Ultegra vs. 105?

[Starfish]

Hi all - tried a search and didn't find this discussion...sorry in advance if this has been talked to death!

What do you all think about the difference between Ultegra & 105? If you have a strong feeling that Ultegra is waaayyyy preferable, I would be curious to hear your thoughts, with as much description as you can muster, and about whatever components (derailleurs, brakes, whatever).

I have 105 and have never ridden Ultegra. Thanks everyone!

[Grog]

The current 105 is the Ultegra from a few years ago, more or less.

I have no strong opinion. I just have last year's 10s Ultegra (and triple crank), and really like it. It never needs to be adjusted (in normal conditions at least) and stays very precise for a very long time. I never had anything else, so I can't tell you more.

If you have 105 for a few years ago, switching to this year's Ultegra would probably be a big gap. Switching to this year's 105 would probably also be great. I have heard a lot this year that "105 is the new Shimano standard". This may just be a spin from the company, though, but the message is pretty much "the average roadie will find a good value in 105". Frankly if I was to buy a new bike I'm not sure I'd invest in Ultegra (the bike I have I have not paid for) after hearing what 105 is supposed to be now...

Any wrenches out there?

[mellic]

Ultegra is a little lighter, a little smoother and holds tune for a little longer, but I don't know whether it is necessary to achieve that by upgrading to full ultegra. Perhaps you might consider upgrading just a few of the components to ultegra, such as the rear derailleur, cluster and chain. I found that by changing these parts alone (keeping everything else 105) is all that is necessary to match the performance of a full ultegra groupset.

[betagirl]

I have a bike that's full Ultegra 10 and one that's got 105. The gearing ratio is a bit different, so I have more power with the 10. It also shifts smoother. But is there an enormous difference? Not really. I prefer the ultegra, but it's not a chore to ride the 105. The bike with the ultegra is overall a better bike though (lemond zurich vs. trek 1200). So there are other things going on there that make the ride better. But my trek is a good bike and was about $1200 cheaper than the Lemond.

Hope that helps.

[Brina]

I don't have ultergra and the 105 was a big step up for me, so I can't really contribute much to this discussion, just wanted to point out that the 105 for 2006 is a 10 - no longer 9.

[bcipam]

I'm not certain if 9 vs 10 is a big deal - I have both and I have to say the 10 doesn't do all that much for me - I'm just as happy with the 9.

But if you are talking 105 v. Ultegra - yes there is a big difference. As stated before Ultegra is lighter, smoother and can be trimmed. If given a choice, I would have Ultegra over 105.

But why are you asking? Are you looking at bikes and you need to choose between Ultegra and 105? The issue is the price break. If the frame is the same but components are different, is the price break enough that at some later time you can upgrade to Ultegra and save money in the process? 105 is good, Ultegra is just better but if you can save $500 - 1,000 buy the cheaper bike and upgrade later. Same goes with Ultegra and Dura Ace.

[Bike Goddess]

I have 105- 9 speed on my steel bike and Ultegra 10 speed on my Scott Carbon bike. Ultegra does shift more smoothly, but if that isn't a factor, then I'd stick with the 105. It's a good buy and a good product.

There is a catch here- the 10 speeds use a narrower chain and I have found that I need to replace the chain sooner than on my 9 speed 105. I can generally get about 4000 miles on my 105. I got about 2500 on the Ultegra and then had to replace the chain. It's a pain to know I have to keep an eye on my chain.

[alpinerabbit]

My boyfriend has 105 on his and he does not like it anymore.

Especially the front derailleur messes him up now and then, not responding and on the second go it will drop the chain into the small ring or something.

The LBS tried something to make it better, and did not really manage.

I've had Ultegra on my rental bike in Mallorca and it was smooth like my Campy Chorus.

[Starfish]

Hey everyone, thanks for all your input. I mostly asked out of curiosity and for future reference. I had read in another thread a comment that Ultegra is MUCH preferable to 105, and I didn't want to take that thread too far off topic, but I was curious, so posted here.

Appreciate the info! Learned some things here I didn't know, as usual!

[doc]

Hey everyone, thanks for all your input. I mostly asked out of curiosity and for future reference. I had read in another thread a comment that Ultegra is MUCH preferable to 105, and I didn't want to take that thread too far off topic, but I was curious, so posted here.

Appreciate the info! Learned some things here I didn't know, as usual!

I agree with what you read elsewhere. I had 105 and hated it. I now have ultegra and am in love. I tell my friends (use Long Island accent here) it shifts like butta (butter)