mechanical with a 12 speed ratio kit and some Paul's Klampers. My reasoning is many of the reasons you've said, i want to get off the bus before a new update comes that if i don't get I'll feel like I'm missing out. Plus reading one of Jan's articles in BQ about his Nivex rest mech, this sentence really hit home. "When I ride my bike, I enjoy feeling the shift happen. I pull the lever and feel the chain mesh with the new cog as a result of my hand movement. It doesn’t make me faster, but it makes riding more fun."
I put sram electronic shifting on my bike because I built it myself and I've never been able to dial in my rear derailleur myself, I always had to take it to a bike shop. I don't need the bike shop anymore and I couldn't be happier with how well it works. I'll need several more years of no shop visits to pay for it but it works for me.
Bro, your videos convinced me to try friction shifting and for me there is no going back! Currently rocking drop-bars with m5100 rear derailer and single chainring. Bar-end shifter doesn't bother me at all, its just like changing gears in car (here in EU we drive manual ;) If I ever consider 1x is not enough, I will just add another cheapest bar-end I can find, any FD (probably still have something in my parts bin) and another chainring. Simple, effective and cross-compatible. Also, so much cheaper than modern "gravel" drivetrains with insufficient gearing.
Another issue is having to charge the batteries-I just watched a mountain bike video where these guys set out on an epic ride, and a few miles in, one guy’s derailleur battery died. I don’t want to deal with that!!
As a mechanic I have done many support rides. With the electronic I have seen dead batteries, derailleur and bent hangers that can't be bent back or they will break, ride over. With mechanical even with a badly bent hanger you can adjust it so they can finish their ride nice and easy. My experience.
Also another thing to consider is the e waste generated down the road with these electrical systems, it might work wonders a while after purchase but what about in the long haul? I have bikes from the 40s with geared hubs that shift like a dream, i don't want anything electrical on my bikes, analog only for longevity and simplicity.
Excellent video Russ. Couldn't agree more. Working in a shop where the latest and greatest trendy bling is shoved down your throat and then expected to be regurgitated as a retail mechanism... it's really hard not to get a little skeptical. My favorite customers are those who a totally ignorant of any bling (a total newbie to bikes), or the ones who like simplicity, have been there and done that, and became a little skeptical like we have. Skeptical in a good way of course, especially when trying to justify the outrageous costs.
i JUST bought my dream bike and picked every component. I heavily considered going electronic, but ultimately chose mechanical pull and im SO glad I did. And I totally agree about how terrible compatibility is. Its infuriating
In the video, you mention that it is "fine" and you understand the reasoning behind this as a means of making money. I do understand your perspective, but it really isn't fine - in a time where we really should be cutting waste, bike manufacturers are actively making painfully expensive bikes that in 5-10 years will not be compatible with basic consumable replacement parts and will need to be completely thrown away. Not being able to continue riding a $8k bike because you can't find another derailleur or seatpost is a likelihood of many of these bikes due to these decisions and it deserves to be called out.
Old man legs make me shift a lot to stay on top of the gear. Gone are the days of standing and muscling up that steep rise at the end of a long ride. Arthritic wrists and hands objected to constant shifting so I opted for Di2 for the road and TQ50 with mechanical shifting for the mountains. Sometimes the technolgy helps. But I still ride my 9-sp DA and my 3x9 XT Homegrown when I feel the need. As always, well worth watching, Russ. Good luck in Spain.
Good point about the "appification" of shifting. Cory Doctorow has written a lot about why Apps are super bad from basically the perspective you brought up. One main argument is that it is a felony to "customize" stuff yourself if something is in an app due to DMCA (iirc).
Your point about firmware is a good one and I hadn't thought of that. For me, the issue is making sure the batteries are charged. It's enough hassle just making sure the blinky red tail light is charged. And I've wondered, what does a rider do when their shifter battery dies in the middle of a ride?
