Why Shimano Ultegra R8000 mechanical is the best groupset you can buy in 2020 

I totally agree. I am a mechanical engineer BSME and after 3 decades, I appreciate simplicity and a thoroughly refined design. There are virtually NO BUGS in the mech set. I have a Dura Ace bike but I would absolutely buy an Ultegra mech set today. I can repair or tweak anything on the mech set. I went through the Di2 manuals, 7 of them online and I came to the conclusion that I do not want all that complexity... I also like manual transmissions on cars too :-) great video! thank you, a "dinosaur"

There are videos with slicker production,but none with better content,keep up the good work David.

New bike day for me tomorrow, with an R8000 rim brake group set. Have been using SRAM Red 10 speed for the last 5 or so years and am looking forward to the change back to Shimano. Was never really happy with the SRAM front derailleur. Thanks for reinforcing my purchase decision. Alleviated any Di2 FOMO issues.

I have the mechanical R8000 groupset as well and ABSOLUTELY love it. So responsive and easy to shift.

For me the mechanical aspect of it makes me feel connected to the bike I have ridden R8000 for one year and is so smooth and the biggest improvement is the brakes on rim version. I hope they keep improving on they try and true groupset

It’s really their design that is so good. I’m old mechanical myself, and agree with all his points. More so, the 105 group set on my bike has the same experience as this Ultegra. Wonderful kit…it all works so effortlessly and smoothly. Like silk.

I really hope Shimano always does an Ultegra mech and rim groupset. Di2 takes away too much of the tactile experience when changing gears for me. Nice upload as usual!

I am very torn between the 2. Been using Di2 since its launch. Totally hooked on it. But tempted by the simplicity and value of a mechanical one after watching your video.

As one who went directly from a 1989 bike with friction shifters on the downtube to a Specialized Sequoia with Shimano 105 5800, I found myself missing the downtube shifters once the novelty of the STI:s had worn off. I liked the rear shifting, but not that super long throw of the front shifter. Then I got a bike with DI2 and now I don't miss the downtube shifters anymore. Also, I like that DI2 is so maintenance free.

Also on a 2019 R8000 Hydro Ultegra groupset here, absolutely love it. More refined and lighter than 105 but I dont feel bad if I forget to clean my chain for a week or so. Quite possibly the best!

18 months ago bought crankset, cassette and chain in Thailand $45us. Runs a treat, cheap new better than good worn ,from the frugal cyclist.

9 years later, my opinion still is "Who needs it? We didn't ask for it.". I'm currently using a mechanical, rim brake Ultegra R8000 on my road bike, and I cannot find any comprehensible reason why I would spend the extra money on Di2. Perfect, effortless shifting, near-to-zero maintenance required, and quite lightweight (especially compared to mechanical groupsets of the past), while the rim brakes are excellent even in the wet (albeit with proper brake pads, not the rubbish stock ones). I'd much rather spend the difference between a mechanical, rim brake Ultegra R8000 and a Di2 hydraulic Ultegra R8000 on a proper set of lightweight wheels or a better frameset. The real problem is that it's harder and harder to find brand new bikes with mechanical/rim brake R8000 and very good wheels. Instead, you can find quite a lot of bikes with Di2/hydraulic R8000 and cheap ass entry-level wheels. That's why I'll probably never buy a new complete bike ever again and always build it out of parts on my own.

Epic. Love your video's! Great review. Shouts from Aotearoa.

I've got enough rechargeable stuff in my life, I don't need my bike being one of them. Especially don't want to find it flat at 5am on a Saturday morning because I was too tired and forgot to charge it on Friday night. I've had ride mates turn up to the meeting point, then their Di2 battery died. I don't doubt that it is beautiful in its operation, but I like the mechanical aspect of changing gears :-)

Had mine for a while now and love it. Going to go to disc brakes but have cable actuated hydraulic brakes to keep them as simple as they already are and i have the parts. Dont see the need of the Di2, i can change the gears fine without charging or customising the selection options. Only thing they could upgrade is bigger jockey wheels just for a little more efficiency but it works as is.

I just built a bike with the R7000 group. Love it. I Did purchase R8000 calipers though. I love Shimano parts. Even their low end stuff functions very well and are reliable. I'm coming off Tourney and Claris parts n they were much heavier but rock solid reliable. For me rim brakes all day.

