Shimano Di2 Battery Saga

The battery for my electronic shifters stopped charging. This is very annoying. I’ve only had the bike for 16 months!

My Canyon Endurace came with the Shimano Di2 system. It provides electronic shifting and it’s really cool. Shifting is always crisp; there’s no need to adjust the derailleurs or worry about worn cables. It just works. Except when it doesn’t.

The weather this winter has been unusually warm. Last weekend there was a nice day so I decided to go for a ride. It was more than a month since my last ride so I connected the charger to ensure the shifting battery was topped off overnight. When I got to the trail, I quickly discovered that the shifters weren’t working. I turned around and went home.

I spent a couple of days tinkering with the system, inspecting cables, ensuring nothing had come loose. I connected the junction box to my computer and ran the Etube software to see if it could tell me what was wrong. I thought the battery must have gone bad, but it could have been the charger, or the junction box, or a cable. I checked the Shimano web site for warranty service and the closest place was REI. So I took my bike to REI. They were completely unprepared to do the diagnostic work. After struggling with their computer for 30+ minutes they finally told me that their Di2 expert at REI in Woodbridge could help me. That’s a really long drive. I said no thanks, I’ll find some other place.

On my way home, I passed the Trek bike shop. It’s the closest shop to my house and I’ve shopped there lots of times. I didn’t go there first because the Shimano site did not list that Trek shop as a place to get Shimano service. But I decided to try my luck there. The mechanic there knew what he was doing; he had the right equipment; he diagnosed the problem (battery), got a replacement battery from another Trek store, and had my bike ready the next day. And there was no bill because it was warranty service.

In conclusion:

• That battery should have lasted a LOT longer.
• Shimano needs to get their act together with the batteries and the web sites that show where to get Shimano service.
• I like REI; I’ve gotten lots of stuff there; I won’t bring my bike there again.
• Trek in Fairfax did a great job.

By the way, I really like my bike!