Hey Russ! Some good points here. But in regard to your first thing (brakes), I’d like to point out that electronic groupsets are not inseparable from hydraulic brakes. SRAM AXS, Shimano Di2 and Campagnolo EPS are all available with mechanical brakes.
I agree completely, but I made the switch anyway and I really enjoy SRAM AXS on my road bike. The shifting is very consistent. When I did the upgrade, I stayed with 2x and appreciated what you had to say about 2x versus 1x in some of you other videos. Thank you for keeping it simple.
So agree about the problems of the lack of compatability of components! On the other hand, one of the reasons that I prefer hydraulic disc brakes to cable brakes is that I find them easier to maintain: I've never had any problems with spongy brakes.
Welcome to Spain guys, from an Aussie travelling up and down the east coast in a futile attempt to find the best place to live and ride. Way too many choices so far, so we'll just enjoy the journey and eventually/maybe come up with a destination. P.S. Electronic shifting? I'm 100% with you on that topic and thanks for calling them out on it. As we would say Downunder "Yeah, but nah."
I agree with you, mechanical is best overall. Although I have both mechanical and electronic shifting bikes. I do a few races and also fast training and group rides, where I prefer the responsiveness of DI2. For any other use, like travel bike, gravel and commuting (also in Winter), it´s 100% mechanical. My travel bike is a rim brake Break-Away steel with Ultegra mechanical. There are almost no issue I cannot fix just with a small toolkit and some spares. Love your channel!
Very good video - It seems like a lot of people today are not aware of the scientific KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). One must also remember the quote attributed to Charles F. Kettering - "Parts left out cost nothing and never break down." Does anyone else wonder how the mean time between failures of the inexpensive cable length change to shift bicycle gears compares to these battery driven mechanisms? Big bike companies may be driving customers to big box stores where they may be able to get more reliable bikes at a lower price.
Big box bikes (or BSOs as they are derisively called) are way worse for keeping on the road than any expensive bike, cable or electronic shift. They have these horrible floppy stamped hangers that have no precision in them making the already cheap rear mech struggle even harder. Front chainrings frequently don’t run true as well, making for difficulty in front shifting. At just above big box prices, i expect we’ll start seeing a lot of microshift products if shimano and sram want to play at going electronic only. Which might not even be a bad thing as of late
I'm not sure if the same idea doesn't apply to some of the hydraulic disk brakes foisted upon bicycle buyers today. As much as Big Box bikes are denigrated by the bike snobs, I see some merit to them as they use standard components that allow an upgrade path if desired.
I would avoid either end of the spectrum instead i advice people to utilize the second hand market, hell you can even find amazing bikes in landfill, recycling centers, dumpsters, it's been years since last time i bought anything new other than a few tires.
@@HansensUniverseT-A I bought a "new" bike last Summer. It is a 1994 model. I paid less than $25 for it. It has some issues with the Suntour derailleur, but rides well. I think you are right. People traversed the world in some of these old bikes with their rim brakes and friction shifters.
I totally agree with you! There is so much compatibility or non compatibility in the bike industry right now, and I've always felt that lots of these folks have simply forgotten why we all ride a bike to begin with. Of course there are many reasons why we all ride, but if we get down to the basic fact, the one that we realized when as an adult ... it's freedom. I' more than happy to update my bike, but I want to be able to use what "I" want to use...not what someone is telling me that I have to use. Anyway, this could easily be a very long winded rant, but as a shop owner and mechanic, the best thing that we can do is give people choices and forcing us into electronic appliances, bike drivetrains and cars is simply something that I am not interested in. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!
I have to say that my friction reverse thumbies are simple and always work flawlessly. I swap my wheelsets, with different cassettes, and everything still works perfectly.
I was on my pinion belt drive bike yesterday contemplating the new pinion electric shift & I thought " This already feels effortless & precise & a cable is going to be more reliable " I use hydraulic breaks because I find it a lot easier to get to the pads without the need to take the wheel off & on long bike rides I don't get cramp in my forearms.
Hydraulic disc brakes are arguibly more simple mechanism than mechanic brakes when you count in less need for adjustments, performance and price. That is non STI hydros.
