Shimano has confirmed that its Dura-Ace Di2 shift levers are now able to act as remote controls for external devices such as bike computers. Want to flick between data screens and your navigation without taking a hand off the hood? Soon you'll be able to.
Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 9070 electronic shifters have been specced with a button on top of the unit, under the rubber hood, since they were launched in 2012, and we've already discussed their practical use with Shimano and Garmin.
Now a software update, coupled with Shimano's wireless D-Fly unit (introduced earlier this year) means these buttons finally have a use – controlling compatible bike computers while maintaining full control of steering – a development that fits within Shimano’s 'stress-free riding concept'.
Shimano's release states that “It is up to the developers of the external devices, such as cycle computers, to design the exact features that the buttons control.”
There's therefore no official compatibility list, but we would expect Garmin to be among the first to update software to make use of this handy feature, which is appearing at the same time as thick winter gloves are making touch screens a pain in the northern hemisphere.
The design is similar to Shimano's old Flight Deck platform, which allowed communication with the Japanese company's own head unit thanks to buttons on the inside edge of the brake levers that were wired into the computer mount. Such units were the first to give riders information on what gear they currently had selected.
There could be other applications too, such as changing resistance on turbo trainers or interacting with cycling apps.
We'll have info on third party compatibility as soon as we hear more. In the meantime, check out our discussions with Garmin about the idea.
Would you make use of the new external control? Let us know via the comments below!
via BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/1vM0c6E
No comments:
Post a Comment