Splain pleeze ...

For an entry level cyclist on a budget, it's fine.

Especially if we are talking the current 10 speed, 4600 version. It's fine even for "serious" cyclists.

Good to hear, how bout dependable ?

I ride my bikes hard.

Sora is fine and adequate, but if you're looking for more, go with 105. Not much more money, for what is considered the best bang-for-buck Shimano groupsan.


S

Used on a commuter for a couple of years, so several thousand km, and never missed a beat, this was with flat bar shifters.

The old 3400 STI's, which had the thumb shifter button were normally the reason for bad reviews, some people loved them, most did not, with the current 3500 series, these have been discontinued, and the STI is now the same layout as Tiagra (which is 4600).

As with all Shimano, as long as it's setup correctly, it works, generally Shimano doesn't make too many mistakes, and most new innovations now filter from the top i.e XTR/Dura Ace down, so it it doesn't work out, it won't get to Sora level.

4600 is Tiagra 10 speed.

Current Sora is 3500 9 speed.

sora is really bad, dura-ace is better... becus... derp... lol

any modern drive train that is setup properly should be fine

I have the Sora 3500 group set on my Lexa S. When in proper adjustment, the derailleurs are fine. When out of adjustment, they get twitchy, especially the front one. The brifters work great and no longer had that side button that everyone disliked. The brakes are a-okay as soon as you swap out the stock pads (which really are pretty bad and start to chew on your rims) with Kool Stops or some other good ones.

That said, if you have a choice in the matter, go with the 105. But if you're "stuck" with the Sora, it's not a bad place.

I've ridden the old and new Sora. It works but it has quite a bit of "slop" to the shifts. Tiagra is actually the lowest I'd go on the Shimano totem pole. I have a bike with 4600 on it that shifts better than my 5700 bike if I'm honest. I'm getting ready to remove 5700 and install 5800 which is a heck of a deal at ~$450 online.

Oops my bad. Thanks for catching that.

Not bad, works OK if correctly set up. It's heavier (this may or may not be important to you) and the finish is not as good as in the upper levels.

I own Sora 3500, and set it up myself. If set up competently, it works very nicely. I will also say that I have seen many LBS bikes with Sora set up horribly. So the install matters greatly.

Tiagra is good enough for 99% of riders on the road. It's shifts nicely, has plenty of gears, is durable, and I even know a few people who prefer the hoods over 105 and above shifters with the inside cable routing.

The 1% difference is only for those that are strong enough to make the smoother shifting and lighter weight actually make them faster. Those that aren't even getting much of a workout, but just enjoying the road will be just fine on Claris.