Oh my god the sound of Ultegra R8000 absolutely love it!!! I'm drive Specialized sl4 TARMAC 2018, Shimano 105. A good friend of mine sold it to me. so far i did 3.7k kms.

Personally, as for Di2, I just hate the idea of having a motor and the battery in a bicycle. What I love about biking is that just it's you and your bike, you can rely on yourself, your fit. Electronic make it a little bit cheating in my opinion. Once you have a motor in your derailleur helping you out, you can as well fit one in the drivetrain and you're getting an E-bike, then you put a bigger motor and got yourself a motorcycle. And yes, motorcycles are a lot more fun than bicycles. But we ride bicycles because it's all about sport and fitness don't we? Electronic aids on a purely mechanical bike just ruines the idea of it. That's the way I see it.

Upgraded my Merckx EMX from Ultegra 6800 10spd to R8000 last summer ... sort of. In the 12 hours it took me to give the go ahead to my LBS on the quotation, COVID supply and demand wreaked havoc on the plan. Ultegra shifters out of stock in North America -- no ETA. I was left with a choice of 105, or DA. I took the DA leap ... they are amazing. Not sure how much better (if at all) to Ultegra R8000 mechanical, but I love the light action and the ergo feel of levers and hoods. I've got to have the mechanical connection to my drivetrain so I'll keep holding out on electronic shifting thank you very much!

Absolutely agree how good mechanical Ultegra is. I had a broken shifter and chain/cassette might have been due for replacement so upgraded my £999 Giant Contend from 105. In a different league to me, there is something almost magic about shifting. I just do leisure rides and I can tell a huge difference over 105.

Best part of di2 is not having to worry about cable stretch im guessing. 1000 euro vs adjusting a cable tension now and then.

Been riding since the 80s when I was back in Cuba with the brutal Russian steel framed Moscow 80 road bikes with the shifters on the down tubes, technology has changed dramatically, a nowadays mechanical ultegra is one hell of a upgrade since then, I don’t see the big deal with the introduction of electrical shifting and all that fancy stuff, I feel the need to stay connected to my bike when on it, and a mech system is the only way to go. I just don’t know when are they gonna stop adding technology to a bike, like if weight reduction wasn’t enough of a headache. A sport will always be a sport, and no matter what you do to the equipment, you can not add technology to what really wins medals, your physical and mental health.

My 6 year old Tiagra group set shifts perfectly if it’s maintained properly, just put new cables on it long over due and if feels amazing. I’ve not tried Ultegra but I would love to. I can’t imagine much benefit to di2 over mechanical for the average rider especially if Ultegra is noticeably better then the what I’m running at the minute.

As much as I love the functionality of the mechanical I find the coating on the Ultegra and 105 wear off way too fast, making the group-set look very tatty in the end. I feel I was very late to the di2 game and I resisted it for so long, but then when I got my own, I was so surprised how amazing crisp, fast and accurate the shifting was, now I have upgraded all my bikes but one to di2. Di2 in combination with the none shimano sprint shifters is an absolutely amazing combo. I think without the sprint shifters di2 alone is not worth the upgrade price., As for the battery, it doesn’t just go flat on you without a warning. You will feel it way in advance, your shifting becomes a bit sloppy on the front derailleur about a week before it goes flat, you’ll learn to recognize that once you experienced it, besides I go about 4-6 months on one charge. I yet have to jump on the disk brake wagon, hopefully not any time soon, I will resist it as long as I can and I absolutely love tim brakes, for the same reason as I love mechanical group sets, ease of travel, ease of maintenance and they work just fine. Keep up the good work with those videos.

Just rebuilt my CAAD9 with this groupset. I love it.

I love my shimano ultegra R8000! NEVER lets me down and it's a joy to maintain. Very well made and quite durable. I have DI 2 ultegra on my Cannondale system six and I like it a lot but has some bad points such as their E tube app which is just awful! In addition if you want to adjust any aspect of the shifting you won't be able to do it with an apple computer : (. I hope there is always a place for mechanical shifting because like you I love how it feels. I do think the DI 2 is faster though.... I just subbed, you do really nice work here!

