Boardman 8.9 SLR Upgrade to Di2

[jowwy]

for a start


@jowwy You probably have some good advice / pitfalls to avoid for the OP having done it "many times" previously.

I think making sure what you buy is all compatible if it doesn't come as a whole set is up there too.

for one - you dont need internal cable routing to fit DI2....there are external options available....

no.2 its a piece of cake to fit, so no LBS needed if you have a bit of sense about you and take your time

 

[cyberknight]

I think the key question is: Is there anything specific about this bike that would prevent it from being done?

For example would you end up having to duck tape a junction box or battery to the frame because DI2 expects frames or seatposts of a certain kind? ... or something like that. (I don't have any answer to that question btw, nor do I know anything about DI2 or Boardman bikes)

How long the OP has been cycling and how much they ride has got the square root of f-all to do with it.

I will admit i dont know much about electronic shifting , from what i have seen of the slr IRL it certainly looks do-able and it depends on the mechanical no how of the OP and whether they want to pay someone to do it .Now if i had the cash i would personally go sram for ease of fitting and get some rubber bungs to cover the now redundant frame ports , buts thats my two penneth worth

 

[jowwy]

I will admit i dont know much about electronic shifting , from what i have seen of the slr IRL it certainly looks do-able and it depends on the mechanical no how of the OP and whether they want to pay someone to do it .Now if i had the cash i would personally go sram for ease of fitting and get some rubber bungs to cover the now redundant frame ports , buts thats my two penneth worth

sram etap would also be my way to go and prefered option

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good evening,

I think the key question is: Is there anything specific about this bike that would prevent it from being done?

For me the key question is does the OP give an expletive deleted?



I would put some effort into answering the question if I believed that the OP cared.

Bye

Ian

 

[boydj]

why do people need to justify their own expense on their bikes??? why cant they just have what they want, without the need for justification.

Life's too short, have what you want and enjoy it

I think it is reasonable to suggest that the OP consider what he expects to achieve in spending a considerable amount on a relatively recent purchase. Was his initial purchase a bad buy? What made him choose the bike he bought in the first place and why does it need to be upgraded so soon?

The world's sheds are full of bikes that people bought with the best of intentions. They start off super keen, and read cycle magazines and forums. They buy a reasonable bike, often going with recommendations from their bike shop, or from reading reviews. Then they read about upgrades and start to think that they should have bought better and really should upgrade what they've bought - often before they've even done a couple of hundred miles and built up any experience or knowledge.Whether they do the upgrades or not, they eventually find that cycling is not as easy as it looks, or it does not fit in with their lifestyle or other distractions come along and they end up being occasional cyclists at best.

Then again, cycling may be just what they were looking for and they start commuting to work or going out for long runs at the week-end. Either way, I think it better for the OP to take a bit of time to build up some experience and knowledge before jumping into an expensive upgrade that he may not benefit from in the long run.

 

[jowwy]

I think it is reasonable to suggest that the OP consider what he expects to achieve in spending a considerable amount on a relatively recent purchase. Was his initial purchase a bad buy? What made him choose the bike he bought in the first place and why does it need to be upgraded so soon?

The world's sheds are full of bikes that people bought with the best of intentions. They start off super keen, and read cycle magazines and forums. They buy a reasonable bike, often going with recommendations from their bike shop, or from reading reviews. Then they read about upgrades and start to think that they should have bought better and really should upgrade what they've bought - often before they've even done a couple of hundred miles and built up any experience or knowledge.Whether they do the upgrades or not, they eventually find that cycling is not as easy as it looks, or it does not fit in with their lifestyle or other distractions come along and they end up being occasional cyclists at best.

Then again, cycling may be just what they were looking for and they start commuting to work or going out for long runs at the week-end. Either way, I think it better for the OP to take a bit of time to build up some experience and knowledge before jumping into an expensive upgrade that he may not benefit from in the long run.

Its not reasonable to suggest anything

many people by a decent base bike and for 1100 the boardman is a decent bike and then look to upgrade the base bike over time or buy another new bike.

the OP asked was di2 worth it and all he got from some members was a bum steer in my eyes. Why not just answer the question at hand, rather than advise something else. Maybe then threads wouldnt denegrate into debate and the OP might come back and make more posts, rather than be put off by the bike snobs, who have slated his purchase. Like they did in post no.8

 

[boydj]

So you're suggesting I keep my opinion to myself? Is that reasonable?

