Ultegra Di2 would be my choice. With DA, mechanical or Di2, I don’t think you can exceed a 30t cassette. Perhaps not a concern for you but I need at least a 32t cassette where I live for power targets.
For years Ultegra mechanical was the sweet spot for quality vs. cost on the Shimano price curve - 95% of the functionality of Dura Ace for like 60% of the cost - better for nearly everyone
I’d propose that your real decision should be between Ultegra mechanical and Ultegra Di2. Look at the cost difference between those two groups and decide what you would want to purchase with that money and how that compares to the difference between mechanical and Di2
Given your two choices Ultegra Di2 is a no-brainer.
Given a limited budget and a potential list of other upgrades (higher quality frame, better wheels, power meter for the bike, etc.) I might recommend Ultegra mechanical so you can get something else nice on the bike
If that was the reason, they talked themselves out of a lot of money. I know the shop well, and they know me. They know that they aren’t going to make any money servicing my bikes!!!
Hey. I was faced with the same decision last year and opted for DA mechanical. The comment I’d make is that DA is a noisy groupset. I was told by my bike shop that ultegra is quieter. Maybe others can opine on that but this is my observation.
I have DA mechanical (Trek Madone). It’s very quiet. My wife’s bike Ultegra DI2 (Canyon). If I have to chose today I will go Ultegra DI2 because DA is very expensive to buy and too expensive for maintenance.
Thanks for the recommendations. Went for Ultegra Di2 in the end.
I did almost push the button on Dura Ace Di2 at one point, but I honestly couldn’t justify the expense… 300g lighter and looks very slightly nicer.
Not sure of the marketing rationale there. Coming over from Campagnolo at least you got a few splashes of red to differentiate between Chorus and Record gruppos
I went with Ultegra Di2 on the bike I built up this spring, too, and have put just shy of 5k km on it since. I’ve only had to charge it twice so far, and it’s been flawless in that entire time, just one snappy shift after another. One thing I really like is that the brake levers are more stable, at least to me. I have an easier time braking on a downhill and shifting at the same time, since I don’t have to try to pull the lever and push it to the side simultaneously. Worth every additional cent over mechanical, at least to me so far.
But more seriously, Ultegra di2 is excellent, there is essentially no difference between Ultegra Di2 or Duraace di2 in shifting performance, just some reduced weight (and the hidden top buttons on the di2 shifters)
I think the most recent ultegra di2 (R8050) has the buttons on top of the shifters. So I don’t know if dura ace has any extra functionality things like that anymore over ultegra other than the weight
It does have the buttons, and they’re brilliant. I have mine set to the left/right Wahoo buttons, so I can scroll through pages and start/stop laps with my hands on the hoods. I use them way more than I thought I would. You do need the wireless unit though if you want to control your head unit, and that’s £50ish on top of the groupset. Totally worth it.
DI2 all day every day. I was sold when I had to shift from little to big ring 3.5 hours into a difficult 4 hour ride. Just tapping that button instead of cranking over the shifter was huge when I was feeling tired and beat. And basically not having to adjust the rear derailleur alignment due to cable stretch is really nice.
Early on I was caught out a couple of times with the dreaded low battery. I set up a recurring reminder in my Google Calendar to remind me to charge batteries on the first of every month. Problem solved.