INTERBIKE 2009 – Shimano has introduced a Yumeya upgrade kit for their Dura-Ace line with gold bits similar to the XTR Yumeya they launched last year.
Consisting of a new chain, new cable housing and gold colored Titanium hardware for brakes and derailleurs, the set is as much about subtle (?) bling as it is subtle performance upgrades.
For example, the chain has hollow Ti-Nitride impregnated pins to retain lubrication, and the gold fixing and mounting bolts are Ti to shave a gram or two.  Hit ‘more’ to see the rest of the bits and pieces and cost…
The rear derailleur also gets the gold Ti bolts and hardware, but perhaps the biggest weight savings come from the least blingy part: The cable housing.  Rather than steel inner reinforcement cables, the Yumeya ones have aluminum reinforced housing.  They offer the same or better compression resistance but drop approximately 8g per meter.
The brakes get two upgrades: Ti hardware (gold) and machined cartridges to hold the pads.  You can see the machined out section where the “R” is just behind the pad fixing bolt.
The entire Dura-Ace Yumeya kit will run you $480, but it’s available in pieces, too.  Which is good, because some will work with 7800 while certain parts are specific to the new 7900 group.  The chain is available in both a 7900 (directional) and 7800 (non-directional) version, and the cable housing and brakes will work with either version, but the derailleur hardware is largely 7900 specific.