For the price I totally agree with you. But I have my training bike with ultegra mechanical...which after 4 years is still flawless albeit with some replacement parts . My go fast bike has ultegra Di2 which is simply amazing. I find myself always in the right cadence ...and believe me after 4 or more hours with the gang....with fatigue setting in Di2 is a godsend, when even the simple task of mechanical shifting can be tiresome.Yes I know first world problems.But if you are out hammering it in the local chain gang it can make a huge difference.

R8000 is fantastic!. The brake modulation and Front Derailleur shifting is amazing!

Great video, thanks. I think you just saved me a couple of grand!

There's a reason why you have a 100% like rate, your videos and topics are spot on! I've tried Sram red eTap (the worst), R8070 Di2 and also R8000 mechanical. The R8000 is so smooth, you feel so connected to the bike and it's so reliable. Absolutely love it!

I have my Ultegra mechanical on my old titanium road bike and then a newer SRAM Red etap that I was gifted by a friend that I put on my Merckx climbing frame. After 4 months of continuous usage on the SRAM, I can say that they are far superior to my old mechanical set. I've never been low on battery power (the efficiency of the battery packs are astounding) even after a month of no charge ups. This is unlike the DI2 experience for many of my friends. I think the reason why SRAM is pushing their e-tap line is that it works so well and they have their battery science down. If Shimano could come up with a comparable battery life and efficiency of SRAM then I think we would see the demise of mechanical group sets for their road bikes.

I really like your TCR content. I have the 2019 Defy Advanced Pro 2 and the 2020 Propel Advanced Disc 1, and paid less than what it would have cost for the mid range Specialized SL7. The Defy and Propel are both amazing bikes. And considering I put 35’ gravel tires on the Defy they both have very different usage. So I’d like to ask, since there isn’t a lot of Giant related reviews with their more current products besides your own, is there any way you could do reviews on either or both of the Defy and the Propel? Such videos would go really well with your TCR series. Thanks for considering.

Thanks David, this is great. Any comments on the rim brake version?

I prefer mechanical shifting. Because if the battery, I sometimes forget to charge my lights and those are every week, I'll definitely forget the shifter battery if it's something I charge once a month or even less. And I like the feeling of resistance as I shift.

I agree. I also use R8000. No complaints.

Say what you want about any mechanical group set but Di2 is definitely the way to go in my humble opinion. It’s PERFECT in every way! ❤️

David I just have to say that you are if not the best clearly one of the best channels to watch regarding cycling and cycling gear. I always trust your opinion, it’s typically fair and balanced and clearly not bought. Keep up the good work and thank you for all the effort you put into this channel.

You've got to consider Chorus at this level. However I still doubt there's much faster shifting nowadays than my current set up - old Record 10s, short cage carbon RD, close ratio cassette, 52/39 up front. Never misses a beat.

I have a number of bikes, with Shimano 105 on my winter bike as it is cheap and ideal for rinding in the UK winter crap. Then I have Shimano Dura Ace mech on my Canyon, then Dura Ace Di2 on Willier, then Campagnolo SR EPS 11x on F8, F10, C60, and lastly Campagnolo SR 12x mech on C64. So I guess I ride most set ups, on long hilly rides in North Wales and odd flat rides in Cheshire but also twice yearly trips to to various World locations to ride. During winter it has to be the cheap 105, when weather allows it has to be Campagnolo EPS or Mech both perfection engineering with a heritage and over the years practical and simple improvements. The hoods are the most comfortable ever and well better than Shimano on a long ride, the reliability of Campagnolo is never in doubt and the EPS is slick powerful and smooth, the battery has never run out on me. The new Campagnolo 12x speed is uncomplicated, an extra sprocket in the same space as 11 with no silly 10 tooth sprocket and crazy small chainrings. I ride 105 with 11/28 50/34 in winter and Campagnolo 11/29 and 11/32 52/36 in Spring Summer Autumn. So thats it, In the end its down to choice and what you can afford, also season of year. My opinion that Campagnolo is without doubt the best groupset you can buy in the past present and future. As for brakes! I ride rim only and direct mount are all that are required on the road, if you cant handle a long switchback decent on rim brakes in the wet then you should Not be riding a bike. Keep it simple ride the best All Italian.

waiting for Shimano next gen 12 speed group sets. Would also like to see OSPW in the next gen as well

I am runnung a Shimano Ultegra R8000 groupset and I recentley put on a SHIMANO Ultegra RD-RX800 rear derailleur (the one with the clutch) and a SHIMANO XT CS-M8000 Cassette and it works. Just don't cross the chain to far when your on your 50 tooth chain ring and you'll be fine.

