Last August, when Shimano launched the Top Dura-Ace road bike groupset also presented the new Ultegra drivetrain and disc brakes, this was a first. Normally, the component ensemble from the second series appears with some delay, because this promises more attention. During the latest generation change, however, the Shimano Ultegra almost got lost in the hype surrounding the new Dura-Ace. And when it was mentioned, it was usually only because it was nowhere to be found. The coronavirus continues to put a damper on Shimano's business: factory closures, transport problems and the continuing huge demand mean that most prospective customers only know the new Shimano components from pictures at the start of the road bike season. Because the expensive Dura-Ace took priority, the Ultegra initially remained an announcement. For a long time, bike manufacturers, dealers and online shops could not even predict a delivery date.
The new 12-speed Ultegra R8100 on the first road bike models
Six months after the launch of the Shimano Ultegra R8100, the groupset is now slowly trickling into the shops - initially probably only on complete bikes, some examples are shown in our accompanying bike test in the April issue. TOUR was also able to get hold of a sample from Shimano importer Paul Lange in February. In the first extensive laboratory and practical test, the new Ultegra generation with the abbreviation 8100 immediately prove what it can do: Is the Shimano Ultegra still a road bike groupset that you can't go wrong with? Or does the technical progress and all the electronics in the groupset also harbour risks, for example in terms of durability and reliability? In the TOUR test, we try to get to the bottom of these questions.
As always, the design is adapted to the Top Group and differs mainly in the appearance of the surfaces. Front derailleur and Rear derailleur have been significantly slimmed down and the crank picks up on the new design of the Dura-Ace. However, while the Dura-Ace has a piano lacquer-like sheen on most parts, the matt black Ultegra parts more restrained and less elegant. The difference is most noticeable on the crank, which is also somewhat simpler in shape. However, its surface is less susceptible to scuff marks than the High-gloss coating of the Dura-Ace.
Shimano continues to rely on the proven Hollowtech II constructionThe hollow crank arms each consist of two bonded aluminium shells. The Ultegra crankset has become 35 grams heavier, a similar increase in weight was already noticeable on the Dura-Ace. This is possibly a reaction to a number of failing Dura-Ace and Ultegra cranks of the previous generation, in which the bonding of the crank arms came loose after prolonged use. You can also see and feel a difference in the brake levers - they are once again made of aluminium instead of carbon, which makes them slightly heavier and gives them a cold, metallic feel. Slight savings were made on other parts, and overall the Twelve-fold Ultegra almost to the gram as much as its predecessor.
Fast signals
The first impression on the bike is positiveShimano remains true to its line and transfers the technical progress of the top groupset to the number two without restriction. You can feel this when shifting and braking, even if the improvements seem rather subtle on the first few kilometres. The shift knobs are slightly larger and easier to distinguish, their "Click" is more defined than before. Switching operations The brakes are powerful and can be controlled noticeably better, especially at high braking power. With the twelfth sprocket On the rear wheel, the Ultegra catches up with the current state of the art. From now on, there are only two sprocket sets, which makes configuration much easier. Riders of the 11-30 cassette can look forward to a narrow one-tooth gradation up to the 17th sprocket, which the 11-34 with a real uphill gear without major losses in the gradation. There are also only two variants of the crank: compact with 50/34 teeth and a more sporty 52/36 gradation - designed for professionals 53/39 variant is only offered by the Dura-Ace.
Switch in the blink of an eye
The most important innovation apart from the twelfth sprocket is the wireless signal transmission from the grips to the rear derailleur. The Ultegra shifting components themselves are still wired and are controlled by a Central battery supplied with energy. The rear derailleur acts as a command centre, processes the commands and also directs the front derailleur. The fact that the shifting processes should still be faster than before sounds surprising at first. Our Measurements show that the derailleur hardly loses any time on the radio link: Not even four hundredths of a second pass between pressing the shift button and the derailleur twitching. With the familiar cables, however, the reaction time is reduced by half again. This is probably due to faster Servomotors and optimised chain changes, although this is difficult to measure and, in our opinion, is certainly not decisive for the race. In practice, however, you hear the difference more than you feel it: the motor noise of the derailleur is significantly shorter than before.
