Do components make a big difference

markiegrim

I'm looking to buy a road bike. Budget is £750 max

Looking at Spec, Cannondale and Merida. I'm not an expert, but one can make a saving of around £100-200 by buying entry bike vs next model or two up. The price difference is down to different components

...but is there really a noticable quality difference between, say, Shimano ST2300, Sora and Tiagra shifters...or between any of the other components that seem to be different on each model

If I can buy at £500 v £700, the wife will be much more understanding!

thanks

jameses

For the sake of not having the thumb shifters, don't get 2300 (or pre-2013 sora). As for a noticeable quality difference, not really. They're all well made, they all do the job. Higher up the range, you lose a bit of weight and the shifting gets lighter and sharper, but there are no massive differences at the more budget end of the spectrum. Best thing you can do is try them all out; your opinion may differ from mine!

francis666

I think like anything in life, you get what you pay for.
I'm a "Shimano man" so to speak for lot of different reasons, but its something that others will always have an opinion on.

Yes components make a difference, but in context.
If you want light, reliable or cost, then you have to choose.

Light normally means costly but more efficient but sometimes easier to break.

Anything that has a rotational force, especially wheels, then weight can make a massive difference.

If your going for budget, then buy the best the frame you can afford, as you can always swap components later.

Shimano have a full range and have a big R+D budget. Their products work and generally strong.

Tiagra is top of the tree for non race stuff, and 105 the beginning of the race stuff (followed by Ultegra then Dura-Ace).

There's a lot of discounts out there at the moment. Fudges of Epsom are offering 20% off all Cannondales at the moment and so are most online shops (getting near to end of buying season).

Buy the bike and if you love riding, you'll soon be looking for an upgrade (just lie to the wife at about price like the rest of us! )

markiegrim

Excellent replies chaps

So ST is out. Sora v Tiagra shifters? I have the sense from what you say that there will be little quality difference, only weight....and for that reason, sora may even be more robust?

francis666

Between soras and Tiagsa, there's not a lot of difference in quality, just buy the one that seems the best to you. have ago on the bike and take the one that looks prettiest! Seriously, take the one that you look at with out knowing it!

KonkyWonky

Personally I would rather have a Sora groupset with upgraded wheels than Tiagra with stock wheels.

There is nothing wrong with the lower level components although I probably wouldn't want to drop below Sora as the 2300 thumbshifts don't appeal and cassette size is reduced.

Monty Dog

Better groupset generally means better reliability, durability and more dependability. Lower down, alloy parts get replaced with steel which is heavy, rusts and looks rubbish after a few months. In terms of priority of spend, 1=frame, 2=wheels, 3=contact points and last = the rest.

Rodders30

Disagree with Monty Dog. I have sora and tiagra mix. All perfect condition and shifting super smooth and 4.5years old. Dunno how many miles, but estimate in the thousands. Road all year round.
Just look after it. Clean it. Oil it etc... and it will look after you.

downhill paul

If your budget is £750, I would recommend the Specialized Allez Sport.
it has all Sora components, a 9 speed rear cassette and carbon forks, a bit of an improvement compared to the 2203 components, 8 speed rear cassette, Tektro brakes and alloy forks fitted to the standard Allez.
I ride one myself, the only difference is that I upgraded to the Mavic Aksium Race wheel set, Michelin Pro Race 3 tyres and Shimano pedals and cleats. sometime in the near future I will also be upgrading the brake pads for the Shimano BR-6700 pads.
even without the upgraded wheels tyres and brake pads, the bike is still a great buy for the price.
the geometry is as perfect as any other bike I have ever owned and I don't think I have ever been on such a comfortable bike.

overlord2

I have a winter bike that has had Tiagra groupset on for 7 going on 8 years and about 15k miles only thing that failed was the front DR and the rear DR disintegrated all through corrosion. The shifters work like new. Personally I think cheap Shimano stuff is still good durability wise.

markiegrim

Thanks all. Excellent advice

Downhill Paul - the Specialized Allez Sport was indeed my choice at upper end of my budget..so glad to hear you are happy with yours. However, at another shop, they sell Merida which actually look pretty good and spec wise, similar to Allez Sport for around £600 (last season in sale)..any thoughts on Merida?

I'm a newbie, so forgive me, but do all the upgrades some of you chaps do really make a difference to ride and speed? Or is it just a bug one gets?

Bozman

I use 6700 Ultegra and 7800 Dura-ace, I did a bit of work on a mates bike last week with 5700 105 on and I rode the bike back, only 5 miles but there's squat difference between the Ultegra and 105. The same bike used to have Tiagra on which worked fine but it wasn't as good as the 105 that replaced it.

What you've never had you won't miss.

downhill paul

markiegrim wrote:

Thanks all. Excellent advice

Downhill Paul - the Specialized Allez Sport was indeed my choice at upper end of my budget..so glad to hear you are happy with yours. However, at another shop, they sell Merida which actually look pretty good and spec wise, similar to Allez Sport for around £600 (last season in sale)..any thoughts on Merida?

I'm a newbie, so forgive me, but do all the upgrades some of you chaps do really make a difference to ride and speed? Or is it just a bug one gets?

I'm sorry mate, I have never heard of Merida.
some of the upgrades do make a difference, some are personal preference and some people just upgrade parts because they want to have what the pros use.

