roadcrankr

Forum members give good advice here. Strong common sense and experience.
Looking for some possible places to cut costs. Darn inflation really jacked prices the past few years.
With the exception of my Ultegra cassette, all my components come from the Dura Ace line.
Rim braking, staying 11-speed mechanical, already own some new spare brifters, rings, pulleys, and pads.
Not racing anymore, but do not want to sacrifice too much in terms of performance. Always buy new and do my own wrenching.
Facing a reckoning in the very near future with the following consumables:
1. Bottom bracket.
2. Chain.
3. Wheelset.
4. Pedals.
5. Cassette.

Not much bang-for-the-buck with the first two, unless it involves dropping to (gasp!) 105-level.
The wheels could save some real money. Big fan of the bulletproof 9000/9100 line, which typically get me 40k miles.
(My recent rebuild showed wear, giving me the impression of less than 10k to go.)
Please let me know your thoughts and recommendations.

veganbikes

My bottom brackets are usually from Wheels MFG though I did just get a Kogel B.B. but that was more of a really good deal as I got it at a fire sale at my old shop since they are trying to liquidate stuff but I have been pretty much the only former staff helping out as well (because I was recommended and trusted not because nobody else would help). Chain I usually stick around Ultegra level I don't see a major need for DA for that same with Cassette. Pedals are XT level for added durability V.S. XTR (since I run SPD not SL or Look KEO...) Wheels are all handbuilt and in the case of my main modern 11 speed road bike with rims brakes they are White Industries hubs laced to H+Son rims (because the Hard Ano Gray look so good) and those are certainly not really consumables in that same way if I do wear out the rims and I still have the bike I will probably just re-lace the hubs because I expect them to last for quite a while.

I personally don't see a need for DA for most modern things but I think Ultegra usually has looked better in most cases (except maybe 9 speed it diverged and of course 25th anniversary stuff looked fantastic) However I am not opposed to buying it if that is your thing but most people won't see that as your riding by at least not consumable wise but if out and out weight reduction and performance are on the menu and you have the money go for it. I have bought plenty of "stupid" things for my bike because I wanted them.

I say get what you can afford and makes you happy.

datlas 

As you already figured out, Dura-Ace cassettes are very expensive and wear faster than Ultegra or 105.

For the rest of the consumables, the differences may be quite marginal and I make my choices based on inventory and sales prices, which are too variable to make a hard suggestion.

Don’t forget to splurge on top quality tires, obv.

Iride01 

The only mark 105 has against it is that it's heavier than Ultegra for most of it's components. However in most cases 105 will function just as well. So if weight isn't an issue, the 11 speed 105 stuff works with the 11 speed Ultegra and Dura Ace if you need to mix and match stuff. You do need to watch spec's though. IE, the RD's between the groups don't always have the same max cog, front difference, max capacity and etc.

veganbikes

+1 on the tires, good tires can make a ride a slightly different chain that might be lighter won't be noticed. I highly highly highly recommend the Vittoria Corsa G+ or 2.0 or Pro or whatever they are on now, some really fantastic tires or for a little more puncture protection the Rubino Pros or the Corsa N.E.X.T. are also fantastic.

mstateglfr 

Bottom bracket- Um...just buy one. They are like $15-35 depending on retailer, time of year, and sale. Pretty sure 105 and Ultegra BBs are the same.

Chain- shimano or kmc- there are multiple options at the Ultegra level and vary in cost. Just buy whatever is cheapest at that level. Hg601 and hg701 are basically the same weight. And I am not convinced the extra pink process for a 701 chain actually matters.

Wheelset- btlos or lightbicycle. Look into both. Pick your hub, pick your rim, pick your spokes.
You mention you like 9000 and 9100 wheels and typically get 40k mi out of them. First off, which wheels are you even talking about? There are probably 10 different wheels under the 9000 and 9100 lines. Secondly, those lines have been around for what...11 years? And you have gone thru enough wheels to have a 'typical' distance they last? And that distance is 40k mi? If you have even gone thru 2 wheelsets in that time, that's an instance amount of riding year after year. Thats 8,000 yearly for over a decade. Impressive. I wouldn't use 'typically' for anything fewer than 3 or possibly 4 examples of something, but even at 2 wheelsets that's impressive.

Pedals- who cares. Buy want you want. There is a 40g difference between 105 and DA. Oh, and an extra bearing for longevity/stability in the DA pedal. If that matters to you, then buy it.