I've built my bikepacking ATB recently from 0 and I am so happy I went FULL mechanical route with Microshift AdventX and TRP Spyke. I am happy I will spend pennies to maintain it in the long-term and more money I can spend actually going places. My girlfriend has gravel bike with hydro brakes and I am considering I may upgrade one day, but at the same time I don't want to mess with all the fluid bullcrap.
Friction shifting, if the shifters are installed on your bars, is not very much different to indexed shifting. I can shift while standing in the pedals and I can even adjust the front derailleur if it rubs on the chain. One of my bikes has Shimano brifters but I cannot see much of an advantage with them. They are only more complicated. So I am totally with you Ross! 👍
This video sums up my sentiments well. The simplicity, economy, and technical accessibility of cycling are among its abiding attractions. For that reason purely mechanical bikes are my preference. Nothing against software updates and recharging batteries, I'd just rather they be confined to my computing devices.
Great video, Russ, thank you for your insights on this subject. My newest bike is a 2020 All City, Space Horse. It's very straight forward and simple. Depending on the market, and how much further they go in this direction, that may be the last bike I ever buy. I ride my bikes to enjoy them, and to get some exercise. If things get too complicated, I will gladly keep the bikes I now have and stay in the stone age. ( or the iron age, as all my bikes are made of steel.)
Nothing but total respect for you and your work, Russ. I feel totally the same way, and I find myself seeking out and hoarding steel cantilever brake bikes that take 38c+ tires so I am all set in the bike apocalypse. Thanks for another great video.
I used to think about automatic transmissions in cars the same way. Now I can’t imagine driving a standard. I just bought a Specialized Roubaix with Di2 and absolutely love it. Will not go back. You can’t live life worrying about “what if” like I have in the past. Enjoy life and let it unfold.
hydro brakes are absolutely amazing in their function. that being said im still out here running mafac raids on wet pnw singletrack. just love old crap and im willing to learn to ride with it. as for e- shifting. im good. shifting peaked at shimano mega 9 xt. ill die on that hill.
I ve have a salsa cutthroat with GRX and XTR Di2, sonder Camino with dura ace/ ultegra cable, SWorks tarmac SL5 11 sp ultegra DI2 and a SWorks Crux with dura ace/ ultegra cable, does not matter which bike I ride, the feelings the same , how the gears change or at what speed does not detract from the feeling I get when riding, never has, never will,
@connyconiglione yeah the price isn’t great. But I think for more recreational equipment the intended “life cycle” is about 5 years. Does that suck? Depends on how you look at it. There’s dudes who are tech nerds who little all the electronic stuff and tbh that’s really not me. But I’ve liked the lack of cables on my MTB and the absolute lack of adjustment or fuss and perfect shifts. Yeah I charge a battery once every few rides but for me the benefits are winning for sure. There’s always gonna be boutique bikers and I’m super into it. Build a billet mech that lasts into the ages, I love it, better for the environment too. But if you gotta adjust the B spec often, fuss with the cable every quarter that kinda sucks. Just wait till sram goes full BMW on the industry and we have to buy subscriptions to be able to go use the stuff we bought. Haha, just goof’n.
I understand where you coming from but there are so so many combinations for electronic groupsets with rim brakes, specially if you are not afraid to mix and match
As a all weather - all year commuter (-25C to +35deg, snow, rain, 4 months winter/year, 100km/week): In the city, I love internal gearing, used for ages Nexus 8 and Alfine 8 on my bike and the cargo bike, when I was young some 3 gear Sachs. Weatherproof, shifting while standing. Downside: a bit heavier ( I save the fitness studio) and initial price higher (but lower maintenance). The only ever problems: In winter the cables mud up in the slush and shifting gets messier. Since two years I run the Alfine 11 Di2, and yeah! Winter shifting without problems. Charging the battery (hidden inside my fork steerer) about every 2 months, in winter maybe 6 weeks. Also, the only "official" way to run the Alfine with brifters, otherwise it means hacking the flat bar shifters onto drops if you want those. There were some aftermarket brifters (Jtek/mircoshift) with medium reviews, not sure how good those are, and Gevenall. Of course, as you said, with this came also hydraulics (my first ever disk brakes): No problem, changed the pads after 2 yrs. Installed everything by myself on a Soma Wolverine, and this was my first bigger bike project... So, at least for bad weather commuting, I like the Di2 stuff. Of course, being for weeks out of civilization would need a different setup.