I'm well aware that the Boardman bike is a good-value bike that gets very good reviews. The OP made a good choice in buying it. Yet he professes to know little about bikes and cycling, but wants to do a significant upgrade on his barely-used bike. Is it wrong to ask him to think about what he is doing and to suggest he builds up a bit of experience and knowledge before going ahead with his plan?

The OP has come to this site to get the benefit of the wisdom of experienced cyclists. We're not a homogeneous bunch and he'll get a variety of opinions which he'll have to sift and consider before making up his mind. When somebody asks how to do something I think it's perfectly reasonable to point out the pitfalls of doing it. There's plenty of responses on the technicalities of what he is proposing, so he's perfectly capable of ignoring my post if he wants.

 

[jowwy]

So you're suggesting I keep my opinion to myself? Is that reasonable? Yes - Advise on the question and not your opinion

I'm well aware that the Boardman bike is a good-value bike that gets very good reviews. The OP made a good choice in buying it. Yet he professes to know little about bikes and cycling, but wants to do a significant upgrade on his barely-used bike. Is it wrong to ask him to think about what he is doing and to suggest he builds up a bit of experience and knowledge before going ahead with his plan? Yes it is wrong, its his money and bike not yours, he has every right to do what he wants with both. again advise on the original OP and not your own opinion

The OP has come to this site to get the benefit of the wisdom of experienced cyclists. We're not a homogeneous bunch and he'll get a variety of opinions which he'll have to sift and consider before making up his mind. When somebody asks how to do something I think it's perfectly reasonable to point out the pitfalls of doing it. There's plenty of responses on the technicalities of what he is proposing, so he's perfectly capable of ignoring my post if he wants. - again, he hasn't asked for advise on how to do something, he only asked if others have done the same and was it worth it for them.

I have given my response - but remember, rules of this site state you shouldn't bring comments or remarks made in other posts over into new ones. So the OP says nothing about experience, miles ridden, etc etc in this post....he's just asked about DI2

just my 2 cents worth

 

[T4tomo]

Its not reasonable to suggest anything

priceless!

back to the original "is it worth it?" question

it rather depend on what price (and if given part shortages) you can pick up 11 spd electronic shifting "kit" for. I say 11spd as if you go to 12 speed you need a new crankset, chain & cassette further pumping up the cost.

Those upgrade kit might cost you a grand now, when they were mores deals to be had pre Covid.

 

[cougie uk]

I'd only consider it if the gears were playing up or absolutely knackered. It's a big expense and you would have probably been better off buying a bike with Di2 to begin with - it's usually cheaper than buying the bits.

 

[jowwy]

I'd only consider it if the gears were playing up or absolutely knackered. It's a big expense and you would have probably been better off buying a bike with Di2 to begin with - it's usually cheaper than buying the bits.

but what if he didnt have the money in the first instance to get a bike with DI2....but now with frugal saving, he does have the money to upgrade to DI2???

 

[cougie uk]

but what if he didnt have the money in the first instance to get a bike with DI2....but now with frugal saving, he does have the money to upgrade to DI2???

Some whatiffery there.

He says he's recently bought it.

What's the difficult between cabled gears and Di2 ? Both systems change the gears. You'd not gain any performance gain.

 

[Cycleops]

I think we need to hear back from the OP before making assumptions.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Some whatiffery there.

He says he's recently bought it.

What's the difficult between cabled gears and Di2 ? Both systems change the gears. You'd not gain any performance gain.

Most upgrades give no performance gains. They are just nicer to use.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I would put some effort into answering the question if I believed that the OP cared.

I think we need to hear back from the OP before making assumptions.

OP came, posted (Mon evening), looked and answered "11sp" Tuesday and gave @Jowwey a 'like', and has not been seen since. As Ian says: probably doesn't care: he was just throwing the question out there.
For interest, how much do you think it would cost @jowwy , going from mechanical 105 rim brakes to Di2 (Ultegra)? Would give us a quantative foundation for whether it was 'worth' adorning a bike costing £1100 retail with Di2?
The two immediate upgrades I'd go for are decent brake pads and decent tyres. Then I'd swap out the calipers.