Farby

How much of a difference is there between the current gen ultegra and 105?

In my continuing search of deciding on a new rig i've seen some really good deals on closeout 2015 Cannondale Evo's equipped with full 105. I initially set out with intentions of buying ultegra equipped bike as I believed it was much better in every way without having to pay the dura ace premium, but I haven't ridden any new shimano stuff in nearly a decade.

As I understand the regular EVO frames are the same throughout the lineup and only the groupsets differ. I also have the option of buying the 105 bike and getting ultegra group from ribble for pretty cheap. I'd like to really get the overall weight down as much as possible and I believe the EVO frame alone is a great starting point.

Thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

cthenn

nm

WalksOn2Wheels

A quick search tells me about half a pound. The 6800 and 5800 groups are basically identical in terms of geometry for shifting and braking. I have DA 9000 on one bike and the brakes are the same design (different materials) and work amazingly. Huge difference between Shimano brakes and house brand brakes. If the bike is full 105 5800, I wouldn't be at all wary of it.

Mulberry20

Spend a little more and get Campy Chorus or Ultegra. I realize Chorus is the priciest but its worth it.

rms13

This. Almost exactly the same other then color and weight. Of course with Cannondale you are not getting Shimano cranks so only about 170 g difference

69chevy

I have a two bikes, one with Ultegra 6800 and one with 105 5800.


There is no noticeable difference in performance.


The 5800 group is pretty awesome.

apaulson714

Upgraded my bike recently and found myself debating 5800 vs 6800. Went with the 105 and its wonderful. Ive ridden a friends 6800 a bit and honestly it really didnt feel much different at all. spent much less on the 105 setup and am beyond happy with it.

I also noticed you havent ridden any new shimano in a decade, i was in a similar situation. I came off of 105 5500 from 2002 and at the time there was a bit of a difference between that and 6500 Ultegra, now however, not so much (at least that ive noticed)

Farby

Thanks for the replies. It's good to hear the performance is not too different between the groups.

I guess I'll have to figure out how important weight is to me. 170 grams between the two groups doesn't sound bad at all. I'd love to add a spidering hollogram crank, but that just throws cost into an entirely different realm. It may seem silly but I'd really like to go a little weight weenie on this bike. I know it's engine first, but i find the "make it as light as possible" aspect fun.

I weigh options heavily and research for months before I finally make a decision and greatly appreciate everyone's input.

I had a campy chorus 10 speed bike and although I liked it, I'm going shimano this time around.

vinfix

If you're concerned about weight, most people seem to find the extra cost of Ultegra is worth it, but not DuraAce. I tried a bunch of bikes before I bought mine, and I found Ultegra to be smoother than 105. My bike is mostly Ultegra (crank included), except 105 FD & cassette. Brakes are excellent, as other noted.
Unless you're a top competitor, really it comes down to budget and how it looks & feels to you.

rms13

That bike is about 17.5 lbs in 56cm based on reviews. Not exactly a boat anchor. Wheels are 1850g so you can easily drop a pound with wheel upgrade. Beyond that

FlashBazbo

My daughter (long-time mountain biker) just bought her first road bike. She test rode EVERYTHING from Ultegra/Force on down -- but started out knowing and caring nothing of the various component levels. It was as blind a test as you could probably have. By the time she was finished, she could tell you exactly where each level skimped in a way that impacted performance.


Her evaluation: Ultegra and 105 perform very much the same -- and 2016 (not 2015) Tiagra is close (blasphemy!). For her, the brakes are a big deal and that eliminated SRAM, every house brand, and Tektro very quickly.


She went full 105.

2lo8

There are far cheaper ways to weight weenie than going from 105 to Ultegra. Ultegra cassettes have the advantage of having 2 spidered clusters if you run lightweight wheels with alloy freehubs and more gearing options than 105 though, as much as I don't like paying extra for consumables it's the one place the Ultegra product is clearly superior.

TimothyH

^^ this.

I just purchased a 105 groupset off Ribble not ten minutes ago.

The 105 chain and OEM brake pads that come with the groupset will be used simply because I don't like wasting things. It will be an Ultegra cassette however when the time comes.


