Road Cycling - Componentry Question

Hey,
I've been looking into bikes around the 1K range and i went to the LBS today and was talking to the shop owner and we got to talking about 105 vs Tiagra or whatever it is below 105 and he said 105 does the trick and tiagra sucks ass. I'm wondering how spot on this, or if it's LX vs Deore kinda deal. Not that i'm interested in a bike w/o 105, but just wondering about the differances

I would not go so far as to say 105 sucks ass, but it is a improvement over Tiagra.. It is equivilent to LX vs. Deore.. if comparing it to their MTB group.

For a shop to say Tiagra sucks ass is wrong. That means according to their mentality they should never sell a Tiagra bike. For that fact nothing under a Dura Ace as of course Dura Ace being pricier and the rest lower priced that the other parts also suck.

They simply are trying to get you to spend more.

I would never tell a customer that a part sucks. Especially if I offer it. If I feel a part is not up to my standards I would never sell, but to tell a person it sucks is wrong.

I ride a Veloce bike currently and have no problems beatng any rider on the rides. So it is very funny for people to say Veloce parts suck and Record is better. Truth is it is the rider pedaling. A derailleur is a derailleur. Its function is very simple.

There's nothing wrong with Tiagra, and it certainly doesn't "suck." While it's true that if I could afford a Tiagra bike I would do what was necessary to cough up the extra for 105, it's also true that if I saw a really great bargain on a Tiagra bike the parts alone wouldn't drive me off.

Let me put it this way. If I were choosing between two bikes, and the one with the better frame had Tiagra and the one with the lesser frame had 105, I'd choose the frame. Tiagra is completely compatible with 105 and Ultegra, so upgrading a part at a time is no problem.

RichC

I have ridden bikes with various shimano groups on them, 6-speed 105 with downtube shifters, 8-speed Sora, 9-speed Tiagra, 8-speed 105, and soon 9-speed ultegra. I have found that on a properly tuned bike that I really don't notice that much difference between the different groups. To say that Tiagra sucks ass is just plain wrong.

Zack

Depends upon how you expect to use the bike. If I wanted something to ride casually and occasionally--around the neighborhood, to the store, etc. Tiagra would be fine.

If I wanted a bike for club riding, training, the occasionally century, then I'd step to 105 as my 'minimum' component set.

So, ask yourself how much you intend to ride this bike-how often and for how far? Do you consider yourself a 'serious' or 'recreational' cyclist? Either group will do the job for which they are intended. You just need to decide which you want it for.

Dave

How can Tiagra not be up to group rides and such. It is not lit will hold my speed back.

Thats what I heard at the store. It sounds like a hogwash pitch to me. Yeah I am gonna ride it a lot, I am a bike freak. But to say "just for rec use" c'mon

whats the truth? Just weight?

Tiagra is fine, just don't expect it to last forever.

Right. I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't ride fast and hard on Tiagra. It just isn't made to last as long or be as durable.

Dave

Originally posted by hayneda
Right. I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't ride fast and hard on Tiagra. It just isn't made to last as long or be as durable.


I have like 7000 miles on Tiagra hubs, FD and crankset (and Sora levers), on my commuter, and nothing's showing any noticeable signs of wear. I replaced the RD, but only to accommodate a 34t read cog.

IMO, this stuff is fine and quite durable. It's just heavy.

People talk about the low-end Shimano road components not being durable, but I really wonder what they base that on. It's not like there's a database for this.

RichC

So, not to start a campy Vs Shimano thread, but just because I really want to know.

Would you guys/gals say durability and longevity wise Veloce was in the same league as 105 or Tiagra? (Hubs too)

take care,

Jester

Originally posted by Rich Clark
I have like 7000 miles on Tiagra hubs, FD and crankset (and Sora levers), on my commuter, and nothing's showing any noticeable signs of wear. I replaced the RD, but only to accommodate a 34t read cog.

IMO, this stuff is fine and quite durable. It's just heavy.

People talk about the low-end Shimano road components not being durable, but I really wonder what they base that on. It's not like there's a database for this.

RichC

7000 miles is less than one-years worth of commuting for me. I look for stuff to least 25,000 or so. I sure for many, this stuff would last for many years of trouble-free service. And, of course you are right about the weight.

Dave

A few quick answers:

Tiagra is a decent, heavy, reasonably tough group. It is mechanically very similar to 105, but is made with a lot of steel and plastic rather than aluminum. The strong point in Tiagra is the FD, which is built like a tank, and weighs about as much as a Hummer. The weak point is the shifters, which are very fragile, and tend to get sloppy after a while. In terms of function, it's pretty good though, and I would give it about 7,500 miles of wear before major component failure/ replacement.

Sora is pure, undiluted ****e. We have Sora bikes coming into the shop on a very regular -- every 300-500 miles -- basis for readjustment and tuning. The shifters are complete garbage, and seem to last about 1,500 miles, if that. The cable set they ship with is rough and stretchy (this can be mitigated by using DA cables). The RD is a complete piece of garbage. The B tension spring loses elasticity in a matter of weeks, the "resin" (read: plastic) plate cracks and slips, and the whole assembly is held together with steel bolts that rust and glue that comes unbonded in damp weather. It's not for nothing that so many manufacturers are speccing their 2004 sora-equipped bikes with Tiagra RDs.

As for Veloce, I find it's pretty much on par with 105. It's an excellent, raceable group whose principle shortcoming is that it is 9-speed. That will change in 2004.