I recently bought a bike, you may have seen pics posted on ST, for my GF. Well, as predicted, I have been riding it much more than her. I had Ultegra SL (compact) installed and I must say it is acting just like Ultegra. Not that I would notice the 100 grams difference in weight anyway but I guess I expected more. It shifts like it should and seems to be reliable although I have only had the bike for a couple weeks so long-term reliability is yet to be judged.
The best thing about the SL version is that it looks good. Its kinda a brushed grey finish and stands out well on the bike. I also can’t believe I went as long as I did without going to a compact crank. Thats the best decision I have made in a long while (bike related that is). The brakes seems to brake well, no problems shifting, the crank turns. What else is there?
So if your in the market for new componets or buying a new bike, Ultegra SL has my thumbs up and for you weight weenies out there, it does weigh 100 grams (big deal) less than the standard Ultegra.