# DIY Di2 firmware update?



## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

I've had Di2 for about a year almost, and haven't done any firmware update. I am torn between the "don't fix it if it ain't broke" and the almost irrepressible desire to play with this.

I have this thing:









It charges the battery, but I just read it also provides the PC/USB interface, so I don't have to buy that other $200 thing. (Any potential problems using this?)

I'm a bit annoyed that this is a Windows-only software interface, but I have a Win 8.1 installation on a Bootcamp drive on my Mac mini.

I have this fear of bricking it and having to crawl to the bike shop and beg for mercy. Should I HTFU or leave well enough alone (I already have the multishift functionality.)


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

I just went through my R5 yesterday, I think it's really fun, I think you'd like it.

You can do a full error check and check every switch and component. You can really perfectly dial in the tune. You can adjust shift speed and characteristics. And yeah, you can update everything.

It's really easy to use if you ask me, I'd say give it a shot.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

I've got it running on OS X in VirtualBox (free) with a Windows 10 preview (also free).

What could possibly go wrong?

View attachment 305538


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## k9taxi (Mar 5, 2015)

wgscott, did you update your firmware? Any problems? I was thinking about updating mine (bike isn't even completely assembled yet) but read some posts about a software bug where the battery wouldn't update. Just curious how it went.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

I read the same post and wimped out.


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## rm -rf (Feb 27, 2006)

I updated the firmware (e-tube on windows 7). It was easy, no drama.

And I changed a *"long press"* (a more than 1/2 second press) to be *3 cogs* instead of the full set of cogs. This is way better. I can long press the two bottom paddles to shift to the 34 chainring and go 3 smaller cogs. That's just right at the base of a hill. Then a long press of the top buttons goes big chainring and 3 larger cogs at the top of the hill.


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## HarryV (Oct 24, 2009)

Takes one click and 30sec to update the firmware... So don't stress about doing it...

If your keen, and your courage increases then customise your setup... Very easy too..,


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

The part I was stressing over was whether my charger thingie would work properly -- some people report a problem.


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## HarryV (Oct 24, 2009)

wgscott said:


> The part I was stressing over was whether my charger thingie would work properly -- some people report a problem.


It'll work fine


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## Puke N Hurl (Dec 22, 2009)

Mine works fine for updating, customizing and charging. The one thing I cannot do with it (that can be done with the other thingie) is a diagnostic of the entire system. 

My two cents.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

OK, I decided to HTFU and do it. It didn't work with VirtualBox and Windows10, so I had to bring the bike into the living room, boot the mac mini into bootcamp Windows8, and it seems to have gone without a hitch. (I haven't test-riddent the bike yet.) One interesting thing, it first had to update the firmware of the brick itself.


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## k9taxi (Mar 5, 2015)

I'm going to try upgrading mine tonight after work.


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## Notvintage (May 19, 2013)

I'm really not a Luddite, but it just seems sad that bikes are becoming so sterile. Hell, the TDF was won on a Campagnolo mechanical group last year.


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## k9taxi (Mar 5, 2015)

Upgraded mine tonight, no problem. Didn't even have to read a manual. I had to dig out an old Windows 7 computer though. I don't do Windows.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Yeah, what the hell is Shimano's problem? You would think their appreciation of simplicity and elegance would lead them to favor other OS platforms.


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## jackmen (Jul 24, 2007)

Have upgraded two different Di-2 bikes over the last 3 years with the upgrade unit connected to my PC. One thing I did learn is that it didn't work with windows prior to 7 on my old PC. I had to use laptop with windows 7 and have since changed desktop out to window 8 and all is well. Have done probably 6-8 Firmware upgrades over the two bikes, never had any issues.


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## professionalsql (Apr 5, 2012)

I flashed a mixed setup of 6770 and 6870 components up to the latest about 3 weeks ago. I have the other style flash unit (that's used for external battery units). I found it to take just a little longer than indicated in other posts here, but had no functional issues of any kind. I did start by flashing up the control unit itself (first the flash unit, then the actual bike components). I've elected not to do the other bike as yet, as I do not have a need as such, and it's pre "can't mix" 6770 in its current flash. That said, I'll probably do it when I'm riding that bike more after I'm done with my road even next month.

Nutshell: Nothing I've seen indicates a reason to worry. Some have had something go wrong, but virtually anything in mass distribution has someone, somewhere have a problem. I've seen *zero* to indicate anything above fluke issues.


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## L_Johnny (Jul 15, 2006)

Are you saying that as of 3 weeks ago the firmware update will not disable mixture of 6770/6870 derraileurs? 6770 shifters with 6870 FD and RD have always worked. Supposedly it is mixing derrs that triggered the blockage of the batt. when doing the firmware update since about June '14.


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## FeltF75rider (Feb 10, 2012)

Figured I would resurrect this thread with my question. In am going to have a shop do the firmware update and curious what a reasonable cost would be and will it need to be readjusted or is it just a matter of a a 30 second update like stated above? Performance bike quoted me $35 but I did not get a good feeling about these guys touching my bike not to mention it seems like a really high price for something sounding really simple. 
BTW only reason for update is to talk to my Garmin for battery level and the not so important gear display. I do not have a computer capable of this and it's almost a two hour round trip to the shop I bought it from, no charge there. Maybe it's the going rate IDK.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

If you have the brick thingie and Windoze, you should be able to DIY. I am not a Windows person, and I did it. (I used a bootcamp partition, but you could probably do it in VMware Fusion or Parallels.) $35 seems quite excessive, especially if that is where you got the bike.

Just get a laptop from Best Buy or Costcow, do the firmware update, and return it. Tell them the operating system clashed with your karma and the color of the couch.

