I love the look of current Dura Ace so much that I almost think it's worth the extra money over dull grey ultegra. The mix of polished aluminium and black gives it a purposeful, minimal and a machined quality that I think looks just right for the groupset that is probably going to be one of the last high performance mechanical setups. I used to love the old XTR for the same reason but can't get my head around the design of the new chainset though.
Of course function must play a part but it usually goes hand in hand with good design so which is the best looking groupset ever? Does it depend on which material the bike is made from ie. carbon/titanium/steel/retro?
(Please convince me not to blow money on Dura-Ace) 😀
I think the best looking groupset ever was Campagnolo Record from the late 80's early 90's. Beautifully made as well.
What he said
XT M737
I agree with you on the looks of Dura-Ace but I'd never consider it worthy of purchase on looks alone.
Personally, I like the look of Ultegra and that is about as high up the spec. rankings as I practically need to go (and ever will, unless I win the lottery), but who said this was all about practicality? 
XTR M900, jewellery
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I would love a current Dura Ace chainset based on looks alone. The rest of it makes no odds to me.
XTR 970.
Colour, light and solid. Still have it on a old Zaskar.
Although those old XT twin pots looked great.
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Yeah it's the Dura-Ace chainset that does it for me. The brake calipers are rather lovely too.
The new DA cranks are better looking than the Ultegra ones, but that's like saying Hitler was more of a pacifist than Genghis Khan.
Off road: M900, middleburn cranks & Hope M4 brakes (the old silver ones, not the newer one piece calipers)
On Road: Suntour VX
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I'm recently starting to have impure thoughts of the 7800 Dura Ace - it's simple & shiny enough to be vaguely retro but still modern enough to be usable without any compatibility issues (unless you're totally set on 11spd...)
But yeah, 10 speed Record Titanium.
XTR M960 for MTB
Dura Ace 7900 for road
Best would be Cmapag Record on the road or Suntour XCPro MicroDrive offroad.
Nothing by Shimano ever, they are all about function not form.
M900.
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When mass market looked better than boutique bling.
Downtube shifters look elegant to me, especially the Dura Ace 9 speed one. Function is form in this case.
For me it's the blend of form and function coming together that makes all of this generation's shimano road groups look good. Knowing that it performs flawlessly just adds to the appreciation. I think I always preferred the look of campagnolo until this round of shimano but my bias may have been swayed by having swapped from campag to shimano and sworn never to go back.
SUrely it can only ever be Campag Record with the beautiful but useless Delta brakes?
Off road - well, Campag Record O.R. - I still remember the deep shine of a crankset I handled once, and the hubs, man, the hubs - sheer work of art.
Ugliest? Mektronic
Got to be Campag Nuovo Record, very pretty and beautifully made. Shimano 600 'Arabesque' is quite pretty too, especially the shifters:
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M960 chainset was nice..
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PITA to get rings for though. Was that the start of silly BCD? The v-brakes were lovely too...
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Rest of the groupset wasn't quite as nice.
SLX M675
The cranks and rear mech look really good to me, but I am a simpleton.
Whilst I love old Campag there are certain items that I've always had a thing about.
Old 9-speed SRAM X.O best groupset SRAM ever made IMHO.
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And The XTR 985 chainset, lovely lovely thing.
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Old 9-speed SRAM X.O best groupset SRAM ever made IMHO.
I've a box in the shed with about three shattered carbon cages from those old X.0 mechs 🙁
M900 - thread over IMHO.
Yep that xtr 985 chainset is the version I like. Can't see how you could improve on that.
For some reason I can appreciate some of the older road stuff but not the mountain bike equivalent.
I've a box in the shed with about three shattered carbon cages from those old X.0 mechs
Yeah, the original alloy versions were tougher, but we're talking pretty here.
Especially sram x.o in green mmmmmmmm!
Early 90's Campag Record.
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Ever since Shimano decided to take a more European slant with their road groupset design in the 90s they've churned out some gorgeous DA. Not so keen on the four-arm chainsets, but there's otherwise very little to dislike (visually. Not in including the price, obviously)
Second FunkyDunc's 90's Campag Record. The calipers and rear mech are exquisite.
The current Campag Chorus, Record and Super Record look pretty tasty!
Cheers, Steve
In concert with Skankin_giant, this rear mech looks pretty darn nice:
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I'm not sure about that carbon. I personally don't like the look of it but can see its appeal as it does scream lightweight and rigid. There's something nice about things that look like they're just built to perform but I think that campag mech looks a bit like it's been made like papier mache.
Currently produced? Campagnolo Athena in silver. Especially on anything made of steel.
Currently produced? Campagnolo Athena in silver. Especially on anything made of steel.
If you just look at it and never have to change the b/b bearings, then yes.
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's pretty
Shimano 600 Arabesque.
[no I didn't have time to fix the cable before I used it]
mtb? - M900, as above.
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Road? Not sure...
bmx?
This melted my 14-year old brain...
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I think I'm the only cyclist I know that doesn't like Campag kit Just doesn't do it for me.
Heresy according to some... 😆
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That BMX looks awesome but a being able to see my face in the reflection of components does nothing to help their aesthetics 😀
Just looked at the home page of another popular cycling website and saw Chris Froome's lovely Dura-Ace group ruined by a horrible 54 tooth oval ring. Now there is a definite case of form following function. Obviously it must work well but it looks awful (not that he should care.)
One of these Dura-Ace cranks on a classic singlespeed frame with a White Industries freewheel.
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New DA...?
http://road.cc/content/tech-news/193724-video-shimano-dura-ace-9100-groupset-mechanical
Doesn't look to be in the running for best looking!
25th Anniversary Dura Ace is pretty damn nice.
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I think really, that the thread was over with the first post! Nothing as beautiful in the MTB world, before or since.
Campanolo had a good go at it though:
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"25th Anniversary Dura Ace is pretty damn nice."
I almost bought that whole groupset from a shop in London many years ago. I didn't, because I'm not into road bikes much, and it really wouldn't have ever been used. Which perhaps is better in order to preserve it's value, but would just have sat in it's box somewhere gathering dust. I think they ended up breaking it up and selling individual bits, which was pretty stupid in my opinion.
