UKC

How do you do it?

Currently my only point of reference is price ie more expensive = 'better'

SRAM Apex Vs Shimano Ultegra

Cannondale CaadX Ultegra Vs Moda Calore

In reply to Indy:

As it's forbiddingly expensive to try them all out, you can only really go from other people's advice. With that caveat that most people seem to like what they have.

They also change over time, with an example that people used to love campag, but I've noticed more and more people using SRAM over the past few years.

In reply to Indy:
I have an old CAAD 5 frame. In its time state of the art and very lovely, corners like it's on rails, just as fun to ride as my modern cervelo made of carbon fibre.

Groupsets, well I've tried some super light weight stuff, lovely silver campag stuff and a few bits of SRAM. All good and bad in different ways and while shimano isn't the lightest, trendiest or most glam I find it a step up in terms of simple operation and performance over anything else. Japanese engineering for you.

Try both bikes, buy the one that makes you feel happiest and fits you best.

Cheers and have lots of fun choosing

Toby

In reply to Indy:

I think Ultegra is better than Apex. However, I put an Apex groupset on Mrs. Ent's bike and it's ace.

E

In reply to Indy:It looks like you can take appart SRAM shifters and maintain them, in a similar way you can to Campagnolo, being a tinkerer that'd be high up on my list, i'm not sure if you can do the same as easily with Shimano.

If you can't things appart and replace bits they'll probably cost more in the long run, and it's green to be able to too. ()

In reply to Indy:

You should at least go into a bike shop or accost other cyclists and have a feel of the shifters - there's a significant difference in shape and shifting methods between Shimano/SRAM/Campagnolo

BTW, Ultegra is more or less equivalent to SRAM Force, Apex is more or less like 105 (sits just below SRAM Rival, but is quite close as it's more of a cyclosportive groupset rather than a race groupset).

In reply to Indy:
My Mate says go for Campag, his reason "its a nicer font"