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I’ve been riding Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8050 for over 20,000 km. It was my first electronic groupset, and I transitioned from Shimano 105 2×11spd. So, what’s my experience, and would I recommend it?
KEY TAKEAWAY
I can recommend the Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8050 disc groupset with all ten. In addition to smooth shifting, it offers sufficient braking power and durability. I especially like the programmable buttons, which make shifting easy in the aero position. I also find its hoods more ergonomic than those of the upcoming generation Ultegra R8100 or SRAM eTap (before their redesign in 2023).
On the other hand, it has more limited gear ratios than SRAM, and the electric cables from the shifters to the FD and RD make the bike build more complicated. Another weakness of this groupset is the design of the cranks, which often failed in some versions.
Shimano Ultegra R8050 Summary
Shimano Ultegra R8050 Pros
- Hidden programmable buttons
- Almost maintenance free
- Excellent shifting and braking performance
- Customizable shifting modes
- Long battery life
- Ergonomic shifters
Shimano Ultegra R8050 Cons
- Limited gear ratios compared to SRAM
- Wired routing from the shifters to FD and RD
- Programming the groupset requires a wired connection unless you buy a wireless module
- Disc brake clearance could be larger
- Questionable cranks quality (2023 cranks recall)
My Experience with Ultegra R8050
Prior to this groupset, I rode a Shimano 105 2×11spd (R7000) mechanical rim groupset for several years. Switching from mechanical to disc electronic was a huge leap forward. Not that mechanical groups shift badly, but the convenience of electronic sets is easy to get used to.
The convenience lies in the ease of changing gears with the click of a button and the almost no need to adjust the shifting due to pulled cables. In over 2 years, I’ve never had to touch the Ultegra RD or FD. I’ve only ever worried about changing the chain.
For me, one of the top functionalities of the Ultegra is the hidden buttons on the top of the shifters. These can be programmed using the e-Tube app. I don’t have the wireless module, so I had to do the setup using my laptop wired. On the newer generation Ultegra (R8100), this setup can already be done wirelessly as the R8100 has Bluetooth connectivity.
In terms of performance, it’s probably no surprise that the Ultegra works great. This is true both when shifting in the front and the rear. Only about once did I have a chain fall off, and that was on a very rough road. While testing the Magene P505 spider power meter, the chain fell off quite regularly due to the slightly different variance between the chainrings. The chain dropping stopped once I swapped back from SRAM to Shimano cranks.
Regarding the durability of the individual components, I usually ride a whole season on one chain, about 6000 km. I haven’t replaced the cassette yet, even after 20k km, because I rotate multiple cassettes. The derailleurs and battery are also in good condition. I recharge the battery once every 2-3 months, depending on the number of km ridden.
Ironically, I find Ultegra R8050 shifters more ergonomic than the new-gen wireless shifters on Ultegra R8100, which house the cell coin battery and are thus slightly larger and more angular. R8050 shifters are also more ergonomic than the SRAM eTap AXS before being redesigned into smaller ones on the SRAM Force AXS 2023.
The last thing I want to mention is the disc brake clearance. I test many road bike wheels, so I change the wheels often. Unfortunately, their tolerances differ, so I must adjust the brake calipers. Their clearance is not large, so the adjustment is sometimes frustrating.
Shimano Cranksets Recall
This review wouldn’t be complete without a comment on the cranksets’ build quality. If you’ve been living under a rock, there was a huge recall of Shimano cranks last year due to frequent failures resulting from poor design. There’s a great Instagram account @thanksshimano where Shimano fiascos are shared.
Fortunately, my type of crank was not the subject of this recall, but I didn’t like the approach of Shimano, who knew about the problems and did nothing for years. Lots of people could get badly injured if their crankset failed, for example, while sprinting. The design of Shimano cranks is probably the biggest weakness of this set. Shimano seems to have solved this problem with the upcoming generation, as reports of failures are not nearly as common as with this generation.
Shifting Modes Explained
Shimano Di2 groupsets offer a feature called synchro shift, which is further divided into full, semi, and no synchro shift. I admit that I haven’t found the automatic modes to be much to my liking; I rather rely on my skills in manual mode. However, I think it is important to at least mention them in the context of the review.
In full synchro mode, the front derailleur shifts itself when needed. In semi-synchro mode, the rear derailleur shifts along with the front derailleur to compensate for the gear change. To learn more about this, I recommend reading this guide on bettershifting.com.
Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8050 Technical Specifications
Below, I list the Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8050 disc groupset specifications.
Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8050 Technical Specifications
- Gears: 2×11spd
- Overall weight: ~2200g
- Launch price: ~$1700
- My configuration: 11-30T cassette, 50-34T chainrings, 175mm cranks, disc brakes (160 and 140mm)
Conclusion
The Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8050 is among the best groupsets ever despite its higher price tag of around $1800. Even though it was introduced in 2017, it is still competitive in 2024 compared to newer groups in terms of shifting speed and reliability. On the other hand, it only offers 2×11spd and is fully wired, unlike the semi-wired Ultegra R8100 or fully wireless SRAM eTap groupsets.