-Tim-

beechnutC23

x2.

I have a Cervélo R3 Team that came equipped with Ultegra. I never really warmed up to it. My previous road bike was (and still is; I still have it and ride it) '93 Marinoni Special with Campy Record, 1st generation Ergopower.

Part of my problem was that it was no doubt hard to erase 21 years of shifting reflexes, but just prefer the overall function of Campy. To me it feels more robust, and I really like the "grand slam" feature to shift across several cogs at once. It also seems to hold its adjustment longer once the cable stretch has been worked out. After too many times going to a harder rather than easier cog on a tough climb, I pulled the plug. Since my LBS (not really "L" as it's 100 km away) is part-owned by my son and he can get me Campy parts at cost, it wasn't too hard a decision to make.

I ordered my new Marinoni Genius with Record. Still waiting for it...

rubiksoval

I used ultegra last year and 105 this year. The only difference I noticed was in the front derailleur. Hard to shift it, very unsmooth. Switched it out with my ultegra front derailleur and everything is spot on again.

No noticeable differences otherwise.

aubiecat

I have been using 105 this while waiting around on my new bike to get finished. I noticed not difference in the two except the 105 shifters will rattle just a bit if I lightly put my fingers on them.

rms13

11 speed Ultegra vs 11 speed 105? If yes, the front deraileur is exactly the same so if one was harder to shift it must not have been adjusted properly

Mulberry20

105 is a huge step down, huge, from Chorus and Ultegra is definite step down. Chorus and Dura Ace are peers. You will see after a year or so. If your ride on the hoods you will see much faster.

You will get pushed from bike stores to get Shimano because they make so much money when repairs have to be made and they find it much easier to replace whole components rather than parts.

Banzai

I love 105. Best performance for the dollar. Wish it had stayed 10 speed though...

2lo8

ST-4700 mated with FD-4700 and RD-4700 or RD-5800 will pretty much get you 105 5800 shifting performance at a lower price tag, 10sp consumable/wheel compatibility, and should shift better than 105 5700. There's no meaningful difference in weight between 5800 and 4700 shifters/fd, just one is 10sp and the other is 11sp.

If you went with 4700 shifters/fd and 105 everything else, you'd basically have what you wanted. Not that there's anything wrong with 11 speed.

rms13

This is some real nonsense. If you ride on the hoods you will be much faster with Chorus then with 105??? what???


You will get pushed by bike shops to get Shimano because there are no bikes that they sell that come with Campy. Which model Supersix EVO comes with Campy? Oh yeah, none.

There is nothing wrong with Campy but it's apples to oranges. OP is considering 105 vs Ultegra. And even there 105 is not a HUGE step down from Ultegra as you state. Have you ridden both? 105 is a step down from Ultegra that no cyclist can even notice while they are riding the bike and if they say they can they are lying to make themselves feel better about spending extra money. The difference is weight and color and nothing more

KantoBoy

I have 2 road bikes. 1 - full Ultegra, 1 - Ultegra shifters/F/R derr, everything else is 105

With the exception of the brakes (I prefer Ultegra), they're virtually the same. Tons of guys out there racing with 105s.

Mulberry20

You don't understand. The hoods on Shimano especially the 105 are very uncomfortable. That is what I meant. The OP would know right away. I have ridden both extensively and there is no comparison in terms of long-term reliability. Campy all the way.

Here is the deal. 105 can be had for the whole groupset for $379 and that is what you get, a $379 dollar package. Shifting under load with 105 is not for the faint of heart and the levers feel really cheap.

Campy is not an OE company and yes they are more expensive but I have always thought the groupset should get the most of the budget and not the frame. Frame is a frame in most cases.

2lo8

That's really funny, as someone who has Chorus and multiple generations of 105.

If you want to learn what cheap feels like, try SRAM.

dksix

FWIW, 5800 is down to $311.11 at Ribble right now
Shimano 105 (5800) Black 11 Speed Double Groupset - Components - Ribble Cycles
Shimano 105 (5800) Black 11 Speed Double Groupset - Components - Ribble Cycles
That has to make 5800 the best value on the market.