I was also really disappointed to see a lack of mechanical Ultegra. Let's face it, for DuraAce the folks who can afford it are either looking for every edge for racing - where the motorized version will be superior - or are looking for the best of the new-new which again gives the edge to electronic components.
But, a savvy rider with a preference for a cable-shifted drivetrain is going to be happy with the latest gen Ultegra set up at a slight weight hit compared to full DA, and could always run a DuraAce cassette and chain and crank if they wanted.
Stepping down to 105 the out-of-the-box performance is okay. But the long-term longevity/quality/performance just can't touch Ultegra.
Oct. 3, 2021, 7:29 p.m. - Andrew Major
I was also really disappointed to see a lack of mechanical Ultegra. Let's face it, for DuraAce the folks who can afford it are either looking for every edge for racing - where the motorized version will be superior - or are looking for the best of the new-new which again gives the edge to electronic components. But, a savvy rider with a preference for a cable-shifted drivetrain is going to be happy with the latest gen Ultegra set up at a slight weight hit compared to full DA, and could always run a DuraAce cassette and chain and crank if they wanted. Stepping down to 105 the out-of-the-box performance is okay. But the long-term longevity/quality/performance just can't touch Ultegra.