Over the past decade, electronic shifting has quickly grown in popularity. Most high-end road, gravel, and mountain bikes come equipped with an electronic groupset. Almost all professionals use them. These days all of the major manufacturers including Shimano, Sram, Campagnolo, and FSA all offer electronic groupsets. Of course, there are still many hold-outs who prefer the more familiar mechanical shifting. If you’re on the fence, this guide is for you. I’ll outline the pros and cons of electronic vs mechanical shifting to help you decide which type of drivetrain is best for your style of riding.
In this guide, we’ll cover efficiency, cost, ease of use, reliability, performance, maintenance, and more. I’ll also outline a few of the more popular electronic shifting systems including Shimano Di2, Sram eTap AXS, and Campagnolo EPS systems. I switched to electronic shifting on my road bike about 5 years ago. In this guide, I’ll share my experience.
Key Takeaways
Electronic shifting is faster, smoother, more efficient, more consistent, more precise, and lower maintenance. It also takes less effort to shift. In addition, it allows you to customize your shifting, have multiple shifters, and collect data.
Mechanical shifting is cheaper, lighter easier to repair, easier to setup, more reliable, and longer lasting. You also never have to charge batteries.
Electronic shifting is better for competitive cyclists, those who are interested in technology, those with limited hand strength or dexterity, riding in hilly terrain, and those who ride in dirty conditions.
Mechanical shifting is better for those on a budget, those who do their own maintenance, bicycle touring and bikepacking, and riding in harsh conditions and off-road.
Electronic Shifting
Electronic shifting allows the rider to shift gears with electronic switches instead of mechanical levers and cables.
Electronic groupsets use electric servo motors to move the derailleurs and shift gears. The electric motors are housed in the derailleurs and are powered by a battery.
The rider changes gears by pressing electric switches or buttons that are integrated into the brake levers. The shift buttons send electronic signals to the derailleurs to tell them when to shift. There is a central junction box or small computer that regulates the system.
Electronic shifters and derailleurs are connected either by wires or wirelessly. Wireless systems like, Sram’s eTap, require separate batteries on all of the shifters and derailleurs. Wired systems, like Shimano’s Di2 and Campagnolo’s EPS, use a single central battery that is wired into the system.
Mechanical Shifting
Mechanical shifting systems move the derailleurs with levers and steel Bowden cables. The cable runs between the shifters and derailleurs. When the rider manipulates the shift lever, the tension on the cable changes. This moves the derailleur from side to side to push the chain onto the next gear.
When the rider reduces the tension of the cable, a spring in the derailleur pushes the chain onto the smaller cogs. When the rider increases tension on the cable, the derailleur pulls the chain onto the larger cogs. With a mechanical shifting system, the rider physically moves the derailleurs with levers and cables.
Electronic Shifting Pros
1. Less Effort is Required to Shift Gears
Electronic groupsets are easier to shift than mechanical groupsets. To shift gears, all you need to do is press a button. This requires very little effort. You barely have to move your finger or apply any force at all to change gears because the electric motor does all of the work for you. When you press the shift button, you’ll hear a quick ‘bzzzt’ sound of the electric motor doing its thing and you’ll be in another gear almost instantly.
You can also set your electronic groupset to shift through multiple gears when you hold the shift button. This allows you to shift through your gear range with less hand movement. In addition, you can install satellite shifters on your electronic drivetrain. These are secondary shift locations. They can mount anywhere on the bars including in the drops, on aero bars, on the tops of your bars. These allow you to shift without moving your hands to the brake hoods.
All of these features save you a small amount of energy. You don’t have to move your hands as much or press as hard to change gears. Mechanical drivetrains, on the other hand, require more force and a larger hand movement to actuate a shift.
This may not sound like a big deal. After all, it doesn’t take that much effort to shift a modern mechanical derailleur. When you try electronic shifting yourself, the ease of shifting is the first thing you notice. It’s game-changing. You don’t have to position your hands so you have enough leverage to push a lever. Your wrists don’t tire out as quickly. This allows you to spend more energy pedaling. These energy savings may allow you to make it over a hill that you would otherwise have to walk up or ride a little bit faster.
