First image of the new Ultegra R8000

[hamishm]

It's almost as if they've deliberately hit it with the ugly stick to try and make people want Dura Ace instead. The slanted logo looks... tacky, in a way.

I think the Dura Ace looks just as ugly. That thick crank arm is just yuck.

[Blakeylonger]

I don't know why Shimano didn't think of super low compacts when they redesigned their cranks?

Wait for the 105 5950 / RS690 non series gravel group to be released in 2018. Road 11sp shifters, clutched rear mech, subcompact cranks.

If you look at Metrea FC-U5000 cranks you can see a precursor to a road subcompact crankset, just needs hollow arms and slightly lower Q.



You could also refit the Metrea inner ring and drop the chainguard right now (46/32 4 bolt 96BCD so use an MTB eg 30T Y1RL98110.) if you can't find a set of OX601s/FSA Adventure cranks

[Velt]

Spec sheet for the new BMC Teammachine outs an 11-30T casette coming just like Dura Ace

[CycloTron]

Very Dura-Ace-esq which was to be expected I guess ...

Personally, I find that design (as well as the similar Dura-Ace R9100) very unattractive... a few have already mentioned yuck, and I agree with that sentiment completely.

[Jawa]

Spec sheet for the new BMC Teammachine outs an 11-30T casette coming just like Dura Ace

Yeah, the new 2018 (assuming) Teammachines are up on BMC's website now ... seems they spared no expense in hiding the new ultegra groupsets /sarcasm

[Velt]

Good to see the Di2 hydro levers aren't so vertical

[Jawa]

All the deets here;
https://cyclingtips.com/news/shimano-ul ... ght-price/

[Duck!]

I'll get to see it in the flesh at the official launch in a couple of weeks & get all the goss & have a proper squizz then, although most of the details are in the media releases doing the rounds.

[2wheels_mond]

One sneaky bit was they also released a 105 FD-5801, which is the 105 front derailleur updated to the new short arm design of R9100 and R8000. Not bad at all.

[A_P]

and i was so close to buying a 6870 di2 groupset...will have to wait a bit longer now

[rodneycc]

Yeah they can keep the chunky cranks thank you very much. Lucky all my bikes are all 11 speed 6800 and up so if I'm going to upgrade them to di2 I'd just buy the gearset.

[Duck!]

One sneaky bit was they also released a 105 FD-5801, which is the 105 front derailleur updated to the new short arm design of R9100 and R8000. Not bad at all.

That's one I didn't know was coming! Then when the rest of the next-gen 105 comes out this time next year, the FD will get new cosmetics & renumbering to align it with the new set, but will otherwise be the same unit. Wouldn't be the first time they've done that...

[Duck!]

Good to see the Di2 hydro levers aren't so vertical

And even better that they don't share the looks of the RS505/405 abominations!

Like R9100 Dura-Ace, the full mechanical and both Di2 (mech & hydro brake) shifters are virtually identical in size. The mechanical shift/hydro brake levers are a tad bigger, stylistically similar but slightly slimmed down from the RS685 levers of the last couple of years.

[baabaa]

Shimano could have saved a bucket load of money and just come out and said; we don’t want people buying metal bikes anymore.
(with the wobbles in the GBP, just bought a set of silver CX50 and 5750 cranks before they vanish…)

[biker jk]

[hamishm]

Shimano could have saved a bucket load of money and just come out and said; we don’t want people buying metal bikes anymore.

please explain?

[Velt]

Shimano could have saved a bucket load of money and just come out and said; we don’t want people buying metal bikes anymore.

please explain?

Based on the rest of his comment I'd say it was about not having a polished silver aesthetic. That is, the new groupsets only look good on carbon bikes.

[baabaa]

Yes, mainly the lack of the silver options but also that chunky crank arms on thin metal down and seat tubes just look wrong. Seems to me these are built to not get visually lost in-and-around bikes with the boxy bottom brackets of the current breed of carbon frames.
Do we as bike riders need to be reminded / conned that this type of part or that sort of frame design with new extra solid bottom brackets really avoids the 0.00075% of flex of last years model? Anyone less than 80 kgs will never know the difference.

[Duck!]

1) Frame material doesn't dictate the colours it can be painted, and 2) aluminium frames over the last 25+ years haven't exactly been spindly tube sections either....

[hamishm]

They haven't had silver in years have they?! The dark grey 6700 looks fine on my brushed Ti frame, and the 6800 looks fine on my yellow steel frame.

Would you prefer Campag's visible carbon weave? I think that looks the worst.

[Duck!]

6700 was the last generation of Ultegra to be offered in silver (with an almost greenish tinge). I don't know which colour was more widely fitted to bikes.

[baabaa]

I was thinking more of the 6600 silver/ grey but I don't mind the ice grey of the 6700.
I spose what gets my goat with post 6700 stuff is the move away from 110 and 130 BCD chainrings so that you really need to buy new shimano branded stuff when it wears out. I know other companies do make rings to fit and sometime they even suit the look of the crank arms but these are more focused on one ring up front.
How long does it take to change a chainring or even a swap over a set of 110 to 130? I guess I have a shed stock of most rings in less than 35 tooth (whoops and EDIT 53 tooths !) so will just stay around the old style. I also find 180 mm arms best for my style of off road so I cant see why I need to change from 104 bcd when I use 175 on my cx road and touring frames.
BUT if I had the big $$ to go a new high level set of cranks I doubt I would do campy but go for Rotor (even with the beefy arms) or just sleep happily at night with the OX type Suginos on my road and off tar bikes or even better a set of White Industries MR30 Cranks for all my bikes...
Oh, and Duck have you seen this....
http://www.celebrazio.net/bicycling/shi ... tml#charts
The click on box works for me in the weird world of shimano nomenclature and combos.

[Tim]

...sleep happily at night with the OX type Suginos...

Beautiful cranks to my eye.
Is shiny, is good.
Old school here, I love the look of slender polished cranksets.

But, I'm sure I could very quickly grow to liking a new Ultegra or Dura Ace groupset if one were mine.
I originally disliked boxy carbon, sloping top tube frames, now I own two.
My impressions change with time and possession.

[Duck!]

One of my jobs at work today was to reassemble an old (c. 2001) bright yellow Giant TCR. A shiny black groupset would contrast with the frame and match the black graphics much better than the silver that's on it.

[foo on patrol]

I'm more into the stealth mode colour on my bikes now. Black is the new shiny. Both my Road and Track bikes are black, with my Scott Foil being flat black and my Azzurri Track, gloss black.

Foo