Ataylor

All questions have been answered.

I'm sorry for the long post, guys, but this upgrade has turned out to be a bit more difficult to complete than I'd imagined. If any of you could please shed some light on even one of the options below, it would help me immensely and I would greatly appreciate it.

So there are a few components I know I need. A 172.5 34/50 crank, an 11/32 cassette and a Dura Ace chain. The rest? Rocket science. To me, anyway. I'm starting to see a clearer picture, but it's still pretty blurry overall.

I'm on a 2016 Specialized Roubaix SL4 Sport and wanting to upgrade from 105 Shimano components to the Ultegra Di2. The store I'm planning on purchasing from has the following options (I've grayed out the options I don't believe I need) and my question can be found beneath each option:

Front Derailleur:
1) Braze On
2) Braze On + 35mm Adapter

• QUESTION: I was told that I need Braze On, but what need is there for the 35mm adapter if that's the case? I was under the impression that such an adapter (a clip, basically, that's used to attach the front derailleur to the bike), was only meant for frames that didn't have the option to screw the derailleur in. What am I missing here?

Rear Derailleur:
1) SS Cage (cover: 11-25T to 11-30T)
2) GS Cage (covers: 11-28T to 11-34T)
3) RD-RX805-GS (covers: 11-28T to 11-34T)

• QUESTION: They both handle up to 11-34T cassettes, but the names are different. Any idea what the difference is here?

Bottom Bracket: BB30:
1) English
2) Japan
3) PressFit-BB86 (SM-BB71-41)
4) BB30 Adapter (no bearings) by Wheels Manufacturing
5) BB30 Adapter and bearings by Wheels Manufacturing
6) PressFit-BB86 (SM-BB91-41)

• QUESTION: I've been told I need a BB30 bottom bracket, but which to choose? The one with bearings or without?

Brake Calipers:
1) Ultegra R80000 Brakes
2) BR-R8010 Ultegra Direct Mount (Front + Rear Seat Stay) Brakes
3) Dura Ace Brakes BR-R9100

• QUESTION: What exactly is the difference between these two sets of brakes

Shifters:
1) Shift levers with brake cables and housing
2) TT R8060 Shift Levers with brake cables and housing

• QUESTION: Similar question here. Both shift levers come with brake cables and housing, but one is different. Does anyone know what that difference is?

Junction-A Box:
1) 3 Port
2) 5 Port
3) EW-RS910 (handlebar installation)
4) EW-RS910 (inside of frame installation)

Junction-B Box:
1) Internal Wires (SM-JC41)
2) NO Junction B

• QUESTION: I'm going to go with the 3 Port junction box A. Do I need the second junction box (Junction-B Box) as well? Or just one? The Junction-A Box?

Electric Wires:
1) 6pc set (1000mm, 700mm, 600mm, 350mm, 300mm) - For Under Stem Installation
2) JC130 + 5pc set (JC130 350/450/50, 1000, 700, 700, 350, 300) - For Bar Installation of EW-RS910
3) 6pc set (1200,700, 700, 600, 350, 300) - For Bar Installation or EW-RS910
4) 6pc set (1400,1200, 1000, 700, 600, 300) - For Frame Installation or EW-RS910
5) Custom Set with JC130
6) None

• QUESTION: I'm not looking to purchase the EW-RS910 module right now (perhaps I may upgrade later), but that in mind, I'm assuming this is the correct wire set to buy?

As mentioned above, no need to answer all or, to be honest, even one. Any and all comments, opinions, etc, are welcome. I'll take any guidance I can get.

Thanks in advance.

TiHabanero

I will answer two for you so that others may chim in with the rest.

You will need the BB30 with bearings.
Ultegra 8000 is standard rim brake mount that has been around 100 years, 8010 is direct frame mount requiring braze ons to mount to the bike.

veganbikes

Yes you will need the junction B it would be quite difficult to wire everything up to 3 ports. You might also want to measure for the cables you need. You could use a string and measure that but you can also add a little extra length. Too long can be stuffed inside the frame too short and you could pull cables and damage things.

For brakes you can go with just about any rim brake calipers you don't have to use Shimano Ultegra you just need the correct mounting direct mount is going to be similar to center pull or cantilever brakes (but different and not cross compatible) you are likely to have standard brakes. If you want to upgrade brakes as I always say one of the best upgrades is pads, shoes, cables and housing. SwissStop or KoolStop and Jagwire Pro or Elite Link is a great upgrade for any brake. If you are looking to really upgrade eeBrakes are the way to go but aren't cheap.

In terms of any upgrades you are looking at DO THEM NOW!!!! Seriously don't spend extra money and time having to buy other stuff. I am doing the same thing at the moment and am sad I had to do that (granted the bar end junction didn't exist back then).

