loimpact

So I recently saw that somebody did a pretty cool build with a Cannondale Hi-Mod team frame (like a $4K frame) with all these components I wasn't familiar with. (Well, some). I saw 105 shifters, RD and FD, but the rest of the stuff was foreign to me.

The cranks, brakes and pedals all just said "Shimano". They were black. They certainly looked cool enough but they just didn't have a trademark 'name'.

Turns out this guy is VERY fast! Killed me on the climbs, flats, and was no slouch on the descents...(though I outran him there)

Nevertheless, when I asked him about the parts, he knew what they all were....told me and I went to look them up. WOW....these parts are rather elusive. The pedals I could find, but the rest was nowhere to be found on Shimano's site.

Anybody have insight as to these parts?? (Oh.......forgot to mention he was running RS10.....ya...not RS11, but RS10's with 11spd hubs).

He probably had a whopping $300 in the entire rest of the bike, if not for the BMC stem, handlebars and seatpost.

Some pics in case anybody's wondering what the stuff looks like.....

rms13

Shimano RS500 Black Double 11Spd Chainset, Chainsets, CHAINSETS ROAD

"non series" comments. Generic and cheaper than the group series. I've seen bikes that come stock with the parts to keep price down

smarkinson

When the 105 cranks can be had for only $12 more why would you bother with the rs500 unless you wanted the 5 bolt rather than 4 bolt?

loimpact

That would certainly be my vote, especially with all the rest of the 105 stuff on the bike, but perhaps it was had for less than what we see online. (or a 'gruppo' deal or something). I'm actually surprised Shimano even makes something like that RS500 since not even Tiagra is 11spd yet. What else out there does that mate up to logically?

Except that I can certainly respect 105 5800 stuff these days, I'd love to take something like the S-works McClaren & put the cheapest stuff known to man on it. Maybe even some downtube or stem shifters and exposed cables everywhere with twisty ties holding the cables against the frame....LOL!!! A $20K bike with a sub $100 gruppo on it.

smarkinson

I found this on the internet:

R700 = Dura Ace
R600 = Ultegra
R500 = 105
R400 = Tiagra

Perhaps the RS500 cranks fall between Tiagra and 105 quality, weight and pricewise.

cruiserhead

He probably got the parts heavily discounted as take offs, new no box parts

loimpact

That's what I'm thinking. Maybe came off some generic 11 speed bike. (Though I must say I do like the look of the crankset) But I know that the 105 5800 brake calipers get the trickle-down tech which means better braking (good) but I wonder if those R561's get that same.

I notice the R550 pedals have the stainless wear plate and pretty wide footprint which is reminiscent of the current gen 5800/6800/9000 pedals so really wondering if those aren't about 90% of what the other pedals are.

And interesting find smarkinson! (Decoding Shimano...LOL)

Wheever

Both of the roadbikes I've bought came with the RS500 cranks: giant defy 1 was otherwise equipped with 105; Trek domane 4.5 was otherwise equipped with ultegra, minus a 105 cassette. I'm going to put an ultegra crank and cassette on my domane at some point.

dr_lha

I have the R550 pedals and 6800 pedals. The spindle assembly on the R550 is cheaper looking and the material they are made of is less hard wearing (it's a composite material but not Carbon fiber composite), but otherwise they're very similar for a lot less money. I can't tell the difference when I'm riding.

Xherion

And to think, all this time, R600DuraAce was just a sham. He was only Ultegra level. (Yes I know the R600 referred to the Cannondale)

Xherion

I have the RS500 cranks on my adventure road bike. I don't notice any issues with it. I prefer the looks of the 4 bolt 105 5800 though. I suppose the PowerTap C1 chainrings would fit on the RS500 though since it is 5 bolt.

Robius

Hi-Mod frame with RS010 wheelset?! Wth

Darth Lefty 

Sometimes these things are produced to make a part that doesn't fit in a series.

The 11-speed crank is Tiagra quality level.

The older, Tiagra level R443 and so on front derailleurs take MTB cable pull for use with 3x8 or 3x9 flat bar shifters, which were basically MTB shifters. More recent flat bar shifters make road FD pull and work with the series FD.

The RD-R350-10-SS is a really strange one, it's 9-speed Sora level with 10-speed pulleys, has a short cage but shifts a 34t bottom cog.

warpdrive

they are just OEM shimano parts that allow the manufacturer to save money but still say it comes with a full Shimano brand matched group instead of an obvious substitution like Tektro or FSA. They can say the bike is 105 level, without the bike being all 105 and save a few bucks and yet still having an perceived advantage over a competitor that uses FSA instead.

It's quite common to offer these parts on entry-mid range aluminum and carbon bikes

I replaced the RS500 crank on my Domane with the actual Ultegra crank for the heck of it, but in reality, it probably makes no difference.

smarkinson

Of course, before there was Ultegra there was 600 Ultegra and before that there was just Shimano 600.

Shimano 600 Ultegra - brochure

From Sheldon Brown's website:
("ULTimate" + "IntEGRity") is the second highest level "road" group. The Ultegra name was added as a suffix to 600 when 7-speeds (and the gray paint finish) came in in the early '90s. For the 1998 model year, Ultegra became a 9-speed group, and the 600 designation was retired.

Ghazmh

I'm sure that they know that many owners will replace the generic RS500 crank. I know I did. I replaced it with a 6800 crankset.

screamtone

Yep. I just bought a Scott Solace 30 that has that crank set. The rest of the components are 105. If I keep it through the spring, I'll leave it on.