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Merida Reacto Evo CF Team Complete Bike A lot of people are saying the paint job hurts their eyes. I quite like it. The frame is comparatively heavy, at 1480g for frame and forks. Truth is, you wouldn't notice a few hundred grams of frame weight when riding. Aerodynamically, the frame is excellent, performing almost as well as the Cervelo S5. Over a 4 hour mountain ride, it would theoretically be 20 seconds slower. This bike would serve you well for racing. Weight: 7400g RRP in USD: $9000 with clinchers and mech Dura-Ace | |
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Campagnolo Fulcrum Racing Speed XLR Wheels These wheels look great and are fairly reasonably priced. The XLR 35 (35mm rim depth) isn't particularly light at 1230g, although you'd find it difficult to notice a few grams of extra weight. Braking performance is reasonable, as the rim material has been well engineered and manufactured. At 118g the supplied skewers are heavy so you may wish to replace them. Weight: 1324g RRP in USD: $2399 The XLRs are selling for $2200 here or $2185 here 
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Rotor Power Crank Power meter This power meter is only 30g heavier than the standard 3D+ Rotor cranks, however the measurement is taken without chainrings which should make it heavier than the competitors (notably SRM, Power2Max). Light weight doesn't seem to be an advantage. It does measure left and right leg power, which is something that only the Pioneer, Garmin and Look power meters offer. This product was only launched a year ago in 2012, and there have been a few technical glitches to resolve (in 2013). Rotor specialize in oval chain rings, and oval chain rings result in a non-uniform cadence, so the power readings may be inaccurate. It is unknown if this is accounted for by the Rotor. Weight: 556g for 175mm w/out chainrings RRP in USD: GBP1450 | |
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Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 ST-9070 - 11 Speed Levers I'm glad to report that the Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 levers are interchangable. The Ultegra levers look just as good, and are 76g heavier for the pair, but you will save about $350 (half price). Both levers use the E-tube wiring system. You need to ensure that all firmware is up-to-date to get everything to work together properly. To do this you will either need to: 1) Take it to your local bike shop to upgrade. 2) Buy an internal BCR2 seatpost Di2 battery. The charger doubles as a PC connector so you can use e-Tube software at home. The charger and battery costs about $250. 3) Buy a PCE1 PC Interface Device for about $250. This plugs into a laptop USB port and a lever port. You then update using e-Tube software. Shimano did think one thing to push you to upgrade. Part SW-7972 are little buttons that are mounted on the inside of your bars under the hoods, and allow you to bang it into the 11 sprocket without coming off the drops. You can't fit these to the Ultegra levers. Overall, Dura-Ace or Ultegra, these are beautiful shifters which feel superb in your hands and of course brake and shift perfectly. Weight: 237g pair RRP in USD: $861 pair The Shifter set (left and right shifters) sells for $699  . The Ultegra ST-6870 Di2 STI Lever Set is $349
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Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 RD-9070 - 11 Speed Rear Derailleur Like the front derailleur, this is a slick bit of kit. Faultless shifting yet again. If you go with the Ultegra version, you'll have an extra 43g of bulbous motor popping out at you. Ugly. I recommend the Dura-Ace version, although preferably as part of an entire bike as buying individual parts is expensive. Weight: 217g RRP in USD: $830 The Dura-Ace Di2 RD-9070 sells for $534  .The Di2 Ultegra RD-6870-GS Rear Derailleur at $280  is cheaper, but bulkier.
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Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 FD-9070 - 11 Speed Front Derailleur Well it has to be said, this is a pretty sexy derailleur. Shifting with Di2 is faultless. I sometimes find myself shifting up and down gears just for the fun of it. I like the little electric motor sound. I feel like a cyborg. The Ultegra version is 162g, so 48g heavier, and has added bulk. But it is about half the price. Let's face it, the Ultegra version shifts perfectly, and makes total sense. But the Dura-Ace version is the one you should get. Weight: 114g RRP in USD: $559 You can buy a Dura-Ace Di2 front derailleur for $350 here  . You will certainly get the best deal by buying a whole bike with Di2 fitted, or getting a groupset.Consider the Ultegra Di2 option for $211  .
