Cannondale CAAD8 is Sora (9sp) worth the extra £100 over Claris (8sp)

[jeltz]

I could at a pinch afford a CAAD8 Sora 9 speed but to be honest I am unsure whether there is a lot to choose between these bottom end groupsets. The largest ring on the sora cassette is 26 vs 25 on the claris so I doubt there would be much difference in climbs but I'm not that knowledgeable on gears.

Is Sora significantly better than Claris, or is the extra gearing just better for maintaining the proper cadence?

 

[cosmicbike]

Spend the extra, you get the integrated brake/shift levers with the Sora over the thumb shifters with Claris. Sora works well if set up nicely, I have a 9 speed triple on my Trek and it's really quite good

 

[vickster]

Some good deals on 2013 models here...

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s23p0/Road-Bikes/Racing-Cyclo-Cross

Not sure what your budget is, or what size needed , but you Can get 105 for a smidge over £700, less than the 2014 canti sora

 

[vickster]

Ok, I can't read, cannondale road models here! No caadx!

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p0/Road-Bikes/Racing-Road-Racing

E.g. 105 for £800

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p5229/CANNONDALE-CAAD8-105-COMPACT-2013

 

[Rooster1]

Definitely worth going for the Sora

 

[jeltz]

Not sure what your budget is,

Budget ought to be sub £700 really, or I'd never hear the end of it, as it is there would be an increased amount of shoe shopping as a result....

I'd be buying from the LBS (I'm a great believer in use it or lose it ) he can't get the 2013 models in but he could get the 2014 Tiagra for £850, Sora £650 or Claris £550 currently I have a Vitus with a bottom end Capmy triple and it needs work so I'm in the position of spending a couple of hundred on that or getting a new one. The Vitus can be patched up by me and used as a winter/sparebike.

 

[jeltz]

Spend the extra, you get the integrated brake/shift levers with the Sora over the thumb shifters with Claris. Sora works well if set up nicely, I have a 9 speed triple on my Trek and it's really quite good

I don't think that Claris is a thumb shifter, but I could be wrong.

Definitely worth going for the Sora

Thanks, is there any specific reason or just that its further up the GS hierarchy?

 

[Rooster1]

Just because it is one up, and a better "road bike" choice imo.

 

[jeltz]

Thanks, appreciated

 

[RebornBumbler]

Claris is now (like Sora, since 2013) "integrated" - no thumb buttons, but I reckon additional gears are more worthwhile the fewer you have, so I'd go with Sora too

 

[Rooster1]

Is the Claris 8 speed only, and the Sora 9 speed. Another reason to go Sora really.
The new Claris groupset does look decent enough though, and with a wider chain, will be durable in the long term.

 

[potsy]

I'd go with whichever has the best colour scheme, ideally black

 

[Elybazza61]

Don't mess about just get this;12% off;

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/cannond...ods-ID_64332?gclid=CP70mPmBp78CFcbKtAod0TEAFQ

 

[Rooster1]

Don't mess about just get this;12% off;

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/cannond...ods-ID_64332?gclid=CP70mPmBp78CFcbKtAod0TEAFQ

Bargain!

 

[SteCenturion]

You can change the cassette quite easily & cheaply, around £15 > £20 & chose something like 11> 28 or 11> 30 gearing. Be careful though, make sure your rear derailleur can take it.
I ordered an 11> 30 9 speed cassette as part of my wiggle order for a mate & it was incompatible as he had a short cage derailleur on his Defy, couldn't return it as I had fitted it to some wheels he was buying from me.

If it were my cash I would go for the 2013 CAAD 8 with 105 that vickster found, but supporting your LBS is good if you can afford to or are willing to compromise, myself I couldn't get over the less for more conundrum.