tiagra versus 105

Iansuz

I am amost sold on getting a Giant Defy 1 with Shimano 105 throughout but the Defy 2 is the same but approx £200 cheaper due to using Tiagra.

Apart from the rear cassette being 9 instead the 105's 10 is there a noticeable difference worth £200? I am new to road biking and will be using for occasional commuting and triathlons.

I am interested in knowing which is best in each category
1 - shifters easiest too use
2 - derailleurs requiring less maintenance/tweaking
3 - most robust and last longest

any other advice greatly appreciated!

Anonymous

One has 10 speed and is possibly a little lighter...

That's about it for your 200 quid!

mgcycleguy

From my experience, there seems a big jump from Sora to Tiagra, but less of a gap Tiagra to 105.. then another big jump to Ultegra ... i've never ridden on Dura Ace

... though to be fair, my experience of 105 is on a mixed set-up on my winter bike, so it may be a little unfair

Mister W

I changed from Tiagra to 105 a couple of years ago and there was a huge difference. But Shimano have released a new Tiagra since then which is much better than the old.

TBH the only way to find out is to ride them both.

nicklouse

having just done a road build (my first for many a year)
I had a good look at the bits and the value.

Cranks the only difference is a thinner walled axle on the 105. for the cost difference not worth it.
decided on a 9spd set up so tiagra levers and front mech but went for the 105 rear mech.

brakes cant comment as i went with a different brand for them.

rickhotrod

Get the Tiagra and put the 200 saved towards an 11 speed setup when Shimano or SRAM bring that out.

9 speed HG50 cassettes are half the price of 10 speed HG70 cassettes so that will also help towards the 11 speed bike!

topdude

If you rode two bikes blindfolded ( not recommended of course ) one with Tiagra and one with 105 apart from one extra gear you would not tell the difference
Save the £200 and get some pedals / shoes, decent kit, better tyres, decent saddle, all of which you will tell the difference

fnegroni

IMHO:

Are you planning on upgrading in the near future? If so, go for tiagra 9 speed, as you are going to replace the whole lot.

If not, go for 105 now: 10 speed compatible with ultegra and dura ace when they become cheaper in the future and you need a replacement.

Just make sure you get a cassette that suits you:

In my case, I would ask to replace the stock 12-27 with a 13-25

addicted to Langbar

I am really glad that you asked this question as I am in a similar position. My bank manager will be overjoyed if I get a Giant Defy 3 (£574.99) rather than the 2.5 (£674.99) or Specialized Allez Sport (£733) that I was looking at.

More money to spend on new shoes and pedals!

doktorsteve

I have an SCR LTD. Tiagra works fine for me except when the triple front shifter get confused by my compact double.

I'd say the carbon seatpin is more important. It doesn't half flex!

Shezzer

fnegroni wrote:

IMHO:

Are you planning on upgrading in the near future? If so, go for tiagra 9 speed, as you are going to replace the whole lot.

If not, go for 105 now: 10 speed compatible with ultegra and dura ace when they become cheaper in the future and you need a replacement.

Just make sure you get a cassette that suits you:

In my case, I would ask to replace the stock 12-27 with a 13-25

+1

To your specific questions:

1 - shifters easiest too use - neither are easier than the other to use
2 - derailleurs requiring less maintenance/tweaking - no difference
3 - most robust and last longest - 105 will last longer but is more expensive to replace components

DomPro

Tiagra shifters don't last that long in my experience. 105 is better, although hard to say if its £200 better or not.

horizon1967

I have tiagra on my scr2 and i think tiagra is really good in fact i think tiagra is excellant value for money.I have gone from tiagra to dura ace and the difference is comparing Frank Bruno to Ali.This should not put you off tiagra as a review from this site shows that tiagra is not a lot worse than 105.

simon_e

The most important choice is not groupset, wheels or number of gears but the colour.

Seriously, I doubt most of us could find much to complain about with the current Tiagra STIs, I find them fine. Upgrading one step is unlikely to show much difference, and I've seen people post on here that they find little or no difference between Tiagra and Ultegra or even Dura-Ace in terms of shifting. Good setup and chain & cassette condition will have a greater bearing than which model of shifter you're using.

IMHO debating 9 vs 10 gears is missing the point - unless you have a specific reason for the more expensive model (e.g. the colour or you just have to have 10-speed) then save your £200 and spend it on clothing, tyres or put it by for some wheels. Nothing wrong with the stock ones, but you're going to want some lighter hoops sooner or later, I'm sure. And as a tightwad I'll remind you that 10 speed chains and cassettes are usually quite a bit more expensive than the 9 speed ones.