Shiv TT Di2 Upgrade

The Shiv TT was never designed for Di2 electronic shifting so I needed to get creative.  The frame had a good internal cable routing system with internal noodles so the basic routing was there.  The approach I took was as follows:

• Internal seatpost battery, secured using Sikaflex polyurethane adhesive
• B Junction inside the frame near the fork stem, accessible via headset bearing holes
• Battery inside frame from battery to B junction
• 5 Port A junction on top of stem
• Di2 front and rear dérailleurs mounted using existing brackets
• Di2 dérailleur cables routed inside existing frame noodles trimmed at the top
• Ultegra 2 button shifters on end of TT bars
• TT bar cable routes enlarged to pass the Di2 plugs
• Shimano climbing shifter (To control satellite shifters at the bullhorns)

To allow me to run the cables fully internally from the B junction tucked in the frame behind the headset bearings down to the front and rear derailleur exit ports I had to cut the frame noodles away from there entrance holes in the top tube of the frame.  These are the two front noodles.  The rear noodle can remain intact for the rear brake cables.

The top end of the deraillieur noodles was now just open to the inside of the frame, one of them was able to be blocked and the other was used to bring a short cable from the B junction inside the frame out to the A junction on top of the stem.

I was able to pull the cables out through the headset bearing holes temporarily to make the connection then wrap it in foam so it couldn't rattle and poke it all into the frame.

The battery cable wire was a lot trickier.  I had to drop it down the seat tube then fish it all the way up to the head end of the frame with trace cables and hooks.  It was very difficult to get past the bottom bracket which had a solid alloy cylinder in the frame.

Finally a small wire connected the B junction inside the frame out to the A junction on top of the stem.

The A junction took the cables from the TT bar end shifters and the climbing shifter hidden in the nosecone and retrofitted to some switches on the base bar grips.  This gave me the option to shift from the TT position or normal base bar riding position.  This made long training rides a lot more practical and comfortable.

Shimano battery bonded into seat tube

Battery cable from seat tube to head stem

B Junction inside frame at head stem - Connects battery, FD, RD

Cable from B junction to A junction exits through a spare cable noodle which has been cut internally

Cable noodles inside frame needed to be modified for Di2

UCI non legal

In 2010 Specialized unveiled the Sworks Shiv TT and it was quickly adopted by some of the biggest names in the pro peloton, Fabian Cancellara, and Alberto Contador among them.

Not long after its release the UCI made a ruling that the nosecone under the stem was in breach of the 3:1 aerofoil rule and it was banned for use in UCI cycling events.

Specialized revised the design to a more conventional stem and exposed front brake for 2012 but the general shape of the frameset still remains unchanged now in the 2016 version.

Specialized also since decided to develop their intentional UCI non legal framesets specifically for triathlon use.

My love of the Specialized Shiv TT started in the 2013 winter off season.  I had signed up for my first Ironman 70.3 and was on the lookout for a TT bike.

I read all the magazines and was envious of the range of top end bikes with the integrated cockpits and accessories.  The Trek Speed Concept, Shiv Tri, Felt DA and IA models were all beyond my budget.

I then stumbled across a 2011 Shiv TT module at my local Specialized dealer.  It had been on display for two years and was for sale at a bargain price.  I went away and did some research and determined the the large size geometry was perfect for me.

With my intended use in Triathlon the UCI rules didn't apply although the Shiv TT version really was designed with outright speed in mind and far from optimized for long course triathlon use:

• Limited adjustments of elbow pad width and fore / aft position
• Fixed stem length and height
• Very low base bar position
• Aerofoil shaped stem clamp so base bars were not interchangeable
• S-bend Pursuit bars fixed to their mounting brackets
• No provision for Di2 electronic shift
• No provision for typical Tri accessories, e.g. integrated food, drink and storage 

A bit more researched revealed that Chris McCormack had ridden this exact bike to victory at the 2010 ironman world championships in Kona so I fugred I could make this thing more than fast enough for my aspirations of being a competitive age group triathlete.

So the decision was made and I became the proud owner of one of the fastest TT bikes ever made!

The bike came as a module with the frameset, carbon cranks, cockpit and aerobar fitment kit.

The Shiv TT was never designed for electric Di2 shifting so this appealed to my love of a technical challenge to create something unique.  Within a couple of weeks I had everything I needed start my build.