Get the correct derailleur, bottom bracket, shifters and cranks for your bike. If you have drop bars TT shifters are not going to work unless you go with aero base bars or bullhorns.
Measure twice, cut once!

cxwrench

Some (a lot) of this stuff you can figure out yourself if you had just a bit more initiative. Go to the Shimano site and look at the different derailleurs and shifters, that alone will answer your questions about those parts. You need a junction B box. I'm assuming your '6 piece wire set' has 2 350mm wires...otherwise you won't be able to connect both shifters. "Normal" road calipers attach w/ 1 bolt in the center of the caliper, Direct Mount attach w/ 2 bolts. Again, look at the Shimano site. If you were told you need a braze-on derailleur get one. The 'adapter' is to clamp around a seat tube w/ no braze-on mount. Once again...check the Shimano site. Obviously you need bearings w/ your bottom bracket, it wouldn't work w/o them.

Ataylor

Thanks a lot. Really appreciate your input.
Got it. Thanks.

Well, the site says for that specific wire set that there aren't any other sizes beyond those included that are needed. So since I'm getting the groupset profesionally installed, I'm assuming there's no need for me to measure anything, right?
Outside of picking up a pair of Koolstops, I've never really given brakes a second thought. Will have to look into those eeBrakes and see if it's worth the upgrade.

Also, why buy better brake cables? Because they last longer? Or are you suggesting that the braking is somehow affected by the quality of the cable?
Yea', I'm totally with you on buying everything you need from the very beginning, but in this case, I just don't think I need the module. I mean it would be nice to have it, but I can't bring myself to consider the upgrade at the moment since I don't really need to know the battery percentage. I don't need to set the gears to any specific configuration. I don't need to know which gear I'm in and so on. It just doesn't seem to offer anything that I truly need. Not only that, but I also don't believe my handlebars support it. The techs would either need to drill a hole in the bar (which is something I would rather them not do) or I would need to buy a new, compatible one. So though I left the possibility open in my original post, there are obviously reservations surrounding that little upgrade.
Thanks!

I spent time researching this before posting. I only ever post here (or anywhere, really) after I get to a point where I can't figure it out myself. So with some of the components, I could tell that there was an aesthetic difference, but I couldn't quite figure out what that difference was. It looked different, but I didn't know why.
Thanks.

Yes, you're right. The set comes with two. I wrote everything down myself, so I missed that.
I did. The Direct Mount brake caliper had a front-facing shot, so I couldn't tell that there are two bolts in the back. In fact, even on Google, when I searched for that specific model number, there were several pics (all labeled as Direct Mount) with one single bolt in the back. So not knowing that Direct Mount calipers came with two bolts, I had no idea what to look for.
They're both Braze on, though. That's where the confusion kicked in for me. If it's just a clamp, shouldn't it be called "Clamp On?" So what I was trying to figure out was why would they include a clamp with a braze on derailleur? I figured it's not needed, right? If so, then it just struck me as odd that they would charge an additional $20 for an unnecessary part. Which made me wonder if perhaps it was actually necessary for some reason and that it was me that couldn't figure out why, hence my question. Besides calling Specialized again, or asking you guys, I honestly don't know how I could have figured that out myself.
Thanks. I'm curious, though. Can you tell me why anyone would offer a bottom bracket without bearings? A lot of this stuff makes zero sense to me.

veganbikes

Ahhh if someone else is installing let them get all the cables and such needed. Easy peasy on that front.

Cables, housing pads and shoes are very important to the braking process. I have used Dura Ace brakes with cheap pads (XLC I believe) and it was terrible, poor stopping it felt like the pads were just slick most of the time (even with some roughing up) and then when I switched back to Dura Ace pads they improved and then using SwissStop pads on my brakes made them feel even better. This was all done pretty cheaply. The cables did stay the same but were Jagwire Pro.

Slick cables will glide smoothly in the housing and if the housing is nice and smooth and doesn't compress it will give a better feeling. As you get nicer cables they get polished meaning even slicker and any snags or friction will give you less than optimal braking. The Link housing is nice as it is really nice and light bends well and those beads (as one of our mechanics calls them) are reusable until they are destroyed and the slick liner inside of them is pretty cheap to replace. Plus you can add different color beads to really liven up the bike. Always always always no matter what unless the absolute most emergency situation avoid galvanized cables they are prone to rust and that is no good for braking. I do feel like the really nice cables tend to stay together a bit better after cutting but honestly it could be my cutter as well.

In terms of calipers. The eeBrakes have a great design and are mega light but I find they have really excellent feel and a very positive and sure braking. I am also able to modulate them quick nicely and they look really good. Those brakes properly set up with Elite Link kit and SwissStop pads and Ultegra Di2 Levers have probably been some of the best brakes I have owned aside from of course my 4 piston XT brakes but those are hydraulic disc brakes with a lot of power behind them. Sometimes it almost feels like they are better than the mechanical disc brakes (set up quite similarly with Elite Link and KoolStop disc pads) on my touring bike but I don't really ride the bikes side by side a lot so maybe that is just me.

