Going from 105 to Sora

[Drago]

I have 2 bikes with 9 speed Tiagra, one with 10 speed 105, and the latest addition has 11 speed 105.
My preference is for the 9 speed Tiagra. I am not Bradley Wiggins so I could quite happily have 6 cogs at the back, as long as they ranged between 10 and 32 teeth (some big long climbs around here!).
The more cogs at the back, the thinner the chain has to be, and the less miles it will last. Same for the cassette and chain rings too. And there lies the advantage - for the parts manufacturers and bike shops!
I am trying to find a triple, 9 speed crankset for a 7 year old road bike and it's not proving easy... They want us to "upgrade" which will of course require new shifters as well as the transmission parts.

Much the same here. I've one with 10 speed Tig, and another with 10 speed 105. Importantly, both are now on the same cables, and they don't feel any different. My preference is the Tig because of the aforementioned lever throw, but in terms of efficiency and reliability of function you couldn't get a chocolate mouses fag paper between them.

 

[wisdom]

Im a big fan of the Sora shifters with the thumb release for up changes. Brilliant for urban commuting up on the hoods.

Same for me.
It' somewhat agricultural but works every ime.I love the shifters.

 

[Smokin Joe]

The more cogs at the back, the thinner the chain has to be, and the less miles it will last. Same for the cassette and chain rings too. And there lies the advantage - for the parts manufacturers and bike shops!

That's something oft said but I've never found there to be any difference in length of service between nine and ten speed drive trains.

 

[Brandane]

What bottom bracket and is the BB shell screw in? Would have thought much cheaper (with same gear range) rather than switching to 10sp, to change the BB to a square taper (eg BB UN-55) and get a triple from Spa Cycles. Change from £50.
Triple 48-38-28 (could put a 50 on instead): SPA-CYCLES-XD-2-Touring-Triple-Chainset

Thanks for that link, it is a Shimano Octalink BB and crankset that is fitted just now. I am looking to replace it with a Shimano Tiagra triple, 9 speed crankset with the hollowtech type BB.. Haven't been looking too hard as the bike is pretty much redundant (and still usable anyway) due to a new addition. When the time comes, if I can't reasonably keep the set-up as is, I might just bite the bullet and upgrade with a full Tiagra groupset, probably 10 speed compact.

 

[jowwy]

Sram etap shifts as smooth as silk.....no clunks, no cable stretch after a few hundred miles, just smooth shifts everytime

 

[fatjel]

I found the sora 3500 on my defy hard work , especially the front mech , more than once after a hundred miles or so I’d park it in the small ring and leave it there.
Tiagra 4600 shifters hurt my hands after longish distances
105 5800 were / are just nice
Ultegra 6800 were nice too but no better than 105
Tiagra 4600 front mech is lighter than Ultegra 6800 front mech !

My spa has had same 11 speed chain and cassette for 5000 miles. Doesn’t seem too Shabby.
It will of course fail next time I ride it now

 

[NorthernDave]

I've just gone from 9 speed Sora to 11 speed 105 5800.
There is a difference, the 105 shift is smoother and doesn't require as firm a shove on the lever.
There is nothing wrong with Sora, but 105 is better.

 

[Smokin Joe]

We beat ourselves up too much about shifters and the supposed differences in the shift. All systems work and work perfectly - you flick the lever and in an instant the chain is on another sprocket or ring. One system might feel lighter than another but you won't know that unless you regularly ride them back to back. If Sora or Xenon were the only one available none of us would be crying out for an easier way to change gear, they both do the job perfectly well.

Now that's a bit rich coming from a life long equipment upgrader like myself, but it is nevertheless true.

 

[wonderloaf]

I've just swapped out Sora 3500 for Sora R3000 and find the differences quite marked, changes are much smoother with less effort and shifter travel. Also on the old 3500 the changes were quite clunky and occasionally unreliable, but the R3000 is (so far) smooth and reliable. I'm definitely pleased with swap, perhaps this Shimano trickle down has something to it. I've also got Ultegra 6800 on another bike and would say that R3000 is 80-90% as good, and if you put the two side by side you'd be hard pressed to notice the difference they're so alike.

 

[yogiblair]

I've just swapped out Sora 3500 for Sora R3000 and find the differences quite marked, changes are much smoother with less effort and shifter travel. Also on the old 3500 the changes were quite clunky and occasionally unreliable, but the R3000 is (so far) smooth and reliable. I'm definitely pleased with swap, perhaps this Shimano trickle down has something to it. I've also got Ultegra 6800 on another bike and would say that R3000 is 80-90% as good, and if you put the two side by side you'd be hard pressed to notice the difference they're so alike.

This is good to read. I recently converted my first road bike (flat bar) to drops with Sora R3000, and I am very happy with it. I have read a lot of reviews about the shimano trickle down technology and there seems to be something in that. Still intrigued to try some Ultegra one day if I ever get a big boy racing bike!