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Dura Ace or 105?

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Dura Ace or 105?

Old 09-13-19, 08:35 AM
  #1  
bruce19
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Dura Ace or 105?

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Old 09-13-19, 06:38 PM
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Ghazmh
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Ultegra
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Old 09-13-19, 08:07 PM
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Dean V
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Old 09-13-19, 10:26 PM
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I have a few older Dura Ace components, bits and pieces that came with project bikes. They're nice but I wouldn't go out of my way to put Dura Ace on my bikes, not on my budget. The various Ultegra, 105 and older 600 components I have are good enough for me and the rolling terrain I ride. I'm not strong enough and we don't have any serious climbs for a few grams here and there to matter. And I don't think I've ever worn out any bike component, so durability hasn't been a factor for me using mid-grade components.
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Old 09-13-19, 11:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
Ultegra
This
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Old 09-14-19, 02:32 AM
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Sora or Tiagra
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Old 09-14-19, 03:54 AM
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Originally Posted by caloso
This
Agreed.
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Old 09-14-19, 07:08 AM
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Originally Posted by topflightpro
Agreed.
Concurred
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Old 09-14-19, 06:03 PM
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Old 09-14-19, 06:48 PM
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Ultegra is good stuff for the price! 105 is awesome value that works. DA is just too damn much cash IMO
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Old 09-14-19, 09:21 PM
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Another vote for Ultegra.
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Old 09-15-19, 06:32 AM
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Performance wise, there is zero difference, imo, between my r7020 and r8000 bikes (shifting that is, the hyd discs are def better, which is why I'm building a new road bike lol). But I can feel differences in the shifters (mainly, rough edges on the 105). For the new build, I went with r8020, I could justify $200 more over 105, but couldn't justify another $400 over that for DA. Plus, DA deserves a better frame. lol
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Old 09-15-19, 06:44 AM
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Anecdotal observation, but my 5800 takes noticeably less pressure to operate and is just as fast and sure as my 6800 and 7800 systems. All were set up professionally. The 6800 is on a bike with ultra-short chainstays and is very sensitive to chain alignment as a result. The 7800 bike is intermediate and the 5800 is very long.
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Old 09-15-19, 07:54 AM
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I have 3 road bikes and a cyclo-cross bike. The road bikes have 15 yr old 10sp Dura Ace, 10 sp SRAM Red, 11 sp 105 and the cross bike has 11 sp 105. The Dura Ace is amazing in that it is still so good. The SRAM is very tactile and shifts like a manual car as opposed to an automatic. The road 105 11 sp is very good and a great bargain. And the cross bike 105 is truly amazing. By far the smoothest and most quiet of the bunch. I like each one for different reasons. Just my experience.
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Old 09-15-19, 11:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Rides4Beer
Performance wise, there is zero difference, imo, between my r7020 and r8000 bikes (shifting that is, the hyd discs are def better, which is why I'm building a new road bike lol). But I can feel differences in the shifters (mainly, rough edges on the 105). For the new build, I went with r8020, I could justify $200 more over 105, but couldn't justify another $400 over that for DA. Plus, DA deserves a better frame. lol
Agree about the brakes. Whatcha building?
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Old 09-15-19, 12:00 PM
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Fixie or forget it.
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Old 09-16-19, 07:46 AM
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Ultegra. DA if you can spend the extra $.

Also keep in mind that the expensive products aren't always the most reliable ones. Performance is not always correlated to reliability.

Last edited by eduskator; 09-16-19 at 08:23 AM.
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Old 09-16-19, 08:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
Agree about the brakes. Whatcha building?
2019 Tarmac Comp Disc. Got a good deal on the frame, should end up about half the cost of a new Comp, but with better cockpit/wheels. Thought about going electronic, but didn't want to spend the money just yet. Plus it gives me something to upgrade in the future.
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Old 09-16-19, 08:23 AM
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Ultegra, and skip the 2nd donut.
105, and skip the first donut.

I like donuts, but my budget (weight and wallet) won't allow me both Dura-ace *and* three donuts at the same time, so Ultegra it is.
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Old 09-16-19, 10:21 AM
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Ultegra.

You guys ever hear why Force AXS came out? One of the SRAM founders toured Europe and was amazed to find Ultegra at the pricepoint that it was at such an immensely high level of quality and performance. They've now tried to get there. Let's hope they keep trying to get closer.
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Old 09-16-19, 11:24 AM
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On my two main riders, I use DA and love it. On my rain bike and MUP rider I use 105 shifters with Ultegra crank and rear derailer. Truth be told, there's very little difference between the DA and 105 shifting.


But DA looks cool.
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Old 09-16-19, 11:55 AM
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Old 09-17-19, 04:52 AM
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Originally Posted by Psimet2001
Ultegra.

You guys ever hear why Force AXS came out? One of the SRAM founders toured Europe and was amazed to find Ultegra at the pricepoint that it was at such an immensely high level of quality and performance. They've now tried to get there. Let's hope they keep trying to get closer.
Yeah, Ultegra is pretty much the slightly aspirational sweet spot in bang for buck, while Dura-Ace is just decadence.
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Old 09-20-19, 12:15 AM
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If you can afford the DA, heck, go for it. As the GCN report shows, it is hard to really feel the difference between the two group sets and the weight difference is not significant. That said, when the group is older, being pushed in a variety of weather conditions, beat around a bunch, the DA will likely out perform the 105. I guess Ultegra is good sweet spot. I don't know, I ride Campy on my road bikes and SRAM on the gravel and mountain bikes. I much prefer the ergonomics of Campy and the feel of the shifting vs Shimano and the way the Shimano dual control levers work. But it is a personal thing.
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Old 09-20-19, 08:51 AM
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