SRAM FORCE? DURA-ACE? or ULTEGRA 6600?

I found a place selling DURA-ACE for $1000 for the complete groupo. Call in to pick your set. Crank length, cluster size, clamp-on or braze-on.

Found a local person selling a complete SRAM groupo for about the same price. mere $100.00 less than the DURA-ACE

Also found a place selling ULTEGRA for about $730.00

Now having talked to several people I trust, and they all gave me the big yawn over SRAM. One said he was really annoyed with clunky-ness of SRAM. And he was also really annoyed with Ultegra not being smooth. He uses DA or Record.

Another also said SRAM was bit clunky and suggested SRAM force RED instead. She said she tried the RED and really liked it. She also said it was far better than the available FORCE. I also trust her word.

Also the SRAM lacks the trim inside the shifter. Ultegra and DA have the trim in them.

So what are your personal experiences with the groupos and have you tried the others? What are your thoughts?

I'm enamoured by the double tap feature of SRAM FORCE. I'm also used to campy style of "positive feel" of the shift unlike the smooth DA or Ultegra style of shifting. Though I prefer Ultegra style of shift. I don't really notice that DA shift any smoother. :confused:

Thank you,
smilingcat

For the money, my top contenders would be Campy Chorus or the Ultegra SL grouppo. Both of these groups offer many of the same features as the more expensive Record or D.A., while only having a slight weight penalty. I would lean a bit more toward Campy because the components (i.e. shifters) can be serviced and rebuilt, as well as it's crisp shifting and comfy hood design. It does not hurt that Chorus is finished with an awesome carbon weave.

As for SRAM, they are definately on to something with the double tap shifting. However, I am waiting a season or two for the rough edges of their designs to be smoothed out. I know they have attempted to do this with the Red grouppo, but for its pricetag I am a bit gunshy. I will take another look at SRAM when Red's refinements begin to trickle down to the lower pricepoints of Force and Rival.

P.S. I have found great prices on grouppos at probikekit.com, plus they have free shipping to the U.S. (No, I am not affiliated with this company in any way. I purchased some components from them a couple of months ago, and had zero complaints.

SRAM RED is very expensive. My teammate has a bike with Force and she likes it. Though it does get annoying if you have two bikes, one with DA and the other with SRAM. She gets confused every once in a while when an immediate shift is needed for something. But once you get the hang of SRAM, she says is as easy as anything else. The biggest difference really is shifting while sprinting. To me, that's the only real edge that the shifters have over Shimano or Campy becauses you can hold the shifter in your fingers the whole time while in the drops. I know I've had experiences in races where I've missed being able to shift to a harder gear because my fingers slipped by the shifter. Had I been able to hold it in my hands the whole time while in the drops, it would have made life easier. But what can ya do. I love my DA stuff.

I had to borrow a bike for a race this fall that was equipped with SRAM Force, and as a DA user, I HATED it. Of course, that is likely due to a very quick lesson on the shifting and then getting on the bike for a race right away... I had a mentally tough time trying to figure out the double-tap thing.

That said, many of my teammates this year have moved to it and like it. BUT, if you change to this on one bike, the recommendation is to do it on ALL of your bikes so that they are all the same.

I'm a Shimano gal, and love my DA - smooth AND light!

SheFly

SRAM red has trim.

I have two bikes w/ SRAM-- cross bike has force/rival combo (RD is force, rest is rival) and road bike has rival. I love the shifting and the aesthetic. Hasn't been a problem that I can't trim the FD so far.