2. Electronic Shifting is Intuitive and Easy to Use
Electronic shifting takes less thought to use than mechanical shifting. There are several reasons for this. First is the shifting logic. Sram’s eTap electronic shifting system has just two shift buttons. The right button shifts up. The left button shifts down. When you push both at once, the front derailleur shifts. This shift logic is incredibly simple and intuitive. You don’t have to think as hard about which shifter to use.
Another benefit is that you don’t have to think about how hard or far you need to push the shift button to actuate a shift. You either push a button or you don’t. You can’t miss a shift or over shift an electronic drivetrain.
Electronic drivetrains also offer a setting that allows you to ride without worrying about shifting the front derailleur. For example, Shimano offers ‘Synchronized Shift’ or Synchro mode and Sram offers ‘Sequential’ mode. Recently, Campagnolo introduced their own sequential mode to their EPS drivetrains.
These high-tech systems allow the system to shift the front derailleur for you as you shift through the gear range Simultaneously, the system shifts the rear derailleur a few gears to compensate. When this mode is enabled, the right shift button moves you into a harder gear and the left button moves you into an easier gear. You don’t have to worry about which chainring to use. This system gives you the efficiency and gear range of a 2x drivetrain with the ease of use of a 1x drivetrain. I’ll talk more in-depth about this system in the following section.
The benefit of simpler and more intuitive shifting is that you can focus your mind on more important things like maintaining your cadence, producing pedaling power, choosing a line, cornering, and simply enjoying the view. There are fewer decisions to make so you can focus on riding your bike. You’re less likely to make a mistake when you’re completely exhausted. Simpler shifting is also helpful for beginners who sometimes forget which shifter to use.
3. You Can Customize Electronic Shifting
Because electronic groupsets are controlled by a computer and software instead of mechanical parts, they offer a great deal of customization. Shimano, Sram, and Campagnolo all offer smartphone and computer apps that allow you to make the customizations to your electronic shifting. Shimano’s app is called E-Tube, Sram’s is called AXS, and Campagnolo’s is called My Campy.
With these apps, you can control the number of gears that the drivetrain shifts when you hold the shift button. For example, you can set your shifter to shift one gear at a time, burst through several gears, or shift through your entire gear range. You can also control the speed that the system shifts through the gears. These settings allow you to find the correct gear more quickly and easily.
Shimano Di2 electronic groupsets allow you to map different shifter functions to any button you choose. For example, you can choose which hand controls which derailleur. Maybe you’re left-handed so you want to control the rear derailleur with your left hand. You can do that. You can swap upshift and downshift buttons. Newer Sram eTap AXS and Campagnolo EPS systems also allow you to customize button functions as well, though not as much as Shimano.
Sram eTap, Shimano Di2, and Campagnolo EPS electronic drivetrains with multiple chainrings offer a mode that partially automates your shifting. When this mode is enabled, the groupset automatically shifts the front derailleur for you at predetermined points in the gear range. When the front derailleur shifts, the rear derailleur simultaneously shifts a gear or two to compensate so you can better maintain your cadence. As mentioned above, Shimano calls this Synchronized shifting and Sram calls it Sequential shifting.
These automated shifting modes offer several benefits. The main one being ease of use. You get to enjoy the simplicity of a 1x drivetrain with the gear range and jumps of a 2x drivetrain. When using this mode, one button shifts up and one button shifts down. That’s all you have to remember. You never need to think about which chainring you’re using because the drivetrain chooses the best one for you. You don’t have to think about where you are in the gear range. This mode also helps you maintain a straighter chainline because you can’t cross-chain. The system also skips duplicate gears. In addition, chainring shifts feel smoother because the rear derailleur performs a compensation shift. This helps you maintain your cadence.
You can also fine-tune Synchronized or Sequential mode using your groupset’s app. You can select exactly at which gear your front derailleur shifts. In addition, you can set different shift points while upshifting and downshifting. If you like to ride at a high cadence, you may prefer to stay in the small chainring longer. If you want more torque, you may want to spend more time riding on the big chainring. You can also select the number of gears that the rear derailleur shifts to compensate. You can customize the exact shift pattern if you wish.
