Originally Posted by jkrones
I am in the process of considering the make up of a new road bike. Currently I ride a tri-bike with 9 speed durace. The new bike would be a 10 speed. What are riders thoughts on 10-speed durace vs 10-speed ultegra. I hear that the 10-speed ultegra is smoother and more efficient than the 9-speed durace. Is the extra money for the 10-speed durace worth it? I am a high volume rider. Thanks for your input.
I used to ride a 2002 Lemond Zurich with Ultegras. Then last week, I bought a '05 Fuji carbon bike with DuraAce, and have had 4 rides since (20-35 miles each). As a previous post mentions, the DuraAce shift is very precise and just snaps into gear. The Ultegras, however, are smooooth as butter. It may be because the Ultegras are 3 years old, who knows? As much as I appreciate the military precision of the DuraAce, I like the smooth feeling of the Ultegras. They both work beautifully in terms of precision of shift. I personally don't think the DA derailleurs are worth the extra money. Now, as far as the cassettes and such, I believe there is some argument to having DA for the difference in materials. My $.02 worth....