A good two years have passed since Shimano revolutionised derailleur gears once again: the electric Dura-Ace Di2 had the same impact as the first STI brake levers in 1989. It quickly became widespread in professional sport, where its advantages are particularly evident in the specialised disciplines of time trials and cyclo-cross. However, electric shifting has also become the benchmark for technology-loving amateur athletes. Even stubborn Shimano deniers are increasingly being convinced by the ingenious function and outstanding reliability of Di2. Fears that the bike would become unnecessarily complicated and vulnerable due to the electrical components quickly disappeared, as the Di2 worked flawlessly right from the start.
So far, the TOUR editorial team has not received any reports of failing batteries, cable breaks or failing electronic components. Even our long-term test groupset, a Dura-Ace Di2 from the very beginning, which has been bolted to a number of bikes, used by many riders and in some competitions, works as it did on the first day. Rarely has a product come onto the market that is as mature as this one. The Dura-Ace Di2 has only one disadvantage: it is expensive.
An Ultegra version is now set to change this. If an Ultegra Di2 can now offer the same advantages at half the price, this would probably mean the final breakthrough for electric shifting on road bikes. But can the new Ultegra keep its promise? We were able to try out prototypes on the road at the presentation in Aigle, Switzerland, at the beginning of August.
The conclusion of the first test drives: Functionally, there is no noticeable difference to the Dura-Ace. The first production groupsets that could be ridden and tested were then flown in from Japan in mid-August, and one was delivered straight to the TOUR editorial office. The first impression of the dewy electronic components: slightly less sophisticated appearance, modified cables and connections, otherwise technically identical to the Dura-Ace at first glance. Real "cost-saving measures" can only be found on closer inspection. As is so often the case, it is mainly small details such as the surface finish and the use of cheaper materials that make the difference to the Dura-Ace. Nevertheless, the components as a whole appear as high-quality and solid as you would expect from an Ultegra.
You can find the test results of these models in the PDF download below:
- Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
- Shimano Dura-Ace
- Shimano Ultegra Di2
- Shimano Ultegra
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Downloads:
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