Ultegra on WSD bikes

[Owlie]

Is it just me, or is the availability of stock WSD bikes with Ultegra components somewhat patchy? I'm not talking about the shop floor (because I can't find a 105-equipped bike unless I'm lucky!), but as part of the manufacturers' catalogs.

[OakLeaf]

I don't know, but I've been hearing that in general, Shimano is losing a whole lot of market share on complete bikes to SRAM. Are you also finding a dearth of Rival-equipped bikes?

[nscrbug]

Well I know the Cannondales are still spec'd with Ultegra on their Synapse 3, Supersix 3, and CAAD10 3. For Trek, it's available on their Madone 5 series. For Felt, it would be the ZW4. With Specialized, it's the Ruby Comp...however it's an Ultegra/105 mix (I hate when they do that!). And for Giant, it's the Avail Composite 1 (again, a mix of Ultegra/105).

When I bought my Synapse 3 2 years ago, I wish I had done my homework on it. Back then, the 2010 model had a mish-mash of parts (to save money I assume). My bike came stock with Ultegra shifters/brakes and FD & RD, an FSA crank, and a SRAM chain and cogset. That bike never shifted smoothly from day 1. It wasn't until I swapped out the SRAM cassette and chain, for Shimano parts...that the bike finally started to shift better in the rear(still not perfect). And to this day, I think that FSA crank is the root of my front ring shifting problems. But I'm not saying that this is typical of every bike with an Ultegra/? mix. It could just be that I ended up with a messed up bike, so YMMV.

[OakLeaf]

I haven't heard good things about the FSA cranks. My '07 Synapse 3 came with an Ultegra RD, R700 (Ultegra grade short reach) shifters, and 105 everything else including the triple crank, and it's always shifted just fine, even with the SRAM chain that also doesn't have that great a reputation.

[Owlie]

I don't know, but I've been hearing that in general, Shimano is losing a whole lot of market share on complete bikes to SRAM. Are you also finding a dearth of Rival-equipped bikes?

I haven't really looked at Rival, as SRAM's shifting makes no sense to me. I like the idea, but actually making it work for me...eh.

Nscrbug, when I looked at the women's CAAD10 last year, the 3 was 105-equipped, which seemed really odd to me. I figured that they were focusing on making a nicer carbon bike.

[nscrbug]

Maybe they had enough complaints and decided to offer Ultegra for this year's CAAD10 model.

http://www.cannondale.com/2012/bikes...womens-3-21529

Everything is Ultegra 6700 EXCEPT that darn crank - FSA again. The same crank that is on my Synapse...which I loathe.

[ehirsch83]

Give SRAM a try. The shifting is super easy once you learn it(it is just different,so.is campy, everything different takes a day to learn). I love love love my SRAM believe it rides superior to Shimano.

[OakLeaf]

everything different takes a day to learn

Heh. It was three months (probably only about 1,000 miles, but still) before I quit reaching for my down tube shifters.

[Owlie]

Emily, I'm going to give it a shot next time I'm in a bike shop. I don't want to dismiss it out of hand, but reading the descriptions of how the shifting works makes me think it won't work too well for me. But then, I said the same thing about what's currently on my bike and I figured them out.
Also, anything I get will be an adjustment because my bike has those silly thumb triggers that Shimano puts on Sora/no name shifters. I like the idea, but I can't shift from the drops, which is really irritating.

My bike is also a mish-mash: SRAM chain and cassette, FSA cranks and bottom bracket (which was replaced by a Shimano one after the stock one died after 600 miles ), Sora rear derailleur and generic Shimano everything else. I guess it meets that price point, but...

[Crankin]

Yeah, for me that one day rule is more like weeks or months. If it's the "first" thing I use, I usually have no problem with the initial learning. Like, I had no problems with shifting on my first bike with trigger shifters, or even my first road bike with STI shifters (other than wanting those little numbers to tell me what gear I was in. I got over that). I had no issues learning to use clipless pedals, either.
But, if I have to change using a mechanical thing after years, or go back and forth between systems, it's really hard for me. Once a pattern gets in my brain, that's it. I clip out with my left foot. I absolutely cannot clip out with my right. I've tried, but, I just can't lean my bike to the right. When I first started riding I did clip out on the right, I switched for some reason, but I should have kept using both and that would have been fine. I was worried about the compact double on my new bike, and going back and forth between that and the triple on my Kuota, but it's fine. What is a problem is that the bikes feel so different, I feel horrible on the new bike. Not horrible that it doesn't fit; it's a custom bike and it probably fits better than my Kuota. I feel weird because it has different geometry, which makes me cautious and slow. DH really wanted SRAM on these bikes, but I said no way for me. Too many changes is overload for me.