[bahador]

i've ridden single speed exclusively for ever a decade. first as a commuter, then fixed in a velodrome, and now freewheel in the mountains. i recently built my first geared bike since my first "real" bike i got as a teenager. it uses shimano xt di2 2x11 on onyx hubs. it's absolutely silent except for the shifts, which sound robotic. it's pretty fantastic. it was the only way i could get along with derailleurs, as i experienced the same problems you mentioned above. my commuter now has a shimano nexus 3 igh, and that's pretty great too.

[jacquesm]

Most indexed systems work just fine. Di2 is nice but a luxury imo, and the parts are just crazy expensive.

Electric shifting is at this point in time more of a status symbol than an actual solution.

[bennyelv]

Not if your bike gets serious miles on it. The rate at which I got through gear cables and outers before DI2 was quite extreme. To keep good shifting I'd have to change the both at least every 2 months, and ideally do a strip down and deep clean on the derailleur.

Not to mention the constant adjustments of cable tension as the cables stretch.

With DI2 I've not adjusted or stripped down for a good 2 years and I still have perfect shifting.

[jacquesm]

That's an interesting observation. What conditions do you ride in?

I cycle a lot (more than anybody that I know personally except for my brother) and tend do do years with cables and shifters. Cable stretch requires the occasional twist of the tensioners but that's no big deal.

I can see how for you Di2 is not a luxury though. Really curious about your mileage and other contributing factors.