Originally Posted by
Rocket-Sauce
Interesting thread... Brings up a question... Assuming you want a total bang-for-buck group and can mix and match. which components from each group are the best bang for buck?
For example:
Sram: Everyone loves pointing out the problems with the last gen of Red Front derailers and cassettes.... But, Apex brakes weigh just 18 grams more than Force (which weigh the same as Rival) but are half the cost of Force (and quite a bit cheaper than Rival too!). And you can fit fatter tires (up to 32mm!) with Apex
Shimano: 105 hubs have the same bearings, races, and cassette body as Ultegra (same replacement parts = same inside)
What else?
I think I kind of answered that. According to all I could gleam off the internet and my bike use to be mechanic by trade friend, and Matthew at Adrenalin Bikes, I felt 105 was the best bang for the dollar with low replacement part cost, but upgraded the rear derailleur to Ultegra because all the sources I knew said it was built better to last longer and shift better then 105 and it only cost me $30 more on my build.
Also, when I bought the 07 Mercian the find fine folks at Mercian went over this same discussion and concluded, which they are highly knowledgeable in this, that Campy Athena was the best bang for the buck in the Campy line and did not recommend changing the rear derailleur to Chorus because the Athena was basically 3 or 4 year old Record. At the time I purchased the Athena, and the group was a 06 model groupset not an 07 as the bike was, which Mercian gave me a cheaper price at the time on that Athena in England then I could have gotten 105 for in America! On the Lynskey the Athena would have cost me $600 more then 105 in America.
The Mercian with the Chorus group was built for touring, whereas the Lynskey with the 105 was not if that matters.
I don't know enough about SRAM to comment.