New Sora groupset - any good?

rodgers73

I'm seeing this on a lot of cheaper bikes now and I'm intrigued, especially as I have the older Sora on my Spesh Secteur.

It's been OK but not fantastic and one lever gave up after 2 years. When its properly serviced though the shifting is pretty smooth.

How does the new one compare? I've hired bikes abroad that had 105/Ultegra on them and haven't been blown away by them, so if Sora is better than what I have now I can think about my next bike in terms other than what groupset am I getting for the money.

For instance, I've fancied the Spesh Roubaix for ages but to get 105 on it you're paying £1800 while a full Sora set up is only £1200.

Tb2121

Any group set is only as good as how well you look after it and keep it well maintained. My sora and 2300 group set were functional and shifted well, but 105 is a big step up. If set up properly you'll notice a difference, the shift seems quicker and more slick. Ultegra is a step up again in terms of 'feel', and then dura ace is again that bit better. I've used all 4 and you can tell the difference between group sets, but I would say that sora/2300 are fine in function but 105/Ultegra add that extra which you probably will notice an improvement in shifting on hills, out of the saddle, sprinting etc. At the end of the day even if you did get 105 within a year you'll be looking at dura ace!! That's bikes for you!!

Calpol

My wife has it on here new Cannondale Synapse. Its the 2013 edition that replaces the thumb switch with a paddle just like the other Shimano groupsets. To be honest its pretty good. I haven't ridden tiagra but I don't expect its much different. Personally I don't like shimano hood design and my wife finds the brake levers a bit awkward. Vs my campagnolo veloce I would go for that ahead of Shimano,

cooper.michael1

Calpol wrote:

My wife has it on here new Cannondale Synapse. Its the 2013 edition that replaces the thumb switch with a paddle just like the other Shimano groupsets. To be honest its pretty good. I haven't ridden tiagra but I don't expect its much different. Personally I don't like shimano hood design and my wife finds the brake levers a bit awkward. Vs my campagnolo veloce I would go for that ahead of Shimano,

This is exactly why I use Campagnolo too. If you are thinking for changing, I would try Shimano/Campag/Sram levers to see which is most comfortable for you (they all shift well).

rodgers73

Call me irrational but I couldnt bring myself to use the other two brands. I'm a Shimano fan, if that's not too sad!