Very few cycling videos use the word 'ontological'! A thoughtful, well-reasoned presentation. As you admit it is an exercise in selective technology buy in. I absolutely shudder at the thought of being locked in to the Apple prison but happily embrace my SRAM Rival AXS world. E-shifting is one of the luxuries none of us needed but after a year of enjoying instant, precise shifting with a light thumb tap, I'm never going back. Reliability: My son in law who rides professionally has 3 bikes so equipped and used e-shifting on the Tour Divide as did about half the riders. Abe Kauffman who just win major gravel rides in GA and AR uses the same. Battery charging: The battery lasts surprisingly long and the remedy to battery depletion is quite simple...carry a spare!
I use my 33 year old steel bike for trips to the grocery store and enjoyable exercise. After careful consideration, I have decided to stay with my click shifters.
100% agreed. It's why I never owned an Apple product. Any company that tries to lock me strictly into their ecosystem unnecessarily is not getting my business
All really valid opinions. But just to clarify Dura Ace and Ultegra electronic shifting is still available in a cable pull brake option. Not semi wireless, and obviously not a lot of choices. I will personally ride mechanical drivetrains for many years to come, but I really love hydro brakes. I also work on hydros practically every day so I'm really comfortable with set up and maintenance, If I was a home mechanic I'd still be riding BB7's. As a mechanic I can honestly say electronic shifting performance wise is fantastic, it's an incremental yet quantifiable push forward in shifting performance. I'm also not finding it to be any less durable or harder to work on, but diagnostics beyond basic maintenance does require an investment beyond downloading an app.
I don't know if I'll ever switch to electronic but as of today there isn't any advantage for me over cables. I understand how in a race you want super fast shifts but for my commute and sunday rides I am not out there shifting gears that often. I love my hydraulic brakes though, and I don't understand the dislike. They've never given me any trouble and bleeding them every 1 or 2 years isn't that hard.
You present an apt analogy, I feel, to the bike component manufactures. In an way, it is like the fashion industry needing to sell product periodically.
Agree 100%. All my bikes are 7 or 8 speed and double or triple chainring. I build my own cassettes for whatever gearing I need from cheap parts from China or recycled secondhand parts. I have collected enough friction shifters to last a lifetime. All bikes have rim brakes, either caliper or cantilever with the same pull ratio. All my frames are steel and will last a lifetime.
What i love about 8 speeds and down is how affordable but durable components are, often made out of steel, i love the freewheels and cassettes in this range, also triple cranksets are excellent.
Simple, durable, compatible. Having grown up with bikes of all kinds, I will stay with things I can repair, that last, and that give me flexibility and choices. Price is also a major concern. For the kind of riding I do (not a racer) and for the kind of rider I am, I will always go for the practical, affordable choice (as long as I have a choice). After COVID, bike prices have priced me out of the market. But I'm fine with nursing my steel framed rim bikes along.