There is also a Semi Synchro (Shimano) or Compensating (Sram) mode. This mode lets you control the front derailleur. When you shift from one chainring to the other, the rear derailleur shifts one, two, or three cogs for you simultaneously to compensate. This helps you smoothly transition between chainrings so you can better maintain your cadence.
Shimano offers a bar end junction box with a button. You can use this button to switch between manual, synchronized, and semi-synchronized modes as you ride. The system allows you to set up to 5 custom gearing presets. You can press the button to switch through them as you ride. This way, you can test different gearing customization to find the most efficient and comfortable one. Sram allows you to switch between shift modes on their app.
Electronic shifting software is also constantly improving. You can update your system’s firmware to the newest version to take advantage of new features and customizations as they are released. With improved software, your electronic shifting system can become faster, more efficient, and more precise over time.
4. Electronic Shifting Requires Less Maintenance
After the initial setup, electronic drivetrains require pretty much no maintenance. They just work. You don’t need to worry about adjusting derailleur limits and indexing. You don’t have to adjust or replace cables. Everything stays adjusted. As long as the derailleurs, shifters, and wires don’t get damaged in an accident, you can ride 10s of thousands of miles without having to adjust your electronic drivetrain. The only unique maintenance you have to do is keeping the battery charged. You may also want to update the firmware when a new version is released, though this isn’t required to use the system.
Of course, you still need to take care of regular maintenance like keeping your chain and gears clean and well lubricated. You must also keep an eye on your chain, cassette, and chainring wear and replace them when necessary. These jobs are the same regardless of which type of drivetrain you use. It is easier to keep an electronic drivetrain clean because you don’t need to worry about removing debris from cable housings, mechanical linkages, or shifters.
Because electronic derailleurs never need to be adjusted, it is easy to ignore or forget to perform regular maintenance. The bike may still shift fine, even though your chain is worn out. If you ride too far with a worn-out chain, you can cause your cassette and chainring to wear out prematurely. Your bike will become less efficient as well if you don’t clean your drivetrain often enough. With a mechanical drivetrain, you know it’s time to do maintenance when your shifting performance starts to decline. When using an electronic drivetrain, remember to keep on top of regular maintenance even though your shifting still works perfectly.
5. Electronic Drivetrains Shift Faster
Electronic shifting is faster than mechanical shifting. For example, Campagnolo claims that “shift times are now 25% faster that than the mechanical rear derailleur (taking just 0.352 seconds to swap sprockets)”. Campagnolo EPS offers the fastest shifting followed by Shimano DI2. Sram’s eTap system shifts the slowest. Wired electronic drivetrains shift slightly faster than wireless.
Electronic drivetrains also allow you to shift from one side of the cassette to the other much faster than mechanical drivetrains. You can press and hold the shift button and the derailleur will shift from one end of the gear range to the other. Campagnolo’s EPS electronic groupsets can shift up or down up to 12 cogs at a time. With a mechanical drivetrain, you would need to continuously push the shift lever to move through that many gears at once.
The benefit of faster shifting is that it allows you to more easily and quickly find the gear that you need. This helps you maintain your cadence. Every time you shift up, your cadence slows down because pedaling becomes harder. A faster shift allows you to get back into your optimal cadence just a little bit faster. It’s less of an interruption. This improves efficiency and helps you maintain a slightly faster average speed.
6. Electronic Groupsets can have Multiple Shift Locations
Both Di2 and Etap electronic shift systems allow you to install additional shift buttons. These are often called accessory or satellite shifters. You can install satellite shifters anywhere on the handlebars. For example, if you’re a sprinter, you could install a second set of shift buttons in the drops. If you climb hills often, you can install a second set of shift buttons at the top of the bars near the stem. If you use aero bars, you can install shift buttons on the ends of the bars. This way, you can shift without having to re-position your hands or body. Of course, you can also always shift with the familiar shift paddles that are integrated with the brakes.
