Is the census of opinion that Ultegra is worth the extra money over a 105 groupset

[Drago]

I love the assumptions and judgements made in this post. Get over yourself.

I have never criticised any groupsets or people's choices of such. Kindly don't criticise mine.

Do any of your bikes run Ultegra then? Or are you just making assumptions on this too?

Until January I owned a Fuji with full Ultegra, even down to the QR skewers, which duly made way for the Felt for summer commuting (nicer feeling frame) and the Pinnacle for grotty weather commuting.

About 7000 miles in just under 4 years, winter and summer, day and night, sunshine and sleet, so I think I know what it's like to live with and actually use, and how frequently I got the chains to reach their wear limit, and how many chains out of a cassette, and cassettes out of a chainring. I know what its like to strip the left hand Brifter and replace a spring that had inexplicably gone slack (thank you Colin from Tensator for the replacement).

So, perhaps you can explain how that is an 'assumption', and why I need to 'get over myself' for telling of my first hand experience of living with the product and using it, of wearing bits of it out over time and having to replace them, of mending it when a component actually failed, and generally not being up Shimanos arse simply because its a fashionable shiny trinket?

So please explain. How many documented miles have YOU covered in ALL weathers with FULL Ultegra (cables, skewers, hubs, headset, seat post, the entire 100% shebang) Sonny?

 

[User6179]

The £300 I will save between the two models, I think will be better spent on new lighter and stiffer wheels.

That's what I was going to suggest Merlin have some good offers just now on wheels .

 

[winjim]

Sorry, no I don't...

I tried to look on the Shimano website but it was just full of the phrase trickle down which makes me want to throw my phone against the wall.

 

[Drago]

Compare 10 speed Tiggy to the old 10 speed 105 and you'll see that they ain't fibbing with that otherwise glib old phrase.

 

[Milkfloat]

As well as the 4.5 looking much nicer (in my eyes) I would also be looking at the brakes. The 4.3 has generic brakes whilst the 4.5 has 105. That is yet another positive for the 4.5. I personally would wait a few weeks as I expect price falls to occur very soon anyway.

Edit - In fact the 2016 Domane 4.3 is cheaper than the 2015.

http://road.cc/content/news/159339-trek-reveals-2016-range-new-models-and-loads-lower-prices

 

[winjim]

Compare 10 speed Tiggy to the old 10 speed 105 and you'll see that they ain't fibbing with that otherwise glib old phrase.

I'm sure that's how they improve some of their product lines, but the phrase as they use it isn't terribly specific. It does however describe perfectly what my daughter's latest feed is doing on my shoulder.

 

[smutchin]

Edit - In fact the 2016 Domane 4.3 is cheaper than the 2015.

Interesting. In that case, I would go for the new 4.3 Disc - I've ridden the 2015 version and it's a really lovely bike, fast and comfortable. The TRP Hy/Rd brakes are pretty good but the 2016 version comes with full hydraulics, which would definitely be worth the upgrade over the generic rim brakes that come on the 2015 non-disc 4.3. (I've not used the RS505 brakes yet, but I bet the differences between RS505 and the R685 [what you get on the 2016 4.5 Disc] are much like the difference between 105 and Ultegra shifting, ie negligible. And the R685 brakes are superb.)

Personally, I like the new colour scheme too but YMMV. [edit: oops, just realised I was looking at the pic of the 5 series - the 4 series colour scheme seems much the same as the 2015 model.]

 

[Cyclist33]

Thanks for all of the feedback.

Having slept on the decision overnight I have come to the conclusion that if when I go back and take another look at the 4.3; I test rode it last weekend and had no problems with the 105 groupset, and I like the look of the clour scheme then this will be the bike I will buy.

The £300 I will save between the two models, I think will be better spent on new lighter and stiffer wheels.

@buggi you make a very good point about the look of the bike because the more you like, even love the look of the bike, the more you will watn to go out and ride it.

That's only true up until the point that you go out and ride it, after which if it's the wrong size or it tortures your butt or it forces you to have corrective surgery on your elbows, it becomes an expensive ornament for your garage wall.

