Sora FD upgrade
 

Sorry if this has been answered before, I've found a few previous posts, but nothing that quite answers my question.

I have Via Nirone Sora (double) which has the 2200 front derailleur. I'm looking into upgrading it, as front shifting seems to me to be the weakest part of the bike. After a bit of searching, I now know the clamp size for the FD (I wish Bianchi had just put a complete spec sheet in with their literature with all the small details!), but am still not quite sure about which other FDs are compatible with the 8-speed system.

I can get a good price on an Ultegra 6500 double FD. Will these be compatible? I'm most concerned about the chain width. Are the 9 and 10 speed derailleurs too narrow of 8-speed chains, or is this not a problem?

Thanks for your help.

You can get good front shifting with a $5 derailleur. Before you start spending your money, make sure it's set up properly.

+1 The Sora and the Tiagra are a bit more forgiving then their more expensive brethren. The plates are further apart and the plates themselves are thinner. This means that you have more room before the chain rubs in certain gear combinations. 105 and Ultegra are much more finicky to set up.