Hands-on with the new Shimano 105 Di2 R7100 groupset – unboxing and real weights
From BikeRadar.com
By Paul Norman
We’ve finally got our hands on Shimano’s latest 105 Di2 R7100 groupset and weighed all the shiny bits and pieces
Shimano’s new 105 Di2 groupset adds a long-anticipated third tier to the brand’s electronic shifting. Sitting below Dura-Ace R9200 and Ultegra R8100, it shares a lot of tech with those two groupsets, just with slightly fewer flashy materials and increased weight.
It’s that weight we’re going to focus on here – Shimano supplied claimed weights for all the components when Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed was launched back in June 2022. Now we’ve got a complete groupset in for review and we’ve started off by putting everything on the scales to find out how much each component actually weighs
Shimano 105 Di2 R7100: a primer
Here’s a run-down of key features that Shimano 105 Di2 has to offer.
First up, it’s semi-wireless with a non-wired connection between the shifters and the rear derailleur driving shifting.
The shifters lose some functionality seen on Ultegra and Dura-Ace, such as a third button and the option to add satellite shifters.
In compensation, 105 Di2 levers have space for two coin cells rather than one, doubling battery life.
There are 50/34t or 52/36t chainset options with a wide range of crank lengths, but there’s no power meter.
That’s paired with cassettes offering 11-34t or 11-36t range, although without the faster-shifting and smoother Hyperglide+ technology of Ultegra and Dura-Ace.
Like those groupsets, 105 Di2 uses brake rotors and chain borrowed from Shimano’s mountain bike groupsets – in this case SLX.
The new 105 Di2 groupset doesn’t offer rim brakes and its disc brakes don’t have the Servowave tech of its more expensive siblings, but as with them, the brake pads retract 10 per cent further, so you should get less brake rub.
Image courtesy of Shimano
