hello y`all,

i am a mountain biker who wants to do some road as well, so i am not as new to the biking world...i am not sure if i am on the right forum, so i will start from here...just to let you know about my biking background, I ride around 15-20 miles (trails) almost every single day. about a month ago one of my friends let me borrow his road bike, and I really enjoyed it. it had shimano 105 components throughout, pretty decent bike. so i got hooked. now i am in the market for a bike, and I have been looking at different models. however, i am on a tight budget...i really want to get a bike with ultegra components, but it is over 500 dollars over the one with shimano 105...so my questions are: should i really make the effort and try to get the bike with ultegra or will i be fine with the one with 105...i would also like to know as much as possible about these two components...how about durability...i am thinking about riding as much as possible (about 40-60+ miles a day) and i am concerned that the 105 might give up too soon...i know that for mtb, we have to switch our chains almost every 1000 miles, how about for road bikes? i really do not want to purchase a chain almost every other month...so please help me and enlightme, and I will really really appreciate it!

Best Wishes,

Hector:aureola:

First off, search, there have been a million 105 vs. ultegra threads before in the last month.

I would say that 105 should be fine for a recreational rider. 105 is basically a heavier version of ultegra (which is itself a heavier version of dura ace). Small parts are not machined to as tight tolerances so you have a little more weight and maybe a little sloppier shifting. Most people (myself included) can't tell the difference when braking or shifting. The designs though are the same and durability is pretty close. Some argue that ultegra will last longer. It may, but 105 will last plenty long with recreational useage. I would not spend the money on ultegra unless you want to race.

hey thanks for your reply pigmyracer...lol, i completely forgot to search the forums and just did the easy thing...however, i did check the component review section, but i was not satisfied with the results...thats why i went ahead and started a thread without checking the forums...hehehe...i know better cause i keep seeing the same thing happening over and over in mtbr.com...anyways, i might stick with the 105 just because of the price although i really like the ultegra bike...

I wasn't trying to be grumpy, merely saying that you will get a really wide range of opinions through a search. A lot of this is bling and looks, although many people won't admit it. If you like the ultegra equipped bike more, get it by all means. You don't really NEED it though (although need is a relative term when buying a second or third bike).

You'll be fine with 105....if you want the weight savings of Ultegra, save the money and skip a meal. The 1/2lb that you lose will make it all equal and you can use the money to buy something else!