Here are some more details on this increasingly interesting alternative to Alfine.
Ultegra Di2
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Category Archives: Sprint Di2
Life After Alfine
The jury is still out on Alfine and to a lesser extent Di2 so I’m pressing on with the experiment. If Alfine proves a bust, here are the options I see.
Reality Check: Shimano Alfine
In less than a week of running the Alfine-11 Di2 on my daily commute I’ve encountered nearly every failure mode known to the internet. I have only myself to blame.
Road Test
I’m still waiting on my order for 166mm spokes so that I can rebuild the Alfine wheel as a cross-2 to address the spoke angle problems of my original cross-3 build. Apparently spokes this short are pretty hard to come by but Cambria Bicycle Outfitter assures me I’ll have them in about a week. Meanwhile the weather has dipped into the teens again and I’ve been stuck in a single gear for my work commute. Last night I’d had enough and decided to throw what I have on the trike and see how it works.
TRIOT
I stand corrected. Courtesy of Trike Asylum, I recently learned of a (nearly) production trike that meets most of my criteria for the “ultimate human-powered touring and commuting machine.”
Bench Test
Here’s a video of the Shimano Alfine-11 Di2 system in action on the bench.
Wheelbuilding
I don’t knit, but if I did I think it would feel like building wheels. It’s methodical and repetitive. The end product looks good and is really useful. It’s a great thing to do planted in front of the TV– you have a shiny new wheel to show for your otherwise wasted evening. Building your own wheels opens up infinite possibilities in rims, hubs, spokes, spoke patterns, and colors, and the end product is stronger and stays truer than any machine-built wheel.
Di2 Secrets Revealed!
Shimano does an impressive job documenting all of the Alfine Di2 components and making it readily available through the internet. Even so, I had a hard time finding answers to a variety of questions before I took the plunge and just purchased the stuff. To be fair, many of these questions come from the fringes of trying to adapt to a recumbent trike a system that is designed for upright bikes. Now I know the answers to most of my burning questions, and so do you.
Delivery Day
I’ve now acquired all the Di2 pieces necessary to test the system on the bench. Here’s a little info on each component. Prices, dimensions and weights are in the parts list.
Wiring
I’ve begun acquiring the Di2 parts necessary to get the system running on the bench. I have a rim and Alfine-11 hub in hand and am waiting on a spoke order before I begin building the wheel. I was surprised how difficult it was to find the Alfine-11 in 36 hole silver here in the states. Jim (aka Bike Hermit) at Bike Touring News had no trouble and I had my hub within just a few days of placing the order.
Before I can complete the initial Di2 order I need to figure out the wire I’ll need. Continue reading
A Seasonal Commute 