adlai

Just curious: higher end components like the 105 and the ultegra, do they work better mechanically than the Sora, or do they merely offer lighter weight? I've had to do quite a bit of tweaking on the Sora to get it working right.

AEO

both.
what's nice about the higher end parts is that they're smoother, probably from the tighter tolerances on imperfections.

adlai

the way I see it, there's really not that much mechanical improvement that can be wrung out of these devices.

Raiden

Go to your shop and ask to ride something with Ultegra or DA. The difference will be obvious within seconds on a test-ride (but so will the price tag).

I'm not fond of Sora- the lowest I equip on my bikes is Tiagra. Sora has a SNAP at each shift that I dislike.

AEO

well, that's not quite true.
higher precision, better seals, harder coatings, and metal instead of plastic parts will all offer more longevity and smoother operation of moving parts.

of those, I'd have to say better precision in the moving parts is the biggest thing.

think about it, if the bearings and bearing races had mirror like finishes, compared to a finish that looks like the surface of the moon, which do you think will last longer?

adlai

not to be flippant...but where are the plastic parts on the sora?

AEO

https://bike.shimano.com/media/techdo...9830637997.pdf

I don't know, I've never disassembled a shimano shifter. I only gave it as an example of what manufacturers do to cut costs. way cheaper to produce plastic parts than forged or CNC machined metal parts. another way to cut costs is to stamp metal parts, rather than have them laser cut.

the body is plastic, but that's the same with all aero levers.

maddmaxx 

There are 2 generations of SORA. The is the older 8 speed version that went out of production sometime in 2007 (there must have been a lot of them because their still showing up on some new OEM bike setups) and there is the newer 9 speed SORA group that can be viewed on the Shimano website. On both generations, the plastic down shifting thumb lever is vunerable to breaking. On the new generation, much of the gear indicator mechanism is plastic.

Frankly, For the price point of the bikes on which it is installed, SORA once set up properly works fine.

adlai

I have the older 8 speed version. It saw heavy use last year...so the plastic part is the shifter? It still works fine for me...I thought you guys were saying that like a critical internal junction might be made out of plastic.

tadawdy

i just think the thumb shifters on Sora are stupid and they hurt my hands.

cachehiker

That has been my experience on two 8 speed Sora equipped bikes, an ex-GF's ride and the one my dad now rides. It took quite a while to get the shifters and derailleurs tweaked just right and settled in. Once that had been worked out, they ran like champs.

The only change I ever found justifiable was swapping in a 5503 series 105 rear derailleur and an old 8 speed Ultegra cassette provided quicker, more accurate shifts on the ex-GF's bike. She literally outrides her gear and the occasionally sluggish shift was making it just that much tougher for her to hang in with a 20+ mph pace line. Everything else was too much for the budget frame, wheels, seatpost, stem, tires, brakes, handlebar, headset, ... It was either upgrade it all or leave it be.

I haven't liked 9 speed Tiagra any better than 8 speed Sora though. I have my bike set up so I can spend more than minutes at a time in the drops. Sora won't let me shift from there and the Tiagra shifters I've used didn't give quite enough tactile feedback.

tellyho

I have a Sora-level rear brifter on a 15 year old Cannondale (brifter is obviously slightly newer), and I've never had problems with it. I can't decide if I'd like the thumb stud or the normal lever better, but it's held up fine.

adlai

the way I see it, all of my problems with adjusting the SORA would still exist in other gearsets. Yes/no?

mkeller234

Would it be fair to say that some of the really high end parts are not ideal for longevity since they are made to be very light weight? Or are they still strong enough to get many many years of hard service. I honestly don't know, that's why I ask.

doctor j

I have 8,300 miles on my 8-speed Sora triple drive train. No problems with it. I've adjusted the front derailleur once. Replaced a couple of chains due to normal wear. Replaced some cables due to normal wear. My new bike is 10 speed 105. Shifting is a little smoother than with Sora, but no more reliable.

Homebrew01

No. I put Campy Centaur on my bike, with a mystery Campy rear derailleur. Adjusted it a bit the first ride and now it's awesome. Either you are doing something wrong, or your particular components have a problem. Millions of us use Campy, Shimano or Sram day after day without problems.

Tabor

You are not the first person I have heard complain about having to constantly readjust sora derailers. However, I have heard other people that are quite pleased by them. Maybe your cables are just really crappy?

Homebrew01

It's also possible that the cable clamp bolt is not quite tight enough, so that the cable slips through a tiny bit every now & then, requiring readjustment.

badmother

Truth, but also some times it can not be made thght enough. Sometimes it can be tightened too hard too many times and some times there is some type of wear (as if the cable has been pulled out when tightened and therefor cutting into the metal) so that the space where the cable is supposed to be clamped down can not be made tight enough.

surfengine

readjustment off a derailleur doesnt always mean a problem with the derailleur.
the cassette, chain or chainrings could have alot of wear and need replacement.

Doug64

I have had a similar experience with Sora shifters as doctor j. I don't have quite as many miles but the bike I ride most of the time is an older 8 speed setup that I was going to replace when they broke; which I was assured they would do in the first two week. Well, that was about 5-6 years ago and they still are going strong. I actually like the thumb levers on the Sora's better than the 105's on my "good" bike. I ride more on the hoods than on the drops which makes the thumb lever easier to reach than the integrated brake shift levers on the 105. The way I have it set up, it actually shifts a little cleaner than the 105. However, this could be the result of a lot of other factors.