Tech Specs: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200
Price: £3,631.87 / $4,398.86
Speeds: 2×12
Chainrings: 54/40T, 50/34T, 52/36T
Cassettes: 11-30T, 11-34T
Brakes: Disc only 140mm or 160mm rotor options
Function: Semi-wireless, electronic only
Weight: 2471g weighed with a 50/34 crank, 11-34T cassette, and dual 160mm rotors
As I write this, Shimano Dura-Ace is sitting in the number one place in our best road bike groupsets buyers guide. We have it listed as the best road bike groupset currently available in the short to medium term at least, that is unlikely to drastically change. There’s an argument that SRAM RED AXS could occupy the top spot but it’s been years since anyone else was a contender. Shimano is also far more common than SRAM even as the American brand has started to chip away at Shimano market dominance over the last few years.
Despite that market dominance, this review is being written years after Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 first came to market. Although I’m happy for the opportunity to revisit something with the benefit of time on my side, it does also point to struggles that Shimano has seen. First it was impossible to get your hands on Shimano products, then the brand went through a huge recall, and finally the latest GRX failed to make the splash the brand was hoping for.
With all that as the backdrop, I now get to highlight an exceptional product. Whatever headlines might stick in your mind, make no mistake, Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 is the stuff of dreams. If you care about road bikes, this is a groupset you absolutely lust over. The only questions that remain are details and what it’s like in day-to-day use. If you are trying to decide which direction to go with an upcoming dream build, keep reading to see my thoughts on choosing Dura-Ace having used it a lot.
Design and aesthetics
Looking back at the previous generation of Dura-Ace, it feels like another timeline at this point. When Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 hit the market it did so with a big splash. You can still buy rim brake controls but the brakes themselves haven’t been updated and Di2, synonymous with electronic shifting, is your only option now. A big part of that is that Shimano has followed in the footsteps of FSA and Dura-Ace is now a semi wireless system.
Semi wireless means that the controls use a CR1632 coin-style battery (lasting up to two years) to…
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