Ultegra Advice.....

bails1310

Am just about to upgrade cassette, chainset & chain to Ultegra which is currently a mix of 105 [chain & chainset] and Sram [cassette]

Couple of queries, I'm going for the compact and wondered if there any way of knowing if I will need 114 or 116 link chain?

Also, I currently have a 105 bottom bracket which is circa a year old and probably 2k miles on it as I only use this bike in the better weather with last year being the first year I had it.

Should I change this also given the age, is there any real performance benefit to changing -v- the 105 one or is it just a case of wanting it to all match?

Thanks in advance, my Xmas vouchers are burning a hole in my pocket!!

ugo.santalucia

First of all, there is normally no benefit in upgrading consumables to Ultegra. As for the chain, you'll have to shorten it to the length you require, so what you buy is irrelevant, I always buy the longest, just in case... I normally need 108-110 links and I'm on a standard chainset, with compact you might need 1-2 less

markhewitt1978

bails1310 wrote:

Should I change this also given the age, is there any real performance benefit to changing -v- the 105 one or is it just a case of wanting it to all match?

Basically no performance benefit at all. If you have vouchers there are better things to spend them on.

bails1310

There is nothing wrong with the cassette but believed chain and cassette should be done together to avoid un-necessary wear, or is this just a bit of OCD.

I'll be happier to just upgrade chainset only, but didn't know if it would cause any noticeable concerns if I ran Sram cassette/105 chain/Ultegra chain set - I was trying to avoid a future 'why has this happened' post to be told I should have know better and matched the lot.

owenlars

If you change your chain every 1300-1500 miles you should get about 4 chains out of each cassette. What I suggest is just change the chain and if everything runs smoothly then all is well. If the chain starts jumping you have run the old chain for too long and it has ground down your cassette teeth to conform to its shape and you will need to change the cassette as well. Read Sheldon Brown on chain wear for full details.

http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

ic.

You'll notice zero benefit to changing the chainset to Ultegra. Absolutely zero.

Chain and cassette should only be changed if worn out (1000s of miles) or you are looking for different ratios on the cassette. You'll not notice any difference in a straight swap from 105 to Ultegra

If you have vouchers, have you considered kit? Good quality bibshorts are worth the money, as is a good jacket - you'll notice money spent on these things much more. Shoes? Pedals? If you are not running clipless then consider it. Have you considered tyres? Swapping rubbish stock tyres to something a bit better should provide a noticeable difference depending on your needs/choices

That said - if you really really want to spend the vouchers on some shiny bike parts, there's nowt wrong with that - we've all done it. You'll not have any problems if you run the combination you speak of. You can run, in 10 speed anyway, any combination of SRAM and Shimano you like.

dwanes

I noticed a definite positive change going from a Tiagra to Ultegra Chainset both in stiffness and front gear changes.

Plus the Ultegra Chainset does look great, much better than the 105 chainset.

rafletcher

bails1310 wrote:

I'll be happier to just upgrade chainset only, but didn't know if it would cause any noticeable concerns if I ran Sram cassette/105 chain/Ultegra chain set

ANY compatible chain (meaning SRAM, Wipperman, KMC) will work, with the added benefit of a "quick link" to make/break the chain for removal and cleaning. There is absolutley no need to run "Shimano" branded chains at all.

bails1310

dwanes wrote:

Plus the Ultegra Chainset does look great, much better than the 105 chainset.

This probably 50% of my incentive.

IC. wrote:

You'll notice zero benefit to changing the chainset to Ultegra. Absolutely zero.

.....I'm surprised, how may groupset layers do you need to jump to notice, if it was all purely cosmetic then a lot of people wouldn't do it would they?

I've got plenty of kit, pedals, shoes, I wanted the vouchers to go to something a bit bigger that Id keep for a while, stuff I want rather than stuff I need.

markhewitt1978

Depends what you mean by 'notice' of course, but I'd say more than one level up.

dwanes

Not all would be sensitive to changes, depends on your experience etc.

My wife can't tell the difference between Standard Def and HD TV. but it is there.

smidsy

bails1310 wrote:

.....I'm surprised, how may groupset layers do you need to jump to notice, if it was all purely cosmetic then a lot of people wouldn't do it would they?

It is mainly a weight saving that you get as you go up the range. Yes there is also an increase in stiffness of chainset and improved shifting potential but ultimately it is label envy.

The average rider is unlikely to notice any difference unless they ride the bottom group and the top group back-to-back. Even then I challenge you to notice the weight or stiffness difference.

After a few rides you get used to what you have so any improvement is short lived in the brain.

ugo.santalucia

dwanes wrote:

I noticed a definite positive change going from a Tiagra to Ultegra Chainset both in stiffness...

If they both were Hollowtech 2, what you say is called placebo

rolf_f

smidsy wrote:

After a few rides you get used to what you have so any improvement is short lived in the brain.

And this should be printed above every single comparative review that BR or anyone else ever publishes.

dwanes

Rolf F wrote:

smidsy wrote:

After a few rides you get used to what you have so any improvement is short lived in the brain.

And this should be printed above every single comparative review that BR or anyone else ever publishes.

So really we should all be riding round on £500 bikes.

Lets all pack up and go home.

Bozman

I had 105, Ultegra and Dura-ace running on three bikes last year, they all shift equally as well but I'd say that the shift just gets lighter and slightly smoother as you go up the chain.
The 7900 came to an end after a crash late last year, after reading rave reviews I went for 6800 Ultegra instead of blowing a small fortune on 9000 Dura-ace. The 6800 shifts better than 7900 so I'm not going to complain, in fact it's pretty close to the old yet sublime 7800.
As for brakes - with Swissstop green pads there's squat difference between Ultegra and Dura-ace, 105 lags slightly behind.