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Rotor 3D Standard 130 Cranks In use on various pro bikes in 2014. Some use the Rotor power meter, some use the Rotor Flow cranks. The weight is reasonable, but nothing exceptional. Supposedly stiff, but aren't they all? Q factor: 148mm. Weight: 532g for 170mm cranks RRP in USD: $400 | |
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Shimano Dura-Ace CS-9000 Cassette Available in 11-23, 11-28, 12-28, 11-25 and 12-25t The largest 4 sprockets are made from titanium to reduce weight. These sprockets are mounted on a carbon spider. There have been reports of these spiders collapsing due to rider power. This may well have been resolved by Mar 2014. The CS-9000 11-23 version is 1g heavier than the CS-7900 version but you get the bonus 11th sprocket. Apparently an additional sprocket makes your ride that little bit smoother. I don't notice anything. I've not noticed if wear is any better between Dura-Ace and Ultegra. I tend to keep my chains clean and change them 3-4 time per year, so I get good sprocket wear on both types. Weight: 163g 11-23 RRP in USD: $360 You'll need a new one of these at least every year, even if you keep your chain clean. The price of cassettes has really rocketed over the last 10 years. The CS-9000 sells for $208 (12-25T)  or
$201.23 here,
which is a decent saving over retail price.Look to the 6800 Ultegra 11-Speed Cassette, 11-28T at $80  for your training wheels. I've found that the Ultegra wears just as well and shifts just as well but is a few grams heavier. | |
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Shimano Dura-Ace PD-9000 Pedals An optional 4mm longer axle is available for the bow-legged among us. Jens Voight and Mark Cavendish both use wider axles. The pedal body is almost identical to the Ultegra version, but the bearings are superior. The Ultegra version retails at about half the price and only 6g per pedal heavier. Since pedals end up getting scraped on kerbs and corners, it is difficult to justify the Dura-Ace over Ultegra. The bearings probably last a bit longer, although I've not had trouble with either. Weight: 248g pair RRP in USD: $348 The Shimano Dura-Ace PD-9000 Carbon Road Pedal sells for $210  or for
$219 at JensonUSA
or
$201.23 at Wiggle.
The Ultegra pedals sell for $143 or $121 at Wiggle
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Garmin Edge 510 GPS The 510 is 'great' as it has a touch screen and that feature that allows your wife/partner to track exactly where you are. I'm struggling to find the advantage of that, but perhaps if you go missing you can be tracked. What are the chances of that on a road ride? Whilst skiing, hiking, MTBing it may be more useful. You need to link the device to your phone, so battery life was an issue I was concerned about, but I managed a 5 hour ride on 30% iPhone charge, so no problem. The unit gives 15 hours of battery life and will record 180 hours of activity. Memory space has been downgraded from 50MB (Edge 500) to 22MB (Edge 510). This means you have less storage space for your rides, but crucially, updates can get jammed if 9MB isn't available. As long as you download regularly, it shouldn't be a problem. There seem to be a lot of complaints about the new color screen. It is difficult to see in bright sunlight. You will probably need the heart rate strap, so get the bundle. Don't bother with the cadence thingy if you can find a deal without it. Those things are an ugly and unnecessary addition to your bike. Question: why did Garmin take a brilliant unit (the 500), add a touch screen thus making it massive and more expensive in the process? Weight: 200g RRP in USD: $330 The Garmin 510 sells for $330 - base model  . For that you get the computer and charger. The
$399 - performance bundle comes with heart rate strap, cadence sensor, out-front mount and standard stem mount.You can buy the trusty Garmin 500 for $159 (computer only).  which is perfect for Strava and recording your rides.