A number of satellite shifter styles are available. Shimano offers a Climbing Switch’that is designed to mount anywhere on the handlebars. In addition, Shimano offers Sprint Shifters’ that can be mounted anywhere on the drops. Sram also offers a couple of styles of satellite shifters. Blips and MultiClicks can mount anywhere on the bars. Blips can even mount under the bar tape. Satellite shifters plug into the integrated brakes/shifter levers with a wire so the whole system can communicate.
Mechanical shifting makes it impossible to have multiple shift locations because a cable must run from the shifter to the derailleur. You can’t have two cables controlling one derailleur because they would work against each other. With electronic shifting, the whole system can communicate so one shifter doesn’t interfere with another.
7. Electronic Drivetrains Can Collect Data
Cycling nerds love collecting data about their ride. Some use a GPS head unit to track their distance, speed, and elevation change. Some use a power meter to track their power output. Others track their heart rate.
Electronic drivetrains allows you to collect even more data about your ride. For example, you can track how much time you spend riding in each cog, when you shift, and how many shifts you make. This data can help you select the ideal tooth counts for your cassette and gear ratios for your drivetrain. You can also track this data over time to to see how your fitness improves. You can’t collect this kind of data with a mechanical groupset.
The Sram eTap AXS system can use Bluetooth, a compatible head unit, and ANT+ to save your drivetrain data to a FIT file. This file includes a shift profile. You can then use a number of applications to analyze that data.
Shimano’s Di2 system can connect with some compatible GPS devices. This allows you to track some data during your ride. For example, you can view your gear ratios and gear selection as well as check your battery life on the GPS screen. You can control your GPS with buttons on top of the brake hoods. You can program different screens to show different data.
8. Electronic Shifting is More Consistent
Electronic drivetrains shift exactly the same way every time you push the shift button. Shifting is much more consistent. This is possible for three main reasons.
First, electronic drivetrains are controlled by electric motors and software. These are much more precise and consistent than your fingers. The system can time each shift so it occurs when the ramps and pins on the chainrings are in the correct positions. This way, you always get a smooth shift. With a mechanical drivetrain, you can shift at the wrong time and grind gears or drop your chain.
Next, user error is much less likely with an electronic drivetrain. For example, you can’t accidentally move the shift lever too far and skip a gear or not push the lever far enough and miss a shift. An electronic shifter is just a button. You either push it or you don’t. If properly adjusted, it can’t push your chain too far or not far enough. Chain drops are less likely for this reason.
Because electronic shifters operate with a wire or wirelessly, you don’t have to worry about your shifting being affected by excess friction in the system. There are fewer moving parts. Shifter cables on mechanical groupsets can get rusty, crimped, contaminated with dirt and debris, or bent due to poor cable routing. Mechanical shifters can also get contaminated with debris. This creates friction which makes the shift rough, slow, and less predictable.
Electronic derailleurs also do not require adjustment after they are set up because there is no cable to stretch or wear. All of your gears always work as they are supposed to. With mechanical drivetrains, sometimes one gear doesn’t want to work. Maybe the cable tension or derailleur position isn’t adjusted just right. Maybe the indexing is off. This can make your shifting finicky or rough.
9. Electronic Groupsets Perform Better in Dirty Conditions
When using an electronic drivetrain, you don’t have to worry as much about mud, sand, dust, water, snow, or other contaminants affecting your shifting. The shifting doesn’t degrade when your bike gets a bit dirty. The reason is that electronic drivetrains have fewer moving parts. Solid-state electronic parts aren’t affected by dirt.
For example, electronic shifters are simple electrical switches. There are no moving parts that can get contaminated or gummed up. You also don’t have to worry about friction between cables and housings due to debris because the system operates electronically either with wires or wirelessly. In addition, electronic derailleurs are less affected by contaminants than mechanical models. The reason is that there are no mechanical linkages, cable linkages, or ratchet mechanisms that can get compromised by dirt. Electronic derailleur units are mostly sealed so debris stays out. For these reasons, electronic groupsets are preferable for riding in dirty, dusty, wet, or sandy conditions.
10. Electric Drivetrains Offer Better, More Precise Shifting
Electronic drivetrains use software and electric motors to control precisely how the derailleurs move when you shift. This helps you shift quickly and accurately every time. You’re not relying on mechanical parts and your fingers controlling the shift.
