- It is the age-old question, what, apart from price, is
the difference between Dura-Ace, Shimano's flagship
groupset, and Ultegra?
Well, thanks to our partners at Shimano, we're about to go
through that, in some detail.
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Both Ultegra and Dura-Ace are available as either
mechanical groupsets or electronic, i.e. the Di2.
And, within those, there's also the choice between rim brake
or disc brake.
So, a total of four options on each side.
And we've got two examples of those here in this set today.
Over here, is a Trek Emonda, with full Shimano Dura-Ace
Di2 9170 groupset.
Whilst over here, we have a BMC Teammachine.
That's got a full Ultegra 8000 mechanical groupset on.
Both of them, as you can see, are disc brake models.
This is my bike, which you would have seen me using
on GCN before, whilst this is the BMC of Mark Fulford,
he, of the Global Triathlon Network.
So, obviously, I've removed the top tube bag and the
under-the-saddle bottle cages before we started filming.
Anyway, the other day, I took this one out for a quick spin.
And, if I'm perfectly honest, I'm not sure if I was
blindfolded, whether I would have been able to tell you
if I was on Ultegra or Dura-Ace.
Obviously, I would have crashed as well.
Never the less, it did get me thinking, is there really
a difference at all?
I think we should go and ask someone in the know.
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- From a technology perspective, they're made in one package
so, they're the same, the same functionality.
But, Ultegra is for a broader audience, so, more different
riding styles.
So, they were developed as a pair, but in mind that you ride
in different places, different riding styles,
different speeds.
And, so the consumer does get the same benefits,
- Yeah.
- But, at a better price point.
- Okay, so, the functionality of the two, as you're saying,
is the same, so there's no difference, maybe,
in the placement of the shifting ramps on the chain rings
or whatever else.
That is the same.
- That is exactly the same, because that is the heritage
of Shimano, is shifting performance.
What is different, is the type of production methods we use,
the materials we use to reach a lower price point.
Cheaper production methods can, sometimes, achieve the same
products, the same shape, but, a bit heavier.
And, technology-wise, the closest possible Ultegra
generation to Dura-Ace that we have seen so far.
- Really?
- Yes.
- And, so, does Dura-Ace have a price point that you work
towards, or are the engineers given, you know, like a blank
sheet of paper and said, right, off you go?
- The engineers are given a blank sheet of paper,
it must be top-notch, it must be according what
the racers want, what is needed,
it's the Formula One of cycling.
- Blimey.
Well, if even Shimano product managers are claiming
that there's little difference between the functionality
of the two, we are really going to have to go into a lot
more detail, here.
However, we should start with those most obvious thing,
and that is the price.
A Dura-Ace groupset compared like-for-like with Ultegra,
is about twice the price.
That, putting it mildly, is significant.
What about the weight, then?
Well, if we take this bike as an example, Shimano's Dura-Ace
9170 Di2 groupset, which is a disc brake model, will come in
at about 500 grammes less than the Ultegra equivalent.
That's half a kilo, so a reasonable amount.
That includes everything, as well as the wheels.
But, as we've heard, and to reiterate, Shimano claims
there's little difference in functionality between the two,
or even durability.
And, actually, the Ultegra has never been close in match
to its more expensive relative.
So, why then, is Ultegra so much cheaper?
Well, it comes down to the material that they use.
You see, with Ultegra,
they really need to hit a price point.
So, the difference between the two can really be just
as simple as what they're using to make it.
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For the purposes of this video, and in order not to make
it an hour long, we are going to be comparing Di2 disc brake
groupsets across Ultegra and Dura-Ace.
And we're gonna start up here, with the shifters,
the STIs, which incorporate the brakes and the shifters.
Now, obviously, you can see a difference between mechanical
and Di2, but, comparing like-for-like,
the STIs look and feel almost identical.
And they've both got carbon fibre levers here, too.
So, how then, is Ultegra 25% heavier than Dura-Ace?
Well, it comes down to what you can't see, the internals.
To give you an example, Shimano Dura-Ace use carbon fibre
resin for their brackets,
where as Ultegra is a glass fibre resin.
