[This article was last updated on May 6, 2021]
If you’re deciding between Shimano 105 and Shimano Ultegra groupsets, either on a complete bike or as an upgrade, here’s everything you need to know to make the right choice.
Both Shimano 105 and Shimano Ultegra are 11-speed groupsets with the same capacity for sprocket and chainring sizes
Shimano Ultegra is a bit more refined that Shimano 105, with lighter materials in some areas and details like more durable coatings on some parts
Nevertheless, the weight difference is surprisingly small, less than 200g for a typical ensemble; most of the difference is in the brake/shift levers and chainset
Features trickle down from Shimano’s pro-level Dura-Ace groupset, so its next refresh will tell us what to expect the following years from Ultegra and 105
The executive summary: Ultegra is a bit lighter and more durable; it’s the way to go if you’re racing or logging mega miles and can’t afford Dura-Ace, but for most riders 105 does the job admirably
Starting at the basics, a groupset is a component manufacturer’s collection of mechanical parts, usually covering the derailleurs, shifters, brakes, chainset, cassette and chain. Brands group these parts together in various different levels.
Going from the top, Shimano’s current road groupsets are:
• Dura-Ace
• Ultegra
• 105
• Tiagra
• Sora
• Claris
• Tourney
Additionally, Dura-Ace and Ultegra are available with Di2 electronic shifting. We’ll leave Di2 to one side here because there’s no 105 version to consider. If you want it, your decision is between Ultegra Di2 and Dura-Ace Di2, and that’s outside the scope of this article.
Check out our Complete Guide to Shimano Road Groupsets.
Shimano usually updates each groupset every three years. The latest version of Shimano 105 is called R7000 (the disc brakes are R7020) and the most up to date Ultegra is R8000 (the disc brakes are R8020, the Di2 is R8050 and Di2 with hydraulic disc brakes is R8070).
A Shimano 105 groupset with rim brakes retails at £612.91 (without pedals) while an equivalent Shimano Ultegra groupset is £982.91 (without pedals) – that’s £370 more, but what do you actually get for the extra money?
We quote official recommended retail prices here, of course, but we’ve also included typical online prices. The weights listed below are Shimano’s official figures.
Both 105 and Ultegra are 11-speed systems and there are many more similarities between them than differences. Although Ultegra is more expensive, all of the same technology features in 105, and you operate them in exactly the same way.
The differences are mainly down to materials used, and because of this 105 components are a little heavier.
We’ve put all the prices and weights into a table at the bottom, just to make life easier for you.
Check out our full Shimano 105 review here and read our full Shimano Ultegra review here.
Dual control levers
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 | £214.99 | 500g | £189.00 |
| Ultegra | £324.99 | 438g | £299.99 |
The dual control levers are high points of both the Ultegra and 105 (above) groupsets and they each work in exactly the same way. They’re slim and comfortable to use with a short stroke and a light action (much lighter than earlier incarnations).
When he reviewed the Ultegra levers (above) Stu Kerton said, “The biggest difference of R8000 [current generation Shimano Ultegra] over 6800 [the previous version] is the shape of the brake lever. The curve for your index finger is more pronounced and if, like me, you like to wrap your finger around the bar when on the hoods then you’ll find it very comfortable.
“The shape allows you to use just your second finger for braking to slow down, and to quickly add all your fingers for hard braking efforts.”
The 105 levers have been redesigned with shifting mechanisms that make the shift a bit more snappy than before, and the shape of the lever is squarer, slightly more compact and features a patterned rubber cover for extra grip on the hoods.
There is a difference in the materials used. Ultegra dual control levers have carbon-fibre reinforced plastic brackets and main levers while 105 has glass-fibre reinforced plastic brackets and aluminium main levers.
The 105 levers are a little heavier but you won’t notice any difference in performance.
Shopping tip: check out Decathlon’s workshop spares section, often the cheapest source for single levers.
Chainset
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 | £154.99 | 713.4g | £111.99 – £139.99 |
| Ultegra | £259.99 | 674g | £259.99 |
The 105 chainset (below) has a spider with four unevenly spaced arms, the idea being to provide stiffness where it’s needed while saving weight over a five arm design. This is technology that started off in the top-level Dura-Ace groupset and has trickled down via Ultegra.
Both 105 and Ultegra (below) are available with 53-39-tooth, 52-36-tooth and 50-34-tooth chainrings, and Ultegra is also available in a 46-36-tooth cyclocross option. All of them use the same bolt circle diameter (110mm) so you can easily swap a 53-tooth outer chainring for a 50-tooth, for example.
The 105 and Ultegra chainsets use the same technology and the same materials in key areas. Although many rivals have shifted to carbon-fibre cranks, Shimano has stuck with aluminium. Its Hollowtech technology results in a hollow crank arm to keep the weight low while retaining stiffness.
The 105 chainset’s outer chainring is heavily machined on the inside face to reduce weight, retaining splines across the machined section to make sure stiffness isn’t compromised. It’s not quite as technically advanced as the Ultegra outer chainring which features a two-piece construction, but you wouldn’t know unless you looked at it from the back. The design is a bit more susceptible to storing grime in all the recesses but that’s not a huge issue.
As usual, there’s a slight weight penalty if you go for 105.
Whereas some chainsets feature a aluminium axle in a 30mm diameter, Shimano uses a steel axle with a 24mm diameter across the board.
The weights given above are for chainsets with 50/34-tooth chainrings.
Front derailleur
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 braze on | £38.99 | 95g | £40.00 |
| 105 band on | £38.99 | 111g | £35.00 |
| Ultegra braze on | £50.99 | 92g | £48.99 |
| Ultegra band on | £50.99 | 106g | £65.00 |
The 105 (above) and Ultegra (below) front derailleurs each come with a glass-fibre reinforced plastic outer link, an aluminium inner link, a chrome-plated steel chain guide, and light shifting. A trim position allows you to avoid chain rub as you move across the cassette.