Correct! It is true. I recently bought a Mercian bicycle frame that is basically a WW2 design with the exception of the steel tubing which is closer to 20 years ago in its design leap (high tensile and more difficult to weld). Otherwise it's a WW2 bicycle. It works! Who knew? I don't need more that 4 gears at the back (not available so will go with 9 speed rear) and triple at the front is an obvious improvement over 2 chainrings at the front and viola!!! I have a bicycle that is timeless in its constuction and value. The basic problem the bicycle industry faces is that the technology which makes the bicycle the greatest mechanical achievement (at least in terms of human propolsion efficiency) is that the modern safety bicycle design (1895...ish) is in real terms NOT possible to improve for 99.99999% of use cases. That is a significant marketing problem for a modern business. The bicycle post 2000...ish is essentially the perfect product. It can't for all intents and purposes be made better. Whereas modern cars are far superior than those produced even 15 years prior to today because their techical specifications are vastly more complex than the pure simplicity that is encompased in the bicycle's design. The bicycle's design is in essence too simple and too perfect to allow for meaningful improvement. Even at a racing level the rules could be set to increase the weight enough to encompass steel as a material. Would it make cycling as a competitive sport less meaningful? Of course not. Why bother with disc brakes since they are clearly less reliable in the medium term (let alone longer use cases or everyday pursuits) worse than caliper brakes, so why bother with them since the benefits in safety terms are not present. It's an un-alterable design for all intents and purposes. THAT IS THE PROBLEM!!! The basic design given the constraints of normal human anatomy coupled with typical usage (not racing cause let's face it nobody actually races... ever) renders any "improvement" to the margins of banality. That's why we are experiencing a crushing recursive failure in the (unceasing in the pursuit of profit over improvement) pointless changes to design (more gears when 3 to 6 were always and forever enough). It is a failure full stop. Nothing can redeem the modern changes because they are pure sparkle over substance and in truth, poorer products than those being produced 50 years ago by and large (I ride a 6 speed twist shift Shimano Japanese bicycle and the gearing is expcetional, faultless and ideal... I mean IDEAL... a single extra gear would be utterly useless). The corruption of the bicycle for the pursuit of profit is a shame for the simple reason that it is the debasement of what is probably mankind's most exquisite invention. To make this debacle worse, quality has dropped off in reality. Look at carbon. What is the point of it? It is clearly worse that steel. Worse for everything. I mean, who the hell races? I watched it on TV once but other than that is it relevant? There is no point. NONE! And disc brakes... hello? Please, don't make me eat my own liver. I know bullshit when I see it.
I am fully aboard your arguments and I share some of your views. However, I have gone fully electronic on my bikes - mostly for the comfort of it. Charging the battery - if it is at all necessary (the SRAM ones seem to go flat faster than the Shimao Di2 ones) - is like lubing the chain or checking the tyre pressure to me. Concerning the hydraulic brakes, since moving to (hydraulic) disc brakes I have never looked back thinking that I missed mechanical brakes ... they are reliable and safe. Having said that, yes much of those things can cause lots of hassle and also I have put myself inside a golden cage, but when I converted one bike from mechanical to electronic, I kept all the components ... so there is always a way back 😉
I must have missed the memo on the unhackability.. this year I was running Red AXS 12s with DA9000 rim brakes, Ultegra cassette and a YBN chain without any issues (ok, the FD was a bastard to get set up perfectly, but..) You're so right about being able to update firmware to change the number of cogs on the rear derailleur though.. that needs to become a thing. Who's working on the AXS jailbreak??
I’m with you. I’ve also used the ‘walled garden’ metaphor in writing about the Classified Powershift system. Yes, these products are really functional and deliver many benefits. But it’s important for riders to understand what they are getting into, if their expectation is ‘simple’ lifecycle management. It’s not even simple if you have $$ to throw at the bike after a few years and your first gen E-Tap or whatever is discontinued.
Personally I found the Powershift stuff to be hilarious... You can spend close to $1k just so you can replace what a $30 front derailleur used to do. Thanks, but I'll keep my FD!
Cycling should be financially accessible to all, configurable, etc. I used to dream of electronic shifters and the more I dug into it I realized it’s everything I don’t want
Am I the only one who likes both? :-) friction for touring, electronic for racing for me. Two corrections: 1) at least with SRAM you don't *have* to go with the default brakes. Don't know why someone would want to do this but you could totally use whatever kind of mechanical brakes you want, and use the little blips for shifting instead of brifters or the mtb shifters. 2) I doubt it is true that there are no hacks with electronic - it’s just a totally different skill set that is beyond your typical bike mechanic. Someone handy armed with reverse engineering tools (such as the Flipper Zero) could almost certainly build DIY hacks and mods for wireless shifters.
