Ultegra 6800 vs DA 7800

[kgreene10]

I've got DA 7800 on my travel bike and DA9000 on my daily trainer and race rig. The 9000 is wonderful stuff. I have no particular problem with 7800 but I'm thinking of changing it out for 6800. One reason would be for cross compatibility with the race bike (even though changing cassettes isn't a big deal at all).

Would there be a performance gain or loss? Do those of you with experience with all three of these groups think moving to 6800 on the travel bike would be wortwhile?

[Lanternrouge]

I personally prefer the 6800 group over the 7800 and am "upgrading" a bike from 7800 to 6800 (or maybe that is downgrading). Having used all three groups, I think it would be hard to justify the cost of a 9000 group for the travel bike (even though you didn't mention you were considering that) even though I think I feel that it shifts a little better than 6800. For me, the biggest advantage of 6800 over 7800 is that I like the shape of the hoods better.

[tiretrax]

If you're using 9000 on a daily basis, you'll probably appreciate the 6800 on the travel bike. I am thinking that the travel bike lacks a set of wheels and require transferring from the race bike - correct? If you don't have to change cassettes often and will always have time to do it, then I guess you don't need to change out the group. The other option is to get a set of wheels for the travel bike if my assumption is correct.

P.S. - why are you using race wheels on the travel bike and not the wheels from the training bike?

[kgreene10]

You're correct about the wheels. My go-to wheels for training and for the travel bike are HED Belgiums with CK R45 hubs that I've upgraded to 11sp, so I do swap the cassette when I put them on the 10sp travel bike. It's fast and easy -- much easier than wrestling with the couplers -- so not enough of a reason by itself to move to 6800. I do like the new hood design better. Maybe if someone can come up with a third small reason...

[shovelhd]

The hood shape would be a factor for me, especially if the bars were matched. Switching bikes with similar contact points (shifters, bars, saddle, pedals) makes switching so much easier.

[FastforaSlowGuy]

You're correct about the wheels. My go-to wheels for training and for the travel bike are HED Belgiums with CK R45 hubs that I've upgraded to 11sp, so I do swap the cassette when I put them on the 10sp travel bike. It's fast and easy -- much easier than wrestling with the couplers -- so not enough of a reason by itself to move to 6800. I do like the new hood design better. Maybe if someone can come up with a third small reason...

Here's another small reason to switch: The longer your ride your 7800, the lower its fair market value, whereas 6800 is unlikely to come down in price. Assuming you'd sell off the 7800, switching now is arguably "cheaper" than it will be in the future.

[Gummee]

Right now, I've got 3 wheelsets that are 11sp compatible and 1 cassette. It'd be SO nice to have all 3 wheelsets ready to go at a moment's notice and not have to swap cassettes between wheels.

M

[jawn doe]

6800 is definitely superior to 7800. The front shifting is worlds ahead and the rear shifting feels much more positive. The only trick is to be super careful when handling the polymer coated cables, as once the coating starts to fray, the shifting suffers.

[kgreene10]

6800 is definitely superior to 7800. The front shifting is worlds ahead and the rear shifting feels much more positive. The only trick is to be super careful when handling the polymer coated cables, as once the coating starts to fray, the shifting suffers.

That's a good point. The polymer could get gummed up pretty quickly in the S&S case. Other than that, the consensus seems to be with 6800.

[LloydB]

Great choice! Time for the upgrade. You can now find some great deals on the 6800 online since they are OEM on many brands. I too have had the pleasure of riding all 3 version. The new 6800 is a great value and out performs the 7800. Since it's a travel bike, weight of the Ultegra won't be a factor. Good luck!