Purists will always say Campag Nuovo Record. Personally, I think Dura Ace 7400. After this, cycling was never the same again. The 25th anniversary is a reissue of the same.
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I like DA900 because it is nicely designed to be half black and half silver, so one set compliments both (just). Cranks mark by feet rubbing though 🙁
Personal favourite is Shimano 600EX/6200 series stuff, just before the grey of Ultegra took over. There's a beautiful functional simplicity to it.
Plus there's the bonkers headset lock ring pattern too..
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1999 or 2000 XTR for a mtb groupset for me - the matt black 9 speed one [img] 
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Or possibly (if this counts) a Paul's Components setup, I know they did mechs, shifters and brakes - not sure about cranks though.
Going against the grain I know, but I have a bike with a full M900 group and also a full M9000/9020 and I think (after a 10 min gawp at both side by side) that I prefer the look of the newer stuff.
Partial to Ultegra 6500 on the road, love the cranks.
Oh and +1 Euro 😀
PixelNorks are winning for me atm.
Mirror finish XTR M950 off a Cannondale
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Nice XTR that. I quite like a SISL crankset too...
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XX1
-----this is the end of this thread -------
I quite like a SISL crankset too...
had a couple, they always creak, great weight though
need to make a mid-compact spidering too
nice anodized too
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Campagnolo Record 10 speed for me. Here it is in its natural habitat (sorry, I couldn't find a Master Olympic with it on):
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Anything with a gunmetal finish, so XTR M960 and perhaps more recently, the 'Ice Grey' Ultegra groupsets.
More obscure would be the late 80's Shimano Santé groupset, finished in pearlescent white.
Suntour Superb Pro was lovely too, better than Dura-Ace.
Also, I won't say no to the gold plated C-Record groupsets done for various Italian framebuilders, e.g. Colnago's 35th anniversary:
http://zkahlina.ca/eng/2014/08/08/colnago-master/
Dura Ace track has to be up there for sheer simplicity and elegance:
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XTR M950
Road:
Maybe not the overall best looking but my favourite chainset and hubs at least was the 1990 Mavic groupset [img] 
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Well, that's pretty much every top end groupset ever made covered in this thread. Beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder. DA9000 FTW in my opinion, I'd have to say that as I bought one!
Didn't shimano once do a limited edition pearlescent white groupset in the 80s? That was pretty.
Onzadog - Sante
It's maybe not the best aesthetically but this gets me going for being of the golden eta (my first 'proper' groupset except it came with a DX mech)
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Jimmy, I had that Deore LX on a '93 Orange Clockwork. My favourite bike ever. Just sold the XT thumbshifters last year.
Magic. My pal had the same era clockwork, still in his dad's garage with the groupset, Pace Rc36 forks, smoke lite comps etc... Great times.
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+1 for dura ace 7700 and Suntour superbe pro, lovely, light and worked well
I tend to agree with the 90s Record suggestion - though the 2010 version I have on my bike with lots of carbon is also quite nice. As is the 7700 DA I have on another bike - effectively the same bits as that 25th anniversary group.
I'm a dura ace whore 😆
Currently running it across 3 bikes
7400 very very good
7800 excellent
9000 sublime
Ran 7700 lovely stuff
Also 7900 bit woolly
7400
[url= https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7364/16553617705_166ab5df3f_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7364/16553617705_166ab5df3f_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/rdMBPP ]image[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/54931015@N07/ ]Plus one2010[/url], on Flickr
7800
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9000
[url= https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5772/22079822341_c16322235f_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5772/22079822341_c16322235f_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/zD7RW6 ]Vitus Zenium Pro SL[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/54931015@N07/ ]Plus one2010[/url], on Flickr
Love those, especially the last 2. Dura-Ace looks spot on through every era.
[quote=plus one ]I'm a dura ace whore
Currently running it across 3 bikes
7400 very very good
7800 excellent
9000 sublime
Are we still doing looks? Because whilst the 7400 is OK (if not a patch on the same generation Campag, or even the later, smoother 7700), the 7800 and 9000 are quite ugly, especially the chainsets.
i think the XTR chainset has got prettier and prettier every generation.
Except for the latest. I just don't like it.
Sante, that was it. Not as pretty as I remember. I think ridgeback had a bike in the old freewheel catalogue with that group and a matching colour on the frame. First road bike I ever had a hankering after.
9000 are quite ugly, especially the chainsets.
You're definitely not going to like the new DA then!
"i think the XTR chainset has got prettier and prettier every generation."
Really? I think the opposite. The current M9000 version is particularly ugly. The M985 wasn't so bad. M950 was a very radical design shift from M900. Set a trend for matte anodised components (many of which looked shit really). I'm much more a fan of shiny polished alloy, but M950 was very good. Love that polished M950 set above; that, I definitely would have bought!
Deore XT M730 cranks were very nice in a utilitarian, functional way. Very good quality metal.
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M737 cranks were slimmer and more elegant:
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I still don't think you can beat the M900 cranks for sheer beauty though.
M900 XTR has to be the best looking with M732/5 XT close behind. Some of the M960 XTR kit was gorgeous too.
The new 9100 Dura-ace has been revealed and it doesn't look as good as the current range which is good news as I could be tempted by a cut price groupset. I think it's gone too stylised and black which is not helped by the fact that it's presented on a black Pinarello which doesn't do anything for me either. Nice web presentation though.
http://duraace.com/global/en#intro
