Is Mirage much better than Tiagra?
PeteinSQ
Posts: 2,292
I'm looking to buy the Ribble Winter trainer. For £399 you can have one with full Tiagra, for £499 you can have one with 10 speed Mirage. Is it worth the extra £100?
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I have full Tiagra on my bike and am very happy with it. Shifting is quick and responsive. Not had any problems with it over the past year. A bonus point is that the 2007 shifters are redesigned and have the similar ergonomics to the higher end shimano gear.
Could save the 100 notes for shoes/pedals/wheels, etc.0 -
That's kind of what I was thinking, the tiagra shifters aren't that different to 105 shifters, unlike Sora which are crap.
I think that answers my question. Unless anyone has conflicting advice.<a><img></a>0 -
Are you sure you're comparing like with like?
It looked to me like they were using up all the old stock, frames and groupsets, on £399 bikes and the dearer stuff had the present frame, groupset and better wheels. If I'm right I still wouldn't know if the other differences would warrant the extra cost. Mirage is often a bit dearer than Tiagra, closer to £30 than £100. Either way they're a lot of bike for the money, I'm trying to resist...0 -
I find when it comes to new bikes that resistance is futile !!!Luke0
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PeteinSQ wrote:That's kind of what I was thinking, the tiagra shifters aren't that different to 105 shifters, unlike Sora which are crap.
I think that answers my question. Unless anyone has conflicting advice.
Sora shifters aren't crap, ask Sheldon Brown for one. Impossible to change gear in the drops, yes, but crap, no.0 -
From what I can gather from their website, the 2007 Tiagra 9-speed model is £515/535 (double/triple) while the 2007 Mirage 10-speed model is £499 (double). You seem to be comparing a 2006 Tiagra model with a 2007 Mirage. The 2006 Mirage model is listed at £399 but it's sold out. You can also get a 2006 Xenon triple for £399, which actually includes a 9-speed Mirage cassette and derailleurs. You can also get an 8-speed Sora setup (double) for £375.
I think 10-speed cassettes are great because they allow very close-ratio gears, especially if you can choose the cassette that best suits your riding. 8-speed Sora is at a noticeable disadvantage here, though I find the Sora shifters to be perfectly fine.0 -
I agree that there's nothing "crap" about Sora shifters. I had a bike with Sora for a couple of years and it worked perfectly fine. And I managed to change up a gear from the drops by stretching my thumb out a bit. Not impossible by any means.Ste_S wrote:Sora shifters aren't crap, ask Sheldon Brown for one. Impossible to change gear in the drops, yes, but crap, no.
Expensive groupsets are nice because they offer more gears (at least in the case of Shimano; all Campagnolo stuff is now 10-speed) and they weigh less as you spend more. I suppose the mid-range stuff (Veloce, etc.) is better built than Xenon and Sora and would therefore last longer, but I haven't seen much difference in shift quality. They all work perfectly if correctly set-up, and work like crap if not tuned properly.0 -
Sora shifters aren't crap, ask Sheldon Brown for one. Impossible to change gear in the drops, yes, but crap, no.
I already have a pair at home. They work ok but I personally don't like them at all.[/quote]<a><img></a>0 -
Sora is not good at all for small hands. Never mind not being able to change gear on the drops, when i tested one i coulnd't change gear on the hoods without physically letting go of the hoods! Seems a really bad design to me, particularly considering it's different to the rest of the (more expensive) shimano.0
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Back on the initial question...
Tiagra is Shimano's 2nd line (one up from Sora), and Mirage Campag's (one up from Xenon). In my opinion ( :roll: ), Mirage probably sits betweem Tiagra and 105 on the Shimano range, but it's not an exact science.
The difference between the 2, or certainly any noticable difference, in performance or weight is so minimal, just go with what you prefer the look or feel of.Knackered? Me?0 -
I have Sora shifters on my Allez and they are fine unless you're racing.
What is utter crap is people saying, 'Sora is impossible to change on the drops". Perhaps they're used to the other systems.
I can change perfectly on the drops and I have small hands. One you have the technique it's easy.
Actually I was doing some laps of Richmond Park at lunch time and was the only one riding the drops. Every road bike I saw, the rider was on the hoods. The bikes I noticed didn't have Sora.0 -
You've got more flexible thumbs than me then dazzawazza, I can't reach the thumb shifter on the drops.0
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You have to swing your elbow in a bit.0
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Exactly, that's the technique to do it with Sora. Even if you can't, it's hardly the end of the world to momentarily put your hand on the hood. After all, not so long ago you had to move your hand to the down-tube to shift!dazzawazza wrote:You have to swing you're elbow in a bit.
I also disagree that Sora isn't good for small hands. In fact, it's probably the best system out there for small hands. The brake levers have adjustable reach and even at max reach are pretty close to the bar compared to high-end groupsets.
By the way, dazzawazza, good job staying on the drops. Not much point in getting a flash road bike then riding around sitting up on the hoods like the mainsail of the Swedish Match. Forcing yourself to stay on the drops is the easiest thing you can do to increase speed without needing more power.0 -
It's probably last years Tiagra if the price difference is that steep. Have you compared Campag and Shimano Sti levers? I hate Sti, so for me it's campag every time. But if your hands suit sti levers better than ergo, go for Tiagra.
Sora has some notable advantages for winter use. The chains and cassettes are cheaper and last longer than 9/10 speed. When you are winter training, who rides drops anyway?
[personal choice would be Xenon]0 -
I also prefer Campy by far, but saying Sora is crap is just silly and/or elitist. When you get to this level of component (~£500 bikes) it's all good, well-designed, pretty light stuff. By spending another 2 grand you can drop the bike weight by 2.5 kg, which honestly won't do much for your speed at all. Functionally there is little difference between a 500-quid bike and a £3k bike. (There is however a big functional difference between a £500 bike and a £250 bike.) The £3k bike might gain your a few seconds over race distance, but that's irrelevant unless you need 5 metres to beat McEwen in the sprint.
The idea that the shift quality of Campag Record is in an entirely different league from Sora is nonsense. A well-tuned Sora setup shifts instantly, smoothly and reliably. If it doesn't then your bike isn't set up correctly and/or your technique is wrong.0 -
Ste_S wrote:You've got more flexible thumbs than me then dazzawazza, I can't reach the thumb shifter on the drops.
I actually find it easier to change on the drops using the Sora thumb shifter than the brake lever shifter.
When I can finally afford to spend £2000+ on my dream road bike I will probably go all Italian with a Campy group set. For now the Allez with Sora is absolutely fine.
Actually when I use it for commuting the position of the thumb shifter is perfect for changing on the hoods in heavy traffic.0
