Sram apex or 105

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kando22001

Regular
Hi

going to buy me first road bike and I have seen a rose pro which for the same price I have the choice of these group sets.

which one you go for and why?

cheers
 

lejogger

Guru
Location
Wirral
Is the 105 a compact double or a triple? THe Apex will give you a much bigger range of gears than a standard double or a compact double so if you're going to be doing lots of hills then you might be thankful for that... in terms of quality they're probably similarly matched.

So then it comes down to the shifting. SRAM has double tap (which I like) but shimano is a more traditional 2 lever method. Try them both out and see what you prefer.
 

Sittingduck

Legendary Member
Location
Somewhere flat
What's the terrain like, where you ride? If it's not hilly or you can climb well enough, I would go for the 105. I have 105 on one of my road bikes and SRAM Rival on another. I really like them both! Apex is like Rival but with a wider range on the cassette, which will bring a lower bottom gear for hills but probably not as close a ratio in the middle of the cassette. Might make it seem more 'jumpy' when you are crusing along on rolling or flat terrain. I believe Apex is slightly lower than Rival, in terms of the SRAM family and would suggest that 105 (particularly if its the new style '5700' series) trumps Apex!

Good luck with the new bike :smile:
 

Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
I have just gone to Apex from Tiagra and it took me a ride or two and the double tap shifting is now second nature. I chose a 11-28t cassette, but liked having the ability to change the rear cassette to a 32t if I was going to go somewhere really hilly or if I was lacking fitness. If you have not tried Shimano or Sram levers it may be worth trying both to see which system you prefer.
 
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