This is the most I have EVER spent on a drive train. There let me get that shock out of the way. It’s definitely not cheap and is it really a must have or a huge upgrade from a basic cabled system?
The short answer, nope but it is smoooooooth!
Read on for the longer answer.. but ohhh it sure is purdy.
To start off with the full kit comes in X01 and XX1 versions and includes rainbow chain, 10t-50t rainbow cassette, electronic shifter/derailleur, battery, charger, dub carbon cranks and dub bottom bracket.
You can also buy the shifter and derailleur separately now, but surely still not cheap!
The first thing I noticed once installed was how EASY it was to do it. No cable to run, just align shifter where you want and pair with the derailleur aka Bluetooth pairing. You also need to install an app on your phone for initial setup, and that allows you to set other options if you care to. Once that’s done the app isn’t needed anymore.
Since it doesn’t have a barrel adjuster, you just use the pairing button to make the micro adjustments. It was pretty simple to get it set up.
The battery life is actually really good! I thought I’d have to worry about now much battery was left, but I charge it maybe once a month for my 2-3 rides per week rides. On average I would say I get around 175 miles per charge. Incidentally, charging only takes about 1.5 hrs.max.