Spotlight on Cycling

Any form of racing is a giant petri dish for innovation- mechanical, chemical or otherwise. This weekend we saw a handful of cycling teams roll out in the Tour of California with Shimano's new Dura Ace Di2 electronic gear-changing system. This system isn't brand new per se, as it was used in last year's Tour De France by a couple of two-wheeled guinea pigs. But its the first time we've seen multiple teams jump on the bandwagon with Shimano's final product.

This New York Times article sums the landscape up pretty well. The key line in the article starts here: Because cycling teams rely on sponsorship from companies like Shimano for their financial survival... And there is the crux of the matter. You want sponsorship? You help us sell products. All that aside, the Di2 system is actually a bit lighter than the current Shimano cabling system, and once riders get over the fear of dead batteries and ill timed shifts I could see this catching on. Anyone who does a lot of riding in inclement weather also knows that fewer moving parts = fewer weather related problems, etc. I'm not sure I like the idea of letting riders use the electronic system in time-trials which is precisely where it will have most of its impact. I liken it to electronic -traction control in Formula One; It makes for a more interesting race, but it doesn't make for better drivers.

Interesting that Campagnolo is launching a version, so you can be pretty sure we've got industry-wide buy in on this equipment. And if Shimano can't make it work, then probably can't be done. So the heavy-weights have spoken. Now we'll see what the riders have to say.