Hi there, I thought I would add my 2 cents on this one.

I went from a o5 Dolce Comp to just recently as some might have read th 07 Ruby Pro. I am also a recreational rider, but enjoy organized metric and century rides. I prefer the flats, but needless to say one cannot avoid hills so I deal with them which I guess is an understatement for many others.

My Dolce Comp had all Ultegra with DA in the rear. It is a sweet ride, and I thought the shifting was really good. I had occasional rubbing of the chain in certain gears which is very common.

However, after 3 rides on my Ruby Pro I cannot express enough how much sweeter of a ride this is. The shifting is like butter. I kept the compact double, which keep in mind is carbon unlike last years model which was DA. From other posts that I read, some consider this years crankset to be a downgrade from last year, it is not, it is infact an upgrade being carbon which in fact is lighter.

I have not experienced the chain rubbing in any of the different gears so far. I went through all the gears in the larger crank.

Maybe it is the DA brake levers, but it is much easier to brake also, I have very small hands and put very little effort in braking.

If you ask if there is a difference between the two, in my opinion there is. Does it warrent the higher price, that is probably up to you and what your budget can afford. I do not think it matters if you are a "recreational" rider. You will find if you love your bike you will want to ride it more and more. Plus, although it will hold true with all 3 levels, it is sooooo forgiving going over bumpy terrain. After the winter here in NY, the roads are at their worst.

If you have to opportunity, can you try all 3. I new and felt the difference right away going just down the block. Otherwise, I agree with the others that mention going with the Expert as it is just one level below. I forget what color it is, but maybe that might be an issue for you. For me especially paying that amount of money need to love the color also. The Ruby Pro paint job is gorgeous.

I guess that might have been more than 2 cents, sorry.

JoAnn