Shimano has announced the expansion of its synchronized shifting firmware, which first came on the market with the introduction of its Dura-Ace 9100 groupset, is now available for the company’s Ultegra 6800-series and Dura-Ace 9000 Di2 groupsets.
The synchronized shifting option comes together with the new BT-DN110 battery. This contains a memory chip that can handle the processing power required to deal with the multiple shift patterns and customizations that Synchronized Shifting brings.
These new features are accessible in combination with the new battery as well as the compatible front derailleur (FD-6870/FD-9070/FD-9150) or rear derailleurs (RD-6870/RD-9070/RD-9150). The necessary firmware can be downloaded either by a cable connection to a PC, or via Bluetooth from your tablet or smart phone to the components.
What is Synchronized Shifting?
Shimano introduced synchronized shifting to allow riders to concentrate on only up or down shifting the rear derailleur. The Di2 system automatically picks the right gear combination from both the front and the rear derailleur. Even in synchronized shift mode riders still have full control over the front derailleur. It is designed to complement rather than replace manual shifting.
How do I get it?
To receive the benefits of synchronized shifting you’ll need the new battery (BT-DN110) which differs from the regular battery in that it has a memory chip required for the processing power needed to offer the multiple shifting patterns.
You’ll also need a firmware update to make it work, which you can download either by Bluetooth or connecting the Di2 junction box to a computer. If you have the new battery and the firmware updated successfully, you can toggle between the two synchronized shifting modes by pressing the junction box button twice, with the lighting sequence below indicating which mode you’re in:
“Each mode is customizable in E-TUBE, meaning you can choose different combinations and customized shift patterns if you wish (for example, two semi-Synchronized Shift modes offering different ‘correction’ shifts, or two full Synchronized Shift modes that assign a front derailleur command on differing sprockets),” says Shimano.
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