I am thinking about upgrading my bike to the Dura Ace Triple Gruppo. The cheapest i have found on eBay (eBay Express actually) has been $1200. That's out of my budget. Can anyone recommend a comparable gruppo so I can finally do some climbs?
First off, is your current group a 9 or 10 speed.... if 10 check out both the ultegra and dura ace upgrade kits available online or through your local shop, mainly try excel sports out of Boulder Co. the ultegra upgrade goes for about $699 and the dura ace for about $1080, this is a great option because you only pay for the parts you need.... and remember dura ace may be lighter and sleeker, but in the long run its not worth the extra money... unless you are pro and need it, i have had ultegra groups last twice as long as dura ace.
Keeping the double and just changing ratios, also a good point, two things to add in helping relation, if you choose this route look into MTB cassettes that are compatible with your current group.... shimano road chains work with MTB cassettes depending on the speed, you must then watch the travel of your deraileur, you probably have a short cage, you may need a long cage if you try this option, secondly there are new chainring combos for the front called compact, I believe they are 50/34 another option to knock down the gearing a bit.
I'm using a compact 50/34 now. It's 10 speeds, DA front and rear derailleur, cassette and chain, but I'm getting killed on the climbs and descents by my friends who have triples. I know my legs are stronger than theirs, the only thing I can figure is it is the gears.
I moved south of SF last year and now ride along the Skyline road and do some climbs like Kings Mountain Road (1,750 elevation in 5 miles) and Page Mill (1,900 feet in 8 miles) and want to be able to really move up these.
I don't *need* Dura Ace, but my three riding friends who've been at it much longer really think that's the way to go. Is the difference between DA and Ultegra just weight? I thought their was efficiency also.
You will not have to change your shifters,just your front + rear derailuer, cranks and bb, and probably the chain if yours is too short. If you have a long cage rear der you will be able to use that. I would start by changing the cassette to 12-27, may not be enough though..
Shimano is reworking their entire Ultegra product line. There will soon be lots of fire sales and closeouts on their current products. I climbed Vermont hills with a Shimano 105 with no problems. I can't see any reason to go DuraAce unless you have money to burn. Ultegra should be just fine. My guess is you'll be able to put together an Ultegra gruppo for $400-$450 in the coming months.
2007Specialized Allez I use Dura Ace double 53/39 I just upgraded to the new ultegra 10/triple group on my 2007 Specialized Tricross, That I use as my suv. Mostly towing a trailer (bob) I find the dura ace double very silky smooth and exact. Now I have only used the New Ultegra on 2 good 100 mile s. az. runs, and they are fantastic. Every shift positive, and smooth. I am very pleased and saved a bundle on ebay for the ultegra gruppo. The triple made a big difference on all these hills and all the wind. If you arent a pro, I wouldnt be a weight counter as much as having that extra ring up front. Big difference. The ultegra triple front derailler. What a connection. Positive shifts
I agree with a couple of the replys, I would go with a compact crank 50-34 so that you can stay with your same bb. You could even get a 12-27 cassette and then get a 11 cog replace the 12 and take out the 17 cog etc. I use a tripple now and I'm going to go compact soon because it is so hard on the chain and tall ring because I mainly use the 53 ring and it is such a reach out there with a 113 bb over the 109.5. Good luck, Bruce.
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