Can anyone actually afford to buy STis anymore?
- Thread starter jpembroke
- Start date
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MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
best price I can find for STI 10 speed 105 is £170, 105 9 speed £160, Tiagra 9 speed £140, Sora 9 speed £88 and there's Sora 7 speed for £78. These prices all include cables, I'm either going to get the sora 9 speed or the 105 9 speed.
asterix
Comrade Member
- Location
- Limoges or York
What would make you spend 20 squid to get 105 instead of Tiagra? I have Tiagra on a bike bought last year (just before the price hike) and used to have 9-speed 105 before that.
MacB said:
The 9 speed Sora are a great lever Mac.
I upgraded my winter bike from 8 to 9 speed recently.
Sora take a little getting used to if you have previously used Tiagra or 105 but the hoods are large and ergonomic and well suited to med to large hands.
Why not buy some used levers for half the price and look out for someone that has bought a new bike but decided to upgrade the components immediately. That way the levers will be as new
nmcgann
Veteran
- Location
- Cambridge UK
peanut said:
I used 9-speed Sora on a bike I hired recently (Giant Defy 3) while on holiday in the Pyrenees. I was impressed. I normally use 9-speed Ultegra which is slicker and smoother changing, but the Sora performance was still very respectable in comparison.
It was actually an interesting lesson to me to not be snobby about bike specs, the Defy 3 is a low-end bike, but I thought it was just fine to ride and I'd recommend it as a first road bike to anyone.
Neil
OP
OP
jpembroke
New Member
- Location
- Cheltenham
peanut said:
No problem with 9 speed. Current set up is 8 speed and that's perfect for 'cross: easy to set up, not quite so prone to clogging due to wider spacing, and (IMO) the chains are more durable/stronger. Not keen to go 10 speed as it just seems unnecessary and i'd have to change mechs as well. Prefer to stay 8 speed but 9 speed would be fine.
Alf
Guru
- Location
- Penicuik, Midlothian
I agree in that I wouldn't see much need for 10 speed (although it would give me back the 16 cog on my recumbent - needs lower and higher gears than an upright racer, I find). But, I don't think the mechs are a problem. I am using a very old Shimano 600 mech (designed for 7 speed) on a 9speed set up and it works perfectly. Apart from a strange DuraAce 8speed oddity, Shimano have kept the same chain pull specs on their derailleurs for a long time now.jpembroke said:
Alf
I've been happy with 8 speed for the last 15 years. It is nice and strong and I have never had a chain break on me yet although I have weighed up to 18 stone at times.
I have a 10 speed and am wary of the thin chain breaking but probably unecessarily.
My 9 speed hack bike is great and I have to say the extra sprocket gives me a near perfect spread for almost any type of riding on my road bike.
I have a 10 speed and am wary of the thin chain breaking but probably unecessarily.
My 9 speed hack bike is great and I have to say the extra sprocket gives me a near perfect spread for almost any type of riding on my road bike.
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
asterix said:
I haven't used STI, or Ergo, before, barring testing at shop, and others bikes, to see feel and reach. I was following, blindly, the idea that 105 is superior and, for the sake of £20, what the heck. But then I may just go Sora, just not sure re alternate shifting option. Would I prefer the double lever tiagra/105 or the lever and tab sora?
it is quite a different operation.
I think the Sora is a bit more intuititive as the brake lever is pressed in to change one direction and the small lever on the other side of the hood is pressed sort of the opposite way to return back whereas Tiagra ,105 and Ultegra etc all have a double levers both of which are pressed in the same direction for both up and down as it were.
Whichever lever you get used to, will catch you out if you change to the other type later. Guess who has one of each type on both his bikes
I think the Sora is a bit more intuititive as the brake lever is pressed in to change one direction and the small lever on the other side of the hood is pressed sort of the opposite way to return back whereas Tiagra ,105 and Ultegra etc all have a double levers both of which are pressed in the same direction for both up and down as it were.
Whichever lever you get used to, will catch you out if you change to the other type later. Guess who has one of each type on both his bikes