Both the Ultegra and 105 front derailleurs have been redesigned and use a cam arrangements to actuate the shift, allowing the units to be much more compact than before.
They each feature a tension adjustment screw, which means there’s no need for an inline barrel adjuster.
The largest chainring recommended for use with each of them is 53-tooth. That’s fine for most people although some time trialists who like pushing big gears might struggle.
Rear derailleur
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 short cage | £51.99 | 225g | £45.99 |
| 105 medium cage | £56.99 | 232g | £49.00 |
| Ultegra short cage | £86.99 | 200g | £86.99 |
| Ultegra medium cage | £92.99 | 210g | £92.99 |
| Ultegra RX800 | £89.99 | 248g | £NA |
Both Ultegra and 105 (below) rear derailleurs are available in short cage (SS) and medium cage (GS) versions to suit the chainset and cassette that you are using. Go for the medium cage version of either and the maximum sprocket size you can officially use is 34T (although in reality they’ll handle much more).
They’re similar to one another in terms of materials although the Ultegra model has better pulley bearings.
For the latest versions of its top three groupsets, Dura-Ace, Ultegra and 105, Shimano has incorporated its Shadow technology, brought over from the mountain bike side of the business.
Its design means that the rear derailleur profile is much narrower when you look at the bike from the rear, sitting 12mm closer to the bike when in the bottom sprocket of the cassette. This means that should you crash or the bike gets blown over there is less chance of damage to the bike or wrecking your gear hanger.
The new design is compatible with direct mount frames, although there aren’t many of those in the road sector right now.
In his review of Shimano Ultegra R8000 Stu said, “The gear shifts feel slightly quicker and lighter than on 6800, and it really is a joy to use.”
Once set up, we found 105 shifting to be precise and consistent across the whole cassette. It’s crisp and light whether you’re using the short cage or the medium cage rear derailleur.
As well as the normal rear derailleurs, Shimano offers clutch-operated Ultegra RX options (£89.99 for the cable-operated version, £259.99 for the Di2 version) which are aimed at the gravel/adventure market. There’s no Shimano 105 clutch derailleur.
Cassette
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 | £48.99-£56.99 | 269g (12-25) | £48.99 – £56.99 |
| Ultegra | £74.99-£79.99 | 243g (12-25) | £72.70 – £75.30 |
Both 105 and Ultegra are 11-speed systems. 105 cassettes (above) are available in 11-28-tooth, 11-30, 11-32, 11-34 and 12-25 options. Ultegra is available in all of those plus 11-25 and 14-28. There’s no reason why you can’t use an Ultegra cassette with an otherwise 105 groupset, or vice versa.
With both 105 and Ultegra, the largest sprocket you can officially use is a 34-tooth, although in truth you can go much larger than that; we have gear systems with 11-40 cassettes that work very happily.
In both cases, the sprockets are made from nickel-plated steel, although an Ultegra cassette has a carbon/aluminium spider arm and an anodised aluminium lockring while a 105 cassette has an aluminium spider and a nickel-plated steel lockring. These differences make for a difference in weight, but we’re talking about 23-35g, depending on the size of the cassette.
Dual pivot brakes
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 | £47.99 | 379g (pair) | £41.00 |
| 105 direct mount | £49.99 | 346g (pair) | £40.99 |
| Ultegra | £74.99 | 360g (pair) | £49.99 |
| Ultegra direct mount | £79.00 | 320g (pair) | £72 / £64 |
Both Ultegra and 105 SLR EV dual pivot rim brakes are made from anodised aluminium and we rate them very highly. They’re essentially the same design: a symmetrical twin pivot system that’s designed to equalise the braking forces through each arm allowing for better control and power.
In reviewing the 105 brakes (above) Dave said, “The Shimano symmetrical dual-pivot brakes are, for me, the best road rim brakes out there. They have a very solid feel and modulation is excellent. I’ve been using the brakes on my race bike, which has Swiss Side Hadron 485 wheels that have an alloy brake track, and the brake performance is about as good as you’re going to find for a rim brake. The 105 callipers are not noticeably inferior to the Ultegra brakes in anything other than weight, and even there the difference isn’t great.”
The maximum tyre width Shimano recommends for its Ultegra (above) and 105 SLR EV Dual Pivot brakes (below) is 28mm.
Shimano also offers direct mount brakes in both the Ultegra and the 105 groupsets. They’re virtually identical to one another, each taking tyres up to 28mm.
Hydraulic disc brakes
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 levers and calipers | £540.00 | 895g | £540.00 |
| 105 disc brake rotor | £29.99 | 133g (160mm) | £29.99 |
| Ultegra levers and calipers | £649.98 | 840g | £649.99 |
| Ultegra disc brake rotor | £49.99 | 128g (160mm) | £50.20 |
Shimano has offered 105-level and Ultegra-level hydraulic disc brakes for some time but it’s only recently that designs have actually been incorporated into each of the groupsets.
The new Shimano 105 mechanical shift/hydraulic brake dual control unit is based on the cable-operated version (above), with the same lever design and a similar hood profile with the textured finish for better grip in the wet. The body of the hood is a bit bigger, especially at the bottom where the hose exits the lever, but not so much that it’s a problem.
Read our Shimano 105 R7020 hydraulic disc brake review here
The 105 system has an aluminium brake lever while it’s engineering composite if you go for Ultegra, which is a little lighter.
Will you notice a difference in the quality of the braking if you opt for more expensive Ultegra? In short, no. It works brilliantly whichever you choose.
You can buy a brake calliper and dual control lever separately (see table above) or you can buy a set that includes the lever, the brake calliper and the hose (£249.99 per brake in the case of 105, £309.99 per brake for Ultegra).
You’ll also need to factor in £55.98 for two Shimano 105-level disc rotors, or £99.98 for two Ultegra-level rotors to complete the package.
