Is Shimano Di2 Electric Shifting Going Off-Road?

Road cyclists have been able to do the electronic shifting thing for a while now. Shimano, which introduced the first successful (key word is successful) electronic shifters with its Dura Ace line that the pros seem to love, brought Di2 to its step down (but still very high-end) Ultegra line last year, and this season will see rival Campagnolo also going electronic. Meanwhile there have been efforts to develop electronic shifting for off-road, but only in the aftermarket world… until now.

BikeRadar.com reported that a Shimano XTR Di2 drivetrain was spotted. Canadian cross-country racer Geoff Kabush posted an image on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon that indicates that Shimano is indeed bringing Di2 to mountain bikes. Meanwhile Shimano has no official comment. Continue reading Is Shimano Di2 Electric Shifting Going Off-Road?

Eurobike 2011 Recap

KineticShift wasn’t able to head to Europe this year, and while we’re about to shift into full gear for Interbike in Las Vegas next week a number of product announcements caught our eyes. We have compiled a round-up of the can’t miss products for 2012 and beyond. Continue reading Eurobike 2011 Recap

Shimano’s Di2 Trickles Down to Ultegra

Shimano announced that the Dura Ace electronic shifting, Di2 (Digital Integrated Intelligence), that has been used by professional riders for the past four years will be available this fall in their Ultegra line of components. Ultegra components are just one level lower than the Dura Ace level and is much more affordable for the avid cyclist and weekend racer.

The advantages of Di2 (Digital Integrated Intelligence) are clear for everybody who has tested it: changing gears becomes easier, effortless and faster by simply touching the shift buttons. Control at the top of your fingers. Additional benefits include an automatic trimming front derailleur, unmatched precision plus super easy installation and adjustment. Continue reading Shimano’s Di2 Trickles Down to Ultegra