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Shimano Dura-Ace BR-9010 Direct Mount Brakes Shimano make a direct mount version of their brakes which requires special pegs on the frame and forks. (ie. two pegs on the forks and two pegs on the stays behind the bottom bracket. If your frame just has holes for the brakes in the normal places, then these brakes won't be compatible.) The benefit is that the rear brake can be mounted behind the bottom bracket, which makes the bike more aerodynamic. The benefits are marginal, however, so you may wish to buy a frame with standard brakes for ease of maintenance. Remember - if you are swapping carbon and Aluminium wheels then you'll need to swap brake pads, and fiddling behind oily chain rings isn't much fun the night before your big race. Weight: 150g rear 157g front RRP in USD: $300 both There's a front brake for $224 here 
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Prologo Scratch Pro NK Saddle
A popular saddle in the peloton due to its comfort level. It was designed for male and female road and MTB riders, so there's a decent amount of padding in there, but the weight is still excellent. Weight: 165g with carbon rails RRP in USD: $275 The Scratch Pro CPC Nack sells for $216.36  .
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Continental Competition 22 Tubular Tires I've used these for many years and can happily report that they are great tires. I've rarely suffered from punctures - twice with pieces of flint and once when I left the wheels fully pumped in a hot car. Expensive mistake. Did they 'sing' as tubular tires are supposed to? No, not really. I actually felt that my GP4000S clinchers rolled better. I tried putting 140psi (10bar) but it was quite jarring. I tried 120psi, but that felt a bit sluggish. Eventually, I decided to stop the hassle of fitting tubulars and have gone with deep section ENVE clinchers. A better solution for anyone who doesn't want to spend hours, effort and money on tire maintenance when they could be lying in bed watching TV (resting). I'm still running Conti Competitions on my disk wheel. The pro riders are using a different version of this tire called the Pro Ltd, in 25mm size (standard is 22mm). 
It has a latex inner tube rather than the standard butyl. The ride feels more supple as a result, but like all latex tubes, they do lose air overnight. I can't find anywhere to buy the Pro Ltd versions as they can only usually be sourced on eBay from pro team mechanics.Veloflex do a similar quality tire with latex inner tube which is available to the public, and FMB are now working with Specialized, so expect their tubulars to be available too. Weight: 230g RRP in USD: $105 The Continental Competition tubular sells for $81  or $68 here. It is very difficult to find the Pro Ltd version.
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Merida S-Flex Seat Post
This seat post comes with the Merida Reacto frame. The design is supposed to absorb road vibration. Otherwise difficult to find out details as it isn't an item that's sold separately. Weight: Not sure RRP in USD: $ you need to buy the Reacto frame | |
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Shimano Dura-Ace CN-9000 Chain This is an 11 speed chain. The old Shimano chains were the best wearing in tests. This 11 speed chain shouldn't wear any faster than the excellent 10 speed versions as the rivets are similar. I get about 5000 dry km per chain. Make sure you follow good chain maintenance procedures to maximize wear. DA chains used to require being mounted in one direction, but this has now changed - they can be mounted any way. I imagine this is because so many muppets were not reading the very CLEAR instructions supplied by Shimano, then complaining about a noisy drive chain and poor shifting. Shimano has also removed the slots that were drilled into the inner plates, yet the chain, being narrower, is 23g lighter. It isn't much, but it all adds up. Weight: 243g for 114 links RRP in USD: $58 The Dura-Ace 11 speed chain sells for $47 here  or $41 here.
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Elite Ciussi Gel Bottle Cage This is a popular choice when racing on cobbles as the cage is quite robust. However this means it is quite heavy. Compare to the Elite Custom Race (Plastic) which is about 41g. The Ciussi is double the weight. The least stable bottle is a half full 750ml (large) size. I found that the Ciussi did not hold this bottle in place, so lost a few over the bumps. It works fine with the small 500ml sized bottles. You can bend the cage to increase clamping force, but this makes insertion of the bottle more difficult. Finally, the aluminium cage tends to mark bottles very badly. Your bottle will end up with grey marks all over them, which can't be easily washed off. The Elite Custom Race is a lighter and more secure choice. Weight: 84g RRP in USD: $22 The standard Ciussi in aluminium sells at $14.15 here or $11.50 here  .You can get the Inox version $31 here or $24.84 here  which is lighter at 48g. | |