Chain
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 | £32.99 | 257g (114 links) | £30.00 |
| Ultegra | £37.99 | 257g (114 links) | £29.00 |
Both the Ultegra and 105 chains undergo a Sil-Tec low friction plating process that’s designed to make them run smoother and require less maintenance, as well as increasing the durability.
The only difference between them is that the 105 chain has this treatment on the roller link plates (the inner ones) only while the Ultegra chain (above) has it on the pin link plates (the outer ones) too.
It’s great to see that Shimano is finally offering its chains with a quick link similar to those used by KMC and others, making them much easier to fit and remove.
Bottom bracket
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 | £29.99 | 77g | £25.99 |
| Ultegra | £29.99 | 77g | £25.99 |
Shimano recommends the same bottom bracket whether you go for an Ultegra or a 105 groupset. The BBR60 (77g) is available in both British and Italian threaded versions, while the BB72-41 (69g) is for press-fit systems.
Pedals
| RRP | Weight | Typical price | |
| 105 | £119.99 | 265g | £90.90 |
| Ultegra | £149.99 | 248g | £119.99 |
The Ultegra and 105 (below) pedals both have wide carbon composite bodies, widely spaced bearings, chromoly steel axles and adjustable entry and release tension. The Ultegra pedals have slightly more stainless steel body plating, designed to reduce flex and wear, and a little more clearance (33° as opposed to 31°).
The Ultegra pedal is also available in a version with a 4mm longer axle for more clearance between the crank arm and your shoe.
Conclusion
If you’ve read everything above, looked at the pictures, and come to the conclusion that there’s not all that much difference between 105 and Ultegra components, you’re right. They work in the same ways, the shaping is the same and so is the engineering. There are no major technological features in the Ultegra groupset that aren’t included in 105.
| 105 | Ultegra | |||
| Price | Weight | Price | Weight | |
| Dual control levers | £214.99 | 500g | £324.99 | 438g |
| Chainset | £154.99 | 713g | £259.99 | 674g |
| Front derailleur (braze on) | £38.99 | 95g | £50.99 | 92g |
| Rear derailleur (short cage) | £51.99 | 225g | £86.99 | 200g |
| Cassette | £56.99 | 269g | £79.99 | 243g |
| Dual pivot brakes (pair) | £95.98 | 379g | £149.98 | 360g |
| Chain | £32.99 | 257g | £37.99 | 257g |
| Pedals | £119.99 | 265g | £149.99 | 248g |
| Bottom bracket | £29.99 | 77g | £29.99 | 77g |
| Total | £796.90 | 2,780g | £1,170.90 | 2589g |
Table comparing the prices and weights of Shimano 105 and Shimano Ultegra components
The differences are minor and mostly come down to materials. This results in Ultegra components being a little lighter than their 105 counterparts. No single Ultegra component is massively lighter and the small savings add up to just 191g across a whole groupset (the figure could be a little more or a little less than that depending on exactly which options you choose).
We reckon that 105 is as good as it gets in terms of bangs per buck right now and there is no compromise in functionality: this groupset is better than top-level Dura-Ace was a few years ago, for a fraction of the price. There’s no aspect of its performance that would be meaningfully improved by going one rung up the groupset ladder.
We awarded both Shimano 105 and Ultegra 10/10 for performance, and we give out very few 10/10 marks. We marked Ultegra 7/10 for value while giving 105 9/10 courtesy of offering a very similar level of performance at a significantly lower price. That might or might not be important to you.
Whether the small weight saving you get with Ultegra is worth the extra cash is something you have to decide for yourself based on your bank balance and your priorities.
Explore the complete archive of reviews of groupsets on road.cc
72 thoughts on “Shimano 105 v Shimano Ultegra — choose the best groupset for you”
I have just changed from 105
I have just changed from 105 to Ultegra (due to getting a new bike) and genuinely can not identify any real difference between the two groupsets.
The Ultegra levers look a little bit better with the groupset name down them rather then the plain lever of the 105. But this is personal preference.
One real difference not mentioned in this report is the Gear shifter cables. The Ultegra comes with some sort of liner/coating on the shifter cables.
“Polymer wrapped stainless steel inner wire leaves a smooth surface for low friction and reduced sliding resistance providing a lighter quicker shifting operation”
If I’m honest, I think this is going to wear off and may even cause blockages… It already looks to be showing wear around the rear derailer connection and I’ve only done 500 odd miles..
I have kept the 105 groupset from my old bike as it only had 1000 miles use. Once the main components on my Ultegra begin to wear out, i will switch back to 105.
iUpham wrote:
I upgraded my winter bike to the 11 speed 105, and the summer bike came with Ultegra.
I can definitely tell the difference. The shifting on the winter bike is noticably better. Go figure.
It’s not like the Ultegra on the summer bike is bad. It’s not – it’s absolutely great. Slick, positive, never misses a shift, barely needs any adjustment. But the 105 on the winter bike is just a little bit smoother.
I’m sure that the Ultegra is theoretically better, and that in a perfect A/B test, it’d come out on top. Maybe it’s just a bit better set-up on the winter bike (which would be a miracle, as I did it myself…), or the cable routing is a bit better. All I really think it shows is that 105 is now so good that the difference between it and Ultegra is pretty marginal.
(Although if I was buying a new bike, I’d still probably go for Ultegra. Because… you know… Ultegra. Bling. I’d never pretend to be rational.)
I can definitely tell the
Out of interest, how does the cable routing compare?
iUpham wrote:
I have found your misgivings about the cable coating causing blockages as I have already changed about 8 of them on bikes I’ve had in, the majority of them the rear mech cable and had snapped in the shifter.
Now, you see to me, I believe
Now, you see to me, I believe there is a night and day performance difference between the two groupsets.
In that I am talking about braking performance and durability.
