I am planning an electronic upgrade to my time trial bike, and it looks like the only part differences between an Ultegra and Dura Ace kit just 3 parts: brake lever shifters, front derailleur, and rear derailleur. The rest of the parts all appear to be common to both sets. The total cost difference for these three is $500, based on best available internet prices I have found.
So, my question is: is there much value that might justify Dura Ace for some (or all) of these three? For example, are there intangible differences for any of these three, such as sounds better, shifts faster, feels better, etc. about Dura Ace that you might say “yeah, that part is worth the extra cash.”
Here’s the quick comparison. At a glance, it seems like $500 buys 80g weight savings. Unless there is some serious magic with the DA, as much as I like DA, I cannot make any sense of it.
So, my question is: is there much value that might justify Dura Ace for some (or all) of these three? For example, are there intangible differences for any of these three, such as sounds better, shifts faster, feels better, etc. about Dura Ace that you might say “yeah, that part is worth the extra cash.”
Here’s the quick comparison. At a glance, it seems like $500 buys 80g weight savings. Unless there is some serious magic with the DA, as much as I like DA, I cannot make any sense of it.
- Brake Shifters – $180 more – 14g lighter
- Front Derailleur – $125 more – 28g lighter
- Rear Derailleur – $195 more – 38g lighter