Interesting how you compared it to Apple because I had the same thoughts. Electronic shifting is like Apple MacOS - easy to use, quick to learn, efficient, but also completely closed and incompatible with most. On the other hand friction shifting is like Linux and OSS: harder to learn and master, but completely open and compatible with nearly everything.
The only thing you said that I have a problem with is the old three-by drivetrains, otherwise good summery. For the younger readers, three-by was basically a marketing kludge to a problem. Bikes were sold as, i.e. marketed as, 18 speed (3x6) or 21 speed (3x7) when the usable "speeds" were much less than that.
Totally agree, Russ. I have a 2007 mtb, 8-speed/triple with index shifting. That's as much box as I want--& yeah, at times it is too much! I've tried newer model bikes, mtb & all-road, & hated the packaged product. When I wanted to change something, it was tricky or no go. I'm a minimalist techie anyway, & want my bike to be about freedom to ride, maintain, & play on.
I've been lusting over electronic shifting for a few years. Lately I've seen a couple people make the comical error of having dead derailleur batteries.
I ride a Bullitt Cargo Bike regularly. It's has a Shimano Steps Motor and also electronic shifting. Cheap internal gear hub (Nexus 5) but with electonic shifting. working nicely :) so electronic shifting has very much arrived on cargo bikes..
Who doesn't dream of an OBD plug under the stem of their bike, the can-bus is already there and you will no longer have to do your mechanics yourself. What a wonderful world.
Im not giving up my 25 year old XT shifters! And my bike had sat in the shed for a month. I wheeled it out on Saturday and just went for a ride, no concerns of flat batteries.
I spent the last few years buying up cheap Di2 on FB marketplace and have scored some sweet deals. It's the only current Shimano system where you can mix mountain derailleurs with road shifters for those sweet ranges. I actually prefer it for touring because I can carry fewer spares and the right or left shifter can be programmed to run the rear derailleur, so it's like carrying a spare shifter. I also picked up brifters that use cable actuated brakes, so the option exists if you want it
I don’t need electronic shifting and not buying it anytime soon…..but I still want to try it out. Got to admit, wireless shifting has got to be incredibly fun.
The two parts that remain from my 2009 MTB are the shifters and the front derailleur. The bike is flat bar 3x9 650% range Sram (now Stronglight crankset and BB, replacing SRAM GXP - creaking gone finally) with hydro disk brakes. Brakes need to be disk to avoid rim wear, And hydro for performance and lack of need for adjustment. Hydro disk brakes are supremely reliable on the road - hydraulic system faults are rare and you have two independent hydraulic systems. And hydro brakes need virtually no maintenance beyond pad replacement. Cannot see me going electronic shifting anytime soon. Price and impossibility of on-road repair.
As a mechanic, the last components I upgrade are drivetrain. Brakes, suspension, tires, saddle, bar, grips all directly effect my experience, I just need a drivetrain that doesn’t skip.
I run full AXS on my techno-wonder-F1-bike (2023 Spark RC). It's damn good in every situation I've put it through. It fits the personality of the bike, which is a fighter jet on two wheels. 1500 miles on the bike and not an ounce of trouble out of the AXS, the integrated cable routing, the internal rear shock, the twin-lock lockout system, dropper post, press-fit bearings, sprag clutch hubs, etc. All dead reliable and damn functional. And yet... I have a 10 year old hardtail SS with none of those things listed above. And I LOVE thst bike. Put a gun to my head and make me choose, its that old hardtail, no hesitation. As long as you let me keep the SRAM 11spd mech setup thst goes with it. So I'm torn on this issue. To tech or not to tech? That is the question. I see value in both schools of thought. But do not allow tech not be a distraction; shame on those who let all the gizmos take away from the mission: to ride as often as life will let you.
