Originally Posted by
rsbob
Pete, think of it like really hot rodding your favorite sports car motor. What comes stock - say Ultegra - is very functional, durable and reliable. You can then throw cubic dollars to make it faster, but you quickly reach the point of diminishing returns by spending big bucks. If you were a competitive racer, the saving grams and sacrificing durability makes sense, but if you are a hard core recreational rider, then a step down from the top will still give you excellent functionality and durability with sacrificing very little.
I want the same route when building my frame a year ago and even though Dura Ace or Super Record looked sexy (and I could afford them) and might give me a bit of ‘cred’, I just couldn’t justify the reach for what it offered above one step down. Good luck
. I appreciate your prudent approach since it reflects mine
.
Yeah this is my line of thinking too. I'm not racing so a few grams of weight is irrelevant to my use. It's all about function, reliability, durability and quality. It seems like the top tier groups are focused on high level racing where every marginal gain counts and possibly at the expense of durability. So I'm pretty sure I'll stick with Ultegra level Shimano or Force/Rival level Sram. I'm off to the shop next week to discuss a build, so just getting all this clear in my own head first. Otherwise it's easy to get carried away and throw a load of cash at stuff that has no real benefit. All my previous road bikes have either been 105 or Ultegra level and never had any issues.