 

[bpsmith]

I think the point is you're posting in a thread that is asking for advice so I don't see anything wrong with some posting different advice, if it needs to quote yours to provide context then why not? Your advice may lead someone to spend hundreds of pounds that might not be necessary so it is right that your proclamations may be subject to scrutiny and counter argument.

"get over yourself" nice phrase, works both ways!

The first part does exactly that, no issue there. The second part has nothing to do with the point and makes huge assumptions over my riding and reason for choosing kit. I quote:

"If you actually ride your bike instead of wobble around the road a few times a year when the sun comes out, then 105 really is the sweet spot between price, performance and durability. Ultegra drive trains suffer badly through the use to which I subject them whereas 105, albeit with KMC HD chains, asks only that I keep them clean and survives much, much longer between component replacements. Indeed, I'm running one bike now with Tiagra 10 speed and properly set up with decent cables its indistinguishable from the 2 year older 105.

All Ultegra does is look flasher, weigh a few grams less, and confers bragging rights down the pub. Not a single jot more."

 

[bpsmith]

Until January I owned a Fuji with full Ultegra, even down to the QR skewers, which duly made way for the Felt for summer commuting (nicer feeling frame) and the Pinnacle for grotty weather commuting.

About 7000 miles in just under 4 years, winter and summer, day and night, sunshine and sleet, so I think I know what it's like to live with and actually use, and how frequently I got the chains to reach their wear limit, and how many chains out of a cassette, and cassettes out of a chainring. I know what its like to strip the left hand Brifter and replace a spring that had inexplicably gone slack (thank you Colin from Tensator for the replacement).

So, perhaps you can explain how that is an 'assumption', and why I need to 'get over myself' for telling of my first hand experience of living with the product and using it, of wearing bits of it out over time and having to replace them, of mending it when a component actually failed, and generally not being up Shimanos arse simply because its a fashionable shiny trinket?

So please explain. How many documented miles have YOU covered in ALL weathers with FULL Ultegra (cables, skewers, hubs, headset, seat post, the entire 100% shebang) Sonny?

Ok, Chill Out!

3,460 miles in roughly 18 months. Split 1,613 miles on 105 5700 and 1,847 on Uktegra 6800. I do believe that equates to more miles per day if we're going that route. Again, I have ridden day and night, wet and dry, cold and hot. You assumed this wasn't the case unfortunately!

I replace my own kit too and clean regularly. Perhaps this is why it looks like new still?

The assumption bit, which adds nothing:

"If you actually ride your bike instead of wobble around the road a few times a year when the sun comes out, then 105 really is the sweet spot between price, performance and durability. Ultegra drive trains suffer badly through the use to which I subject them whereas 105, albeit with KMC HD chains, asks only that I keep them clean and survives much, much longer between component replacements. Indeed, I'm running one bike now with Tiagra 10 speed and properly set up with decent cables its indistinguishable from the 2 year older 105.

All Ultegra does is look flasher, weigh a few grams less, and confers bragging rights down the pub. Not a single jot more."

 

[Citius]

I know a guy who went from 3rd cat to 1st cat in a single season, while riding a 105 equipped bike. I'm sure he could have managed it on an Ultegra bike as well..

 

[Boyfrom64]

@Milkfloat to be fair, the guys I am talking to are Trek Coventry and the price they have quoted me is the new lower price.

Just for the record, this weekend my wife and I are collecting her bike from them; Lexa S, as I have finally converted her to taking up this great hobby of ours.

 

[Hacienda71]

I know a guy who went from 3rd cat to 1st cat in a single season, while riding a 105 equipped bike. I'm sure he could have managed it on an Ultegra bike as well..

Probably could have done it on Tiagra equipped bike.

 

[bpsmith]

Probably could have done it on Tiagra equipped bike.

Or even Claris...

 

[smutchin]

The assumption bit, which adds nothing:

The assumption is yours. He wasn't talking about you in the second half of the post.