the quote for the Rival 10spd upgrade is $750 parts with free installation.
this includes:
53/39 cranks/BB with 172.5mm length
12/27 cassette
chain
shifters
cables
front/rear derailleurs
all colored BLACK or carbon fiber.
Good Deal ??? Tell me about rival. I ride 2005 ultegra now
Planning some big mountain rides so I thought I would go to a 12–27. I may change this. I do not want compact cranks. No reason just want 53–39
Good deal. I went from 2008 DA 7800 to 2009 Rival on my road bike. Felt like a lateral move for 1/2 the price. I also think it looks good.
The chain/cassette is a little noisier, but you will replace those eventually anyway. The shifting is more of a clunk, but is very sure.
I think it takes a little less maintenance than my shimano - I find myself messing with the barrel adjusters less on the Rival.
I don’t think the 2008 and earlier Rival was as nice - no front trim and less refined, but as long as you are talking about 2009 (maybe 2010 - not sure if it is out yet), it is a good group.
Andy
IMO, Dura Ace is much, much better shifting than any SRAM gruppo. I like the lighter weight of SRAM, but that’s just me. I have Red, Force, and Rival gruppos on different bikes.
Rival is just fine, and a great value. I think 750 is too high for an upgrade. If you google, I think you’ll find you can buy the gruppo for not much more than that…
If your concern is hills, minimize your outlay by purchasing the IRD 12-28 cassette. It works fine on Shimano, even though their recommendation is otherwise.
I would vote to reconsider your aversion to a compact crank. If you plan on riding some “big mountains” the compact will really come in handy. Running a cassette with that much range will mean more spread between gears in the middle of the cassette, making finding the correct gear more difficult in some situations. Just my $.02