The DARK SIDE of Electronic Shifting No One Talks About

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 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.

Yup, it’s a right to repair issue to me. Also waiting on a “Do weird stuff on bikes” sticker or patch.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!!!

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...

Well expressed. 100% agree.

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.

Totally agree! If it’s not cable/bsa/27.2 I don’t want it. I don’t want hydro. I don’t want a battery. I don’t want integrated everything. Pass

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.

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.

It destroys the elegant simplicity of the mechanical bicycle.

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.