105 11 speed vs ultegra , much difference?

Schecter01

I've heard say their is very little difference in the the new 105 11 speed and ultegra groupset, was looking at Lapierre sensium which has full ultegra, but should one opt for the 105 model for 400 cheaper? Can you feel the €400 worth being worth it in the long run?

godtabh

Read the reviews. I'd be inclined to save the €400

Schecter01

Sorry 250 in the difference

cython

In those Sensiums is there not a difference in wheels as well? Shimano RS010's with the 105 build, vs Mavic Aksiums with the Ultegra? I only think I recall this as I was looking at the same 2 myself due to constraints within the employer's BTW.

doozerie

I've not used 105 5800 and only very briefly used Ultegra 6800 so take this with a pinch of salt, but in my experience of older groupsets 105 never lasted as long as Ultegra. Performance between the two I always found similar, with Ultegra having a slight edge, but longevity always made me opt for Ultegra when I could afford it.

That's an entirely subjective assessment of course, it's really hard to compare reliability and lifespan of different parts in different circumstances.

Schecter01

Your actually right here is 500 in the diff between the 400 and 200 sensiums, with the 400 having askiums, I priced the wrong two bikes.
I ride on fulcrum racing 7s at the moment. Haven't tried shimanos

Just a little Samba

Mechanically they are much of a muchness, it's weight and lifespan of parts where the noticeable difference is over time.

Cee-Jay-Cee

The new 5800 105 is supposedly very good and actually better than 6700 Ultegra. There is a 230g weight difference between 5800 and 6800 but both operate very similarly in terms of smoothness and precision.

I recently upgraded my groupset and actually bought 5800 but started wondering if I should have gotten 6800 instead as I might always be regretting not spending the €230 price difference between them so bought 6800 and sent the 5800 back. The way I looked at it, if I stuck with the 5800 I would probably end up upgrading it at some stage so decided to prevent all that and just get it from the start. I've now sort of future proofed my bike which will save me money in the future as I won't want to change the bike next year when I'm due the BTW scheme again.

cython

doozerie wrote: »

I've not used 105 5800 and only very briefly used Ultegra 6800 so take this with a pinch of salt, but in my experience of older groupsets 105 never lasted as long as Ultegra. Performance between the two I always found similar, with Ultegra having a slight edge, but longevity always made me opt for Ultegra when I could afford it.

That's an entirely subjective assessment of course, it's really hard to compare reliability and lifespan of different parts in different circumstances.

I think the bolded is very important here, as while I've never owned anything Ultegra beyond a bottom bracket (installed probably within the last 1-2k km, and so can't comment as to its longevity), there are plenty of accounts online of Ultegra actually being less durable than the "equivalent" (i.e. 5x00 vs 6x00 for a given x) 105. I have even seen the argument made that having Ultegra over 105 saw components minded/cleaned more, and so they lasted longer. It may all be bollocks, but it just highlights that it is difficult to say either way with certainty.

nak

Not much difference, but the 105 rear mech isn't great, switched it out for the Ultegra one.

full gas

nak wrote: »

Not much difference, but the 105 rear mech isn't great, switched it out for the Ultegra one.

You had to switch to ultegra rear mech, and that doesn't count as much difference ?

nak

full gas wrote: »

You had to switch to ultegra rear mech, and that doesn't count as much difference ?

Shifting wasn't great, rest of the groupset is good. It was more the jockey wheels and not the mech itself that were the issue. Swapping them out is cheaper than a new mech.