On the flip side to that, though, with Ultegra,
you've actually got a great degree of adjustability.
So, if you've got particularly large or small hands,
you might well find that you're more comfortable
on the Ultegra model.
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So, if the mechanics of the shifting are exactly the same,
what's the difference?
Well, you've probably guessed it, it's in the construction.
For example, the Dura-Ace cassette, here,
has a carbon fibre spider, it has six alloy sprockets,
and five titanium.
Where as over here, on the Ultegra, it is an alloy spider.
That, in itself, takes it up from 175 grammes to 232 grammes.
That is a difference of 57, or 30%,
and this, on a single component,
is the biggest difference between the two.
Whilst we're on the subject of cassettes, this gives us
another glimpse into something Ultegra can do
that Dura-Ace can't.
You see, Ultegra is far more versatile
for different riding styles.
You can, if you so wish, get an Ultegra cassette that has
11 up through to 34 teeth with the corresponding medium cage
rear derailleur to go with it.
On the other hand, if you opt for Dura-Ace,
you can have a maximum of 30 teeth.
That is down to Shimano's firm belief
that Dura-Ace is the racer's groupset
and that they don't need anything bigger.
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Okay, let's move on to derailleurs.
The key difference is, once again here,
are in the materials used.
For example, the Dura-Ace rear derailleur,
now this cage is made out of carbon fibre,
where as on the Ultegra version, it will be aluminium.
Likewise, at the front there's a difference, the Dura-Ace
front derailleur cage is made out of aluminium
and Ultegra, it's on steel.
The differences, though, are perhaps quite small.
This, for example, weighs 204 grammes
where as the Ultegra equivalent weighs 242.
Whilst the front derailleurs are 104
and 132 grammes, respectively.
So, in total, across the two derailleurs,
that is a difference of just 66 grammes.
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And then up here, at the chain sets,
again, they look quite similar,
but there is a weight difference between the two.
That depends on how big the chain rings are on them,
but, roughly, it is 65 grammes, or about 10%.
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There's also a difference, here, at the disc rotors.
There is coating, here, on the Dura-Ace rotor
which aids in heat dissipation,
which is absent from the Ultegra version.
And, it just so happens, that that coating is in a rather
stealth black, which does look rather neat.
However, they do both have the same
three-layer construction.
Is there a weight difference, well yes, but it's negligible,
10 grammes between the two.
Reassuringly, though, the braking performance across
the two groupsets is exactly the same.
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Going into the finer details of the electronic Di2
functionality, that, too, is the same across
the two groupsets.
Shimano's latest Ultegra groupset is Synchro Shift enabled.
And that means that you can set your front derailleur to
shift semi-automatically, if you so wish.
You can also customise a whole array of shifting settings
by linking your groupset up with the E-Tube Project app.
Which, with the right accessory, will link your Di2 directly
with your smartphone.
There, you'll be able to change settings, such as how quick
the shifting occurs, as well as what button does what.
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So, we've already seen that Dura-Ace saves a reasonable
amount of weight over Ultegra, but, the biggest difference
comes at the wheels.
Around about 300 grammes.
Quite difficult to compare like-for-like here,
and that's because Dura-Ace, being the racer's groupset,
comes with tubular models available
and that saves a significant chunk of weight.
And there's also the option to find deeper
and more aero rims.
On the other hand, Ultegra,
continuing on with its versatility reamers,
well that has aluminium rims
with a carbon laminate over the top.
They're only available in clinch or tubeless versions.
In summary then, the key difference between Dura-Ace
and Ultegra is in the weight.
And then, the secondary difference, is in the finish.
That, for many of you, is going to make the purchase
of Dura-Ace feel fairly extravagant.
Because, you see, you don't get a lot more for your money.
However, across bike equipment, in general,
there is that law of diminishing returns
as you spend more money.
But, it doesn't necessarily mean
that it is a complete waste.
It is, however, very good to know that, functionally,
Ultegra is now, pretty much, as good as Dura-Ace.
And you can only imagine, then,
what the new 105 groupset might be like.
That is quite the prospect.
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if you missed Cy's first look at both of these groupsets,
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