Everything You Need To Know About Shimano Groupsets

Everything You Need To Know About Shimano Groupsets

As the world’s largest manufacturer of bicycle components, we regularly refer to all of Shimano’s different groupset tiers on the channel, but not everyone may know which is which. To help explain, Ollie takes you through all six Shimano road groupsets, from Dura-Ace to Claris, giving you the lowdown on their main features and differences.

In association with @RideShimano 👉 https://gcn.eu/Shimano

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:51 What is a groupset?
01:59 Dura-Ace
04:07 Ultegra
04:48 105
09:28 Tiagra
11:40 Sora
16:40 Claris
17:44 Summary

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50 Comments

  1. mimax45 on May 1, 2023 at 8:33 am

    Still not clear enough that this video is an ad.



  2. David Lamon on May 1, 2023 at 8:34 am

    Chose 105 di2 with Dura Ace cassette + crankset and Ultegra rotors for my new TCR, far less expensive that the Ultegra di2 version and kind of the same weight



  3. Les Merritt on May 1, 2023 at 8:35 am

    How about the same but with Campagnolo and Sram



  4. Viktor Tikkanen on May 1, 2023 at 8:36 am

    I have altus group set and torney tx crank set. Is it good?



  5. Guillermo kuster on May 1, 2023 at 8:38 am

    Your videos are always so informative and on point. Thank you!



  6. Nick Patten on May 1, 2023 at 8:40 am

    One of the best and most interesting videos I have seen recently. Very informative. Thank you.



  7. paulikins86 on May 1, 2023 at 8:40 am

    I commute year round (15-25km depending on the route) and train outside all winter. I’ve used Tiagra for the past 5 or 6 years on my commuter/winter bike and been very happy with it. It works well, looks great (I love the Ice Grey!) and is relatively inexpensive to replace parts when they inevitably wear out. That said, I’m about to overhaul everything on my bike after 2 years on the same groupset! So not bad going at all. Tiagra is the one for me! (My summer bike is 105)



  8. La Mesa and The Cycling Chef on May 1, 2023 at 8:41 am

    My ulterga I noticed recently while doing maintenance found two broken teeth in the cassette. Checked out why. The metal used sucks. Went up to the next Dura Ace and sure enough it has stronger metal just like Ollie talks about. Changing now from ultegra to dura ace. Thanks for the video Ollie. From the Bronx, NY you saved this cyclist from rookie mistakes.



  9. Dan Arditi on May 1, 2023 at 8:43 am

    finally an excellent comparative of the SHIMANO group sets line, it could be very useful to know if is IT possible to mix components from different kinds and which upgrade you recommend when you are in a tight budget



  10. Sr. D on May 1, 2023 at 8:44 am

    Tourney a070 exists, big brands are trying to sell road bikes with it for more than 1000€…



  11. v52gc on May 1, 2023 at 8:45 am

    17:05 “Claris isn’t available with disc brakes”, video 7 months old, my 1 year old bike with Claris has discs 😂 oh dear… somebody doesn’t like entry level stuff it looks like and didn’t bother doing the research



  12. Glenn Gardin on May 1, 2023 at 8:50 am

    Thanks for not bashing the lower lever group sets! Hoping my next bike has 105 or higher, but my current Sora works well.



  13. Paul Mosely on May 1, 2023 at 8:53 am

    Ultegra and 105 and xt ….



  14. Greg Miller on May 1, 2023 at 8:54 am

    Shimano Crankset Cracking:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkEkQV-zK0s



  15. Ron Armitage on May 1, 2023 at 8:54 am

    I rebuilt my 2010 Cannondale Quick 3 with the Shimano Sora R3000 9-Speed 34/50t 170mm Crankset with Shimano Sora R3000 9-Speed Flat Bar Shifters. I did use the SHIMANO Cassette Sprocket, CS-HG400-9, 9-Speed, 11-13-15-17-20-23-26-30-34 to give me a little range on the hills. I use the bike to ride around town and a little trail riding. I have a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 for my road rides which I love and tried to gear the Quick 3 as close as possible.



  16. GCN Tech on May 1, 2023 at 8:54 am

    What groupset do you have on your bike?



  17. Sascha Funk on May 1, 2023 at 8:56 am

    I tested a 12 speed cassett. I was not able to run the smallest sprocket. The chain was jumping over the teeth. The bike dealer said to me, I am creating to much torque. I said to him, your bikes are not made for real performance. I do not pay 4000 Euro for a bike, that can not bring my power on the road.
    Greetings from Germany.



  18. Mang Ulil on May 1, 2023 at 8:57 am

    Please do the same thing with sensah groupset



  19. Andrew Palmer on May 1, 2023 at 8:59 am

    I ride Ultegra in the summer months and Claris in the winter. Claris is absolutely fine. The only issue is the big jumps between gears. Sometimes you need to shift up to an easier gear but that jump is too easy. Come on Shimano you know you want to make Tiagra 12 speed mechanical!



  20. Robert Evans on May 1, 2023 at 9:01 am

    With "trickle-down-technology" does that mean if I replace my Sora 2015 model of chainset with a 2022 version its actually considered an upgrade? And the Sora of 2022 is like Ultegra was back in 2015?



