Willier build

[Cotterpein]

I have a light carbon Willier frame I plan to build up utilising parts I already have where possible . The objective is to build a light bike for long, steep climbs such as Mont Ventoux. I have a set of through bolt carbon disc wheels with tubeless tyres and carbon mechanical disc calipers and Ultegra 8000 chainset with sub compact Absolute Black oval chain rings, this will allow a smaller cassette and rear mech while still achieving a low gear . On most of my road bikes I stick to 2x10 and already have a 10s cassette on the carbon wheel set, so I am thinking of fitting Ultegra 6700 front and rear mech and shifters and route cables to the mechanical disc brakes. I don't want the faff of bleeding hydraulic brakes or the complexity of electronic shifting.
Are there enough advantages to the Ultegra 8000 groupset to make it worth going to 11s?

 

[2manyoranges]

I have a light carbon Willier frame I plan to build up utilising parts I already have where possible . The objective is to build a light bike for long, steep climbs such as Mont Ventoux. I have a set of through bolt carbon disc wheels with tubeless tyres and carbon mechanical disc calipers and Ultegra 8000 chainset with sub compact Absolute Black oval chain rings, this will allow a smaller cassette and rear mech while still achieving a low gear . On most of my road bikes I stick to 2x10 and already have a 10s cassette on the carbon wheel set, so I am thinking of fitting Ultegra 6700 front and rear mech and shifters and route cables to the mechanical disc brakes. I don't want the faff of bleeding hydraulic brakes or the complexity of electronic shifting.
Are there enough advantages to the Ultegra 8000 groupset to make it worth going to 11s?

If you are going really light then it is, in my view, well worth also going hydraulic. Cable discs are very heavy things. The lightest I know of are TLRP Spire and BB7 SuperlIghts. But I recently changed some Hylex hydraulic to replace some Spires and I was surprised at the significant weight difference between them. It’s 154grms for the caliper, compared to around 90grams for the Hylex.

 

[Cotterpein]

Thanks 2manyoranges. I have the TRP Spire carbon brakes. I have had Ultegra hydraulic brakes which were really good, but wanted to keep it easy to assemble and maintain and the cost of shifters for rim brakes is significantly less. I have used Juin Tech hydraulic calipers with success. I have the standard dilemma of weight, cost, performance. I will review my choice based on your information.

 

[2manyoranges]

Ah I didn’t know they did lightweight versions. Indeed much cheaper to go with cable re shifter-levers.
Sounds good.
With really lubed cables and lightweight but sintered pads the braking can be good.

 

[Fatal Swan]

On the question of whether to go 11-speed or 10-speed based on function... If you're buying all the parts from scratch and can choose which then I'd choose 11-speed, because going forward the compatiblity is easier. But if you've already got all the 10-speed kit personally I don't think there's enough in it to warrrant replacing an existing groupset. With 10-speed Shimano road STIs I like the fact that you can put a really big cassette on for the mountains (like a 11-36t SLX or XT) and use an 9-speed Shimano MTB rear mech. The cost of doing the same with 11-speed is a lot more and you can't use MTB rear mechs.

+1 for the Juin tech cable actuated hydraulic brakes, too

 

[synchronicity]

What gearing are you going to use?
I don't think 11 speed is worth it if you are climbing. Because you'll mostly be either climbing or descending. There's not much need for closely-spaced gears in the middle of the cassette. 11s is also fiddlier to set up.

 

[synchronicity]

Also, 11 speed shimano freehub bodies are slightly longer. Although if it's a carbon thrubolt wheels it sounds modern and therefore 11 speed compatible?

 

[2manyoranges]

Also, 11 speed shimano freehub bodies are slightly longer. Although if it's a carbon thrubolt wheels it sounds modern and therefore 11 speed compatible?

Yes that issue of freehub length is important - I do NOT want anyone to lapse into the compatability spiral vortex. Freehub not right, hub not right, wheel not right, mech not right etc etc.
I have 10 speed on a number of bikes and it‘s possible to use SRAM shimano compatible cassettes and SUNRACE as well as Shimano with various add on range extenders for off road - and you can mess around for road use too, as OP is focussing on that.

 

[Cotterpein]

The wheel already has 10s SRAM cassette. I think from memory it is an 11-30 cassette

 

[2manyoranges]

10 speed Shimano tends to have some horrible range jumps on some 10 speed cassettes.....