Hi all,
I have a 2023 Canyon Speedmax with mechanical Shimano Ultegra. Looking to upgrade to di2. Is it worth it to switch to ultegra di2 or go to 105 di2 to save some money and upgrade my base bar and other things? Thanks for the input!
How much money do you have?
There isn’t such a thing as a “pure” 105 group for a tri bike, so you’re already in mix and match territory. Given this, my inclination would be to use a mix of Ult and 105 parts.
IIRC, the only Shimano 12 speed TT Di2 Shifters are Dura Ace.
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Same as it was with 11 speed.
The 105 rear derailleur will accept cassettes up to 36T, while the DA / Ultegra ones have a max of 34T (…but 36T should work fine).
The 105 front derailleur is the old design, while the DA / Ultegra ones are a bit smaller.
Other than that, there are no real differences besides weight and price.
All 12-speed compatible TT shifters are in fact 11-speed shifters, and require a wired connection.
SW-R9150 is 12-speed compatible too 
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And the rear derailleur pulleys, which have bushings in 105 vs bearings in Ultegra
A cheap upgrade gives 105 the same performance as the higher groupsets RollerBoys / Derailleur Pulley - BBB Cycling
If you are looking for an overall performance gain the aerobar setup is going to provide more value than a different badge on the derailleurs.
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What’s wrong with an Ultegra mechanical group set? If you switch to a di2 Id be happy to buy your Ultegra set.
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12-speed Dura-Ace vs Ultegra vs 105 Di2 and GRX - what are the differences?
I’m waiting for my new Speedmax to arrive which is 105 Di2 (apart from the brakes and shifters which are Dura-Ace). 105 isn’t Hydroglide plus so I’ve ordered an Ultegra cassette and chain to upgrade to buttery smooth shifting. Might upgrade the cranks too at some point as i’m a bit of a gear snob. Ultimately 105 is like last season’s Ultegra which was awesome so if you can’t afford Ultegra, 105 will be as good but a tiny bit heavier.
Ultegra and DA front derailleurs shift faster, it is noticable. The rear derailleur has a 36T capacity v 34 for ultegra. As already mentioned, 105 jockey wheels use bushings rather than bearings but are cheap to upgrade. 105 cassette uses hyperglide for shift ramps and tooth profiling, ultegra uses hyperglide +, so shifts are slightly smoother and faster, and shifting under load is a little better. For maximum performance at the lowest price, use a 105 RD with ultegra FD, cassette, jockey wheels.