[ak217]

Is it really that hard to believe that mechanical shifters are less reliable than electronic ones? I've lost count of the number of cables my shifters have eaten over the years. We're talking about a clockwork-like ratchet handling a cable under many pounds of tension going through many twists and turns, moving hundreds of times per ride, and very hard to access for maintenance. To me it's pretty clear that regardless of Shimano's mistakes, electronic shifting is the way forward.

[PaulDavisThe1st]

I've never had a shifting cable break on me (despite being an ultra-marathon and touring cyclist for 20-30 years, bike commuter for 15+ years, and more). I don't know what you mean by "very hard to access for maintenance" - the most maintenance I ever do is maybe add a few drops of lube inside any able housing once every few years. The cable and ratchet do not really interact with each other.

Electronic shifting involves non-user-repairable and definitely not-on-the-road maintenance, which for me personally is a negative (even though it is true that I would likely not be able to repair a cable issue on the road.