Sawtooth

So I have been reading all of the "why you should never buy sora" threads and could almost relate to the arguments about the PITA thumb knob on the shifter verses full STI. I was beginning to think that this must be something that Shimano does to motivate Sora users to "upgrade" to full STI. I don't have Sora, but I have a friend who rides it and can hammer me just about anytime.

Then, last night I tried out my buddy's bike with full Campy Record and guess what I found?!!! That's right, a thumb knob. Go figure. I realize most of you probably already knew this, but doesn't the fact that thumb knobs are found on some of the highest-end shifters available negate the argument that they are a "cheapening" factor on Sora?

jlin453

With the way the thumb shifters are positioned on the Record, I believe you can still reach it when you're in the drops. You can't say the same for the Sora thumb shifters. Besides, shifting and weight are other advantages.

FarHorizon

Snob appeal makes them fine on the Campys but not on the Soras.

sydney

That cheapening businesss is just lame barnyard waste from the unwashed. Sora is directed at recreational riders that typically don't spend much time in or shift from the drops. The positioning of the sora buttons is different than the campy thumbies,and I can't reach the soras from the drops,but can the campys.Try em and see the difference.

zensuit

Sora is SOOOO much better than 90% of the stuff we were riding in the early 90's. Record, on the other hand, really is the sh$T!

KrisPistofferson

I never had a problem with Sora other than having to tune it in every once in a while. Since I switched to my current 105/Ultegra mix, I want for nothing. If someone just wants to GIVE me Record or Dura Ace, I won't turn you down, though!

Sawtooth

I will have to try that out.

thomj513

I have medium/large hands and can shift the thumb button on the SORA brifter while in the drops. It works for me but may not for someone else. SORA is good for what it is and designed to do. I wouldn't turn down or not consider a bike with RECORD or DURA-ACE drive-train. Thom.

meme

I think Shimano is taking a gamble making the Sora the way it is. To me, a more natural upgrade from Shimano's Sora would be any of Campagnolo's lineup rather than the rest of the Shimano lineup. I'm using Sora now and I don't have any problems with it (all shifts happen within half a revolution of each gear). I think when my Sora eventually wear out (no idea when that would be, but I assume it would be tens of thousands of miles based on past low-end Shimano stuff), I might try the Chorus.

'nother

True, one would need very long thumbs to reach the Sora thumb button from the drops. But that particular aspect of the difference between Sora and Record only matters if you "need" to shift (up) while in the drops. For me as a non-racing, "recreational" rider: in practice it has never been an issue, just move my hand up and shift if I'm in the drops, or just deal with it (spin faster!). Not really a big deal.

However this thumb shifter is only one tiny aspect; there are many other measurements and comparisons one could make between Sora and Record that would put Record on top by a large margin.

djbowen1

a bit off topic but i switched from Ultegra9 to record 10 and i will NEVER look back.

Sawtooth

I have also had great experience with low end shimano stuff in the past. My buddy rode the crap out of a altus equipped bike in phoenix (notoriously rough) for two years right alongside my full XT rig. I was impressed. Bottom line: it shifted every single time he needed it to (with proper wrenching).

Hanzo

I've never ridden on the Campy levers but is the thumb trigger to downshift and little lever behind the brake lever to upshift? That would confuse me at first I think. I'd be wrenching on the brake lever, "Why won't you upshift!??!" Hows the action compared to shimano? Crsiper? Shorter throws?

Brian Ratliff

I ride with campy. The thumb trigger upshifts to a higher (harder) gear. The lever downshifts to a lower (easier) gear. Edit: this is for the rear cluster. The front works the opposite, but I think that is the same with Shimano STI as well.

I've never used Shimano before, but Campy works very well, probably as well as Shimano. It is simply a different system. Since Shimano was out first with the levers with a patent, Campy had to go a different route to get the equivilent.

The best aspect of Campy levers, IMO, is the fact you can repair them. I've had to do this once when an internal part broke and caused inprecise shifting. It cost $30 and 2 or 3 hours of my time to fix, as opposed to $200 to replace. Some people like the fact you can upshift more than one cog at a time with the thumb trigger as well.

The front lever is also more like a friction shifter with several "clicks" required to shift the chain ring, as opposed to Shimano's "rapid-fire" truely indexed front shifter where one click shifts the chain (rather violently to my tastes). I think everyone's got their preference. I would buy Campy again in a flash.

bR

lisitsa

That raises an interesting question. Would they be able to make a fully friction STI system. T

alanbikehouston

The editors of "Cycling Plus" have always been fans of the Sora shifters. And, so am I. The thumb shifter is fast and precise. "Cycling Plus" has even suggested that when folks with an eight speed Campy drivetrain need new shifters, they "upgrade" to Sora.

Monument Man

the cool thing about the Sora thumb shifters is that the shift is instantaneous.

the bad thing is the placement of the thumb trigger.

All in all it works very well for me. I rode a 50 mile solo today and averaged 18mph. Last week I did over 200 miles. Sora has treated me very well for the first 750 miles of my bike. I'd upgrade in a flash due to the position of the triggers but it's really not that bad of a compromise, especially for my first bike and i wasn't sure if i was going to really be into cycling, or just own a bike. Turns out i'm really into cycling, and i'm of course drooling over all the $2k bikes out there...

MrCjolsen

I love the thumb shifters. I have freakishly long thumbs, so I can shift from the drops. I actually found my self thinking that I wished that Sora came in a 9 speed.

TheKillerPenguin

I have an altus equipped mtn bike that I never lubed (aside from wd40 ) and never adjusted, and it still works pretty decently considering the abuse its taken.

cryogenic

Did anyone else think for a second this thread might be a joke before they clicked on it?

my58vw

How do you reach the thumb shifters on a campy bike? Do you have to slide your hands off the hoods? Seems very unnatural in the hoods and geared more for riding in the drops...

Johnny_Monkey

Your thumbs sit in front of the shifter when you're in the hoods. To use them you just have to move your thumb.

KrisPistofferson

My first STI was Sora. Since I had no basis of comparison, I always wondered why people dissed it so much. Now that I've tried more setups, I STILL don't know why Sora is supposedly so suck. Of course, I prefer the simplicity of downtube friction shifting nowadays...The "mouse ear" never bothered me, by the way, and my hands are medium sized.