How much juice does the radio need?
Despite the battery capacity remaining the same (500 milliampere hours), the rear derailleur packs a punch with a Battery charge 32,000 gear changes and thus reaches a similar distance as the previous wired system. Even more impressive is the new Front derailleur. Shimano has been able to radically reduce its consumption, although it is no less powerful: with up to Eleven kilos of strength the cage presses against the chain when shifting gears, and with more speed. With 25,200 gear changes, it is more durable than its predecessor (17,200 changes). Even more range can be achieved with the continued possibility of cabling (see below)see below). There's little need to worry about the button cells in the grips: during our endurance test, which completely drained the main battery four times, we didn't have to change them. The service life of up to two years stated by Shimano seems plausible. But it's worth taking precautions: R1632 button cells are not available on every corner. They are relatively easy to change.
Exemplary resistance
With the Mechanics the Japanese do not show any weakness. Despite the additional sprocket and narrower chain, the Ultegra exemplary resistance to wear. The chain, borrowed from the XT MTB groupset, is extremely wear-resistant - similar to the very durable triple chains. The sprockets are also as hard as their predecessors. We only measured a slightly softer alloy on the chainrings - but the difference is small; moreover, Shimano chainrings have lasted an extremely long time in the past.
Shimano sets standards with the Disc brakes. The Servo-Wave technologyso far only from Mountain and gravel bike brakes As is well known, the braking force is no longer transmitted linearly from the lever. Instead, the brake becomes stronger and stronger as the lever travel increases. This is particularly noticeable when things get dicey, for example when Emergency braking on steep descents: The new Shimano brakes are the perfect solution here. most powerful road bike brake and can be optimally controlled with little effort. Pleasant side effectBecause the pads initially cover more distance, they leave more space between them and the disc when "at rest". This is only a tenth of a millimetre per side, but we could no longer detect the ubiquitous grinding after heavy braking. The stiffer MTB discs (XTR on the Dura-Ace, XT on the Ultegra) may also contribute to this. The heat-sensitive sandwich construction with aluminium core remains a weak point: Heavy riders can still cause the brakes to fail in extreme situations and should rather use solid steel rotors in the mountains.
Weights of the Shimano Ultegra R8100 compared to the Dura-Ace
The curse of progress
Despite innovations and borrowings from the top Dura-Ace groupset (>> to the Practical test of the Shimano Dura-Ace 9200), Shimano is probably nervously awaiting feedback from the market on the new 12-speed Ultegra wait. Because it is by no means certain that it will be as popular with the public as previous Ultegra generations. The decisive change - the new Ultegra is coming exclusively as electronic slides2 and with disc brakes - doesn't appeal to everyone, also because of the price: Anyone who bought a mechanical Ultegra drivetrain with rim brakes for €800 "street price" a few years ago will have to swallow the €2,300 for the new Di2 version. Although disc brakes and electronic shifting were already more expensive before, the days of cheap online prices are over. The List price of the new Ultegra R8100 is even slightly below that of the predecessor group and would remain comparatively favourable compared to the Dura-Ace, which costs almost 4,000 euros. Nevertheless, the new components also make the complete road bikes for 2022 more expensive, as our test of six marathon road bikes with the new Ultegra in TOUR 4/2022 shows. The fact that the mechanical Ultegra with "old" eleven-speed technology may be a consolation - but it can also be seen as a siding for mechanical road bike components.
Enormous range
The range of the battery in the lab test: A self-built robot operates the shift buttons, a counter documents the movements of the rear derailleur and front derailleur. Despite wireless operation, the rear derailleur lasts as long as its predecessor Di2 (32,000 shifting operations). The front derailleur now manages almost 50 per cent more changes with one battery charge (25,200 instead of the previous 17,200). Wiring the grips increases the range, then the front derailleur can manage almost 30,000 shifts, i.e. around 17 per cent more.
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Jens Klötzer
Editor
