Di2 question on Alfine Di2 Hub.

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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

Its a Alfine Di2 11 speed system, so I'm considering running a Di2 Sprinter SW-R610 shifters ONLY....so it won't be connected to the Di2 Dual Control levers. I'm wondering if I could connect them straight to the junction box? If I can, I would only need one junction box with 5 ports (SM-EW90-B) ; 2 used for the sprinter shifters, third port going to the Hub, fourth port going to the battery, last port unused.

Or do I need two junctions? first connected to the Hub and battery....than a wire connecting the first junction to the cockpick junction (SM-EW90), in this case with 3 ports only (first to receive wire coming from first junction, second and third for the sprinter shifters)?

Am I thinking this straight?

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jekyll man
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by jekyll man

If in doubt, carlton bale is the man to go to:
https://carltonbale.com/shimano-di2-eve ... d-to-know/

But here's my take.
I think you cant use the sprint shifters as the have to go into an STi. Climber shifter or the alfine specific ones are fine.
I presume you'll be using the alfine display? or you'll need some way of charging your system ie sm ew90B (5 port) A junction box.
2 ports used for battery and hub.
I'm guessing the climber buttons/ alfine shifter are single wire/ single direction (1 up /1 down), so thats 2 more ports taken care of.

Think that should work :thumbup:
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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

jekyll man wrote:
Thu Apr 26, 2018 8:40 pm
If in doubt, carlton bale is the man to go to:
https://carltonbale.com/shimano-di2-eve ... d-to-know/

But here's my take.
I think you cant use the sprint shifters as the have to go into an STi. Climber shifter or the alfine specific ones are fine.
I presume you'll be using the alfine display? or you'll need some way of charging your system ie sm ew90B (5 port) A junction box.
2 ports used for battery and hub.
I'm guessing the climber buttons/ alfine shifter are single wire/ single direction (1 up /1 down), so thats 2 more ports taken care of.

Think that should work :thumbup:

Hey thanks for the feedback! No its not my intention to use the Alfine display. I'm thinking about the EW90B because I know there is a charging port on that one. There is another Junction box SM-JC40 option (4 ports) but it doesn't have the charging port.

I'm just thinking here: the sprinter shifters are no different in function from the dual levers or any other Di2 shifter, therefore, I should be able to assign the function to each one Left/Right sides thru the etube software as I would to any other shifter, right?

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jekyll man
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by jekyll man

JC40 is basically a block connector- does nothing apart from allow more convenient cable runs to where you would normally have front and rear mechs, and to the battery, and from the smew90B junction box, which would typically have feeds in from your shifters, and 1 out to the jc40 wherever you'd placed that (inside the downtube?).

The sprint shifters CANNOT be used as a standalone, as they need the sti shifters to function (unless someones done a big hack).
Thats why you need the climber ones or the alfine shifter. These do work alone.

If you're not using the alfine display, then get a 5 port ew90b; it will have enough ports, allow you to charge/update firmware, and tweak anything as required.
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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

jekyll man wrote:
Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:20 pm
JC40 is basically a block connector- does nothing apart from allow more convenient cable runs to where you would normally have front and rear mechs, and to the battery, and from the smew90B junction box, which would typically have feeds in from your shifters, and 1 out to the jc40 wherever you'd placed that (inside the downtube?).

The sprint shifters CANNOT be used as a standalone, as they need the sti shifters to function (unless someones done a big hack).
Thats why you need the climber ones or the alfine shifter. These do work alone.

If you're not using the alfine display, then get a 5 port ew90b; it will have enough ports, allow you to charge/update firmware, and tweak anything as required.
Huge bummer! I wanted to use the sprinters on my XC MTB for a very clean and invisible setup, I wanted to install them inside the grips (small hole to reach the buttom), no display for cleaner look.

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jekyll man
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by jekyll man

Problem with "clean and invisible" is it also makes them possibly harder to hit when in a rush, like mtb racing.
a single switch unit on the rhs of your bars isnt going to be massive, and the buttons are big enough to find easily.
Or maybe look at the 671?? tt shifter and take the switches out of their casing.
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MoreRideTime
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by MoreRideTime

The SW-R9150 shift switches should be able to be used. These are “normal” Di2 switches that do not require the special ports that the sprint shifters plug into. Can be plugged directly into the junction box.

FYI, if the MTB display junction box isn’t used, and you have MTB derailleurs you won’t have access to synchro shifting. (Shimano makes weird choices at times...)

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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

MoreRideTime wrote:
Fri Apr 27, 2018 12:17 am
The SW-R9150 shift switches should be able to be used. These are “normal” Di2 switches that do not require the special ports that the sprint shifters plug into. Can be plugged directly into the junction box.

FYI, if the MTB display junction box isn’t used, and you have MTB derailleurs you won’t have access to synchro shifting. (Shimano makes weird choices at times...)
SW-R9150 looks small enough, thanks for the idea! Won't need Synchro Shifting anyways since will be managing the Alfine IGH hub.

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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

jekyll man wrote:
Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:43 pm
Problem with "clean and invisible" is it also makes them possibly harder to hit when in a rush, like mtb racing.
a single switch unit on the rhs of your bars isnt going to be massive, and the buttons are big enough to find easily.
Or maybe look at the 671?? tt shifter and take the switches out of their casing.
671 would be an option...but I'm not looking into some extreme mod at this time. Thanks!

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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

Just making sure: SW-R600 would work connecting straight to the junction box I'm using the SM-EW90-A box.

marioc
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by marioc

Yes, SW-R600 can be connected directly to junction box.

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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

marioc wrote:Yes, SW-R600 can be connected directly to junction box.
Thanks!!!


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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

I'd like to log here my recent experience with the Alfine 11sp Di2. Did my first long ride along with other 100 plus riders, about 60 miles on trail/fire road. Overall the system did great! of course one of my main curiosities was around the theoretical 'drag' that people comment online...I personalty didn't feel any resistance over other riders next to me, my pace was just fine. Shifting is crisp, fast, silent and much less awkward specially going uphill on steep sections, I noticed at least two riders next to me on Sram Eagle having issues with shifting, you know when that chain goes up under load and creates that loud sound, like is going to explore....none of that happens with the Alfine Di2.

I have only one case to hopefully solve: gear skipping, and I'm here to ask if anyone else noticed this same issue...probably not on trail since I have this feeling that I'm pretty much the only one doing this, hopefully not. To describe the problem, my pedaling works fine on all gears 'if' I'm just cruising at low torque, but If I decide to stand and hammer uphill with a much higher torque I might get a skipping symptom. During all those 60 miles I only had about 4 to 5 times of this issue....wish is still not bad considering we can get that amount of imperfections out of a Regular RD/Cassette drive train on those same 60 miles.

I'm pretty confident that is just a fine tuning issue, maybe if I go into the E-tube software and set the micro adjustment to a different position I might solve the issue.

Anyone using this system? guess I should say in their commuter bikes?

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