Derailleurs

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Sora(worst)

You reckon?

 

[Iain p]

WOW.... that thing looks more like a multi tool

 

[siadwell]

So if I were to buy an entry level road bike with Shimano 2300, would I regret not shelling out for something with Sora?

 

[swee'pea99]

As resident cheapskate, if I was buying a mech I'd go for something like this. They don't make 'em like that anymore. Mine runs smooth as silk, reeks quality. 

 

[Berlinbybike]

Dura Ace mechs (7700) had excellent bearings in the pulleys, the top ones of which had a clever design to compensate for misalignment without side loading . The equivalent Campag Record (their first 10 speed version) was a great deal more expensive and offered bushings. That, if nothing else, suggests Shimano are better at what they do than their cousins from Vicenza.

If Ultegra, or any other S-mech had that feature, that'd be the model to buy. Sealed bearings, by the way, probably don't cut it - tiny misalignments create significant side loads which translates to signficantly increased friction. I've read 50 different theories on the total friction in a derailleur system and -from those- accepted 50 different ways of figuring out how to go faster. Campagnolo don't figure in any of the ways I'd try to go faster, although going with them would certainly lighten the wallet.

 

[guitarpete247]

I'm probably even more of a Yorkshireman cheapskate. I've got one of these and it works brilliantly.

 

[palinurus]

What's happened? 20 replies and none of them resembling..

Best: Campagnolo
Worst: Shimano

 

[TheDoctor]

So if I were to buy an entry level road bike with Shimano 2300, would I regret not shelling out for something with Sora?

IIRC 2300 is pretty much the same as 'old' Sora - it's 8 speed rather than 9. In particular, the STI levers work the same way as Sora, and differently to anything else Shimano make (Tiagra, 105 etc).
Now, 8 speed bits are still easily available, and work as well as ever they did. I upgraded my bike to 105 from old 8 speed Sora, but that was mainly because I got a cheap 105 groupset from Jiggerypokery of this parish. The Sora bits worked perfectly well, and would have been very close to 2300.
You really need to try a few bikes. Some people just can't get on with one makers levers, say.
I'd never buy a Campag bike because of the 'orrible noisy freewheel, but that's just me.

 

[PpPete]

So if I were to buy an entry level road bike with Shimano 2300, would I regret not shelling out for something with Sora?

not a lot of difference IMO
Tiagra & up shifters have a different style, but not that much difference in the mechs

 

[fossyant]

[QUOTE 1250392"]
+1 The old 600 group is on par with Ultegra in terms of quality.
[/quote]

The 600/Ultegra of old is very good.... the 600 group just before they started 'anodising the mechs' wasn't quite as good - the mech was sloppy after heavy use. The 600/Ultregra coloured stuff is excellent and it should still work with most gear ratios/speeds.

 

[al78]

What's happened? 20 replies and none of them resembling..

Best: Campagnolo
Worst: Shimano

Why?

 

[2Loose]

You are indeed probably best off starting from the shifters and working down the drivetrain; having experienced new Ultegra vs Tiagra, the former is much better than the latter (though the latter is actually pretty darn good).

In what way? lighter for sure, but isn't the rest down to adjustment?

 

[Smokin Joe]

this[/url]. They don't make 'em like that anymore. Mine runs smooth as silk, reeks quality.

That's the only rear mech I've ever had break on me.

 

[Proto]

That's the only rear mech I've ever had break on me.

You've obviously never had a bike fitted with Simplex Prestige ..............................

 

[Fattman]

In what way? lighter for sure, but isn't the rest down to adjustment?

Hmm, maybe not quite clear, sorry; I was referring to a comparison of the full groupset. The Ultegra shifting on the back is noticeably, well, snickier; there's a more crisp feel to it. It also shifts better under load.

I do certainly agree that an awful lot of the experience is delivered by set-up - I secretly pride myself on getting it operating really nicely and even when tuned up the Ultegra is deffo better. I have had someone ride my Tiagra-equipped beast after being on a poorly-adjusted Dura-Ace bike and they commented on how much nicer it was, so I guess that lends credence to the idea that a poorly-adjusted £1500 groupset is going to be worse than a well-adjusted £500 one...

Waffling. In summary, I genuinely believe there is improvement in experience as you move 'up range' but the return on the incremental investment becomes smaller as you go...