Is a Shimano groupset upgrade worth it ?

andyboyce

I have a Specialised Roubaix 2012 with a Tiagra groupset and I wondered if I would get any real benefit of changing to a 105 or Ultegra ?

danowat

Real benefit?, no.

Green Lantern

Smoother shifting, better at breaking on decents, and a reduction in weight. The difference with going to 105 may not be worth it, but with Ultegra you will notice more of a difference.

cadseen

As above.

carl_p

The cost of new 6700 Ultegra will make your eyes water and 105 isn't really worth it.

Upgrade the wheels and tyres for a noticeable improvement in the ride.

banditvic

Don't waste your money get some nice wheels which you will notice.

Bozman

Tiagra to Ultegra, yes.
You can mix and match though, buy the Ultegra shifters and F n R mechs but you don't need to buy the chainset, brakes and chain. Just shop around.
Or you could buy some quality secondhand 7800 Dura-ace shifters for £130 and they're head and shoulders above the new 6700 Ultegra and then kit the bike out in Dura-ace, it's not the latest model but it's bloody good.

bendertherobot

I have Force on my best bike, and 10 Speed new Tiagra on my Winter bike.

Personally I find Tiagra excellent and better than 2010 105.

DF33

I've just upgraded my mint CAAD 9 frame with new Ultegra 6700. 2 months of buying here and there as you do. Everything except chain and hubs (as already have good wheels). £380 all in. last bit (cassette) just ordered today from ribble, discounted then 10% more off with wiggo10 code.
Built my own wheels on DT Swiss R465 rims. well under £200 and ride as well as £400 to £500 wheels I've ridden.

So can be done 'cheaply' if your not in a rush.

andyboyce

Where will I see the biggest difference in smoothness of changing etc, would shifters f&r mech be enough ?

ben@31

Like the OP I considered going from Tiagra to Ultegra front and rear mechs. I know I would have to buy a 10 speed cassette but would I need to buy Ultegra shifters too? Or can I keep my Tiagra shifters? Thanks.

ianbar

i think if your not going to buy a new bike anytime soon and are really happy with everything else(frame and wheels) then why not upgrade, i have tiagra cannondale and have considered the same but i have not done it as i think i will buy a new bike once i have the money.i do think you can do it a lot cheaper than buying a whole set by taking advantage of offers etc

danowat

If you want good shifting, get SRAM, blows Shimano out the water IMO

andyboyce

Im not now going to upgrade everything so SRAM wouldnt work

Gladiator

Sora to Tiagra, minimal but yes.

Tiagra to 105, minimal but probably not worth it.

Tiagra to Ultegra. Definitely, Ultegra is smoother, quieter, crisper and there is a noticeable difference (for me) coming from Tiagra to Ultegra. I tried 105, its a good groupset but i didnt find the jump from Tiagra worth it.

Tiagra is actually not a bad groupset, but i did actually have a 'wow' moment when i went out on an Ultegra equipped bike, wasn't expecting it to be that much better that i would notice but i did. Shifting was effortless whereas Tiagra needed a bit more force, for want of a better word.

jordan_217

IME having been running 3 bikes simultaneously, with Tiagra, 105 and Ultegra. The difference in performance between Tiagra > 105 is noticeable. 105 is just performs better all round - shifts are more slick and positive and braking is also more positive. It feels like an upgrade. The difference between 105 > Ultegra, in regards to shifting performance is nigh on unquantifiable. So on that basis, I'd say if you really want to spend your cash on a groupset go for 105.

For me the only benefits of 105 Vs Ultegra are:

1. Ergonomics - I prefer the shape/feel of the hoods.
2. Braking - excellent in wet and dry.
3. Aesthetics - mainly around the front end of the bike due to nicer looking levers and hidden cables.

I'm really struggling to understand how people comment that Ultegra, from a shifting perspective is far better than 105. If both groupsets are set up correctly and well maintained, there's nothing in it.

I would say, for the money 105 is the best of the three groupsets on a £:performance basis. Like others have said, if you want to upgrade your bike then new wheels and tyres are usually the best places to start (tyres alone in some cases). If you have a little bit more money available, treat yourself to some new cables and bar tape.

carl_p

andyboyce wrote:

Where will I see the biggest difference in smoothness of changing etc, would shifters f&r mech be enough ?