Cassette- Ultegra or 105, whichever is cheapest at the time you are looking. DA is bonkers expensive for the differences.

roadcrankr

Thank you, fellas. Yes, I never skimp on my tires. Corsas or Michelin Power always.
Good idea on the White Industries hubs. You're clairvoyant or something, as I own a pair on some older sewups.
Might be worth relacing to clinchers. Not a whole lot of miles on 'em. 28 spoke rear and 24 front.
Those beautiful Wheels Mfg bottom brackets ain't cheap! And it looks like it requires their special tool?
Any of y'all able to comment on Ultegra vs DA spd-sl pedals? Huge price differential.
The 105 cassette sure outweighs Ultegra! I generally like 11-30 to go with my 50/34 compact.

jadmt

BTD often has ultegra spd pedals for $125.

roadcrankr

Thanks for the feedback. My experience with DA wheelsets goes back to 7800, 7900, and 9000. Tons of miles for twenty years!
Not the deep versions. 25 to 30, I think. My current 9100's surpassed 30k miles recently. Tough rims and never needed truing.

Troul 

i'd go 105 for cassettes, cranks, & chains. DA for front/rear ders... BB from the OEM (or whom they grab it from) hasn't shown me to be better than some of the established aftermarket sources.

veganbikes

WI hubs are excellent. Well worth it. If you aren't running tubs anymore lacing them up to a clincher rim would make sense.

In terms of Wheels MFG they aren't cheap but they also aren't cheap in quality or construction. I cannot recall the tool but I feel like I just used a standard HTII tool like a Park BBT-9 or similar. Maybe for 30mm cranks you need something bigger but I am 99% sure it was just a standard Shimano 16 notch tool. They have gone through different iterations and I think they stopped doing the hybrid ceramic one which I believe might have been what I got at least according to my notes.

Sapper69

I second this. I can't comment on wheels, but if you're not racing and you're not too fussed about a few grams here or there, I wouldn't hesitate going 'down' to Ultegra or even 105 (from the same generation) for everything else on your list. Ultegra and 105 have been so close to DA in terms of quality, performance and durability for so long, I believe that's the biggest strength of their brand.

Sapper69

P.S. the next post about BBs is something I agree with too. There are so many good quality BBs from third party manufacturers out there, this is an area where it's worth shopping around without sticking to the same brand as the groupset.

PeteHski

I have no experience of current Ultegra pedals, but I was a bit disappointed with current 105 pedals. They have plastic bearing housings which come loose too easily and develop play after a while. So I switched to DA pedals, which have a much better bearing arrangement. I found them on offer at Probikekit for not much more than Ultegra.

The rest of my 11-speed 105 7000 group set has been fine.

Kimmo

My inclination is to save on drivetrain expense by changing out chains early, and treating chainrings and cassettes as something I don't want to replace. Chains are cheaper than the other drivetrain parts, and pivot pin wear (and thus chain elongation) is the main cause of wear on the other parts.

That way, you might be able to justify a steel Edco cassette, which is lighter and more durable than DA half Ti, and it should last ages if you swap out your chain before it shows significant wear. Your rings might last the life of the groupset.

choddo

Is that the one which has a kind of honeycomb single piece construction? Looks amazing.

I just decided to finally switch from mechanical gears on my main road bike. My DA front mech is just not working well, in spite of doing my best to look after it. So the whole lot is getting switched out for Ultegra 8100 which I think kind of mandates Shimano HG+ chains. I’m lucky I can use a govt cycle voucher scheme here to get income tax rebate which brings the price right down. 40k miles sounds about right for wheels, the big downside of rim brakes. I never buy Shimano wheels or pedals. Hunt wheels are good value and Look pedals are just better imho.

Kimmo

Yeah. Actually come to think of it, you can find almost the same thing on AliExpress for about a quarter of the price...

choddo

I saw those. Think they aren’t in the same league. Plus got to love Swiss stuff

Kimmo

I got one, and it seemed nearly as nice as my Edco one. Problem was, it was the wrong range, and when I returned it I didn't get my money back 🤬

Camilo

Hmm. I don't consider wheels and pedals to be "consumable" any more than the derailleurs, brakes, shifters, etc.

I'll be surprised if you actually "consume" your Dura Ace pedals or wheels.

choddo

Much longer term but pedal bearins and wheel brake tracks go to the great parts bin in the sky.

I guess you can replace both of those if you know what you’re doing. I’ve put new bearings in Look Keo pedals.

Camilo

Yeah, certainly. But every part of a bike can wear out.. Pedals and rims aren't in the same category as chains, cassettes, tires, etc. which are consumables. Just IMHO but don't belong in the issue of replacing consumables.