Bike Setup: 105 groupset throughout.
Mavic Xsyrium wheelset
Summary: I have a Shimano 105 groupset on my commuting bike. I do about 100-120 miles/week on this. Compared to my other bike with Campag, this product has been very unreliable, throws the chain a lot and is a pain to get back on the rings!! The Campag (chorus) has been used for over 2 years with no significant problems. The shifting mechanism for the rear derailleur is not reliable. When I change this I will definitely switch to the Campag equivalent (Veloce).
Strengths: Lightweight
Very Cheap comparared to competition
Easy to get spares for
Weaknesses: Shifter
pain to put the chain back on the rings
Doesn't last very long compared to campag
Similar Products Used: Campag Chorus
Campag Xenon
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Bike Setup: 105 groupset throughout.
Mavic Xsyrium wheelset
Summary: I have a Shimano 105 groupset on my commuting bike. I do about 100-120 miles/week on this. Compared to my other bike with Campag, this product has been very unreliable, throws the chain a lot and is a pain to get back on the rings!! The Campag (chorus) has been used for over 2 years with no significant problems. The shifting mechanism for the rear derailleur is not reliable. When I change this I will definitely switch to the Campag equivalent (Veloce).
Strengths: Lightweight
Very Cheap comparared to competition
Easy to get spares for
Weaknesses: Shifter
pain to put the chain back on the rings
Doesn't last very long compared to campag
Similar Products Used: Campag Chorus
Campag Xenon
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Summary: Before you read my review, bear in mind that my crankset is Shimano FC-R600.
This is my first road groupset and as expected, it is much better than that on my cheap commuter/mountain bike (Giant Boulder 2007). On my Boulder, the shifts are sometimes slow, something I very rarely experience with the 105 groupset.
However, the last time I tried, which was months ago, I found shifting to the smallest sprocket consistently slow whilst in the big chainring. This doesn't really bother me coz I pretty much never use that gear combo. I don't have this problem in any other gear so come to think of it, it could just be the limit adjust on the rear derailleur. I should probably check it out.
Shimano seem to have thought out their ergonomics well because the shifters feel great in my hands. I absolutely love shifting with this groupset coz it feels so crisp. Also, the brake levers and calipers are nice and sturdy which deliver stopping power equal to, if not better than, my Boulder - a mountain bike. I think the high quality of the 105 brake pads also contributes to this. And there I was expecting my first road brakes to be flimsy and weak.
Lastly, this groupset just looks slick. I personally like the smooth and sleek theme of the Shimano groupsets and cranksets because it looks aerodynamic. This is not unimportant, it can really boost your confidence and enthusiasm to have a sweet looking ride.
I think this groupset represents the best value for money, delivering excellent form and function in an affordable package.
Strengths: Value for money, runs smoothly, shifts well, looks great and feels great (ergonomically speaking).
Weaknesses: Heavy compared to top end groupsets, shifts slow to the smallest sprocket but that could just be the limit adjust on the RD.
Similar Products Used: Shimano SIS-Acera mountain bike components found on the Giant Boulder 2007.
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Bike Setup: Giant OCR 2, shimano 105 groupset, recently switched to look pedals.
Summary: I upgraded to 10 speed compact double 105 on my 2006 giant OCR2 which had tiagra triple before I did a cross country charity ride, the Ride For World Health (www.rideforworldhealth.org). I got the upgrade from our bike store sponsor, thats why it was so cheap 2 years ago. In any case, for a recreational cyclist that went over 2000 miles across the US, 105 was the perfect choice. It was rock solid and rarely missed shifts after the break in period and fine tuning (which was admittedly at least 100 miles...about 1 day on our ride, haha). I recommended 105 as a bare minimum to the team this year and one of my girlfriends who did the ride never had issues either. If I were to buy a new bike now, I would make sure it had at least 105. It may be several ounces heavier than ultegra, but it is rock solid. As long as I kept the drive train clean, it worked beautifully. After about 3000 miles on the drive train now, after my last tune up, its shifting just as smoothly as the first time I got on it.
Strengths: Price - in comparison to ultegra/durace, campy, sram.
Rock solid construction, very dependable if regularly maintenanced and cleaned thoroughly.
Weaknesses: Weight, although if you are a recreational rider, the weight is negligible. I'm looking for something lighter for my next bike which I hope to race though.
Needs regular cleaning/maintenance although I'm not sure how much maintenance other drive trains require. We put on about 80-100 miles a day. I wiped everything down daily, oiled the bike every 3-5 days, and took a tooth brush and degreaser to it, disassembled and cleaned the drive train including taking apart the cassette every 2-3 weeks (about 800-1000 miles).
Similar Products Used: Tiagra
Ultegra
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Bike Setup: 2007 Jamis Quest, Stock, like it a lot.
Summary: The left shifter broke after a few hundred miles. I took it to REI (good shop in Anchorage) and they said they have a box full of broken 105 shifters. The new 10 speed shifters seem to have a problem. They also can't get replacements right now (6/17/2008). They put on an old style 9 speed 105 (it is for the front 2 gears) until they can get a replacement. The shop has talked to Shimano and was told people were 'shifting them too hard'. Ummm, sorry, have to give this a big zero.
Strengths: shifts well
Weaknesses: reliability, so not much use to me.
Similar Products Used: Mostly flat bar shifters
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
2 of 5
3 of 5
5 of 5
5 of 5
4 of 5
1 of 5
2 of 5