For example, I upgraded the wheels on my bike from axis classics to Mavic Aksium race wheels because the axis wheels were heavier and the bearings were crap and slow. my last bike was a Carrera virtuoso from Halfords, I could fly down hills with very little effort. the axis wheels on my Allez sport never seemed to get going down a hill. I upgraded the tyres to Michelin pro race 3's because they are a smaller diameter compared to the Espoir tyres that came as standard, they are 700x25c and the Michelin's are 700x23c. it might not sound like a big difference but it is. I also changed the tyres because I never ride in the wet and I prefer slick tyres.

I am also going to upgrade the brake pads too. the BR-6700 brake pads I have in mind are cartridge style pads, this means that you don't have to pay someone to fit new brake pads for you (if you don't know how to do it) you simply remove a grub screw, slide out the old rubber pad and slide a new one in, then adjust the cable so that the pads are the correct distance from the wheel rim. the new brake pads I have in mind are pads that I have used before, they have better stopping power than the current pads and they last a lot longer too.
the brake and gear cables are also something I am considering upgrading when they need it. the inner and outer cables are currently Jag wire cables which are OK but they have stretched a bit and don't tend to last very long.

Some people may choose to change their saddle and or bar tape too, this of course is a personal thing. you might find that the bar tape and the saddle on your bike fit you just fine and are very comfortable. changing your saddle can also be important for a good bike fit, as can changing parts such as crank arms, stem and handlebars.
you can also consider changing your rear cassette and front chain rings for a different gear ratio which will make hill climbing easier depending on your current setup. if you like the frame of your bike but want better components then you could also upgrade them.

Usually if you want better components then you have to buy a better bike. the Allez sport for example has all Sora components, the tarmac elite (another bike I was considering) has all 105 components. in a few years time I might think about upgrading the whole Sora group set on my Allez sport for the 105 group set. this is because I don't really want a carbon fiber bike, I am perfectly happy with the geometry and performance of my current alloy bike, but I do like the 105 group set.

If this is your first road bike then I would forget the upgrades and simply ride your bike. once you get more serious then you can consider certain performance and personal upgrades, until then such upgrades won't really make that much of a difference, not one that you will notice anyway.

Hopefully I have helped to clear a few things up for you mate.
happy riding.

southdownswolf

Merida made good quality bikes, so don't be put off by the brand name.
They actually own half of Specialized and make a lot of their bikes.....

downhill paul

I'm not put off, I have just never heard of Merida.

jameses

markiegrim wrote:

I'm a newbie, so forgive me, but do all the upgrades some of you chaps do really make a difference to ride and speed? Or is it just a bug one gets?

Mostly just a compulsion to upgrade, I think. Wheels/tyres will make a noticeabe difference to the ride and contact points can make the bike more comfortable (once you've found parts that suit you, which is usually very much a personal thing); groupset parts will make almost no difference to ride quality or speed.

As for Merida, I think they are one of the largest bike manufacturers out there, although not generally well known as a brand. The reviews I have seen are usually pretty positive, though, and they are currently being ridden by Lampre (I think).

I still say get the cheapest one that fits so long as it doesn't have shimano thumb shifters. If you catch the cycling bug, you'll probably end up getting something carbon in a year or two anyway.

Bwgan

My mate borrowed me his winter training bike while I built up my bike. That had 8 speed Sora shifters and 10 yr old 105. It shifted fine, the gears worked well, it was a heavy bike though due to its age. But what annoyed me was an annoying creak from the shifters when you started to pull on them when climbing. It destroyed me it was so annoying. No matter how much I played with them and tightened it just wouldn't go away

Giantmatt75

Also try and test ride a Giant Defy 3 , I have had mine about a month now and absolutely love it . Sora 9spd works really well , £670 well spent for me

slowbike

My first bike has ST2300 - it works fine, nothing mechanically wrong with it - but the shifting isn't as sharp as the Tiagra on my second bike - the Tiagra levers don't have the thumb shifters - so that's better for me.
The Tiagra shifters are not as sharp as the 105 levers on my third bike.
I prefer the 105 levers, but it's a lot of money for something that doesn't actually make you faster.

Upgrades can be both for pleasure and speed - speedwise tends to be wheels/tyres - but stock wheels are not that bad and changing wheels isn't going to make you KOM!
I think pleasure upgrades can make you faster - but only because you're more likely to ride.

The best bike to get is one that you find comfortable to ride and want to get out and ride on.
All mine are Specialized and I'm happy with my choice - but they're not for everyone - so best bet is to go and have a look and test ride before you buy!

cougie

Lampre Merida is the TdF team riding Meridas. They were heavily advertised on Eurosport and I've seen a few kids on their MTBs now.

Apparently they make 2.2 Million bikes a year, for 67 countries and have been going since 1972.

zx6man

I like the st2300 thumb shifters, with heavy gloves in winter I seem to be able to change better too. Shifting up seems to take a bigger push than others so that makes it feel less sharp but still work. After a few thousand miles, mine haven't missed a beat. You are just stuck with 8 speeds though as mentioned. Side note - just replacing my 8 speed chain for £7 quid is nice :-)

markiegrim

What can I say?..all really helpful
Downhill Paul - thanks for the effort you went to in explaining upgrades you have done/are thinking of
Learning for me - enjoy the bike...think upgrades later if I get into it...and most likely focus on wheels and contact points
Ta