Theoretical Groupset Question

[martint235]

Oh I'm not going to get into how many gears you need. (Rimas, are you listening) has about 7. I think to summarise my question in a better way is:

You buy the best component you can afford. But is that the best you can afford NOW or the best you can sustainably afford? Or doesn't it matter? ie Buy dura-ace and then downgrade the cassette to 105. You've still got dura-ace shifting...

 

[Nebulous]

I tried before but didn't really put my view across very well. I think I've got where we differ now though. I'm an eternal optimist. I'm assuming the best I can sustainably afford is better than I can afford now!

I'd be more likely to buy a bike with 105 and then piece by piece, as it wears, replace it with Ultegra.

 

[martint235]

I tried before but didn't really put my view across very well. I think I've got where we differ now though. I'm an eternal optimist. I'm assuming the best I can sustainably afford is better than I can afford now!

I'd be more likely to buy a bike with 105 and then piece by piece, as it wears, replace it with Ultegra.

But would you then start replacing the Ultegra with Dura-Ace? I've got a couple of Ultegra bits on my bike and to be honest I can't tell the difference from 105. I've been assured that DA is noticeable but for the price it would have to be!!! I think I'll stick with 105 as it's not too expensive to replace but is also noticeably (in my view) better than Tiagra.

 

[fossyant]

I've run Ultegra and DA for 20 years. Ultegra on the training bike, and DA on the best. Always use a DA chain, but now have TA rings on the DA bike, stronglight on the Ultegra. Cassettes are DA on both, mainly as I source the Uniglide sprockets from the US - new ones go on the best bike, older sprockets on the training bike.

As folk have said, you could run say 105 cassette on a DA setup if it's on say training wheels, saves a small fortune for a small weight penalty.

 

[Nebulous]

But would you then start replacing the Ultegra with Dura-Ace? I've got a couple of Ultegra bits on my bike and to be honest I can't tell the difference from 105. I've been assured that DA is noticeable but for the price it would have to be!!! I think I'll stick with 105 as it's not too expensive to replace but is also noticeably (in my view) better than Tiagra.

No - it's very unlikely that I would. With a teenage family there are always a huge amount of competing demands on my cash, so as it stands ultegra would be the limit of my ambition. If I make it to that point I wouldn't replace parts with 105 either though!