GaIslander

I agree with that!

rjones28 

Another insightful contribution by @WHOOOSSHHH... Never change.

Jiggle

Yes, I can see by the reader comments that it is highly respected.

Jiggle

I thought they addressed it with 9001?

R1lee

if you are referring to the bulkiness of the crank, yes it happened on 7900. They had to do this because of the release of Di2. The amount of torque the derailleurs puts on the teeth and crank cause flexing and mishifts. Reason why Di2 doesn't shift properly on some older Rotor cranks etc.

softreset

There it is... the sharp edges. Man you had me really, really worried. This thread was on Page 2 before you responded, and Page 3 before the sharp edges remark. Off day? On vacation? I was always thought it was like Beetlejuice. You say... DA 9000 three times in a thread and you'll chime in with the same old stuff.

Stucky

I'm afraid I just don't "get" that. How does a derailer put torque on a chainring? I can't really fathom why Di2 (as much as I'm opposed to electronic shifting) would subject a chainring to more torque, either. But yeah, those cranks sure are fugly and bulky-looking! Bulky is not a good look for a road bike....'specially when it comes to high-end expensive parts.

It seems like Shimano (and many others) these days, just like to make changes for change's sake- "If we can't make it better, we'll at least make it different, so we'll have something new to offer" (Well, they say that whenm they're not saying "Time to throw on another cog!")

Campag4life

Lots of ignorance to go around. 50% of the public can't tell a BMW from a Honda.

Campag4life

No difference internally between DA9000 and 9001.

Campag4life

For the record rubbing beetlejuice on the shifters won't help. Need something with a strong acid base to melt the edges. Of course this won't do much for the rock hard rubber used on the hoods.

R1lee

wheels are more bulky nowadays with their wide width. They are faster... supposedly.

robbyville

Hey there! So still haven't made the switch yet eh I remember you thinking about it a while back!

I rode the 9000 for most of a summer when the 9070 became available to me. I loved the 9000, the front shifting was buttery smooth and considering that was a big plus for DI2 it almost took away a bit of the wow factor. That being said I'd have a hard time going back. I've gotten so used to the DI2, it works flawlessly and the no trim is nice. The 9000 has a good trim set-up for the front, I tend to use big/big more than I should so I definitely noticed the need to set up the front derailleur properly with the mechanical.

9070 (and Im sure the DI2 Ultegra as well) is truly sublime, but there is no doubt it's a luxury. If you're still riding and racing like you were when I last saw your posts and I had the decision of DI2 or coaching for 8 months I'd take the coaching. If you've gotten to the point where you deserve a treat the DI2 is a great treat to have.

FWIW to all the haters out there, I think the crank is very nice looking. Plus it has the added benefit of setting the stage for other companies to have one bolt circle diameter for all chainrings vs. compact and non-compact. One crankset for all cross, fondo, racing needs yeeha!

canuckcicle

These responses here are kind of silly. Instead of spending hours fondling your hoods, try riding more. If shimano top end gear is hurting your hands, it's one of two things. Your core is too weak to support your upper body weight, or your holding the hoods way too tight. Either way it's you not the hoods.

When I raced in SA we were on record. Everything about the groupset was a dream, but you could almost guarantee that a bike change would be required after a pileup if the rear derailleur was at all impacted. This would most likely be considered conjecture, but I also found the campy chains to be inferior to shimano in regards of durability. I've easily broken three campy chains to every shimano chain I broke over my career.

When I came back to race in CA we were on 7970 and 7900 which in my opinion was just as good, if not a little better. The significant difference for me was that I was confidant that I could continue on the same bike after a crash, provided the derailleur wasn't physically damaged.

I'm now riding 9070 and no longer race competitively. I'm not a design engineer and I have better things to concern myself with than the aesthetics of a crank. I've also never had to wrench on the bikes I ride. I have spent the better part of the last 15 years racing with all the top end groupsets and concur that the 9000 series is hands down the best that is available in the market today.

bt

that settles it then.

Hiro11

9000 is double the price of 6800 and almost 4X the price of 5800. It's not any better than those groups. 9000 is the "best in the world" for journalists who get sent groups for free.

rjones28 

robbyville

I don't get all these Ultegra comments. The article clearly states they're just talking about the top group from each company, they're not comparing durability or performance to their sibling groups. In fact the entire last paragraph essentially states that the only trouble with 9000 is that 6800 is just as good performance wise at a fraction of the cost. All this hating brewhaha for nothing.

rjones28 

This is BikeForums, nobody read the article.

WHOOOSSHHH...

These folks don't know you like I do..Truth should be known. Now get back to affliction. I see hummer is as yappy as a new born banny roster since I left. The ole Rjones I know would be demanding that picture...

Stucky

Very true! Wide width; deeper depth. It's funny how they're faster now...whereas a while back, 18/19mm-wide tires were faster, ya know (First, narrower than 32mm was faster...now wider is supposedly faster. Poor me, I'm just sticking with 23mm's.)

Jiggle

I read the article.

WHOOOSSHHH...

You seem like the very serious type...here relax..

gc3

as many as it takes..

rjones28 

Gold star for @Jiggle. Maybe, you could read it to @WHOOOSSHHH...

Jiggle

If there were better emoticons there'd be a better gauge of how serious I was.