Which Groupset?

Unless you want and excuse to match! Then it won't wonk ;)

No I'd rather save money and use the KCNC ... it's also lighter and better looking.

You know the answer is yes.

If the cable pull is the same, I've only read so, not tried.

That would mean I can able to get the SRAM Rival Disc with a 10 speed drivetrain instead of getting an alu 11 speed freehub (I opt for steel).

I'll be able to tell you properly in a week or so, but I've currently got force22 and cannondale sisl cranks + rings, the front shifting is pretty poor, to the point I now have 1x11 with a very expensive chain catcher. I reckon it's because of the cannondale sisl cranks chainline spacing issue but it could be because of the chainrings.

Apparently 11 speed chainrings are spaced very slightly closer together too, and this may impact it, so if you really want to use the kcnc, use it with the rival 22 rings, is what i'd say.

there's no such thing as 10 speed or 11 speed cranksets, only 10 speed or 11 speed chainrings. 10 speed chainrings for the above inward spacing issue may struggle, they may not

Apparently 11 speed chainrings are spaced very slightly closer together too, and this may impact it, so if you really want to use the kcnc, use it with the rival 22 rings, is what i'd say.

Leonard Zinn reckons they're the same spacing.

So with all the excitement of cheap 105 groupsets I've pretty much decided to ignore good sense and try and build a SRAM groupset as I prefer sram over shimano. Although ultimately it comes down to money and function as I'm trying to build up a road bike for ~£500. I've already spent £180 on a frame and I already have shimano R501 wheelset. (10 spd)
So, long story short:
Closest I can get price wise to 105 is SRAM Apex - and I believe it's ~300g lighter that 105 = £299 from merlin.

Also unsure if 5800 105 is compatible with my wheels or how much faff involved in making it work.

Since I'm failing badly at making a decision is there a strong argument to choose 5800 105 over SRAM apex? personal prefs aside.

personal prefs aside.

Ha.

If there was this would be a GA2G list thread, rather than 131 pages of discussion

Would like to see weight data of the 300g difference you are talking about.

http://www.totalcycling.com/en/Component-Weights/cc-8.aspx

Although based on older 5700. and not sure how accurate or which BB they measured for apex.

5800 is 2221g minus BB, chain and cables according to this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13647127@N04/sets/72157645790442968/

DA9000 BB can be had at £20 atm which weighs 67g, another 250g-ish for chain. Still heavier than Apex on paper I'll give you that.

Depends on what you are building. If its a no holds barred weenie build then go sram but for overall dependability, affordability and faster/cheaper replacement parts go shimano. If you stick to 10 speed there are bargains to be had at the moment on ebay, bikeradar etc.

Not weenie at all, function is prime but if all else is equal, then weight.

I have used SRAM Rival on my BMC for multiple thousand kilometres with only one issue, which was the GXP BB and I replaced that quickly and cheaply. Honestly though, it is build quality and reliability I'm worried about with the Apex group as I have no experience with it and wonder if SRAM taken shortcuts and used crap materials to get to a price point.

I'm more confident in Shimano's ability to produce reliable gear having used their mid tier groupsets for MTB's and never having issues.

How many miles have you put on the 105? Does the shifting smooth out after a while? The bike I tried was notchy and the lever action felt quite agricultural. This was an Evans test bike though.

I have put 3k+ miles on 6700 (gearset; FD, RD and shifters with Rotor crankset and Shimano long drop brakes) without ANY issues and its on my daily/commuter bike which is most ignored when it comes to maintenance.

I have used SRAM Rival on my BMC for multiple thousand kilometres with only one issue, which was the GXP BB and I replaced that quickly and cheaply.

This 5* review made me do a lol.

Heavier groupset make you slower, FACT.

Why lol? The bottom bracket? Known weakness. I'm just adding my user experience - not rating it in a star system. I'd pull the components off the BMC today if I could and use those but it's back in Aus..

@amey - maybe you're not getting my tone - I'm not having a go or bragging. I'm just interested in user experience. I don't have enough experience with enough systems. So genuine thanks for your insight.

still smoking and drinking makes me slower. That is a FACT

A few thou' kms for a BB is not good @TRA. Two or three, maybe more each year?

My guess is it wasn't fitting well. Perhaps the frame wasn't faced.

I have a basic GXP bb on my winter bike and it's been ok. The Apex crank threads are cheese but that's another story.

http://www.u.arizona.edu/~sandiway/bike/climb.html

You are exactly right Miro - It was poorly fitted from day one. The replacement has had no issues.
I was worried as I needed to replace the original after 3 months that this would be recurring. Thankfully not.

Amey, I've met you in person. You weren't smug then. Why now?

Because: internet

Soz @TRA that was meant for @edscoble

Ah, all clear now! Internetz is hard.

I've found the NDS Apex crank flexes a bit but I'm not light and I only noticed it riding fixed; similarly the Apex brake arms aren't the stiffest but they modulate well. The shifters and mechs are super reliable and lightweight though, very happy with them on my best bike.

Cool, good to hear it hasn't fallen to bits.
Cheers!