Shimano’s Dura-Ace Di2 electronic shifting system has been in circulation for a while now. It was inevitable that, at some point, someone would try and adapt it to a mountain bike, and while it may have been done somewhere before, this bike on show at Interbike is the first that we’re aware of.

The Shimano Di2 mountain bike was the work of Tucson, Arizona bike shop Fairwheel Bikes, in association with carbon custom framebuilder Rue Sports. The frame was designed with internal routing for the rear brake hose and Di2 wiring. Standard Dura-Ace Di2 front and rear mechs shift the chain over a double chainset at the front and a specially-assembled 11-32 10spd cassette at the back.

Bolting on derailleurs is one thing, but nothing resembling a Di2 flat-bar shifter exists. But that’s OK, because the shifter is just a pair of buttons – Fairwheel adapted some Shimano Flight Deck controls to take the place of the Dura-Ace items.

The rest of the bike is laden with almost ludicrously exotic parts, including the USE SUB fork, Fibre-Lyte carbon fibre chainrings and brake rotors, Edge Composites rims and bars (with, slightly alarmingly, holes in them through which the brake hoses and Di2 cables run), AX Lightness seatpost and Tune Kong hubs. The whole thing weighs a claimed 18lb.

While it’s an interesting project, there’s a fair chance that it’s also somewhat prophetic. Standard Di2 has been used successfully in cyclocross racing, so it’s at least vaguely dirt-compatible. With Shimano XTR due for a refresh soon, we wouldn’t bet against the appearance of an electronic incarnation.