Installing and Adjusting the New Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra 12-Speed Groupsets

The new Shimano 12-speed groupsets (Dura-Ace and Ultegra) raise the bar again for electronic drivetrains in terms of precision, speed, and customization options. But they are also simpler to install and adjust than previous versions.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr / ©Shimano

Contents:

1. Wireless communication now between the shifters and the derailleurs
2. Installing Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 12-speed groupsets: what stays the same
3. Installing the cassette
4. Installing the chain
5. The rear derailleur, the heart of the system
6. Connecting to the E-Tube Project app
7. Adjusting the derailleurs
8. A braking system that is also simpler to install
9. In which cases are the new Di2 groupsets installed with electrical wires?
10. Very similar weights between the Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 groupsets
11. Compatibility between Ultegra and Dura-Ace 12- and 11-speed groupsets

=> SEE ALSO: New Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 groupsets: wireless 12-speed electronic drivetrains for disc or rim brakes

1.Wireless communication now between the shifters and the derailleurs

With their new 12-speed Dura-Ace and Ultegra groupsets, Shimano took a risk that may ruffle some feathers by offering both versions only with Di2 electronic shifting. Gone are the cable-operated front and rear derailleurs, and a new step toward the future in terms of speed, precision, and shifting comfort.

=> SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Shimano Di2

While the Japanese brand continues to offer Di2 groupsets with rim brakes in its lineup, those do not get the full range of technological advances found on the disc brake groupsets. Indeed, one of the main innovations of the 12-speed Dura-Ace and Ultegra disc groupsets is wireless communication between the shifters and the derailleurs, which cleans up the cockpit and greatly simplifies drivetrain installation. Only the derailleurs are connected by an electrical wire to the battery, which is housed in the seatpost of the bike. The battery is lighter (51 g), and above all the electrical cables are thinner and lighter than the 11-speed versions (15 g), and they route fairly easily, and quickly, inside the frame.

This wireless communication means the Di2 battery lasts less long than with wires. Shimano quotes a range of about 1,000 km before the derailleurs need recharging, but in practice we managed to push to 2,000 km during our test, and there was still about 20% of charge left.

In place of electrical wires, there are two CR1632 coin cells on top of the shifters, with an announced life of about 18 months, which we have not been able to verify yet.

2.Installing Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 12-speed groupsets: what stays the same

The bottom bracket, crankset, rotor, and shifter installations do not change from previous groupsets, or compared with any other groupset on the market. The same goes for placement of the front and rear derailleurs.

=> SEE ALSO: Frames and cranksets: understanding bottom bracket standards and compatibility

The derailleur can be mounted with a traditional derailleur hanger or with a direct mount (Direct Mount), using the hanger supplied to replace the frame’s own. This setup offers more stiffness to the system, and therefore more precise shifting.

The new rotors are still on the Center Lock standard. The locking ring system (and therefore the tool needed to secure the rotor) depends on the wheel.

3.Installing the cassette

The 12-speed cassettes for Dura-Ace and Ultegra have the same width as the previous 11-speed versions, which means they can be fitted to all existing wheels with a 10/11-speed freehub body. However, they come with small additional splines, with cutouts found only on the cassette body of the new Dura-Ace wheels. These can therefore only take a Dura-Ace or Ultegra 12-speed cassette, and nothing else. The purpose of this system is to provide a better grip of the cassette on the body, and therefore better longitudinal stiffness during accelerations and sprints. Note that this feature does not apply to the new Ultegra wheels, which remain compatible with 11-speed cassettes.

=> SEE ALSO: New Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra carbon wheels: lighter and for all riding styles

4.Installing the chain

To set the chain length, place it on the big chainring and the largest cog of the cassette, bypassing the derailleur, and add two or three links beyond the Quick Link joining system.

Then thread the chain through the derailleur and close it with the quick link.