My 105 groupset is now approach two years old, and in that time, I have;
– worn out 2x rear mechs
– worn out 1x bottom bracket
– worn out 1x large chainring
– 2x cassettes
– Front STI
– Both brakes callipers
Conversely, the last Ultegra 6800 groupset I rode (which convinced me to purchase 105), had worn through nothing after 12 months of use.
I’ve not included chains in teh above, as I am fairly religious at changing these every 2,000km.
The braking performanc eof 105 is no where near as good as Ultegra, which is purely, IMO, down to the greater resistance in bearings, pivots nad cable of the 105 set up as apposed to Ultegra.
Jimmy Ray Will wrote:
I think you might have been unlucky with your 105’s durability – I’ve not noticed any difference in wear. Or it could be that I’ve been lucky with mine.
To be fair, I can’t really comment on the difference between the brakes. I’ve got long drop non-Shimano calipers on the winter bike, rather than 105. (And they’re terrible…)
CasperCCC wrote:
Slightly off topic, but are you aware that Shimano has the R650 long drop calipers, which are supposed to match Ultegra level? They’re supposed to be as good as short drop Ultegra calipers, though I’ve never tried them myself (I put TRP RG957 on my otherwise Campagnolo equiped bike, which are very good too but even more expensive).
Jimmy Ray Will wrote:
I have 105 on a 10 year old bike and it is on the orignal rear mech and STIs!
Cassettes, bottom brackets and chain rings are consumables to a degrees, so I suppose the longevity depends on how many miles you do. Mind you, I am still very surprised that you can wear out a large chain ring in two years (and in the same time as two cassettes – normally chain rings wear at a glacial pace compared to cassettes).
I don’t know how you would even wear out brake calipers.
So you have a bike with 105
So do you have a bike with 105 and one with Ultegra? Or used consecutively on same bike? For many people with two bikes it’d be the 105 equipped bike that gets used in poor weather. If it’s the same for you, that’d easily explain the longevity difference.
DaveE128 wrote:
Now, you see to me, I believe there is a night and day performance difference between the two groupsets.
In that I am talking about braking performance and durability.
My 105 groupset is now approach two years old, and in that time, I have;
– worn out 2x rear mechs
– worn out 1x bottom bracket
– worn out 1x large chainring
– 2x cassettes
– Front STI
– Both brakes callipers
Conversely, the last Ultegra 6800 groupset I rode (which convinced me to purchase 105), had worn through nothing after 12 months of use.
I’ve not included chains in teh above, as I am fairly religious at changing these every 2,000km.
The braking performanc eof 105 is no where near as good as Ultegra, which is purely, IMO, down to the greater resistance in bearings, pivots nad cable of the 105 set up as apposed to Ultegra.
— DaveE128— Jimmy Ray Will
I’ve got both the current version of Ultegra (on a Rose Xeon CDX) and the current version of 105 (on a GT Grade – although this has the ‘ultegra’ level hydraulic shifters not the crappy ‘105’ versions).
Both are really good. The shifting is very slightly better on the Ultegra, but there’s not much in it. I’d go as far as to say that i have experienced no noticeable difference in the rear shifting, whereas the front on the ultegra is a bit smoother.
I’ve not tried either with rim brakes and both my bikes use the RS685 ‘ultegra’ level disc brakes and shifters. I have tried the RS505 disc brake shifters (105 level) and these are a long way behind the RS685s.
I’ve not noticed any massive difference between Ultegra and 105 in the longevity of the deraileurs or chain – both seem to be lasting well given the abuse they are getting.
paulrattew wrote:
There’s no difference in shifting between my 105 with cable brakes and my “Crappy” 105 level Hydro levers.
I suspect most of the different noticed between groupsets is down to set-up and expectation.
DaveE128 wrote:
Now, you see to me, I believe there is a night and day performance difference between the two groupsets.
In that I am talking about braking performance and durability.
My 105 groupset is now approach two years old, and in that time, I have;
– worn out 2x rear mechs
– worn out 1x bottom bracket
– worn out 1x large chainring
– 2x cassettes
– Front STI
– Both brakes callipers
Conversely, the last Ultegra 6800 groupset I rode (which convinced me to purchase 105), had worn through nothing after 12 months of use.
I’ve not included chains in teh above, as I am fairly religious at changing these every 2,000km.
The braking performanc eof 105 is no where near as good as Ultegra, which is purely, IMO, down to the greater resistance in bearings, pivots nad cable of the 105 set up as apposed to Ultegra.
— DaveE128— Jimmy Ray Will
To be fair, you have a point there… the 105 bike gets all the shit miles, and indeed does all the hard grinding big gear training sessions too.
These probably wear out chains quicker than normal, which has aknock on effect.
However, there is still relevance here as the 5800 105 group is the first where I have ever felt cheated by longevity. No scrpa that… does anyone remember UN BB52 bottome brakcets? They wouldn’t last 5 mins.
Jimmy Ray Will wrote:
How do you “wear out” a rear mech or a brake caliper? Jockey wheels and brake pads, sure. But the whole mech or caliper? I have ten-year old Ultegra 6600 on my winter bike, still with original mechs and calipers. That bike has seen nine winters of wet weather commuting.
srchar wrote:
Yeah the rear mech was jockey wheels, but with the cost of a new mech so cheap online, I didn’t go out and source wheels separaetly. Also on the first mech, the bottom jockey wheel wore so fast that on a ride it started throwing the chain off when at the top of the block. I may have made some rudamental ‘adjustments’ to the jockey cage to mitigate against this happening on the fly. these adjustments required a new mech… cough.
The brakes, if you strip them, there is a roller bearing on one arm that rolls along a bearing surface of the other when being used. Both the bearing and the bearing surface have corroded and now the brakes have a delightlfully unsmooth feel across their range of movement.
This is a shame, as with dura ace pads and campagnolo cables, I’d found a performance level that was very close to Ultegra.
Jimmy Ray Will wrote:
I think the clue is in the fact that you use your 105 gs on your winter bike.