To overstate it a bit... I think Di2 vs mechanical groupsets is like a automatic double clutch vs manual transmission. With mechanical is a little more sensitivity and experience required. I want to upgrade my entry level road bike with Ultegra R8000, because I love the frame and the geometry. My Merida Scultura 100 was also available as Scultura 500 with Ultegra, but I didn't know back than that it would become my favorite bike.

Excellent review. I did read some people complaining about noise when shifting to the big gears (last 2 in particular). Have you any experience with this? Thank you

your content is really good

Glad i bought a mechanical frameset gives me the freedom for groupsets like this and sram Etap

I am running the Ultegra R8000 Rim brake. The hood is so nice and low profile. So comfy.

I have this groupset on two of my bikes. Solid well constructed and very smooth shifting once set up correctly. The electronic version will shift among the front chainrings more easily but not much difference on the rear cassette shifting. Electronic shifting is also good for cyclists who might have arthritic hands or weak hand strength. I prefer the simplicity of mech shifting systems. Hydraulic disc brakes are the way to go unless I was traveling with a bike often and had to remove the wheels.

Another great video and thank you for giving us a way of accessing information like this. Definitely a follower. BTW, what is your helmet?

if you're like me and sweat a lot, Ultegra Di2 is the best. My sweat is quite salty and every year the shifter cable would break twice a year. After I switched to Di2, all of those worries went away. No more being stuck 20 miles from home without a working rear shifter.

I could not agree more Dave viva Ultegra !

One thing that drives me nuts about both Road and MTB bike pricing... electronic group set pricing stays constant. Would be nice to get a hundred, or couple hundred dollar break when buying a pre configured bike with an EGS. Rather, the full retail price of these group sets is factored into the bike cost. Is that really necessary? I ride Ultegra R8000 on my Tarmac SL6... but am perpetually tempted by the status that comes along with an EGS bike build LOL

I have 5 bikes,4 with ultegra 8000 and 1 with Dura ace,all mechanical,i work in Audio/electronics For more than 25 years,so for me and to go against all ods,i love mechanical group sets...and rim brakes too.

Yeah, Ultegra is great... but my attention is frequently caught by the noise made by the hub, lovely.

Dave, really enjoying your videos these days. Can I request an in depth video of Centaur 11 and Potenza 11 vs 105 and Ultegra Mechanical? I have 3 road bikes, and have groupsets from Sram/Campagnolo/Shimano, and would like to upgrade 1 of them soon. Is it misty eyed to want Campag? Cheers.

Agreed! I run both 6700 and 6800, both are pretty much flawless. As for disc brakes, yes on my gravel and MTB, but personally I feel absolutely no need whatsoever on my road bike. The only advantage I see to disc is the ability not to wear out a rim, and let's be honest that takes years, generally! As for power, pretty sure my FSA SLK calipers on my Bianchi perform just as well, at least in the dry ..✌️

Thanks for mentioning the 'feel' of mechanical - being more connected to the bike. It's kind of hard to explain to a newbie rider.

Rim brakes & 105 R7000 = affordable & quality. Parts can individually be bought very affordably. *#165mm* cranks 😁

I have one ultegra r8000 and its fantástic and costs a good value for quality

I'm contemplating getting this groupset. This would be my very first road bike disc brake set up.. when changing out tires, tubes, or just cleaning purposes...I've heard the discs start to rub after a few removals. How much truth is there to this?

Great video once again, if you were building a gravel bike would you go mechanical ultegra or GRX 800?

I have in my supersix evo , Very close to dura ace performance ,amazing shifting and vfm ,with just 300 grams penalty !

Cool Chain! It's my choise also...

