My Ultegra 6700 shifters need replacing and I don't have the bucks to go back with Ultegra. I have a triple ring up front with 10 speed cassette in back. Unsure which set of 105's I need. The 5700 sti triple 10sp or the 5603 sti triple 10spd? Unsure of the difference in the two. Wiggle has the 5700 triple for $212. Anyone know of any better deals going on right now?

5700 has the hidden shift cables, the 5603 is the older style with the shifter cable exposed on the way to the down tube.

The 5603 probably works a tiny bit better, but most people don't like the exposed cables.

You want 5700. The brake leverage changed between x600 and x700. 5700 would be the most compatible with 6700 brakes.

Check Ribble. Not sure if they have the triple version, but I think they were a little cheaper.

It's really not that much of a change. 5700 shifters are functionally replicas of the 6700 shifters, but either will work.

5603, external shift cables, smoother shifting and better shape (for my hands anyway).

Also look for a 7803 shifter set.

Thanks for the replies folks. 5700 it is.

If you do go with the 5700, I highly recommend buying DA9000/Ultegra6800 polymer cables. They made a HUGE difference on smoothness on my 6700, bringing it up to near 6800 smoothness for a tucked cable system.

Not the case at all. I used 6700 calipers with 5600 shifters for the better part of 8 months and there is zero perceptible difference. The whole brake pull/leverage incompatibility thing is as absurd as people saying that cables under bar tape don't work well.

Thats probably because you gained braking leverage while losing modulation. Some people won't notice that difference especially if they already set up their brakes close. There is a very perceptible loss in power using 5500/5600 brakes with 5700 levers.

Just to throw it out there, Ebay has a TON on reputable sellers who sell take-off OEM parts from bikes that are sold as frame only or upgraded. 6700's are all over the place there and fairly reasonable. That being said, I would step down from 6700 to 5700 without blinking an eye if the price was right, but I don't have a triple. Check Shimano's site, they usually have good compatibility charts.

There's a compatibility chart out there somewhere. I've used 5700 and 6700 extensively and there is zero difference in shift quality. The 6700 calipers are slightly better IMO. I think you can get a complete 5700 group set from the online UK shops for <$450. If it were me I'd go with the new 5800 being released shortly or Ultegra 6800 for ~$700 if you need to buy something ASAP.

Yeah, I got my 6700 after they had been out a bit and 5700 had just come out, so there weren't really any OEM or used options and the price was pretty much the same. However, now that Ultegra has gone to 11 you can probably get take-offs or barely used shifters on either one
for a song.