Riding in bad weather will wear out kit much quicker.
On performance, I notice shifting and n breaking better on the ultegra.
That said, the ultegra brakes are working against a better breaking surface.
But the shifting is noticeably smoother on the front derailleur.
But then is this a question of setup?
@Jimmy
@Jimmy
Could you tell me what’s the mileage you did in those two years, resulting in 2 cassette changes?
I’m asking as I have run 105 for 11,000km in about 1 year and 3 months – changed one BB (at 6000km), RD pulleys (at 10,000km) and two KMC chains (at 5,000 km). I’m still on first cables (Jagwire), but in maybe 2000km I will change them.
How did you manage to destroy so many components? I suspect you have Peter Sagan’s wattage or some part of maintenance (cleaning/lubing) is not ideal, or just luck maybe.
Note that I’m also relatively large (192cm, 85kg) with lots of wattage
O
The higher spec components
The higher spec components are sort of a development tax on those who can afford the difference and don’t mind paying a bit extra for their hobby. The extra money in the component manufacturers pocket enables them to make choices about investing in R&D that they might not otherwise have. The benefits of which trickle down to the more budget lines in due course.
I’ve just opted for a bike
I’ve just opted for a bike with the new Tiagra .
Reasoning being it was £300 cheaper, I have loads of cassettes, 10 speed seems to be enough for me, it’s function is excellent better than any of the old 105, ultegra 10speed stuff and according to road.cc it weighs 2584 grams so lighter than new 105.
More expensive to replace
More expensive to replace then.
I have both, and I rather
I have both, and I rather regret the extra spent on Ultegra.
I really think they should just have three non-garbage levels:
– Make Tiagra 11 speed
– Marry 105 and Ultegra
– Dura Ace
That way, there’s a clear upgrade path from entry-level to pro, and none of the confusion that this article attempts to address.
Ive recently put the new
Ive recently put the new tiagra set on my bike and love it, youd be had pressed to tell its not 105 from a quick glance
How in god’s name do you wear
How in god’s name do you wear out a rear mech, let alone two in two years
Unless you’ve just been going
Unless you’ve just been going to a dodgy bike shop for “maintenance”.
I have 105 on the winter bike
I have 105 on the winter bike and ultegra in the summer bike. 105 brakes are better and shifting is the same. Leaning towards 105 on the next new bike as I can’t really see the point in the extra money for ultegra.
I paid £440 for 6800 (Ultegra
I paid £440 for 6800 (Ultegra) in January and it’s worth every penny.
Upgrading an older 105 (3-4 years old) to current or last years Ultegra is well worth it but the price difference between the 2 groupsets on new bikes can be huge for big brands and not really worth it IMO. Just get the 105 model and replace it when worn. In my experience, 105 lasts about 4 years and Ultegra just lasts and lasts and lasts (my commuter now has 6600sl – it just won’t die!).
We can get entire 5700 and 6800 groupsets for £340 and £440 – £100 difference!
Just changed left arm of
Just changed left arm on Ultegra crankset to 105 (Stages) and crankset didn’t feel that stiff anymore. When compared, Ultegra crank has bigger cross section than 105… hence goes the stiffness I guess.
P.S. 105 chainring has different construction with crevasses and accumulates a lot of dirt.
Fantastic review. Real world
Fantastic review. Real world concerns for the average consumer. Kudos @road.cc
I help friends and colleagues with bike purchases a lot, and this is exactly the sort of advice only a bike nerd can generally provide. Brilliant that a publication like yourselves can summarise this for everyone.
+1
frankierae wrote:
This. Couldn’t agree more. Thought this was one of the best things I’ve read on road.cc in a while. I am pretty nerdy about bike components (my wife’s never really sure whether I prefer building/tinkering or riding bikes…) and found the above article of real value.
Close enough, that it might
Close enough, that it might be reasonable to suspect the only reason they’re still distinct groupsets is to maintian the premium position of Di2. I can’t see a 105 Di2 appearing soon unless someone else produces a midrange electronic groupset that undercuts them.
For some reason I don’t get
For some reason I don’t get as good braking on my 105 as on my Ultegra, but I do agree there is more tyre clearance. The 105 brake is still outstanding compared to previous brakes, just not quite as good as Ultegra. Suspect, as someone mentioned above, that lesser braking is down to a combination of cable, brake pivots and the bike itself. Apart from that, the groupset doesn’t feel that different. I think I would pay (max) GBP 100 more for the Ultegra groupset to get the better Crank and total weight loss but only on my best bike. 105 is fine for the winter one.
One other point – on the pedals, the 105 pedal allows a lighter release setting than the Ultegra. I find the ultegra pedal takes a fair bit of a sideways push to release it and would not be an ideal pedal for rider starting out on clipless. Other than that you need to go up to the D-A pedal with its third larger bearing to notice a difference in pedals.
“There’s no reason why you
“There’s no reason why you can’t use an Ultegra cassette with an otherwise 105 groupset” says the article…
Of all the mixing and matching, WTF would you do that? Cassettes are consumable items and not even distinguishable to the eye. I can’t see any reason why – of all things – you’d want to spend an extra £25 (according to the article’s table) on an Ultegra cassette when the rest of the kit is 105!
If you want to treat yourself, at least spend on something that you or others will notice a difference in, like the chainset or rear mech or shifters – even if, as the article confirms, that difference is largely cosmetic.
Otherwise, a good article.
Duncann wrote:
I have no use for an 11-23 or an 11-25, but some people do time trials and crits. Other people just enjoy gurning their knees to dust.
Carton wrote:
Fair point. Probably the best reason to spend extra on an Ultegra cassette.
Does anyone happen to know
Does anyone happen to know how the tire clearance on the Dura Ace 9000 rear brake calipers compares with the current 105 and Ultegra models?