Electronic drivetrains improve shifting by allowing the front and rear derailleurs to communicate. The system can adjust the placement of the front derailleur depending on the rear cog you’re using. For example, Sram’s eTap system overshifts the front derailleur slightly when shifting from the small to the large chainring. This ensures that the chain makes the jump quickly. Immediately after the chain moves, the derailleur moves back into its regular position. When shifting from the large to the small chainring, Sram eTap derailleurs move just enough to push the chain down. Immediately after the shift, the derailleur moves back a bit. This prevents the chain from dropping between the chainring and frame.
Exactly how the derailleurs move depends on which gears you’re using. The electronic groupset makes the adjustment for you. For example, if you want to shift from the small to the large chainring while you’re using a large cassette cog, the rear derailleur tells the system which gear it’s in. This way, the front derailleur will know that it needs to overshift more so the chain will make the jump. If you’re using a small cassette cog, the front derailleur might not need to overshift at all. These minor adjustments result in faster and smoother shifting.
Shimano has a slightly different system for their Dura Ace and Ultegra Di2 groupsets. The front and rear derailleurs are programmed to move the chain exactly where it needs to be for every possible combination of gears. This way, the derailleurs are always in the ideal position every time you shift.
When you shift a mechanical drivetrain from one chainring to the other, the front derailleur always behaves the same way, regardless of which cog you’re using. Usually, it works fine. When you’re riding in the extreme high and low ends of your cassette, the front derailleur can be a bit finicky. You also have to make sure that your derailleurs are properly adjusted for shifting to be accurate and smooth.
11. Electric Drivetrains are Reliable and Durable
Electronic drivetrains have fewer moving parts than mechanical drivetrains. This means there are fewer parts that can wear out or fail. This makes electronic drivetrains incredibly reliable and durable.
For example, electronic shifters are simple electric switches. There are no moving parts inside. Mechanical shifters, on the other hand, have multiple moving parts that can wear out, get clogged with debris, and eventually fail. There are fewer moving parts in electronic derailleurs and linkages as well. The wires which connect the shifters to the derailleurs can last indefinitely as long as they aren’t damaged in an accident. There are no levers or ratchets on the derailleurs. just a simple electric servo motor.
Some cyclists instinctively worry about causing damage to their electronic drivetrain by getting it wet. After all, water and electronics don’t mix well. Luckily, this isn’t something you really need to worry about. Manufacturers know that you’ll be riding in the rain, through puddles, in the mud, and in the snow. They design the electronic components accordingly. Electric drivetrains are designed to be completely weatherproof. For example, Campagnolo EPS shifters, derailleurs, batteries, and connections all have an IP 67 waterproof rating. They are reliable in all weather conditions.
Having said that, you probably shouldn’t power wash or submerge your bike if you have an electronic drivetrain installed. Chances are it will survive, but it’s not worth the risk. You can safely hose it down without worry.
12. Electronic Shifting is Smoother
Electronic drivetrains can time the shift to take place at the ideal point in the rotation of the chainring or cassette cog. This is possible thanks to the central computer that controls the system. This allows electronic drivetrains to shift more smoothly and quickly than mechanical drivetrains.
To assist with shifting, chainrings have ramps, pins, and cutouts located at specific shift points on the rings. These features make it easier for the chain to jump from one ring to the next when you shift. By timing the shift, electronic drivetrains can easily make the transition from one gear to the next. Mechanical shifters, on the other hand, can’t always take advantage of these features. Sometimes you make a rough shift and grind your chain on a gear.
With a smoother shift, you can maintain your cadence better so you don’t lose as much momentum after a shift. This way, you spend more time cycling at your ideal cadence, which is more efficient. It’s also easier on your knees and hips. In addition, smoother shifting is easier on your drivetrain components. You won’t hear any grinding noises or loud clunks when shifting. Your components may last slightly longer as well.
13. Better and Easier Cable Routing
These days, many road bike manufactures have begun integrating the cables into the bike’s frame. The goal of hiding the cables in the frame is to improve aerodynamics by reducing wind resistance. Aerodynamics play a major role in your speed and efficiency while cycling.
