Mixing ultegra/105/Tiagra

The Wilch
The Wilch Posts: 38
edited January 2015 in Road beginners
I'm in the process of replacing a broken Tiagra 4600 front derailleur (don't ask!) on my Ribble Sportive 365.

I'd like to upgrade eventually and thought I may as well upgrade the FD now and continue upgrading other parts as and when needed.

Is a 105 or Ultegra FD compatible with the Tiagra groupset? If so could I use a FD from a newer 11 speed groupset and aim to replace other parts to 11 speed in the future or should I stick with 10 spd? I don't think my frame supports internal cabling, would this be a problem or can I use external with better groupsets?

Thanks for reading

Comments

  • NeXXus
    NeXXus Posts: 854
    Derailleurs will be fine, just keep in mind that to eventually run full 11speed the last two components to make it work are wheels and shifters .. The expensive bits
    And the people bowed and prayed, to the neon god they made.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    You can use either internal or external with all mechanical groupsets. It only becomes an issue with Di2.

    AFAIK the 11 speed from mech isn't compatible but of course the 10 speed is.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    You may not save anything, depending on what your plan for upgrading is.
    I think the cheapest way to buy a groupset, by a margin, is as a set, not as individual components. Easy to check if you want to be sure. For example full groupsets are typically heavily discounted on most online retailer sites like Merlincycles for example but and I suspect adding up the cost of individual components will give a much higher figure (I may be wrong).
    If that's the case it might be worth just throwing on a Tiagra FD for now and upgrade the lot at once when you get around to it. Thankfully the FD is one of the cheaper components to replace.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Ai_1 wrote:
    You may not save anything, depending on what your plan for upgrading is.
    I think the cheapest way to buy a groupset, by a margin, is as a set, not as individual components. Easy to check if you want to be sure. For example full groupsets are typically heavily discounted on most online retailer sites like Merlincycles for example but and I suspect adding up the cost of individual components will give a much higher figure (I may be wrong).
    If that's the case it might be worth just throwing on a Tiagra FD for now and upgrade the lot at once when you get around to it. Thankfully the FD is one of the cheaper components to replace.

    I found out this is exactly the best way to do it. In the long run you do save money. The only downside is if you run say BB30 and the chainset is incompatible with out an adapter. But in that case you can always sell it as you will always get a decent price for an unused crank on ebay etc.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Maglia Rosa wrote:
    Ai_1 wrote:
    You may not save anything, depending on what your plan for upgrading is.
    I think the cheapest way to buy a groupset, by a margin, is as a set, not as individual components. Easy to check if you want to be sure. For example full groupsets are typically heavily discounted on most online retailer sites like Merlincycles for example but and I suspect adding up the cost of individual components will give a much higher figure (I may be wrong).
    If that's the case it might be worth just throwing on a Tiagra FD for now and upgrade the lot at once when you get around to it. Thankfully the FD is one of the cheaper components to replace.

    I found out this is exactly the best way to do it. In the long run you do save money. The only downside is if you run say BB30 and the chainset is incompatible with out an adapter. But in that case you can always sell it as you will always get a decent price for an unused crank on ebay etc.
    Just to clarify, are you saying you found the OPs plan or my suggestion is the cheapest?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Ai_1 wrote:
    Maglia Rosa wrote:
    Ai_1 wrote:
    You may not save anything, depending on what your plan for upgrading is.
    I think the cheapest way to buy a groupset, by a margin, is as a set, not as individual components. Easy to check if you want to be sure. For example full groupsets are typically heavily discounted on most online retailer sites like Merlincycles for example but and I suspect adding up the cost of individual components will give a much higher figure (I may be wrong).
    If that's the case it might be worth just throwing on a Tiagra FD for now and upgrade the lot at once when you get around to it. Thankfully the FD is one of the cheaper components to replace.

    I found out this is exactly the best way to do it. In the long run you do save money. The only downside is if you run say BB30 and the chainset is incompatible with out an adapter. But in that case you can always sell it as you will always get a decent price for an unused crank on ebay etc.
    Just to clarify, are you saying you found the OPs plan or my suggestion is the cheapest?

    Yes :-)
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Your suggestion. It is better to buy a full groupset in the long run. There are always sales on at wiggle/Evans/CRC or wherever
  • The Wilch
    The Wilch Posts: 38
    Thanks for the help, I'll grab the Tiagra FD for now, it's only around £14. I don't even need Ultegra really, I'm confident the new 105 is a big enough leap from last years Tiagra so I'll get that when I'm ready to upgrade the groupset. I might even wait for the next iteration.
    Cheers
  • iron-clover
    iron-clover Posts: 737
    It should work- I'm running a Tiagra chainset and front mech with claris/ 2300 8 speed chain/ cassette. It's a little noisier than I might like, but it's been going strong for over a year now so can't complain. Ultimately the whole drivetrain will become Tiagra and hopefully with 5700 shifters though.

    With only 1 speed difference the effects should be less than has happened with mine. It will cost more in the long run if you upgrade piece by piece though- and remember you have to do cassette, chain, shifters and rear deraileur all at once which can add up very quickly.

    If you want all the same speed then you can mix anything you like- my TT bike which was made over a decade ago is a real frankenbike- Dura Ace 7700 crankset and BB, 105 chainrings, Tiagra front mech, Ultegra 9 speed cassette, 105 5700 rear mech (with 9speed cable routing), 105 flight deck left shifter and Ultegra flight deck 9spd right shifter (with a Dura ace rubber cover for some reason...)
    You can chart how much it was valued and loved over the years since it was top of the line and then the replacement parts becoming cheaper over time.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    The Wilch wrote:
    Thanks for the help, I'll grab the Tiagra FD for now, it's only around £14. I don't even need Ultegra really, I'm confident the new 105 is a big enough leap from last years Tiagra so I'll get that when I'm ready to upgrade the groupset. I might even wait for the next iteration.
    Cheers

    Groupsets aren't updated once a year, it's more like every 4 years. 5800 (the 11 speed 105) was only released last year so expect it to be around for a good few more yet. The previous 10 speed 105 was released in 2011, and the current Tiagra in 2012.

    I would expect Tiagra to get a refresh this year, no idea if that would be 11 speed or not.
  • The Wilch
    The Wilch Posts: 38
    I see. Thanks for the info
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    11 speed shifters are cheap on probikekit ebay outlet (63) at the moment
  • overlord2
    overlord2 Posts: 339
    A FD I wouldn't bother with Ultegra stick with Tiagra unless you need 11 speed then go 105. A FD is about the most unworthy upgrade.

Categories