mohamed

hi,am confused about the 2300 is there a great difference between it and the sora besides the 8speed an 9 speed issue?i will go for either the orbea aqua t23 or aqua tsr(this will be my first road bike so any info 2bout those 2?

manutd

Tiagra has to be the absolute minimum. I'd personally stay away from anything lower.

Clem von Jones

I believe the 2300 uses a traditional square tapered bottom bracket whereas the Sora is a hollowtech spindle with outboard bearings. Even the low-end Shimano cranksets have the hyperglide-system smooth shifting chain rings. They aren't sexy but they work better then the competition and they're a good value.

Ghost Ryder

+1!!!

Bike Gremlin

When I had that dilema, a local experienced LBS owner recommended Sora. He said it's good enough, reliable enough and minimum for carefree functioning. 2300 was too poor, tiagra and 105 too expensive.

Having said this, I found a discount price 105 groupset and went for it. The same guy than said that 105 is the best value in terms of durability and good functioning but thinks it's a bit of an overkill for a recreational weekend rider just getting into roadbiking.

bobones

Sora has a slightly nicer finish and materials than 2300, but 2300 works perfectly well albeit with only 8 speeds. Ergonomics are very similar. I'm still using a 2300 RD on my winter bike with 10 speed shifters and it never misses a beat. If it's set up correctly and cared for with minimal amount of maintenance, 2300 will give many thousands of miles of pleasure. I don't buy into this "tiagra at a mimimum" gash. Granted Sora and 2300 thumb shifters can't be used to upshift from the drops, but it's really not that big a deal for casual riders. In saying that, go for the best group set you can afford.

doctor j

I have no experience with 2300, but I do have experience with Sora.

I have 14,000 miles on the Sora components on one of my road bikes. It is reliable and performs consistently. I have experienced no problems with it. It stays adjusted and works.

Bacciagalupe

The 2012 version of Sora got a big upgrade, including getting rid of the thumb shifters. It's basically the same as Tiagra from 2011 and earlier.

2300, aka "Tourney," is the new red-headed stepchild. It's probably still fine, but I'd go with Sora.

Big Lebowski

I think it is the 2013, but yeah, the thumb shifter is gone on the new Sora shifters. IMO, it's a big upgrade.

Big Lebowski

Also, I think the Orbea Aqua T23 looks like a good value, especially with a carbon fork.

rebel1916

My wife has a sora bike. It shifts very nicely. I once had a bike with 2300 brifters, it functioned fine, but I did not like the feel. All that said, Campy FTW.

pallen

I had 2300 on my Kona and had no issues with it. The Sora on my daughters bike has a nicer feel, but the 2300 is a reliable workhorse.

merlinextraligh

Op,

I think you'll be happier in the long run if you go to at least Sora. Rightly or wrongly, I associate 2300 with department store level bikes that are designed to be cheap, and not intended to see a lot of heavy use.

If the budget allows, 105 really is the sweet spot where you're getting a really good group, but before the diminishing return curve heads vertical.

hhnngg1

Thats def not true - all the lbses here in norcal have 2300 or sora mixes as standard on all their entry lvl drop bar rosd bikes.


2300 is too good for dept store bikes - they are usually even lower.

pallen

Yeah, finding a department store bike with integrated shifters is pretty rare. Most use Denali-style twist shifters or stem shifters.

2300 is definitely the bottom of the barrel for integrated shifters though. There is a much nicer feel as you go up to Sora and 105, but the 2300 stuff works.

twentysomething

Have Sora on my Cannondale and have had no problems.

himespau 

Isn't 2300 just like 5 year old Sora or did I hear that wrong? I'd say get the best bike you can afford as upgrading is overly expensive to do later (better to just sell and buy a new bike). At the same time, don't buy more bike than you can afford. Only you know where the sweet spot of your budget is.

muu

Just looked at some photos and those Sora shifters look pretty nice. If it functions just as well as Tiagras might as well get these and save a few bucks...