Will I notice diff between 2013 Sora & Tiagra

antybrow

I've been mulling what to buy and after a trip to Shorter Rochford (my LBS) am set on a Specialized Allez. Question is whether to go for the Sport or Elite.

I'm new to road bikes - and frankly haven't ridden a bike in ages. Question is whether I should stump up difference of £175 between the Sport which has Sora and Elite which has Tiagra. Otherwise they both seem the same.

Note these are the 2013 bikes, so the Sora no longer has the thumb shift that so many disliked.

Question is, as a newbie, will I notice the difference, or should I save that £125 / spend it on some other component?

Bloke in shop made clear that the order of importance of parts of a bike were frame, wheels, groupset, in that order. So perhaps go for the Sport and put £125 towards new wheels (I know it won't cover the whole thing).

Interested in the thoughts of the board. Thanks.

Cleat Eastwood

Well I was going to suggest going with the sora as the thumb button can be intrusive - but then I see its the 2013 model. So in terms of comfort on the hoods they will be the same. I'd use the money for something else, enjoy the bike - you'll enjoy it more with better wheels - and change shifters later on. After all no matter the groupset all shifters do is pull a cable - the only real difference is weight and between sora and tiagra its tiny. Enjoy the bkeling.

lucasf09

Hi,
Its good that Shimano finally got rid of the thumb shifter for Sora (they were a pain), so shifting will be pretty much the same on both groupies (typically slightly smoother, more positive, etc as you go you up, but you will probably not notice the difference as a newbie).
However, the main difference is 9 speed v 10 speed. There will be people who say more cogs means smoother gears, as there will be less jumps in gear ratios, both helping the dérailleur shift better, and your legs keep a nice smooth cadence. This is true, I know that I felt a massive difference going from Sora 8 speed to 105 10 speed; however the biggest problem is that one of the easiest ways of upgrading a groupset is to let stuff wear (as it will do), and then buying the next rung up component (standard Tiagra cassette wears, you buy a 105 or Ultegra one, chain wears, buy a slightly better one, and so on). As everything above Sora will be 10 speed, it will be difficult to do this, whereas with Tiagra already being 10 speed, it will be much easier.
Of course it is your money and your decision, and not sure if you are looking to buy a bike as a base and upgrade it slowly, so it might be an irrelevant comment, but thought I add my two pence worth.
If you decide that the extra cog doesn't matter to you, then your idea of investing on new wheels, or other component is good. I would buy myself some nice bibs or jersey, especially if you are planning on doing longer rides. The wheels that come on any either of the two bikes will be good for a few years, but if you start getting uncomfortable riding you may give up cycling, making the whole discussion a slight mute point.

nzroadrunner

To add one more dynamic, what would people recommend if you were deciding to purchase a 2012 Allez Elite or a 2013 Allez Sport for a £25 price difference? (both new).

Obviously you get the new Sora shifters on the 2013 Sport, but would the frame and other features (non Sora or Tiagra) like wheels etc be any better or worse?

This is my first bike, but I exercise regularly and are keen to both shorter rides for fitness and longer rides on holidays.

grechzoo

where can you get an allez elite 2012 for 750?

(i want it...so my answer for you is obvious....go with the 2012 elite!!!!)

foo-fighter

i have recently changed bikes, and with that change came a jump from sora to 105, the difference is very noticeable. Until i experienced it for myself, i thought it was just something people said for the sake of it or to justify the upgrade. Where the sora needed a fairly hefty shove on the lever, to change up on to the big ring, my new 105 needs no more than a nudge. Overall it just shifts so much smother front and back, so yes i would say you will notice a difference.

stoneb09

If it was me, I would personally be looking at getting a great deal on a 2012 bike! There is some cracking deals out there at the moment. Personally I don't find Specialized great value for money as part of the cost is paying for the spesh name.

Just my two cents

khisanth

I have a 2013 Allez Sport 9 speed and am thinking of upgrading bits (Its an addiction of mine to upgrade things like computer and car parts!) also. The STi shifters are great so no problems there.

Can I bit by bit replace the front and rear mech with say Tiagra or 105 parts? So many individual parts on ebay for cheap prices

migrantwing

antybrow wrote:

Bloke in shop made clear that the order of importance of parts of a bike were frame, wheels, groupset, in that order. So perhaps go for the Sport and put £125 towards new wheels (I know it won't cover the whole thing).

You can get Fulcrum Racing 7 for a great price, and Racing 5 for around £50 more, give or take.

pride4ever

Yes, it'l take longer for the Tiagra to go tits up.