D
darryl
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<http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/outdoors/1276811.html?imw=Y>
Portion of article (with pictures) in Popular Mechanics:
Bikes with brains could well be the future of cycling, with an on-board
computer controlling front and rear derailleur shifting and also
suspension firmness. This isn't some pie in the sky idea. The technology
and the hardware for these systems exist right now. It's called Di2, for
Digital Integrated Intelligence. The components are made by Shimano, one
of the biggest names in the cycling business. Designed for the high-end
comfort bike market, Di2 systems have been installed on some bikes in
Europe, but haven't yet been seen on bikes in the States. The stumbling
block is cost. Di2 goodies kick up the price of a comfort bike to about
the $US1500 level.
The brain of the Di2 system is a computer that's buried in the bowels of
Shimano's Flight Deck. The Flight Deck is a nifty handlebar-mounted unit
that has a display panel and a battery pack that powers the entire
system. The display shows information on the status of automatic
shifting, suspension setting, speed and remaining battery power. Three
buttons are located at the bottom of the Flight Deck. Punch the first
one--a Mode Selector switch--and the display cycles between time,
distance, odometer, average speed and maximum speed readouts. A
Suspension Mode Selector switch lets you choose an automatic suspension
control or you can manually set hard or soft damping for both front and
rear. Lastly, a Shift Mode Selector switch gives you the option of a
manual shifting mode via handlebar-mounted shift buttons that activate
the electronically controlled derailleurs, or three automatic shift
modes for slow, normal and fast riding.
In the automatic modes, the computer selects what it considers to be the
optimum gear and pedaling cadence, and adjusts the suspension stiffness
to match the gearing for the best combination of ride comfort and
power-transfer efficiency. Di2 uses road speed (calculated from signals
generated by a spoke-mounted magnet passing a sensor) and the gear
you're in to make its gear-shift decisions. The 16-speed system uses
eight cogs out back and a double-chainring front derailleur. Overall
gearing was deemed adequate by Shimano for a comfort bike, although more
extreme conditions, such as those found in mountain biking, could have
your muscles screaming for more gears.
Read the whole article online.
Portion of article (with pictures) in Popular Mechanics:
Bikes with brains could well be the future of cycling, with an on-board
computer controlling front and rear derailleur shifting and also
suspension firmness. This isn't some pie in the sky idea. The technology
and the hardware for these systems exist right now. It's called Di2, for
Digital Integrated Intelligence. The components are made by Shimano, one
of the biggest names in the cycling business. Designed for the high-end
comfort bike market, Di2 systems have been installed on some bikes in
Europe, but haven't yet been seen on bikes in the States. The stumbling
block is cost. Di2 goodies kick up the price of a comfort bike to about
the $US1500 level.
The brain of the Di2 system is a computer that's buried in the bowels of
Shimano's Flight Deck. The Flight Deck is a nifty handlebar-mounted unit
that has a display panel and a battery pack that powers the entire
system. The display shows information on the status of automatic
shifting, suspension setting, speed and remaining battery power. Three
buttons are located at the bottom of the Flight Deck. Punch the first
one--a Mode Selector switch--and the display cycles between time,
distance, odometer, average speed and maximum speed readouts. A
Suspension Mode Selector switch lets you choose an automatic suspension
control or you can manually set hard or soft damping for both front and
rear. Lastly, a Shift Mode Selector switch gives you the option of a
manual shifting mode via handlebar-mounted shift buttons that activate
the electronically controlled derailleurs, or three automatic shift
modes for slow, normal and fast riding.
In the automatic modes, the computer selects what it considers to be the
optimum gear and pedaling cadence, and adjusts the suspension stiffness
to match the gearing for the best combination of ride comfort and
power-transfer efficiency. Di2 uses road speed (calculated from signals
generated by a spoke-mounted magnet passing a sensor) and the gear
you're in to make its gear-shift decisions. The 16-speed system uses
eight cogs out back and a double-chainring front derailleur. Overall
gearing was deemed adequate by Shimano for a comfort bike, although more
extreme conditions, such as those found in mountain biking, could have
your muscles screaming for more gears.
Read the whole article online.
