Kojie

I have 2 road bikes

trek with 6700
giant with 9000

i have ridden some 7900 before which is comparable to 6700. With that said Da9000 is spectacular, the front and rear shifting is worlds apart from the previous gen. Most noticeably is the front shifting, takes very little effort.

i bet that the 6800 is near or almost same as 9000 shifting and that the weight and finish is the only difference. Go for the 6800 you wont regret it.

Allez3

I've come to the conclusion some of you wouldn't have been able to survive the 1980's on a bike the way you declare people have a need for 11 in the back.

Bah Humbug

Wait, are you telling me I could have a 6800 system, run 10-speed cassettes to keep wheel compatibility with my other bike, and then when both bikes have 11-speed drivetrains pop the 11-speed cassette on the wheel? And yes, the wheel does have an 11-speed ready hub.

Jiggle

Yes. You will need a spacer for a 10 speed cassette on an 11 speed hub. And just so you don't have to take my word....


"And in case any of you were wondering, if you have a 10-speed Shimano or SRAM system and buy a wheelset now, you can still run 10-speed cogs on that wheel. To put a 10-speed cogset on an 11-speed freehub, you just put a spacer behind the largest cog. Many 11-speed wheels come with this spacer."
―Lennard

https://velonews.competitor.com/2013/...1-speed_301392

jmX

I have a bike with 9070 Di2 (which I personally upgraded from 7900) and a bike with 6700 Ultegra. The electronic stuff is nice and probably slightly more reliable than mechanical cables, but unless you've got a need for electronic shifting (for instance, aerobar shifters) then it's not a big difference IMO. I don't really get all the gushing enthusiasm for the Di2, maybe everybodies mechanical setups weren't tuned properly?

I also can't really tell any difference between 11 speed and 10 speed. I mean, 11 is obviously better and there are smaller jumps between cogs, but it's nothing to write home about.

Overall I'd say the new stuff is a few percent better than the old stuff. How that affects your wallet is up to you...I tend to like the newest tech while others couldn't care less.

Bah Humbug

Oh, thanks, but I knew you can put a 10-speed cassette on the 11-speed wheel; my issue was whether an 11-speed shifter and derailleur can be used to shift across the 10-sped cassette with a "dead" click on one end or the other. Does that work?

moppeddler

I'm not sure what Ultegra I have on my 2013 Domane 4.5 but...I am not impressed with it. Very clunky shifting, small, squarish hoods. I have yet to take it back for a tune up, maybe that's all it needs, but my old bike with 105 was much smoother.

softreset

I've got the same bike, it's Ultegra 6700 (not the new for 2013 11-speed 6800) with a mix of other parts. The brakes are 105, the cassette is also 105 and the crank is R565.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes..._4_5_compact/#

I'd definitely get it looked out. Mine was a little clunky for the first 300-400 miles and it improved. If you're keeping it well maintained, I'd definitely take it back to the shop and have them make sure everything is in order. As far as the smaller, squarish hoods, that is what it is. I'll agree with you, don't love 'em.

ct-vt-trekker

There are other differences between the 2013 and 2014 Roubaix SL4 Expert.
The 2013 has a Ultegra threaded bottom bracket and an Ultegra crankset, the 2014 uses BB30 with FSA SL-K Light, carbon crankset.
Also the wheels changed from DT Swiss Axis 4.0 on the 2013 to Fulcrum S4 on the 2014
Also the seatpost on the 2014 changed to the funny looking but effective S-Works CG-R, FACT carbon w/ Zertz

I bought a 2013 Roubaix SL4 Expert back in April, it's a great bike, the best bike I've ever owned. That said I think the 2014 is a better buy.

Long Tom

Another difference is the 2013 Expert has the SL4 frame with a 8r fiber layup, whereas the 2014 is a 10r.

....whatever THAT means.

Dunbar

I'm pretty sure last year's (2013) SL4 Expert had 10r carbon. Everything below the the SL4 Expert is/was an SL2. This year (2014) they went to all SL4 frames so you have some lower tier Roubaix's that have 8r carbon.

Long Tom

Well, THAT'S interesting! There's a '13 in my frame size in town. I shall ride it again, more aggressively this time.

Stix Zadinia

After months of browsing I'm thinking of getting the whole 6800 groupset as well, seems like a great value when compared to pricier stuff (DA, electronic groups, SRAM Red 22, hydraulic calliper brakes from SRAM, the coming Ultegra ones, etc).

Can the 11speed Ultegra group be upgraded with any Dura Ace parts (mechanical or Di2) without issue?