There is a moment that all
There is a moment that all you do is take weight on the bike will be expensive. The important thing is to have a light and light bike you will have to pay more for it
I saw a similar comparison a
I saw a similar comparison a while back which said there was minimal difference between Dura Ace and Ultegra, so the logical conclusion here is that 105 and Dura Ace are not dissimilar. None of this should surprise anyone however. In any product type, the law of diminishing returns comes into play, whether it be hifi, cars, or cameras, with marginal improvements in performance costing a disproportionate delta. We all decide how far up the curve we want, and can afford, to go. Some are happy to accept a minimum usable performance, some want to make sure they have the right label on display, some try to compensate for lack of ability by throwing money at kit, and to some, there is a very real and measurable gain in performance due simply to the psychological benefit of knowing they have the best.
I think the 11 speed 105 is
I think the 11 speed 105 is great and was a noticeable improvement in shifting performance over the 10 speed 105. I’ve been running it on the bike I ride year-round, plenty of rain, for 11,000km now. I’ve changed the chain twice and had a gear cable snap twice. Still on the same cassette, brake cables, even brake pads, and everything’s working smoothly. I don’t see myself ever forking out extra for Ultegra.
Back in the days of 5600 and
Back in the days of 5600 and 6600 I found that 105 was worse for corrosion in winter but it has always been functionally very good indeed.
I’m not surprised that you can’t find any difference in functionality new but the better materials and finish quality does (at least, used to) make some difference 2-3 years down the line.
I thought that was worth it then but I hadn’t had kids so was more willing to part with cash for bike bits…
105 is pretty much perfect
105 is pretty much perfect for most club riders and amateurs. Anything above, may as well leap to dura-ace, or go campag.
Ultegra sounds a bit naff.
The 4mm longer pedal axle is
The 4mm longer pedal axle is only available in Dura Ace, not Ultegra as stated in the review.
chrismday wrote:
A quick Google says not….. http://www.fatbirds.co.uk/1772132/products/shimano-pd-6800-ultegra-spd-sl-road-pedals–carbon–4-mm-longer-axle.aspx. Note, other retailers are available.
34285011 wrote:
I think the fatbirds listing is incorrect. On Shimano’s own website the longer axle is only listed on Dura Ace and I note that the fatbirds listed item is not in stock.
chrismday wrote:
As I suggested, other retailers are available…. https://www.evanscycles.com/shimano-ultegra-6800-carbon-4mm-longer-axle-pedal-EV253057 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/shimano-ultegra-spd-sl-6800-4mm-road-pedals/rp-prod145812
34285011 wrote:
Well, I stand corrected; many thanks for this. I need the longer axle and have only ever found Dura Ace. Maybe the Ultegra option is new?
I came across this article
I came across this article from Art’s, who went through the whole 5800, 6800 and 9000 component set in detail.
http://blog.artscyclery.com/ask-a-mechanic/shimano-road-components-where-to-spend-your-money/
Their resulting “value pick ” was:
Rear Derailleur: 105 5800
Front Derailleur: Dura Ace 9000
Shifters/Brake Levers: Dura Ace 9001 or 105 5800 depending on budget
Cassette: Ultegra 6800
Chain: Ultegra 6800
Crankset: Ultegra 6800
Brakeset: 105 5800
Interesting that for the bits which take a hammering under load, and wear out quickest they recommend Ultegra.
Not everything you read is
Not everything you read is correct.
First think about this a bit, which derailleur gets used the most? Answer: the rear.
Which derailleur shifts the same regardless of level? Answer: the front.
So why in the world would you buy a DA front derailleur and go with 105 in the rear?
The idea set up would be to have either 105 in the front and Ultegra in the rear, like my bike, or go whole hog and get the DA in the rear, personally I don’t see any need for DA. If you use DA 9000 cables on even a full 105 bike and did a blind test ride you would think you were riding on DA because the DA cables are better than standard Shimano cables.
Brake wise I’ve read many reviews of tests done with components and when it came to brakes, none of them could tell any difference between 105 and DA, so Arts did get that one right.
However shifters, lets call them briftors, are subject to damage more frequently than any other component on a bike, so why go with DA briftors when 105 works extremely well and gets better with the addition of DA9000 cables? The cost to replace DA briftors would make the average person’s head spin, and with changes going on all the time, if you break one you’ll probably end up replacing both because you more than likely won’t be able to find a replacement that matches the unbroken one still on the bike.
In regards to the crankset, the only thing DA has going for it is less weight, DA and 105 have the exact same Q factor at 146, Ultegra does not, that one is 146.6. with the 105 you can go as low as 160 mm crank arm, neither of the others offer that low of a crank arm; also the inside chainring on the 105 has reinforcement bulges to make the ring stiffer, the Ultegra does not, the DA instead carved out a groove to make the chainring lighter but in turn it isn’t as stiff; also the 105 outside chainring has stiffening fins (for lack of a better word) whereas neither of the other two do that. The crankset is a tough one to call, I use the 105 and have no issues with it.
I’ve come back to road bikes
I’ve come back to road bikes after several years off cycling followed by moutain bike only for the last 13 years. I’m delighted that something as good as the 105 11-spd was available on my relatively cheap bike. I’m amazed at just how slickly it all performs. Even the rim brakes are excellent (I’m used to Hope discs) when I was expecting them to be crap.
One point you didn’t cover is
One point you didn’t cover is the cost of parts replaced due to wear and tear. On my commuter bike, this is an issue, while on my weekend bike, this is less of an issue, because it doesn’t do as much mileage, and it doesn’t get ridden under the same punishing conditions as my commuter. (I’m lucky if a chain on my commuter lasts 4000km before reaching 0.5% “stretch”, while I have tossed weekender chains that have done 5000km and show no measurable “stretch”.)
