A friend of mine recently purchased a 90's model cannondale r400. Since i am new to road biking i have never seen the component group on this bike which is Shimano RX100. I was just wondering if this group is equivalent to like Sora or Tiagra or what its comparable to. For what its worth the bike is in decent shape for the $150.00 my buddy paid for it. I think the frame is a 56cm because its a bit big for me but when i lifted it it seemed to be lighter than my 2004 specialized allez triple, but it's hard to say for sure. An info on this componet group is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Al

I think the RX-100 line was the equivalent of Tiagra. Here's a breakdown of the Shimano lines from the mid-90's courtesy of Sheldon Brown:

# Dura Ace 9-speed
# Ultegra
# 105SC
# RX-100
# RSX

$150 for the bike seems like a good deal if the bike is in reasonable shape. Cannondale frames have been very light for quite a while now. Sounds like a nice bike.

Oh yeah. Take a look at https://sheldonbrown.com/shimano.html for more info on past Shimano products.

RSX is definitely above sora. RSX-100 is above that.

RX-100 was just below 105, so could be said to be the equivalent of today's Tiagra. There were many bikes in the 90's that had a mix of RX-100 and 105 components. I have a 105-equipped bike from 1993 with RX-100 hubs, and the whole kit is rock-solid after 12 years. So if it was well maintained (or not used much), it can be a great bike. Assuming you are ready to ride a bike that's not on the UCI weight limit, that does not have 50% of its weight in carbon, and that does not have 10 gears in the cassette. Some people seem to mind. Some don't.

You guys are all just blowing smoke. There is no direct comparison to Sora and Tiagra.... rx-100 was 8 speed(there may have been some non sti 7 speed too) and a contemporary of rsx 7 and and 105 8 speed. rsx 7 speed was bottom end. rx-100 was the next level up and was nothing but 105 with a clear coat finish rather than the paint on the 105. Many preferrd the looks of the rx-100 to the 105. RSX was later upgraded to 8 speed before the introduction or sora, and at that level it was nothing but rebadged 105 8 speed.

I have also been told that RX-100 was just 105 with a different cover.

I have some RX-100 levers (somewhere), and in my opnion, and that of all the bike shop guys around here, is that they crap all over the new Tiagra and Sora stuff.

Smoke...

1993: 105 was 7-sp, so was RX-100.

The comparison with Tiagra is that RX-100 was then, as Tiagra is now "the group below 105".

RSX was never 7 speed STI, but RSX was.And the only real difference between rx100 and 105 was the finish.The difference between 105 and tiagra goes deeper, as does the smoke get thicker..

Did you mean "RSX was never 7-sp STI, but RX-100 was?"

Is the comprehension switch in the on position?

Is the corncob fully lodged up your @$$?

Which was it?

RX-100 wasn't, 7 speed sti.

My '94 Trek 1200 had RX100 cranks with everything else 105. I rode it for 10 years and it was completely bullet proof. For $150 he cant go wrong.

I had full RX100 on an old DiamondBack steel frame years ago. As I recall, it worked quite well for quite a few number of years. It also looked very similar to 105 & ultegra -- minus the finish of course. Some would say with 105's matte silver and ultegra's dark gray (all circa early 1990's), the polished silver finish of RX100 was actually nicer looking. Performance wise, I felt that the gap between RX100 to 105 to Ultegra back then was narrower than Sora/Tiagra/105/Ultegra is today.

I digress. A worthy component group.

Did bike manufacturers mix and match Shimano components a lot in the 1990's?

In 1998 I bought the only brand new complete bike I've had since I was a kid of 13 - a Carrera Virtuoso road bike, Tange Double Butted tubing, frame built in Taiwan. To be fair, I haven't ridden this one much, it's got angled straight forks and every vibration goes straight into my wrists, so I tend to prefer the older classics I've built since, which are lighter, more comfortable, faster and look better.

However, this came as standard with a mix of Shimano components - RSX 7 speed STi levers & derailleurs, RX100 chainset, Exage brake calipers & hubs. It all works perfectly together, smooth, lightish action and snappy. I've put Tiagra and Sora on some other bikes and they feel slightly sluggish in comparison. None of the above can hold a candle to 105, which after all is only a mid range group, but can be bought cheaply in good condition on ebay. I've never ridden Dura Ace but must try this soon.

For top bikes though, I feel the only way to go is Campag - Chorus, Super Record or Record depending on year - or even Centaur on a newish frame. Can't define exactly why, there is an element of prejudice to be sure, but it just seems more solidly built and finished.

Anyone got views on this I can learn from?

I ride RX-100 hubs every day on my Bridgestone RB-2 -- though the Bridgestone catalog for 1991 says my bike came stock with Shimano Exage hubs. My bike came original with a 7-spd cassette on the rx-100 freehub.

My bike is a mix of Exage (derailluers) and RX-100. I find these components to be top-notch, I view them more on the level of modern day 105, which I have also used.

Bridgestone spec'd their legendary RB-1 for 1991 with RX-100 hubs, so I would think these hubs were perceived as being of high quality.

Hello,
I recently sold some shimano RX100 components on eBay recently and am currently in dispute with the buyer who not happy with how I advertised the groupset. I advertised the components as an "RX100 groupset" although the front derailluer is an Exage 400EX, which fact I omitted not thinking it would cause the fuss it has. All the components are off the same bike including the brake callipers which were also Exage 400EX, which I sold privately.

I really didn't think it would make much difference as the front mech was in very good condition, in better condition than the rear RX100 mech and the RX100 levers. But the buyer is adamant that I misadvertised the groupset. You can however clearly see from the picture in the auction the model numbers of all the components so how this escaped the buyers notice I'm not sure. You can have a look at the listing here: https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MESOX:IT

Any comments on this situation would be greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks

Hmm, I think you should start a new thread about it

Al, labratmatt's reply is pretty much on the mark. There isn't any way a direct comparison can be made between those early groups and what's available now except the relative position in the product line.

The RX100 group in about '96 was the base level 8S group. At the time it was strongly felt it was simply an unpainted 105 group, as mentioned above. It's a good group that was used on Cannondale's R600. Up to '96 the R400 had the compact RSX 7S (I bought one new just for the frame color) so your friend's bike is either newer than my R400 or has been rebuilt with the RX100 group.

Brad

Here's a direct comparison:

Find out how it rides. What does "unpainted 105" mean?? I rode RX100 hubs, brakesets, cranksets, derailleurs and downtube shifters on my 90s era Panasonic and Bridgestone steel bikes for two years (during 2007-2009). Never had a single problem, hubs easy to service, rock solid shifting, braking. I have ridden Sora and Tiagra and in my experience RX100 is certainly superior. I have ridden newer 105 as well as newer Ultegra (pre 6700) and I would peg RX100 right between those two. That's how good I think it is. RX100 also looks good and is fun to tinker with.

I personally rode this exact same combination. Clearly this was popular on 1990s era Bridgestones and other steel bikes of this time period. I loved the exage FD, never a problem. However, if I bought an advertised full RX100 groupset on ebay I would expect the FD to be RX100. I love the RX100 parts and completists will hold you to the letter of your advertising copy. I agree with you that mechanically there is little-to-no difference, but, again, completists want the full groupset.

"What does "unpainted 105" mean??" --Flash

The 105 group was painted a gray similar to, but not quite the same as the 600/Ultegra and Dura Ace. The RX100 was 'bright'.

Brad

i have rx100 on my first bike which i still have. it was 7 speed downtube shifters. everything on the drivetrain is rx100 and also the wheels which are just fine.

Since everyone already answered your question, I'll just add a nice resource - VeloBase.com.