By Aaron Gulley, Outside

The rise of automatic shifting, integrated computers, lights, power meters, and radar has made us wonder: How much is too much?

I just discovered that the latest road bike components on the market are smarter than I am. Five months ago, Allied Cycles shipped me one of the first test models of its All Road, and though I loved the frame of this carbon shapeshifter from day one, I didn’t comprehend the potential of its components until recently. 

The bike’s Dura Ace R9170 Di2 group set—Shimano’s first-ever, top-level road components with dedicated hydraulic disc brakes—get some improvements over past iterations: the shifters have been pared down to match the size and ergonomics of the mechanical group set; the new Shadow-style rear derailleur allows for a wider gear range, with an 11-30 cassette; the weight difference between them and the mechanical group has narrowed to a mere six ounces; and the aesthetics are sleeker. Nice but negligible evolution, I thought. 

Read the whole story