For instance, you can bargain on an Ultegra cassette costing double what a 105 cassette does. Chains, similarly can be quite a bit more expensive for Ultegra. As a result it is no-brainer decision to use 105 on my commuter and Ultegra for my weekend bike. For weekend riding, getting 15000km out of a cassette is a no-brainer, while a cassette that has done 15000km of commuting is pretty much wrecked.
Where it makes sense to spend money even on the commuter is for cables – a good set of cables can keep you shifting well much longer. Also don’t skimp on brake pads (where I don’t buy Shimano anyhow).
I went 105 (5500) to Ultegra
I went 105 (5500) to Ultegra (6510) to Dura-ace (7800) to Ultegra (6800).
The only reason I went 6800 and not 5800, was because 5800 wasnt released yet.
Having now ridden 6800, and given how cheap it can be had online, I don’t think I’d go down to 105. There is no logical reason for this. I accept that in a blind test, I wouldnt be able to tell the difference, and the weight difference is tiny … but I have such affection for 6800 now, that I’d just get it again. It is much nicer to ride than my 6800. The levers spring back more when I release the brakes. the carbon blades feel great, the hood sizes are more suitable to me, and the compact crank is great!!
Quote:
The idea being that Shimano can scalp you for more expensive chainrings as all the usual aftermarket ones no longer fit…
Unfortunately (looking at pictures alone) it looks like Campag have cottoned on to this wheeze as well with their new Potenza chainset.
The idea being that Shimano
The idea being that Shimano can scalp you for more expensive chainrings as all the usual aftermarket ones no longer fit…
[/quote]
I suspect there is an element of trying to break the 3rd party chainring/crankset suppliers involved as well. Shimano left it 5 mins and they are comming out with electronic and hydraulic gruppos to rival Dura ace…
Technology from the 1930s
Technology from the 1930s given a glitzy appearance.
@Skylark
@Skylark
Tragic but true.
If the industry was in a better shape, eTap would be a bottom of the range groupset found on commuter bikes by now.
Basically at RRP it seems the
Basically at RRP it seems the difference you’re paying for is (mainly) weight saving (£1/g) and maybe greater durability of some of the components (nothing in it in my experience).
One side benefit to using an Ultegra cassette is the carbon spider reduces the ‘biting’ in to aluminuim freehub splines. Annoying because I’d use the 105 cassette everyday of the week otherwise.
And while I’m on the subject of cassettes…why does only Dura-ace get a 12-28 cassette? I couldnt give a rats ass about the 11t sprocket and I suspect only racers and TT guys would notice its absence. Much rather have that missing 16t sprocket in the middle of the range.
it’s a shame that the
it’s a shame that the difference appears to be greater when it comes to thr hydro versions of these two, the performance of the 105 level hydro brakes doesn’t seem to be as closely matched, and the shifters are seriously ugly, I’d happily go 105 hydro if it had the ultegra calipers and shifters.
Today, all brands compete
Today, all brands compete with themselves within their own product lines. I’ve two road bikes – one with SRAM Rival and one SRAM Red. Red brakes are far better. Hoods are cosmetically different – personally find the Rival more comfortable. Shifting on both feels great. Pound-for-pound the Rival makes more sense and I happily switch between the two. The thing is, these days it’s difficult to buy a ‘bad’ 10-11 speed groupset. But which one are you going to put on your best bike? Red of course. (My first bike was fitted with 9-speed Tiagra – something that felt good until I swapped it out for the Rival. Could never go back to Tiagra-level now – not even for commuting).
Is it possible to run a 10spd
Is it possible to run a 10spd Tiagra rear mechanical with 11 speed group, 105 or Ultegra? I’d really like the 34 low gear option from Tiagra but want to run hydro braked from the Ultegra level non series range. No doubt the Big Screen would say no but as you are an all singing test bed how about trying out a bit of mix and match for us punters???
1961BikiE wrote:
In theory, you could get it to work, but I expect you’ll have trouble getting all 10 gears to shift smoothly. I reckon you’d probably be okay, but have one or two noisy, annoying gears.
If I were you, I’d go for 105/Ultegra and maybe see if you can get a smaller chainring instead.
hawkinspeter – to answer your
hawkinspeter – to answer your answer to my question. My ideal gearing for an All-round bike will be a 48/32 “super compact” chainset and 11/34 block. I suspect there wouldn’t actually be a problem with running the Tiagra mech mixed with Ultegra 11 speed shifters but just wondered if Road.cc actually knew had tried it. But looking now I can’t see 11 speed cassettes between 11/32 and 11/40. Oh well. Have to make do with a 1:1 ratio by the look of it.
Having ridden since the 60’s,
Having ridden since the 60’s, everything from Suntour to Campy to Shimano et al, I’ve generally found Shimano quality is much more consistent downward from the obvious Dura Ace, differences being more weight, and cruder finishes. The latest whatever only initially is introduced in Dura Ace, then Ultegra, with trickle-down to 105 etc. one or more years later. Fifteen year old rear DA derailleur is rock solid, only replaced with Ultegra to fit a bigger cassette; still, I could swap the longer cage into the DA body (both ten speed). Now, lately, things get more complex as 11-sp has messed up all sorts of compatibilitys, as cable pull, geometries, etc. have been changed. Randonneur riders (look ’em up) routinely have tweaked cassettes, chainrings, derailleurs, to handle officially verboten wider ranges, for years, the crux being often just paying attention and not cross-chaining on the two inner and outer cogs. I don’t understand worn jockey pulleys; never have worn one out, just clean and light lube when they get gritty (must remove from the cage). Aftermarket pulleys are a huge scam, and ones with holes just hold muck in them. SRAM, on my MTB for the gripshifts, wears the rear derailleur bushings out in a year, no matter how I clean and relube it. Lower models at least seem far cheaper versus Shimano, and top end typically is too pricey to justify, so while some aspects work, I don’t trust the SRAM business model.
Thank you for a really
Thank you for a really informative interesting piece Mat.