I have upgraded to a Ultegra R8000 Ultegra with rim brakes and really like it. I put Campagnolo Sirocco wheels and I am surprised how quiet the bike is on free wheeling. Don't think I would like Di2 as enjoy gear shifting.

I got sucked into the first generation Di2, and... it's a door stop now that everything is n+1 speed, and you might think that electronic would have allowed them to avoid that with programming. Honestly, the 2011 SuperRecord mechanical is just as quick as that year's Di2, lets me do the 'double-dump' when hitting the bottom of a hill, and with the JagWire ultra-slick cable and link housing, is soooo precise. And... it lets me trim the front so much better than even the latest Di2. If it weren't for the clean lines of internal routing or wireless, I'd see zero reason to change.

I have r8000 mech really enjoyable and very precise.

David Arthur, if UDi2 were to drop to the exact same $$ price as Ultegra, replacement parts as well were same/same, it sounds like you'd recommend UDi2. I have a 2017 Tarmac with UDi2 and a 2015 Helium w/ Ultegra. (Your articles reviewing those two bikes when you were with the .... who's name shall not be spoken, were very helpful, thanks!) and far and away after the novelty and cool factor has worn off, UDi2 is significantly more finicky, more things can and do require adjustment that just don't happen on Ultegra.

I've got Ultegra 6800....love it. Light and crisp. ✌

Nice video just what I needed to hear. After 10+ years riding my Trek 1.5 Alpha it time for my dream bike. Place an order today for the Trek 62cm Émonda ALR 5 Disc frame and fork set, it's coming from Holland so I've plenty of time to select my group set, wheels and every other component. When I kitted out my MTB many years ago I invested in the XTR 980 group set, unfortunately this soon became discontinued and I've paid more for new-old stock on chain rings and cassettes. I want this Émonda build to be serviceable for as long as possible. David do you see Shimano releasing a new Ultegra groups set this year. Correct me if I'm wrong, as I understand the R8000 Ultegra groupset was released in 2018? I'm a big fan of Shamano and am think of having the Ultegra wheel set to couple with the group set. Can't wait to ride a road bike with disks, any suggestions on wheel sets I might consider? Cheers David.

Shimano 105 is the best value. I have won races and finished top 5 for 13 races on shimano 105 and on a bike I paid less than $2000 for. That includes everything like aftermarket parts, including pedals, wahoo bolt, saddle, handlebars, stem, bar tape, carbon wheels, and radar. If I get anything above 105, I'm going for electronic shifting.

Spot on review. I agree and it will take an 11-40 cassette.

I own red etap and ultegra mechanical and I love both.

You gave a lot of good reasons why Ultegra is better value than dura ace, and why you prefer mechanical over DI2. I wonder, how you rate Ultegra vs. 105 though - given that you rode so many bikes over the last few years. The general sentiment of the major bike channels on RU-vid seems to be that 105 is just as good and therefore better value.

I do find the rubber hoods are getting very loose on my shifters, is that something you have found? Was one section not blending with the body of the hoods and now they loose all round. Not as tough as my old 105 in that aspect even though it is softer and more comfortable.

I’ve owned every Ultegra groupset and the 8000 really stands out from the rest. It is absolute perfection. Some incarnations don’t have much feedback from the shifting. The 8000 has a bit more of a click and is spot on. Possible improvements would be smaller hoods and better fitting hoods. Once they’ve been peeled back a few times to bleed them they never fit flush again. Once set up well it works absolutely perfect every time. It’s that good. If you’re a rim brake person it’s good news too. Rim brake callipers on the 8000 have been massively beefed up. Have a look at a 8000 rim calliper from above and you can seen it’s literally twice as thick as years gone by translating into very powerful brakes. If you ride your bike all year round I would get discs if you can. They just make so much sense.

I’m building a ti bike and package comes with R8000 I’m thinking to change to SRAM Force AXS etap for 3 reasons: can use quarq power meter in crank, wireless so no external cables, and electronic. Downside I’m worried if i run of battery + it’s extra A$2100 from R8000. My bike will be completed in 6 months time. Do you think there will be new version of groupset!?

For VALUE, I'd agree without question Ultegra is the best. Ultegra is light, durable, and usually ridiculously reliable. For sheer performance though...I'm going Campy Chorus/Record/Super Record.