5.The rear derailleur, the heart of the system

The Di2 rear derailleur is more than ever at the heart of the system, since it is the one that houses the communication adjustment buttons and the battery charging port. A function button gives access to various settings:

• A single click checks the battery charge level by the color of the indicator light.
• A double click gives access to shifting mode selection (normal, semi-synchronized, or synchronized).
• A long press of 0.5 to 2 seconds enters Bluetooth connection mode (to connect the derailleur to the E-Tube Project app).
• A long press of 2 to 5 seconds gives access to indexing settings.
• A long press of 5 to 8 seconds pairs the system in the case of a wired connection.

For the indicator light readings, refer to the table below for their meanings.

The rear Di2 derailleur includes a Bluetooth connection box that was only available as an option on previous versions of the system. This connection also links the Di2 system to a compatible bike computer or GPS, so you can see information such as battery status or the gear engaged. By default, once the connection is established, pressing the small button hidden under the rubber on the shifter changes the computer’s display pages. But it is still possible to assign another function to this button through E-Tube Project.

6.Connecting to the E-Tube Project app

The derailleur communicates over Bluetooth LE with the E-Tube Project app installed on a smartphone or tablet, to make the main adjustments, check component status, or make custom settings for the function assigned to each shifter button, the speed of shifting, or the semi-synchronized or synchronized modes.

=> SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Shimano Di2

Once the app is installed and running, the first connection is made by pressing the derailleur’s function button (blue light flashing) and selecting “Add a bike.” The app then recognizes the front and rear derailleurs, as well as the battery.

The app then offers to add “satellite levers” (in fact the shifters, or additional controls). A QR code is printed on the inside of the shift levers. Simply scan it with the smartphone so the E-Tube app adds the hardware to the system and pairs the shifters and derailleurs over the wireless connection. If the QR code does not work directly, you can always register the shifters using the serial number.

Note that the app can also communicate with a Shimano power meter, a STEPS e-bike system, and of course another Di2 drivetrain.

7.Adjusting the derailleurs

After the standard installation of the derailleurs on the frame, and then connecting the electrical wires with the dedicated TL-EW300 tool, you must first set the chain length before adjusting the derailleurs.

Start by placing the chain on the small chainring and the large cog of the cassette. Then, using the derailleur’s B-screw, adjust the distance between the cog and the derailleur’s guide pulley. This gap should be about 14 mm for an 11-30 cassette, and 6 mm for an 11-34.

Next, drop the chain onto the fifth cog (the 19 for an 11-30 cassette), then enter the rear derailleur adjustment mode (see above). The light must be solid yellow. Then, with the shifter, press the paddle closest to the brake lever in small clicks, until the chain just slightly rubs the upper cog. Then press the other paddle (to shift down) five clicks. Finally, return the rear derailleur to normal mode by pressing the function button for half a second, and check that all gears shift properly.

For the front derailleur, first adjust its height relative to the teeth of the big chainring, using the small sticker stuck on the cage.

Then proceed the same way using the rear derailleur adjustment mode, and adjust the lower and upper limits of the guide cage by pressing the two buttons on the left shifter.

If the front derailleur has no limit screw, there are indeed two lower and upper limit screws on the rear derailleur, which are adjusted as on a cable derailleur, to make sure the chain can reach the smallest and largest cogs.

Apart from the limit screws, all indexing adjustments can be made from the E-Tube Project app. Once the app is connected by Bluetooth to the rear derailleur (after a short press of the connection button and the blue light starts flashing), E-Tube Project first asks you to confirm the Di2 groupset components (front and rear derailleurs, shifters, and battery). Then, in the menu at the top, go to => Maintenance. From there you access the adjustment mode.

Reliability of settings = 10/10. After 4,000 km with the Dura-Ace groupset and 3,000 with the Ultegra, we did not have to touch the derailleur indexing even once.

8.A braking system that is also simpler to install

Shimano disc brakes come pre-filled with mineral oil at the hoses (delivered already fitted to the calipers) and at the levers. This greatly eases installation and normally requires no bleeding to work.

The most complicated part of installing the brakes is still routing the hoses inside the cockpit, the headset, the fork, and the frame.