I have what I consider a nice titanium bike it bought it with 105 5700 disc set up and some decent Mavic wheels (TBH I am not that keen on the look of discs on road bikes but but I ride it all year round in all weathers and they do stop well) Like many of us once I got it and had put a couple of thousand Km on it I wanted to “improve it” but once I started looking and saw how little I gained for so much extra cash, I decided to go on a diet and work a bit harder in the Gym!!
I might change my cleat system and invest in Dura Ace pedals though.
That comparison between
That comparison between Ultegra and 105 is well done and spot on, great job.
Do to such small differences I opted on my last new bike to go with 105 but with two differences, and since I was able to swap parts before I used the bike for just the cost difference I went ahead and replaced the 105 rear derailleur with the Ultegra which only cost me $22 more, and I replaced the standard Shimano cables with DA cables which cost me $8 difference. When I got the bike my mechanic and I test rode it against other full Ultegra bikes and much to our surprise we couldn’t feel or perceive any difference! So for $50 more I saved about $210 and got a component system that performs like Ultegra and only weighs about 190 grams more vs about 250 grams had I stayed with all 105.
I know some of you will think I should have just spent the additional $210 and gone with full Ultegra but I had a strict set budget and spent a lot of it on a titanium frame instead of components. I can always upgrade components as needed, but a TI frame should be a lifetime thing for me.
The true difference seems to
The true difference seems to be image and maginally better look/lacquer on Ultegra.
And a couple of hundred sovs for that privilege.
Been running 105 on my Audax
Been running 105 on my Audax bike for 4yrs now and very happy. All main components fine other than needing a deep clean from time to time. The usual wear expected from many miles. Can’t get your shifting dialed in? Changed cables and fiddled with the tension to no avail? Jockey wheels!
In that time though I’ve shifted away from the stock chainrings & cassettes just because I know what I need for the rides I do.
Primarily Specialites TA X110 48t + Shimano 36t on the front. Miche custom 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-22-25-29-34 on the back. I like long hilly rides! But happily swap chainrings and/or cassettes around for longer events with easier terrains.
Let’s be honest. It’s all
Let’s be honest. It’s all about marketing. Ultegra wo/man drives an Audi/BMW/Jag and likes to think s/he has cash and class. 105 man drives a Ford/Vauxhall/VW and knows that it’s an excellent vehicle that works brilliantly but would still secretly upgrade given a chance. Both know that only lunatics without kids buy Porsche/Aston/Dura-Ace
The Italian equivalent:
The Italian equivalent:
Super Record – Pagani/V12 Ferrari
Record – V8 Ferrari
Chorus – Maserati
Potenza – Alfa
Centaur – Fiat
I agree, it’s mostly
I agree, it’s mostly marketing, there’s very little difference between 105 and Ultegra, a little weight and that’s about it. Though when I bought my 105 equipped bike in 2013 I had the 105 rear derailluer swapped for the Ultegra because supposedly the Ultegra uses bearings for it’s pulley wheels and the 105 uses bushings, so for the extra $36 I opted for the Ultegra since I use the rear derailleur more than the front.
There is a bit of trickery done by Shimano which I learned and did. To make Dura Ace feel better than the lower tiered models, they use DA9000 cables, which internally are more slick than the standard Shimano cables used on all the others. So when I got my bike I had the cables swapped for DA cables, and with the mostly 105 groupset a blind person wouldn’t know if they’re using DA or 105, even the bike shop was surprised as how well the 105/Ultegra felt with the DA cables. And those DA cables are lasting a long time, I’m still using them after 7 years.
There’s a marked difference
There’s a marked difference between the Ultegra R8020 and 105 R7020 hydraulic brake levers. Ultegra has ServoWave technology (that’s not universally beloved) and bite point adjustment. 105 has no ServoWave technology, which might be a plus for some, and you can only adjust the reach.
bdr wrote:
This is a very important point and is in accord with my experience of the hydro groupsets. The lack of bite point adjustment on 105 can undermine the ergonomics and performance of breaking, especially for riders with smaller hands, even with R7025 “small hand” shifters. I would always suggest anyone looking at R7025 shifters to consider Ultegra R8025 instead as they are fully compatible with 105 callipers. It’s disappointing that media reviewers have overlooked this difference.
I’ve thought that Shimano
I’ve thought that Shimano went to a four-arm crank for fairly cynical reasons: so they could stop people putting on cheaper chainrings onto more expensive cranks. You’ll notice that at each level the shape of the chainset has the ‘flat’ and ‘pointed’ arms in a different place, so you can’t (for example) replace a worn-out Ultegra outer ring with a 105 (or Tiagra) outer, as you could back in the 5-arm days.
I know many people won’t wear out a chainring in a hurry, but further down the line, people buying second hand, or trying to keep an old bike going, will be locked into the mercies of Shimano’s spare parts system. And boy, do they gouge you for a new outer chainring. The inner rings have no ‘styling’ and are cheap and interchangeable.
Finally, the ‘styling’ of the chainrings is just that, since all the hollow chainsets are made with a solid inner casting glued to a thin pressed alloy outer shell, so it’s only styling as the structure is in the inner casting. So they could have made them all match and mix nicely, but they deliberately chose to make them different, to restrict interchange.
Am I being too cynical?
the best bang for the buck
the best bang for the buck groupset is buy the topend used, brought used sram red 22 3 years ago, used for about 10k miles and sold on eBay for more than i paid for them. Same cannot be said for lower end groupset, they just do not hold their value over time
That’s roughly $2 a gram to
That’s roughly $2 a gram to go to Ultegra, is that really worth it? I don’t think so.
I will tell you all a little secret that if you were blind and testing each groupset you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in how they operate…if you have 105 simply change the cables to DA9000 cables!
If you’re not racing there is no need to use Ultegra, I’ve been using 105 for over 10,000 miles without one failure. Heck I know some local racers who even use 105 and they all will tell you that Ultegra or DA won’t win you races.