Electronic drivetrains allow for better and easier cable routing. This is possible because the path of the wires that send signals between the shifters and derailleurs doesn’t matter. You don’t have to worry about sharp curves because there is no moving cable inside. You don’t have to worry about the length of the wire because the electrical signal travels at the speed of light.
Sram eliminated the cable problem altogether by introducing a completely wireless groupset. Sram eTap groupsets send shift signals to the derailleurs with Sram’s proprietary protocol called AIREA. There are no wires or cables at all.
13. No Chain Rub
Shimano Di2 and Campagnolo EPS electronic shifting systems automatically adjust the front derailleur when you shift the rear derailleur. This way, the chain never rubs on the side plates. When you shift the rear derailleur, you’ll sometimes hear the front derailleur moving slightly to accommodate for the new chain angle.
Sram designs their eTap electronic drivetrains in a way that makes it impossible for the chain to rub on the front derailleur plates no matter what combination of chainring and rear sprocket you’re using.
Eliminating chain rub improves efficiency by reducing the friction in your drivetrain. It also reduces wear and tear on your chain.
15. Electronic Shifting is Easier for People with Disabilities to Use
Electronic shifting makes it possible for people with physical disabilities to ride a bicycle. There are two reasons for this. First, the shift buttons can be mounted anywhere on the handlebars. For example, a person who is missing an arm may need both shift buttons positioned next to their remaining hand. This is possible with satellite shifters. For example, some Wounded Warriors ride recumbent bikes that are outfitted with electronic shifting systems for this reason.
Electronic shift buttons are also easier to operate than mechanical shifters. This is nice for those with dexterity issues. They can more easily press a button than operate a mechanical shifter because pressing a button requires less precise hand movement. You can’t half push a button or push it too hard. This is also nice if you’re riding in gloves or with cold hands. You can still push the shit buttons if you can’t feel them.
16. Electronic Shifting is More Efficient
Electronic shifters save you energy in several ways. First, it takes less energy to shift because electric buttons are easier to push than mechanical levers. You don’t have to move your hands as far in order to shift thanks to satellite shifters. You can also perform multiple shifts in one hand motion. Synchronized or semi-synchronized shifting allows you to maintain a better cadence by selecting the ideal chainring for you and compensating by shifting the rear derailleur. This makes the steps between gears feel smaller. It also helps you maintain a better chainline by eliminating the chance of cross-chaining. Electronic drivetrains make shifts faster and smoother as well. This also helps you maintain your cadence. In addition, electronic drivetrains reduce chain rub. All of these features help you save energy.
Admittedly, many of these efficiency advantages only offer marginal gains. During a long ride, these small gains add up. If you ride competitively, every little bit of energy savings matters. Electronic drivetrains allow you to ride further using less energy. The increased efficiency also allows you to maintain a slightly higher average speed.
17. Looks
Electronic drivetrains allow for a cleaner looking bike. The main reason is that the wires can be easily hidden in the bike’s frame. Sram eTap groupsets operate completely wirelessly so there are no wires at all. This makes for a sleeker looking bike.
At this time, all electronic groupsets are high-end. They are flagship products that are made from high-end materials with premium finishes. Shimano Di2 and Campagnolo EPS groupsets, in particular, are works of art. The finishes on the derailleurs and cranksets are beautiful.
18. More technologically advanced
Electronic groupsets offer the newest and most advanced technology in cycling. The reason is that most professional cyclists use electronic shifting these days. Because they are used in racing, an enormous amount of research and development goes into making the fastest, most precise, and most efficient electronic shifting system possible. For example, Shimano spent the better part of a decade testing and perfecting their Di2 groupset before releasing a commercial version.
These days, the most advanced groupsets are all electronic. Sram doesn’t even bother releasing mechanical versions of their top-of-the-line groupsets anymore. Pretty much all high-end road bikes and gravel bikes come with electronic drivetrains.
Generally, Sram eTap electronic drivetrains offer the most bleeding-edge technology. They offer wireless shifting as well as 12 gearing with 1x options on all of their eTap groupsets. Shimano tends to offer slightly older tech that is tried and true.
Electronic Shifting Cons
