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Hack! Custom Di2 Buttons Paired with Magura RT8TT Hydraulic Brakes on Triathlon Bike

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Alexs Bicycle Pro Shop Di2 hack with remote buttons on a Cervelo P5 triathlon bike with Magura RT8 hydraulic brakes

What happens when you want hydraulic brakes with electronic shifting on a top end triathlon bike? Well, you could use Shimano’s stock bar end and climber’s shifter pods. Or, for about the same price or less, you could take your existing parts to Alex’s Bicycle Pro Shop and have them create some very slick stealth buttons placed right where you need them by the Magura RT8 hydraulic brake levers. Here’s what Julian Da Silva from the shop had to say:

I wanted to show you guys a cool little project I worked on for a customer who wanted to utilize Di2 shifters on his hydraulic brakes that came with his Cervelo P5 Six. The customer had a spare sprinter switch that he wanted me to use, so naturally from my experience playing with the di2 components, I was able to take it apart and make some modifications. The circuit board is a simple design with a common ground and positive switch. I tapped into the circuit and utilized a tactile momentary push button to act as the independent buttons on the brakes. The customer requested that he only wanted to operate the rear shifter, but if someone wanted to do front and rear, it would be no problem. This technology can be outfitted to work for disabled riders as para-athletes or take it a step further as another form of customization.

We charged $150 to do this service, this is of course if the customer has a spare shifter already.

Photos of the process below…

Alexs Bicycle Pro Shop Di2 hack with remote buttons on a Cervelo P5 triathlon bike with Magura RT8 hydraulic brakes

Alexs Bicycle Pro Shop Di2 hack with remote buttons on a Cervelo P5 triathlon bike with Magura RT8 hydraulic brakes

Alexs Bicycle Pro Shop Di2 hack with remote buttons on a Cervelo P5 triathlon bike with Magura RT8 hydraulic brakes

Alexs Bicycle Pro Shop Di2 hack with remote buttons on a Cervelo P5 triathlon bike with Magura RT8 hydraulic brakes

Alexs Bicycle Pro Shop Di2 hack with remote buttons on a Cervelo P5 triathlon bike with Magura RT8 hydraulic brakes

Alexs Bicycle Pro Shop Di2 hack with remote buttons on a Cervelo P5 triathlon bike with Magura RT8 hydraulic brakes

Alexs Bicycle Pro Shop Di2 hack with remote buttons on a Cervelo P5 triathlon bike with Magura RT8 hydraulic brakes

Alexs Bicycle Pro Shop Di2 hack with remote buttons on a Cervelo P5 triathlon bike with Magura RT8 hydraulic brakes

If you’re near Coral Springs, Florida, check them out. Or visit AlexBicycles.com. Photos by Julian – thanks for sending them in!

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Carlos G
Carlos G
9 years ago

Alex’s is a great shop!! Nice job Julian!!

Carlos G
Carlos G
9 years ago

That kid Julian has all kinds of cool tricks up his sleeve!! Alex’s is the beat shop on South Florida!!

Derek
Derek
9 years ago

Why do so many people leave the warning sticker (or whatever that orange sticker is) on the FD? You’d think they’d take it off for such a high end show build.

goridebikes
goridebikes
9 years ago

This has been done before, like… years ago… by many other shops and even diy on weightweenies, etc…

still cool though i suppose

WindCheater
WindCheater
9 years ago

Brakes only slow you down

pfs
pfs
9 years ago

Derek – I assume that is the rear brake. I suppose they could take it off, it is after all only a tri bike.

mrazekan
mrazekan
9 years ago

pfs – The rear brake is mounted under the chain stays. You can see the red pocking out behind the chainring.

Dirty D
Dirty D
9 years ago

It’s a TT bike, not a tri bike.

Anybody screwing with electronic shifting systems are cool folks. Somebody get me an electronic mountain system that isn’t made by K-Edge.

woo
woo
9 years ago

Wish I had a photo handy but the shop I work at does the same modification in a much slicker way on the P5. We we seperate the switches from a di2 tt shift/brake lever and mount them to the inside of the magura lever. much cleaner looking and more functional, with front and rear shifting accessible at the base bar.

Gene
Gene
9 years ago

Dirty D – The P5 Six really is a Tri specific bike. The fork and bars are against UCI regulation.

Mark
Mark
9 years ago

This hurts the eyes of an electrical engineer. The switch doesn’t looks like a waterproof one, seems like an obvious choice for a bike. But a far bigger issue is the wires used to solder it together and the way in which the wires are soldered to the PCB. Multi stranded wire is there for a reason..

Drew
Drew
9 years ago

totaly agree with Mark, as an electronics technician myself my eyes are bleeding. great in concept, poor in execution.

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