Originally Posted by
spectastic
I know for shimano and campy, there are generally 5 grades in quality: sora -> tiagra -> 105 -> ultegra -> durace. But I have heard that for 105 and up, the components are actually less durable and are more geared toward light weight and speed. Is this true? How much weight are we talking about?
Lighter weight but derived from the use of expensive high durability / high cost materials that are lighter. Titanium and carbon fiber are all the rage in high end components.
Originally Posted by
spectastic
Also, there are other components such as wheel hubs and bottom brackets that aren't named in this grade system. Is it just because they're generally the same, and there's not much to distinguish?
You'll find hubs and bottom brackets graded the same way.