I virtually grew up on Campag gear levers.

So my initiation to Shimano with the Ultegra Di2 system has been a little bit challenging.

Those of you who know the Campag system will recognise that the shift paddle behind the brake lever throws the chain into a bigger cog- whether it is the chain ring or the rear cluster. With decades of gear shifts, I did not have to consciously think before I hit the paddle. The paddle always meant a bigger cog. This became my default.

The default on the Di2 is directly opposite. A tap on the paddle zaps the chain into a smaller cog. So, I have spent the last few weeks with opposite gear changes when I get into the red zone (when things tend to happen by instinct).

I remember learning to drive a car (manual gear shift). There was the clutch, the two brakes, the indicators, the steering wheel and the driving instructor to agonise over before I could start rolling. Then there was the traffic whizzing by in both directions, traffic lights, round-a-bouts and the instrument panel. It sure was exhausting.

Now, my left hand instinctively flicks the gear lever as my left foot depresses the clutch and my right feathers the brake – whenever I have to change momentum. My head turns on lane shifts and intersections whilst an eye is kept on the rear vision mirrors. And all this happens by default.

Now, I walk past a newsagent and my eyes read out the headlines to me – a far cry to my primary school years when every strange word was made up of different letters – and all I could handle was that B came after A. Today, letters default to words which in turn combine to form sentences that run together to paint a picture, which eventually tells a story. All effortlessly done without going through the ABC…

When you set up defaults, it is just like being able to pause the video you are watching. When you are ready to resume, you don’t have to start from the beginning again. You just continue where you left off and keep moving forward.

I just spent a few hours in a bike shop swapping the Di2 lever actions over. Now, the paddle activates a shift to a bigger cog and I feel much more comfortable. I don’t have to think before a make a gear change any more. It is back to my default and I can get on with other things.

…Just like being comfortable with your present spouse so that you can get on with your riding. An affair can sure muck up your training and riding schedule!