# new bike build - use mixture of parts or fork out for DA7900 build kit?



## StillKeen (Oct 4, 2005)

I've just bought a new frame ... a very nice new frame, and have to decide what to put on the bike. I have the following options:

1) New DA7900 for a little under 1,000 pounds or 6700 for 550 pounds.
2) Strip my winter bike to get a 1,000 mile old pair of Ultegra 6510 shifters, a 7700 rear deraileur, a 6500 12-27 cassette, some 6600 cranks. Add to this I have a 6600 front derailleur and some 7800 brakes.
3) Taking my 7800 brakes, 6600 front deraileur, I could buy another set of 6600 cranks, some shifters (they all seem so expensive), a ten speed cassette and chain ... a rear deraileur etc.

Option two is the cheapest, but I'll have a real mixed bag bike, and I do not think I can find a DA7700 or ultegra 6500 braze on front deraileur, so would have to run a 10speed one on a 9spd setup.

Option 3 will probably add up to quite a bit, maybe 400 - 500 pounds.

Option 1, is a lot of money upfront, but comes with everything and would do the frame justice.

Question 1: Will a 10 spd front deraileur work with my 9 speed setup (on 10 spd cranks, 10spd brakes, everything else 9 spd)?
Question 2: I am right in thinking that a full build kit from someone like Probikekit/Merlin Cycles is significantly better value than buying a 1/2 or 3/4 group as individual parts?
Quesion 3: Is the reach different on 7900/6700 shifters, so much so that I would need a differnt top tube length compared to my 6510 shifters?

A lot of info, help much appreciated though.

-Chris


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

Since it's your money we're spending, Option #1.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

Form and uniformity or function, why are you upgrading? Answer that for yourself and it'll become clear then which option is best.

Q2: No buying a full group only saves about 10-15% the cost of the individual parts of the group IIRC


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## StillKeen (Oct 4, 2005)

I want to be able to keep using my old bike, although I will probably put it back to being a single speed to allow me to move parts to the new frame. That was the main driver for buying more parts. I also would like the clean look of a new complete group ... but ...

I have done a lot of research (all online, no demo's), and have concluded that my best option is to take RD-7700, Cranks 6600, shifters 6510, brakes 7800, cassette 6500, chain 7700 and combine with a new front deraileur and use that for my build. I'll have to get some new cranks for the old bike, but the rest of the parts transfer across.

The main reason is that the research has told me:

DA7900 is more difficult to setup, has higher cable friction and therefore slower shifting, really expensive replacement chainrings and will cost about 1,000 pounds. Also some complaints of noise.
SRAM Red has a crank attachment method I have used in the past and had fail on me, and a noisy cassette/chain (ideally I want a kit from one manufacturer) and weaker brakes and crank to DA.
Campag is expensive to buy, with replacement chains and cassettes costing way more than I can handle.

So I'm about to build up a Look 595 with a mixture of old parts, and probably end up with a bike weighing about one pound to 1 1/4 pounds more than if I spend 1,000 quid on components.

As soon as there is a clear winner (in my eyes anyway) in the groupset battle, then I'll upgrade. Just at the moment I'd be choosing the group with the least bad things, rather than the one with the most good things.

Thanks,

-Chris

PS I think Di2 is what I'd really like, but there is no way I can afford that at all.


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