SRAM goes electric....(almost official) Has Landed

[BmanX]

I would take a few ugly holes instead of all that ugly wires. Two simple cables running to the brakes looks a lot more elegant that is for sure.

[djwalker]

If you have DI2 you can program the shifters to run the rear derailleur to work just like SRAM. If you wanted to try it out. I had actually thought about programming my levers that way even before I heard that SRAM was doing it. I had thought that using the big levers on each lever would be easier to reach. Especially when sprinting in the drops. But, I have been too lazy to do it so far. Maybe I'll try it out.

[BmanX]

Please try it out and let us know how it goes.

[Johnny Rad]

In short, I think SRAM may be also targeting the upgrade market.

How many of us have Di2 / EPS specific frames? I'm guessing not many.

If you want to "upgrade" away from your mechanical group on your "old school" frame, you're left with two options: (1) tape cables on your bike or (2) drill holes.

With SRAM's wireless group, you just slap it on those "old" frames. I think owners of these bikes would gladly welcome a wireless solution that didn't require a questionably trained bike mechanic drilling holes in their pride and joy. And taping? It doesn't look pro and admit it, that plays a big part in amateur cycling.

[Johnny Rad]

And you can put me in this segment that's anxious to upgrade my old steed to SRAM's wireless shifting so I don't have to hack my frame or tape junk to my bike. Go, SRAM!

(Now it just needs to be affordable!)

[xsnailx]

and for the time trial bikes it means less drag and no problems with hiding cables. way to go

[showdown]

It'll be interesting to play with for sure. On our group rides and at the races I've seen it plenty of times and the different method of shifting hasn't been an issue for those using it. It certainly hasn't been a problem for the Bissel Team in Utah.

I have 9070 and the sprint shifters and for the most part when I race I rarely come out of the drops. I can't recall the last time, in a race, that I used anything but the sprint shifters to control the rear derailleur. Even on the hoods I can reach the sprint shifters and often use them. Satellite shifters, in my opinion are the killer feature of Di2.

SRAM will have satellite shifters eventually and if they do it right that may be an EPS/Di2 killer; being able to add a satellite shifter anywhere you wish on the fly without removing bar tape or having to run any wires. Also, how cool would it be to slap on a one-piece aerobar cockpit on your road bike for a TT stage and not have to worry about running wires (yea brakes are an issue I know, but don't burst my bubble!)

[djwalker]

I programmed my DI2 levers to shift like SRAM- the big paddle on the left goes to a bigger rear cog, the big paddle on the right goes to a smaller rear cog, the little button on left shifts the front to smaller ring, and the little button on right shifts the front to the bigger ring. It has taken a few rides to get used to it but now it seems as natural as anything else. The only advantage I can see is that it is easier to shift in the drops. No downsides that I can see. It is just different, not really better or worse. If there was sequential shifting it would be great.

[deek]

If sequential shifting isn't an option at release, I don't see any reason why it couldn't be a firmware update.

[Butcher]

But how would you shift the front and rear at the same time? Oh, that's right, you can't.

Wireless is the next step for certain, but not with SRAM.

[DuncanS]

I don't get the appeal of sequential shifting. Personally, I want FD shifts to be a conscious decision. Is electronic shifting really so fast, silky and reliable that I would change my mind about that?

[NiFTY]

How often does anyone actually shift front and rear simultaneously? I am curious as I never do that currently. As for sequential, even with electronic shifting it is slower to shift the front then the rear, and not as smooth. I would still prefer to know when an FD shift was coming.

[TiG]

If you ride Campag mechanical? Shifting both front and rear at the same time is so useful. Can move from from the big ring to the little ring and keep the same cadence...Very good for hitting steep pinches.

[BeeSeeBee]

Yeah, I mostly shift front and rear when I'm going into a hill with a bunch of speed and progressively need to dump gears as it pitches up and I start going slower. I think I'd prefer manual shifting over sequential, but I imagine I'd prefer sequential over SRAM's cocked up idea of shifting.

[nameless]

How often does anyone actually shift front and rear simultaneously? I am curious as I never do that currently. As for sequential, even with electronic shifting it is slower to shift the front then the rear, and not as smooth. I would still prefer to know when an FD shift was coming.

Happens quite often if the grade slowly changes from flat to uphill. For example, suppose you have 50-34 front / 11-28 rear (11,12,13,14,16,18,20,22,25,28). You're on a flat in 50/18 gear (19.5 mph @ 90 rpm). As the grade increases, you downshift to 50/20 (17.6 mph), then to 50/22 (16.0 mph). What do you do next? Any further in the back and you'll be cross-chaining. If you shift in front, 34/22 is 10.9 mph and that may be slower than you want. So you downshift in front and at the same time upshift in the rear twice, to 34/18 (13.3 mph @ 90 rpm).

More generally, the problem is that 50-34 gap in front is equivalent to 3 to 4 gear gaps in the rear, especially with a tight cassette and lots of cogs (up to 5 gaps if you have a 12-25 11-speed cassette) so you often have to compensate for the front shift with one or more shifts in the opposite direction in the rear. The problem is lessened with 53-39 in front but it's still there.