I'm getting confused by hydraulic groupset options - opinions (as usual) sought!

daniel_b

Evening all,

I plan to buy a Scott Addict RC frame at some point this year, it's disc only, and it looks like I can get it through my C2W provider, having had a live chat with them today - the frame is £1999, and the limit is £2000.

I need to sort out a groupset, and I want to ride with power.

I've never ridden Campagnolo, and don't really want to go there, having none of the required tools - I carry out the vast majority of my home mechanics.

Which leaves me with Shimano, which I have on most of my bikes, or SRAM, which I have on one.

The main contenders seem to be:

1 - Dura Ace 9120 - available for around £1250 as a complete groupset
2 - Dura Ace 9170 (Di2) Available for around £1900 as a complete groupset
3 - Dura Ace 9170 (Di2) partial kit, missing cassette, Crankset and chain (£1300ish) The £600 would easily cover the cost of a crankset and cassette, and it would mean I could look into a crankset with PM built in.
4 - SRAM Red Etap AXS Hrd 2X for around £1500ish, comes without crankset and cassette, but the main limiting factor with this one is that it is 12spd, so I would have to go with a pricey SRAM rear cassette, and I wouldn't risk it not running perfectly, so would have to get the crankset as well and chain.
Crankset with power I could buy for circa £580, less enthusing is the fact the cassettes can be had on sale for only £250ish!
I also gather you need a specific freehub on the rear wheel to accept the 12spd cassette, and a special tool to fit and or remove their cassette.
I was all for Etap, but the amount of propriatary stuff is making me more wary.

I do have some pedal power options I am considering also, plus some alternatives posted on another thread, when I had the bad idea of looking at the Dura Ace 9100P crankset

Given the reductions available, I will likely not bother with trying to get them through the C2W scheme, so I'm free to source from where ever.

At present I think I'm favouring 1 & 3, clearly 1 is the best value out of those above, but I wonder as it would be my dream bike whether I should go for the Di2 - it will mean hopefully one less cable to replace, as it's 100% internally cabled, I imagine that could be somewhat useful.

Would appreciate peoples viewpoints, or personal experiences of said groupsets above - don't think I have missed any major options, but happy to be educated :-)

joe_totale-2

How about buying Red 22 Etap? You get the benefits of wireless with none of the proprietary nonsense:

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/sram-etap-hrd-groupset/

As with the 12 speed there's no crankset and cassette but you're a lot more free to use cheaper items such as an Ultegra cassette and the freehub on your wheels won't need changing.

The brakes on the link provided are post mount but converters are available or maybe you can find a groupset which comes with flat mount brakes.

daniel_b

Thanks Joe, I had not even considered the original 11 spd version, because (perhaps incorrectly) I had assumed it would be phasd out, and that it would be 12spd only in the future.
Wasn't sure if spares etc might be hard to come by, or perhaps batteries are the same fit as the 12spd.

joeyhalloran

Does 3 come wiht the battery, wires, junction box, etc...? Or is it just the shifters and deraileurs? It might account for the difference in cost between option 2 and option 3.

daniel_b

3 should normally be more, but Merlin have it with 10% off currently, so down from £1500 to £1350, plus cashback on top.

But yes it comes with all of that, just missing the crankset, cassette and chain.

I also noticed yesterday the Praxis Zayante Carbon power cranket, which weighs in at about £600.

joeyhalloran

My experiences, and it is just mine, is that the Shimano hydros on my road bike are SO much easier to work on (bleed, etc...) than the SRAM on my cross bike. I have had to rebuild the shifter 3 times for the SRAM ones. I know Shimano isn't without it's flaws but I don't think I'll be buying any more SRAM hydros for a while.

daniel_b

That's interesting to hear Joey - my only SRAM Rival hydro bike has also been a bit of a mare setup wise, though some of that could be down to the bike I suppose.

Evans nor me were able to set it up with no rub front and rear for the pads - found a local bike mechanic who fully serviced the bike, and managed to get it 95% there, so at least it is usable now.

My Shimano hyd bikes just seem to have so much more room for maneouvre, and yet work every bit as well on a braking front.

Now you say that, this is pushing me more to Shimano actually.

ajkerr73

daniel_b said:

3 should normally be more, but Merlin have it with 10% off currently, so down from £1500 to £1350, plus cashback on top.

But yes it comes with all of that, just missing the crankset, cassette and chain.

I also noticed yesterday the Praxis Zayante Carbon power cranket, which weighs in at about £600.

Be carefull with 30mm axles and Di2. I ended up having to revert to Shimano crank as no room on my bike for Di2 wiring through the BB with the Praxis that I'd purchased.

wobblebob

ajkerr73 said:

daniel_b said:

3 should normally be more, but Merlin have it with 10% off currently, so down from £1500 to £1350, plus cashback on top.

But yes it comes with all of that, just missing the crankset, cassette and chain.

I also noticed yesterday the Praxis Zayante Carbon power cranket, which weighs in at about £600.

Be carefull with 30mm axles and Di2. I ended up having to revert to Shimano crank as no room on my bike for Di2 wiring through the BB with the Praxis that I'd purchased.

I had no problem converting my Spec Roubaix to di2 with a praxis M30 BB so may depend on the frame. But for the OP why no ultegra options? All the performance of Dura ace for about £700 less

daniel_b

Thankyou AJKerr, something to bear in mind for sure.

Wobblebob - before having a dura ace bike, Ultegra was the best groupset I had ever had, and it is great, just the Dura ace is that little bit slicker & lighter.

My CR1 has Ultegra 6800 11spd, fitted by me, and has been bullet proof.

I had zero intention of buying a Dura ace groupset or a bike with Dura ace on, but then the Foil RC came up, in a colour I was desperate for, and at a healthy discount, and in my size, and I couldn't resist.

Plus if I can get it through C2W, I'll end up paying what Ultegra would cost at face value - although I realise I could also get Ultegra on the scheme, but hey, this is my man maths!

Additionally I would keep this bike for probably 15 years, so I think it is fair to say I would get my moneys worth out of it.

Great news is I have found a reputable wheel builder who takes the C2W vouchers