According to Shimano the 6700 shifters need to have the 6700 f/r mechs and the brakes also. Allegedly the pull ratios are not compatable with older Ultegra stuff for ultimate performance.

I have a Tiagra bike and an Ultegra bike. I wouldn't say the difference in shifting is significant. The brakes are much much better though.

I certainly got a 'wow' factor when I upgraded my wheels. Totally transformed the bike.

dodgerdog

Sorry to jump on the back of this and take it off at a tangent but is there a compatability issue between 105 5600 mechs and DA 9 speed 7700 shifters?

shane r

I swapped my barely-a-year-old Tiagra groupo to 105 when I saw Ribble had the bits going cheap. I instantly noticed an enormous improvement. I may get shot down here but I'd guess that those that think this change might not make much difference haven't spent a good deal of time using both, on the same frame. I did a year with Tiagra on a full carbon bike and now have 105 on the same bike. It was worth every penny-and I got 3/4 of the money back by flogging the Tiagra stuff on here and ebay.

I like the shifters and hoods better
The shift is cleaner, snappier
the chain and cassette seems to run smoother
the brakes are better

danowat

I have Tiagra on my Specialized, 105 on my TT bike and SRAM Rival on my Kuota.

The difference between Tiagra and 105 is nothing, nill, zilch, anyone who says 105 is an big improvement on Tiagra must have had a very bad setup or is deluded, blindfolded, it's impossible to tell the difference, where as the difference between Sora and Tiagra is quite marked.

shane r

danowat wrote:

I have Tiagra on my Specialized, 105 on my TT bike and SRAM Rival on my Kuota.

The difference between Tiagra and 105 is nothing, nill, zilch, anyone who says 105 is an big improvement on Tiagra must have had a very bad setup or is deluded, blindfolded, it's impossible to tell the difference, where as the difference between Sora and Tiagra is quite marked.

As I said, a MASSIVE improvement. :-)

danowat

Very poor setup Tiagra then :P

FTR, SRAM is way better than both

shane r

danowat wrote:

Very poor setup Tiagra then :P

FTR, SRAM is way better than both

Tiagra was expertly set up and running as perfectly as it could.

I've just ordered a new bike-with SRAM, lol

alfablue

I have bikes equipped with Tiagra, Ultegra and Dura Ace. I am as happy with Tiagra performance as I am with the others. In a blindfolded test I don't think I could tell which was which (and I would probably crash). As said above, wheel and tyre upgrades give best improvements, groupsets from Tiagra and up, very little, apart from weight (which again will be less detectable than the same weight reduction from wheels).

shane r

Cable management! I forgot to mention that. You have to go to 105 to get under-tape cables.

alfablue

shane r wrote:

Cable management! I forgot to mention that. You have to go to 105 to get under-tape cables.

good point, but could make shifting worse than Tiagra (some reviews have reported stiffness)

andyboyce

SHane R - did you have the new 10 speed Tiagra ??

shane r

andyboyce wrote:

SHane R - did you have the new 10 speed Tiagra ??

Yep, 2011/12 version.

mkviken

approximately how much would an ultegra upgrade be for the full group set inc fitting?

alfablue

I think its only worth upgrading from Tiagra when things wear out. The mechs and brakes will probably outlast your ownership, maybe shifters too (prone to crash damage though). A top end groupset is much cheaper when bought with a bike, so why not just save up for and Ultegra equipped bike and sell your current one? This will undoubtedly be the cheapest way to get Ultegra, with a fantastic frame thrown in!

alfablue

mkviken wrote:

approximately how much would an ultegra upgrade be for the full group set inc fitting?

Merlin Cyles (very good prices) are doing an Ultegra gruppo for £629 (excluding hubs); you could fit yourself or budget £50-100 for your LBS. As per my point above; better to sell your bike, save a bit and put the £700 ish upgrade cost towards an Ultegra equipped bike; for example Canyon are doing an Ultegra Di2 bike for under £1700 right now!