Shimano Ultegra 11-speed

The launch of the new Dura-Ace 9000 11-speed groupset in mid-2012 triggered a new round of ‘Groupset Wars’, leading to rivals SRAM announcing a new Red 22 groupset to make the most of the new 11-speed hub spacing that wheel manufacturers would start building to. Interestingly SRAM also upgraded their mid-range group to 11-speed and launched Force 22. Already having Dura-Ace 9000 to model from meant it was only a matter of time before Shimano launched an Ultegra 11-speed groupset, dubbed 6800, which was quickly followed by the announcement of a Di2 version, labelled Ultegra 6870.

Ultegra is a real success story for Shimano. The new Ultegra group is sure to build on the success of the previous generation 6700 series and looks to incorporate much of the technology from the new Dura-Ace 9000 group, which Shimano are trying to move up a few notches, the aim being to focus it upon what they term ‘professional’ level racers. With Ultegra, Shimano’s aim is to bring the same race proven technology to ‘cycling enthusiasts’.

 

What this means in reality is not actually clear, as for years we thought that it was price, not one’s ability, that determined the groupset you bought. We think that its probably a way for Shimano marketing to differentiate between those who ‘race seriously’ and those who just ‘ride seriously’. However, assuming it does mimic Dura-Ace 9000 and builds on the qualities of 6700, Ultegra may be all that either racers or riders will ever need… Read More >