I am sorry just some information giant pro0 and pro1 got a different wheelset also dt240 vs dt350 hubs

I really like this format of the video, clear opinion, but backed by a decade of experience. More please! I will personally probably mix and match when it's time to upgrade, Ultegra RX mech with GRX di2 levers, which seem to be very well regarded.

Great video! I’m stuck between deciding to upgrade from Sora R3000 to 105 or Ultegra! Also what is your setup for audio on the bike? The sound quality is really clear

The chain rubs against the skid plates of the Ultegra R8020 FD on both sides, the inner and outer. Is that normal?

I have a bike with Ultegra R8000. I also have a bike that is mostly 105 R7000. It’s dang hard to tell the difference. Indeed, much of the difference is largely cosmetic. Di2? Ask me in a month when my gravel build with GRX Di2 is done.

The cables routed down the down tube. Any cable rub? I’m still wondering if I prefer the old model because of that. Minus the fact that previous version’s front brake cable is external

good to see Prendas socks :)

I just got the exact same bike you've got there.

I have R8000 mech rim brake version on one bike and 105-5800 on the other. I love them both. I even upgraded the rear derailleur on the 105 to long cage for 11-32 cassette, because of the hilly nature of my neighborhood. I'm sure Di2 is all good, but I can't see why it adds $1,000 or more to the price of the bike, when everything else is identical to the mechanical version. I can use that money to by some better wheels, etc. I'm just saying.

I agree except I have the rim break version

Hi, I have a guestion.. I have an old Dura Ace 7800 rear derailleur and 7900 cranc set, it's possible to upgrade with Ultegra 8000 rear derailleur and 11 speed cassette? And not changing the Dura Ace 7800 shifters? Thanks..(or there is shifting difference between Dura Ace 7800 and Ultegra 8000 rear derailleur?)

And is there any difference between ultegra and 105, when it comes to shifting, braking and comfort. I know it's lighter but, I don't think spending more money, for such a small difference is worth it.

nice choice, but i think i have to stick with my duraace 9000 .. it served me well all these years ..

David one of my bikes is fitted with 6800 Ultegra and there is imo a marked difference between that and 105. I love it. But that said OZ Cycle on here and other sources have featured Crank Sets that have broken because to achieve lightness they have bonded components rather than machined. I would be interested to learn your thoughts on this.

Planning to buy that exact same bike. But can't test ride it. David what is your height and which size bike do you use? I'm 177cms (5 feet 10 inches) and based on the specs on Giant, both M and M/L seems suitable.

Couldn't agree more. :)

Can you double change gears on an electronic setup? On mechanical I can push the lever across further to go up two gears. Do you have to double tap like going down two on mechanical?

Just wondering how much campy potenza in your country compare to ultrega R8000?

David I love the channel so thanks for the content! I have been on a 2008 Trek Madone for 12 years now and I have decided on an Orbea Orca ORX as my new ride. Although your review of mechanical shifting was quit e convincing I think I am going electronic. Force etap vs Ultegra Di2. Do you have a preference? Is it easier to keep track of the Sram battery life and stuff with their app? What about weight, shifting performance and reliability? Thanks in advance!

Even the new tiagra is better than the ultegra I had in the 90's, and the 7000(105) is way better than the durace I used to see the older riders racing on. So yeah, the 8000 is insanely good for the money.

The R8020 left shifter on my 2021 TCR has my heart broken, inconsistent shifting up to the big ring, had to get off and move it over by hand to finish intervals. Carried it back to Giant and the made it worse and now it doesn't shift. They said its a shimano problem and will take 3-5 months to sort 🤬🤬

ist the R8000 way more noisy than older 10 speed (road or mtb) drivetrains? My 10 speed XT is abolutely silent, my 11 speed Ultegra is noisy as hell. (and the carbon frame increases the noise level) what is your experience?

Have you compared (and can comment on) the shifting performance of the KMC X11 chain shown in your video and the HG701 chain that is designed for use with the R8000 cassette?

I’m currently looking at a 2023 Giant TCR Advanced disc 1. One has Ultegra mechanical and one has electronic 105. There is a £20 difference between the bikes. I’ll be using it this year for an Ironman. Which one would you pick? Thanks 👍🏼