Hot take: I think the push for electronic shifting on every new bike is getting out of hand

A guy came into the shop last month with a brand new gravel bike, and he was genuinely upset that his $4,500 model still had mechanical shift cables. He said, 'It's 2024, this is just outdated tech.' I had to explain that for a lot of riders, especially on long remote trips, the simplicity and reliability of a cable is a feature, not a bug. Do you think the industry is pushing electronic groupsets too hard for the average cyclist?

3 comments

3 Comments

stone.brooke1mo ago

That "outdated tech" comment really misses the point. I've been on trips where charging a shifter would be a real problem. The industry is definitely pushing it too hard, making people feel like their bike is less capable without it.

charles_mitchell1mo ago

Switched back to a cable shifter for bikepacking and haven't looked back. It just works.

diana5121mo ago

Come on, it's just a battery. How many days are you really out where you can't plug in a USB cable? Most people ride close to home. The worry seems bigger than the actual problem for like 95% of riders.