In general, nobody touches my bike, unless they are clearly more competent than I am. I did the update for that reason as well, and then decided I really didn't need that Garmin functionality. If you do this, I would take it to the bike shop an hour away. That is time well spent.


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## FeltF75rider (Feb 10, 2012)

It is more of a luxury than anything. We have an old Apple computer and buying a new one is a ways out, it's still works for what my wife needs and I use a tablet. I think the hour drive is starting to look better by the minute, that's the shop I bought the bike from and this type of service is free. Very competent guys working there, just hope I won't need to leave the bike.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Even though I did the firmware upgrade for that Garmin thingie myself, I still was going to have the bike shop attach the Di2 readout unit for me. I think with the expense and complexity involved, an hour drive each way (or is it a bike ride?) is well worth the trouble. Just tell them you need a quick turnaround, and ask if you can book a time or something so you don't have to make two more trips.


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## professionalsql (Apr 5, 2012)

I went ahead and bought the necessary unit. With the free, downloadable software, it is perhaps a 5 minute thing to do - maybe 10. It scans what you have for current versions, and then needs to flash for each, so how many things need updating is part of the equation.
$35 seems very steep. I think the going rate locally is $20. Just realize that this is really more than 5 minutes from a shop standpoint. They need to sign it in, verify some things (you know your bike, but they don't, and they want to make sure they don't render your bike inoperable). A shop is probably going to spend 15-20 minutes on it. Given that, the $20 seems very reasonable, but $35 feels like highway robbery. 
I would not, under any circumstances, give it to a bike that doesn't work with Di2 routinely.


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## FeltF75rider (Feb 10, 2012)

Calling the shop I bought the bike from and will take it there. It's a traffic nightmare driving there, if I can get out there before rush hour it's only an hour one way but if I get caught up it's closer to 90 minutes one way to go about 20 miles.


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

FeltF75rider said:


> Calling the shop I bought the bike from and will take it there. It's a traffic nightmare driving there, if I can get out there before rush hour it's only an hour one way but if I get caught up it's closer to 90 minutes one way to go about 20 miles.


Why? Just buy the unit and do it yourself.

How much time are you wasting driving? How much aggravation? How much money?

I laugh at people that drive around looking for bargains on stuff to buy. Do they not pay gas? Do their vehicles not depreciate? Brakes? Time? Aggravation? And while you are out are you going to waste more money stopping at a place for food or drink?

This applies here in spades. You obviously have an external battery because the charger for the internal one does this job for you. The box for the external battery is like $100. A new internal battery is even less than that I think. Once you have it you can do updates forever at home for free. Or you can waste three or five hours driving to an LBS and however much money...


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

wgscott said:


> Just get a laptop from Best Buy or Costcow, do the firmware update, and return it. Tell them the operating system clashed with your karma and the color of the couch.


Wow... you're really advocating that? That's pretty despicable.


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## FeltF75rider (Feb 10, 2012)

MMsRepBike said:


> Why? Just buy the unit and do it yourself.
> 
> How much time are you wasting driving? How much aggravation? How much money?
> 
> ...


Has more to do with a computer(Apple likes to obsolete as they progress) that is way outdated and incompatible. New computer would cost more in the long run and not going to happen for a few months. I have an internal battery and compatible charger. At some point I will have the ability to do it myself but until then this is the plan.


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

oh... no windows computer.

well then... that sucks, that's half a day gone possibly and some money too for a 10 minute job.


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## FeltF75rider (Feb 10, 2012)

Exactly, but my next cycling purchase will be a laptop to do this stuff myself.


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## spdntrxi (Jul 25, 2013)

Boot camp on a Mac might work.. Parallels on a Mac was not successful for me.. Since I have native Windows machines I just use those


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

FeltF75rider said:


> Exactly, but my next cycling purchase will be a laptop to do this stuff myself.


Might want to consider a mini gaming pc instead, unless of course you need portability. The mini gaming pc will run things like zwift really well, a laptop will not. Or you could get one of those ugly ass gaming laptops...


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

spdntrxi said:


> Boot camp on a Mac might work.. Parallels on a Mac was not successful for me.. Since I have native Windows machines I just use those
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Boot camp did work (for me, Win 8.1). I also tried a free emulator with an early beta of Windows10. It did not work, but I didn't bother to try to find out why.

I wish they had made a Mac or at least a unix/linux/X-windows version and released the source code, so you could compile and run it on anything.

Another thing is the new version of Di2 software is supposed to work on an iOS device, fwiw.


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## L_Johnny (Jul 15, 2006)

There are some pretty good deals on Lenovo laptops out there, just saying... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

tlg said:


> Wow... you're really advocating that? That's pretty despicable.


No. I am not, for the record. I think from the context of the comment, that should have been apparent to any reasonable person.

I do think borrowing a Win laptop from a friend would probably be the most expedient thing.


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## FeltF75rider (Feb 10, 2012)

wgscott said:


> No. I am not, for the record. I think from the context of the comment, that should have been apparent to any reasonable person.
> 
> I do think borrowing a Win laptop from a friend would probably be the most expedient thing.


I got what you meant, might add some people have no problem doing that:mad2::mad2:. I am not one of them. I sucked it up and bought one, figure one of my kids will use it for school. This will give me a chance to play around with it. Could not get an appointment until end of next week and patience is not my strong point. Appreciate all the input:thumbsup:


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Windoze is a world of hurt.

But at least you can repartition the hard drive and install Ubuntu linux for free.


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## FeltF75rider (Feb 10, 2012)

Well got it updated and all is good. Now to return the computer. just kidding, it worked fast and was very easy. Over the next few days I will play with settings and see what I like. Even the Garmin paired up quickly. Thanks for the help everyone.


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