Ultegra to Dura-Ace. Worth it?

dag_on_a_bike

Having had my bike rebuilt, eventually, after a significant crash - new frame, bars/stem and STi my bike is now back on the road in a 'modfied' form.

As part of the repair the STi were changed from Ultegra SL to Dura-Ace 7800 at no extra cost (the insurers were paying anyway but I suspect it was more down to the incredible price hike recently in Ultegra against Dura-Ace STi being in stock so it made no difference to the dealer).

Now to my questions...is Dura-Ace so much better than Ultegra SL? Will I notice the difference? Will the difference be any better if I changed the front, rear or both mechs?

It's not that I'm desperate to upgrade regardless, or incur a cost for no positive benefit. I just wondered.

Opinions gratefully received.

MontyCC

Doubt it but What sort of difference are you expecting to feel??

markos1963

More of a difference between 105 and DA than Ultegra. I would upgrade as and when things wear out. You already have one of the most expensive parts of the group, most people upgrade the other parts and leave the changers.

e999sam

I've got ultegra on my training bike and DA on my best bike and I can certainly tell the difference. The gear change is more positive, the brakes have way more stopping power and feel more progressive. Having said all that I wouldn't upgrade until the ultegra was worn out. As a rule as stuff wears out on my training bike I replace it with parts from my best bike and replace that with new.

greasedscotsman

My last 3 "summer" bikes have had Dura Ace, but then recently got a new "winter" bike which had Tiagra and to be honest, I was quite suprised how little difference there was. Braking wasn't as good, but that's as much to do with rims and brake blocks, but I doubt I will be getting Dura Ace again, just can't see it's worth it.

But if you can get it for free, they why not! I'm guessing you can't get another part of the bike upgraded? A better pair of wheels will make more of a difference. Also I really like the shape of the DA levers, that's something to bear in mind if you do "upgrade".

dag_on_a_bike

Thanks for the comments.

I suppose my concern is partly because I believe Dura-Ace 7800 and 7900 are not cmpatible, so as I have received the benefit of an upgrade to the STi now, I don't want to leave it too long before changing the mechs if they become unavailable in the future when my Ultegra mechs need replacing, only to find that I have to change the whole lot.

As for 'getting it free', any future upgrades are at my own expense. My crash 'benefits' have now expired. I wont go to Dura-Ace unless there's a real benefit. My Ultegra has been fine in the past, and was, in my opinion, much better than the 9sp 105 that was on my previous bike.

ACMadone

You can pick up DA 7800 for half the price of 7900 if you look around, and at the end of the day you'll be safe in the knowledge that you're riding DA. Ultegra is good, but just not as smooth as DA

ACMadone

Having read this article again, the standard DA brake pads are crap and you need to swap them to some kool stops

mrushton

is the Ultegra SL much different to DA?

Dunkeldog

Recently bought a new Felt with Ultegra SL. Previously had a 105 set which was fine but I have to say the difference is incredible. Did a lot of researching and LBS visits deciding whether to go for DA and found not a single person who said for the level at which I'm riding (club & sportive) the cost of DA outweighs the benefits. Still, if I'd had money to burn I would have gone for DA just because!

Meds1962

I've got a Boardman Pro with 7800 and ultegra on my other bike. The main difference I find is how well the front mech changes. The DA is a much crisper shift than the ultegra. The boardman has tektro brakes so I can't compare ultegra with DA but the DA pads I use with my ultegra calipers do tend to wear very quickly and I'll be looking for an alternative brand next time I need a set.

Some of the difference is weight rather than performance so there's less advantage to upgrading to DA if your frame etc are not particylarly lightweight.