The bar end junction does clean things up quite a bit. I have never liked the junction A just hanging out under my stem and have tried to find better ways to mount it but nothing seemed to satisfy or work any better. However do what is best for you just remember having to do it down the line means more money spent.

cxwrench

The eebrakes are great. Spendy but great. The cables and housing that will come w/ the levers are good quality Shimano, they should be fine. The braze-on derailleur is offered with a clamp because some frames need it. It reduces the number of SKUs a distributor has to carry, they can just stock the braze-on derailleur and some clamps instead of the b-o and all the clamp models. I'm not sure why anyone would offer a bb w/o bearings. Makes no sense.

Ataylor

Gotcha! Then I'll just leave that completely in their hands.
I hate to bother you with so many side questions, but how exactly do shoes affect braking?

Thanks for the insight. As for galvanized, I don't even know what that word means, but I do know the stigma that surrounds it on this board. I was told the same with regard to shifting cables, so yea', I'll be sure to stay away. Thanks again for the heads up and the reminder.
That's so interesting. I might never have cared about braking because I was probably so use to using bad brakes. This definitely has me intrigued. Will have to look into it a bit more when I get a chance.
You know what, I definitely don't want to see cables hanging everywhere. It's already pretty bad as is, with the front light cables, the cables for the battery packs, etc, so I'm just going to pick up the EW-RS910.
Got it. Thanks for clarifying and for your help. I appreciate it.

Iride01 

Yeah but all possible viewpoints valid or not have been expressed. Nor have you given this thread sufficient time to de-rail and go off on ridiculous tangents.

How uncaring of you! <grin>

Ataylor

I don't know what I was thinking. I'll show myself out...

veganbikes

Shoes Pads are what contact the braking surface if you have a compound that is poor it will wipe the surface rather than gripping it properly and stopping you. It may also last longer or have other useful properties needed for the bike. The shoes provide a stiff flex free surround for the pads so they can contact the rim properly and evenly and give better power. Addendum: Shoes hold in the pads and the stiffness helps to prevent those pads from flexing. There are some all in one solutions but the problem with those is they tend to lose that stiffness and maybe some cooling properties and you have to replace the whole unit rather than just the pad.

Good cables are going to be stainless steel meaning they are made from a steel that doesn't rust or corrode like a standard steel. Galvanized steel will have a thin coating of zinc to help prevent corrosion but it doesn't usually last.

There is no point in the "go" if you don't have good "woah".That is why the point in good braking either through purely cheaper options like upgrading wear items or through better brakes that are stiffer and have better modulation...or both. Also you can upgrade levers in some cases as well and that can help but of course the Di2 levers are great.

Keep it clean and you will be happy with the outcome. A little extra spent and you get a cleaner looking cockpit you will be happy and that happiness will be worth the little extra you spent.

veganbikes

It's because all the other viewpoints are invalid. All anyone ever needs is my viewpoint and the world would be a better place. Instead of all these people with big egos and thinking they are better than everyone else just have me and you don't need anyone better because I will have solved that issue.

But don't just take my word for it here are other opinions:

Quote:

I agree

Quote:

Certainly that

Ataylor

As I sat here completely bewildered as to how in heavens name shoes can affect breaking, choosing not to give into any assumptions but rather waiting for you to bring me into an ineffable state of intellectual enlightenment, what do I realize? That you're not actually referring to the types of shoes that you wear on your feet. I'll be honest, that's the first time I've ever heard the word "shoes" referred to for brakes, but at the same time, I think sometimes I go just a bit too far with my "anything's possible" attitude. lol Anyway, thanks for the explanation.

Ah, okay. Got it. Thanks.

Yea', I think the Di2 should be good. The only thing that gave me slight reservations was how close the handles reached the bar, but I don't think that should serve as too much of a problem.

Oh, absolutely. 100% agree. Super glad you brought it up. I would've definitely gone with the 3 port had you not mentioned it, so thanks once again for that and for all of your help.

That said, have a great and safe weekend, everyone.

veganbikes

LOLOLOL. I had no idea you didn't know what shoes meant in this context. So sorry on that one. The ones you wear on your feet could make a difference if you are that guy who runs a brakeless single speed and brakes with his Vans or whatever he wore or if you are Fred Flinstone (or I guess really anyone who drove a car in the Flintstones). Otherwise though we are talking about the part that holds the pads which I said shoes and I got myself mixed up. In the last post and just realized it. The shoes hold the pads the pads contact the rim.

Ataylor

Man, I almost forgot that I use to do that back in the day. Sheesh. It's been a while. But yea', no worries. I think most people would assume that someone who's been on the forum for nearly 20 years (albeit, in my defense, clearly not actively) would have known what that word meant. Anyway, thanks for the explanation. Now I know.

veganbikes

Oh damn '06 that has been a while. You gotta get more active