Chainring offset – chainline – of Alfine vs. Ultegra/Dura Ace

Asked by: Kellie Berastegui

Are Ultegra and Dura Ace chainrings interchangeable?

Thus, an Ultegra (6800/8000) 11-speed chain can be used with a Dura-Ace (9000/9100) 11-speed cassette. Similarly, there is no need to match the level of the chain and cassette to the rest of the groupset, so a 105 (5800) 11-speed cassette can be used with a Dura-Ace (9000/9100) 11-speed groupset.

What is a good chainline?

Chainline with an Internal-Gear Hub



The word “chainline” refers to how straight the chain runs between the front and rear sprockets. Ideally, both sprockets should be in the same plane, so that there is no sideward motion or stress to the chain. This constitutes “perfect chainline”.

How do I know my chainline?

Chainline is the distance between the centerline of your frame and the average centerline of your chainring(s). For 1X this is easy – If the center of your chainring teeth is 49mm from the centerline of your frame then your chainline is 49mm.

What is offset on chainring?

The offset of a ring is how much it is dished over from a standard flat chainring, it is used to achieve correct tyre/frame clearance and also to set the correct chainline.

Why is Dura-Ace better than Ultegra?

Although Dura Ace is considered to Shimano’s out-and-out performance groupset, surprisingly, Ultegra is generally deemed to be much more versatile, mainly because of the lower range of gears that it offers. While Ultegra cassettes go all the way up to 34 teeth, Dura Ace cassettes only go up to 30 teeth.

What is the difference between Dura Ace 9000 and 9100?

Visually, there isn’t much to differentiate the new Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 shift levers from the previous 9000-generation. Internally, though, shift lever throw has been reduced by nearly 25% for faster shifts and less hand movement, especially when making multiple shifts.

How do you measure chainring offset?

The chainline is measured from the center of the seat tube to the chainring (1X), or between the chainrings (2X, 4X), or the middle chainring (3x). Offset moves the chainring further away from the crank and closer to the seat tube.

Which is better 1X or 3X crankset?

Gear range of different drivetrains:



In the above example of bikes with common drivetrains, the 1X bikes top out at 47 to 48KPH in their highest gear, while a 2X or 3X bike will offer 15-20% more speed, topping out at 56 to 57KPH.

Why is chainline important?

The chainline is very important for several reasons: more efficient transmission; the less you bend the chain, the smaller the power loss; better function and less chance of the chain falling off the rings; less wear due to less friction; better function of the front derailleur; and quieter operation.

What is boost spacing chainline?

The ideal boost chainline is actually ~49-50mm if you have adequate chainstay clearance and don’t run plus-sized tires. This means that in most cases the current Wolf Tooth Drop Stop (TM) chainrings are perfectly suited for Boost rear hub bikes.

What chainline is super boost?

Super Boost Plus 157 uses the exis ng chain-line developed for DH bikes but uses standard trailbike BB widths and crank combinaYons to take 29” and Plus bike performance to the next level.

What is the Q-factor on a bike?

Q-factor is the distance between the outside face of each crank arm at the point where the pedal attaches, while stance width is the distance between the centre of one pedal to the centre of the other.

Does a Dura-Ace cassette last longer than Ultegra?

The ultra-stiff chainrings and clever leverage ratio translate well to the cheaper group. Rear shifting is equally crisp, and the Ultegra cassette seems to last longer than the Dura-Ace version.

Is a Dura-Ace chain better than Ultegra?

Greater use of the Sil-Tec coating does make the Dura-Ace chain more durable, because it covers the high-load contact surfaces, where it does not on the Ultegra chain. Link shaping is identical so there’s no diference in shift performance. The weight difference from the hollow pins is negligible.

How much heavier is Ultegra than Dura-Ace?

Again there’s a slight weight difference: the Ultegra power meter chainset weighs 769g, which is 21g heavier than the Dura-Ace power meter at 748g.

What is the difference between Dura Ace and Ultegra chain?

Basically the ultegra chain has this coating on the Pin link plate and Roller link plate, and Dura ace gets it on the Roller as well. The other main difference is hollow pins. Ultegra is $52 and Dura Ace is $65(bikebug prices).

How long do Dura Ace chains last?

Is about 2500-3000km normal life for a DA chain? Using an 11-23 block (Im a flat land prairie chicken) Noticed last few rides doesn’t want to drop from the 18 to 17 cog which are common gears I ride… also hangs on 12-11 down shift… measured chain lastnite and its a good 1/8 stretch

What is the difference between 105 and Ultegra?

The only difference between them is that the 105 chain has this treatment on the roller link plates (the inner ones) only while the Ultegra chain (above) has it on the pin link plates (the outer ones) too.

Is Dura Ace crank Carbon?

Shimano has unveiled details of the new FC-7800C carbon fiber Dura-Ace crankset, which allies an aluminum core with a carbon-fibre shell to creat a lightweight and rigid construction.

Is Ultegra crank Carbon?

They’re identical in shape, yet the shifters of the Ultegra groupset weigh 295g a pair Dura-Ace 230g a pair – yet both have carbon levers.