When mounting the calipers to the frame and fork, the only precaution to take concerns the orientation of the Flat Mount bracket on the fork, depending on the size of the front rotor (140 or 160 mm). At the rear, no bracket is needed with a 140 mm rotor. Do not tighten the calipers before the final brake adjustment.

Then comes the time to adjust the hose length, which of course depends on frame size, the stem, and the position of the brake levers. If it is too long, mark it with the edge of the flared fitting nut on the lever (with the yellow sealing plug).

Then cut the hose to the correct length with a hose cutter, before installing a new fitting insert with a dedicated tool.

To connect the hose to the brake lever, the bike is oriented downward (or the handlebar turned so the flared nut on the lever is perpendicular to the ground). Remove the sealing plug, then insert the brake hose into the port. A little oil may run out. Finally, tighten the flared nut while keeping the brake hose pushed in. Then remove the stopper on the lever, and actuate the system several times to activate the circuit.

Next comes a delicate but manageable job: adjusting the brake calipers. Patience and dexterity are needed to precisely position the calipers around the rotors and avoid any rubbing. Shimano says there is 10% more clearance between the pads and the rotors, but it is still a small gap. Nevertheless, once the right setting is found, you really notice much less rubbing than with previous generations.

Braking can also be personalized by adjusting the levers to set the reach (the distance between the levers and the handlebar) and the bite point of the pads, so that braking is more or less responsive when you pull the lever.

The first adjustment is very sensitive and lets you fit the levers to all hand sizes. The second is a little less so, and it is hard to notice the difference even if you want a more positive braking feel.

Reliability of settings = 9/10. The Dura-Ace and Ultegra brake systems did not move after installation or after several thousand km of use. They are reliable and very effective, and the reach adjustment is also very much appreciated. The bite point adjustment does not change much in terms of the feel on the road, however.

9.In which cases are the new Di2 groupsets installed with electrical wires?

Di2 shifters can of course still be connected to the rear part of the bike with electrical wires. This can be an advantage in terms of system battery life. Since they keep the same dimensions as the previous 11-speed groupsets, the 12-speed Di2 shifters for rim brakes cannot use this wireless communication or its coin cell battery, and therefore require an electrical wire running from the cockpit to the battery. This is a more tedious installation, especially on some bikes.

Regardless, the shifters (for rim brakes or disc brakes) each have two connection ports. The first connects the shifter to the battery (mandatory with rim brakes and optional with disc brakes), and the second connects the shifter to an optional satellite button mounted, for example, at the top of the handlebar (a “climber” button), or at the bottom (a “sprinter” button).

10.Very similar weights between the Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 groupsets

In terms of installation and adjustment, the two new Shimano Di2 groupsets are identical, and only a few rare differences set them apart, such as the Dura-Ace-specific cassette body or the chainring and cassette combinations offered. In terms of operation, it would take a clever person to tell the two groupsets apart with their eyes closed. The shifter ergonomics are identical, as are the speed and precision of shifting and the braking efficiency.

That leaves weight, with components slightly heavier on the Ultegra side, as we were able to verify precisely.

Weight difference between Dura-Ace and Ultegra components (in grams)

=> SEE ALSO: 2021/2022 prices and weights of road and gravel groupsets

11.Compatibility between Ultegra and Dura-Ace 12- and 11-speed groupsets

All elements of the two 12-speed Di2 groupsets are obviously compatible with each other, except for the specific case of Dura-Ace wheels (see above). As for 11-speed components, it is hard to expect an 11-speed cassette to work with 12-speed derailleurs, except with a specific adjustment on part of the cassette, say on three or four cogs, as we tested on a home trainer. But on the top and bottom parts of the cassette, indexing does not work. Logically, an 11-speed chain cannot work properly on a 12-speed cassette, because of the spacing between the cogs. On the other hand, the good news is that 11-speed cranksets work perfectly with 12-speed drivetrains. That makes them a good fallback for those suffering from the shortage of 12-speed cranksets (which are still trickling into bike shops), or for those who are not satisfied with Shimano’s range of chainring sizes for its two new groupsets. We will keep testing these groupsets over the long term in the coming months.

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