At home Di2 install....

Back by popular demand, the general all-things Road forum!

Moderator: robbosmans

chiltonp
Posts: 154
Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 8:48 pm

by chiltonp

How hard would at-home setup be for a novice mechanic and first timer?

I just received a new frame-set which turns out to be electronic only, :( . Not only does this increase the cost of my build-out but i'm less comfortable with it. At this point I plan on going Ultegra 6870 with an internal battery. Assuming I buy an upgrade kit off the internet, what are the chances I run into technical problems such as out of date firmware or something more severe? Is the install truly as simple as it appears in videos? Anyone have good luck buying from a certain site that they could recommend?

User avatar
06SpiceRed
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 5:06 am
Location: Boulder, Colorado

by 06SpiceRed

No need to quote above

I just finished up a Di2 build myself this past friday (Skipped work to play with the bikes :D ). This was first electronic build as normally I am riding a mechanical group. I followed Park Tool's Di2 page as well as Shimano's instructions and it went unbelievably smooth. I am by no means a mechanic but have the basics down and have the tools for the job. I took it to 2 very reputable high performance LBS and they all said everything was done perfectly. Remember if you do this, one of the most important steps for any Di2 install is make sure you in THE METAL SUPPORT PLATE/SUPPORT SCREW for the FD.

Image
Last edited by 06SpiceRed on Mon May 05, 2014 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A bunch of carbon, with a bunch of electronic parts

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



chiltonp
Posts: 154
Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 8:48 pm

by chiltonp

Thanks, so all of your parts communicated properly out of the box? Did the battery already have a partial charge or does it need to be charged prior to install?

User avatar
06SpiceRed
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 5:06 am
Location: Boulder, Colorado

by 06SpiceRed

No need to quote above


My battery was half charged out of the box but I threw it on the charger while I built it up so this way it was all set to go. They all communicated perfectly out of the box, I would only go do the firmware update if you wanted the multishift feature and such.

btw heres, what I used to help guide.

http://www.parktool.com/blog/calvins-co ... stallation
A bunch of carbon, with a bunch of electronic parts

Gearhead65
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2010 1:24 am
Location: Evansville, IN, USA

by Gearhead65

I've done a 9070 and 6870 home build with internal batteries on both and no issues. If you're comfortable setting up a cable based system, you should be fine with this...IMHO.
2015 Specialized Crux Pro
2013 BMC TMR01 custom build
2013 Cannondale F-Series 29'er, Carbon 3
2012 Cannondale CAAD10-1 custom build, 14.06 lbs
1980 Palo Alto custom build

glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

Piece of cake. With the internal battery, you load the latest firmware from a windows laptop using the etube software.
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

User avatar
showdown
Posts: 230
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:48 pm

by showdown

It's really quite simple and easy. Go slow, read the directions and if you have questions find the answers before proceeding.

A few things to keep in mind...

-Like 06SpiceRed said- make sure you put the support plate on the frame before installing the front derailleur. Failure to do so will destroy your frame.
-When installing BB be sure that none of your wires get snagged... it's not hard to do but just be mindful as this is one area that they can be pinched.
-You might want to upgrade the battery before installing the whole system as some (mine included) had trouble updating the firmware when everything was plugged in and installed- I had to disconnect everything but the battery and then go ahead.
-Finally, unless your seat post is designed to work with the internal battery you may have to get creative when installing it... My Colnago seat post didn't have the sleeve and collar so I rigged my own attachemtn system...

Good luck!

chiltonp
Posts: 154
Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 8:48 pm

by chiltonp

thanks guys, this is very helpful. As far as upgrading the firmware and battery as some have mentioned, does Shimano ship the software with the group-set or does it have to be purchased separately? Is there any other hardware that would be needed to allow the drive-train to communicate with the PC? I'm planning on using the internal battery mounted to a Thomson post using the 3T battery mount.

Can the internal battery be charged without removing it? Perhaps through a port on the 5-port junction box?

mike
Resident Pro
Posts: 2983
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 9:42 pm

by mike

u will need to remove/unplug internal battery when updating firmware for all other components.

User avatar
rmerka
Posts: 618
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 4:23 pm
Location: Austin, TX

by rmerka

chiltonp wrote:Can the internal battery be charged without removing it? Perhaps through a port on the 5-port junction box?


It's charged through the small port on the side of the junction box using SM-BCR2 charger.

Image

glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

The software is a free download.
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

User avatar
madcow
Shop Owner
Posts: 3740
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2005 4:22 pm
Location: Tucson, Az.
Contact:

by madcow

When updating the firmware, it's possible to just plug the entire system in and update all at once. I strongly recommend against this. Plug each component in on it's own and update each piece individually as this will eliminate a few bugs that exist only when updating the entire thing. It takes longer to do it this way, but is much more stable in the end.

User avatar
showdown
Posts: 230
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:48 pm

by showdown

You can download the e-tube software here:
http://e-tubeproject.shimano.com/

It's very simple to use and will walk you through each step.

When upgrading the system you plug your computer into the junction box and then unplug every component except the one you wish to update. So to upgrade the shifters you plug your computer into the junction box with the usb cables then unplug the derailleurs and battery (at their respective connection points) and then update the software. Plug all the components in and move on to another upgrade in the same manner.

Zoro
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:52 am

by Zoro

I don't think its too hard. Did it on the Di2 Gen I and a couple weeks ago on the 9000. Still harder knowing your frame and what the holes and grommets are for, and does the cable housing thread through the TT or not.

A few things -
-The connections like a snap. No snap, mean loose connection. Found that out an hour before the maiden race.
-The seat post battery is cool, but for many bikes if things are not plugged into the battery and junction box (internal) well, you would have to remove the BB to fix it.
-If upgrading firmware - the software like one thing plugged in at a time. So while you may start with all parts plugged in, you will end up unplugging most items.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



User avatar
pdlpsher1
Posts: 4013
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:09 pm
Location: CO

by pdlpsher1

One advice I would give is to make sure to leave some cable slack at the shifter cable connections. This step is found in the Shimano installation instructions. The professional mechanic who installed my system omitted this very important step. I learned about this problem when I hit a pothole and lost both FD and RD shifting. Came to find out BOTH connectors got disconnected when I hit the pothole. The force of the impact caused the shifters to bend downward hence disconnecting the connectors when there was no slack in the cables.

Post Reply