  21. Velo Addict on May 1, 2023 at 9:02 am

    Where is the 11 speed stuff available? WHERE?



  22. Ankush on May 1, 2023 at 9:04 am

    Dura Ace 12
    Ultegra 12
    105 12 electronic /11mech rim
    Tiagra 10
    Sora 9 mech disc
    Claris 8 rim



  23. kibbee890 on May 1, 2023 at 9:05 am

    Interesting that Shimano says the maximum cassette size for Sora is 11-34 but they only make an 11-32 cassette.



  24. Dan Lopez on May 1, 2023 at 9:05 am

    Where does Tourney sit in this? Id tourney a road set or a mountain set or something else? I’ve been restoring old bikes and i see a lot of Tourney



  25. My Knee Grow on May 1, 2023 at 9:06 am

    105 is now a total joke at that price.



  26. Mayur Bagul on May 1, 2023 at 9:07 am

    Loved it but there should be video for those who like to ride hybrid bicycles for both city and gravel terrain.



  27. David “Sparky” Wood on May 1, 2023 at 9:07 am

    Servicing my free hub and crank-set I am left asking what is the ultimate lube for a friction-less possible relationship with my crank to get the most from my group set and relationship with it, should I grease it up at all, what type of grease or should I go lube liberal regular and often?



  28. Андрей Юнусов on May 1, 2023 at 9:08 am

    Another video shows Sora’s weight about 980gr.



  29. MoFlyboy Blanquito on May 1, 2023 at 9:09 am

    Get a cheaper bike with a Claris
    It’s pretty cool to have the cheapest bike smoke a bike 5 times more expensive. As far as weight lose it on your body before you start getting anal about your bike weight. Just my 2 cents 😊



  30. Ruzz40k on May 1, 2023 at 9:09 am

    Ohh this is a different shimano



  31. Afriza Aulia Natakusumah on May 1, 2023 at 9:09 am

    Using an old 9-speed Sora shifter (ones with the cable coming out the sides) and Claris derailleurs. Had a couple of crashes and Rear derailleur getting stuck on the wheel moments, but it still works nicely after some servicing. These entry level stuff is pretty bulletproof.



  32. whomadethatsaltysoup on May 1, 2023 at 9:09 am

    Just been gifted a Cannondale Cann s2 rd. It comes with disc brakes and a 105 Groupset. Don’t know how old it is, and have not, as yet, checked if it is 11 or 12 speed on the cassette. I am very grateful to you for this excellent tutorial on the Shimano range.



  33. G Lyon on May 1, 2023 at 9:10 am

    Another great video, thanks! Ollie, have you thought about doing a road test between mechanical vs Di2? Yes the feel will be different but what about the power, speed, timing?



  34. gee mcdee on May 1, 2023 at 9:10 am

    This is pointless you can’t buy any of these parts.



  35. Chris Casquilho on May 1, 2023 at 9:11 am

    I think there’s a Tiagra cassette with 11-34.



  36. Cenusa Mihai on May 1, 2023 at 9:12 am

    where is tourney?



  37. WanganRacer5 on May 1, 2023 at 9:13 am

    I love riding Shimano Sora, it’s durable nice looking and just the same Sora sounds so cool to me



  38. Tarou Yamada on May 1, 2023 at 9:14 am

    Just getting back into cycling after making the jump to motorcycles… bike arrives tomorrow, an aluminium all-road with Claris components, let’s see how that goes. And I need to start collecting bicycle specific tools again, should help with the weight savings by making my wallet lighter 🥲



  39. Mr Magoo. on May 1, 2023 at 9:14 am

    are Shimanos Cranks still failing massively?..the Galvanation between the steel axle and the aluminium arms was making them fall apart.. is that still happening?.. My Dura-Ace was RUINED.. I’ve moved onto SRAM for Road use but My XTR mtb Crank has never missed a beat.



  40. Mike Simpson on May 1, 2023 at 9:18 am

    Hello Claris….that’s wht that that name reminds me of lol



  41. MoFlyboy Blanquito on May 1, 2023 at 9:18 am

    And Claris is pronounced like Hannibal lecter. Hello Claris



  42. Julien Collet on May 1, 2023 at 9:18 am

    A comparison with Campagnolo Centaur and Chorus would be relevant, because they are now very competitively priced compare to Shimano who obviously sponsor this video…



  43. xMrsmileyfacex on May 1, 2023 at 9:19 am

    Super old school with Shimano Light Action SiS. Still works flawlessly.



  44. The Florida Bike Vlogger on May 1, 2023 at 9:20 am

    fuck disc brakes



  45. Kristopher Dick on May 1, 2023 at 9:22 am

    Currently riding 200+ km/wk on Shimano Tourney. I’m out of shape and still ride quicker than many of the beanpoles riding bikes costing more than 20 times what mine did 10 years ago.



  46. Viswanathan Mahalingam on May 1, 2023 at 9:23 am

    Is there any range of power for using different groupsets?



  47. Craig Ferguson on May 1, 2023 at 9:25 am

    #TorqueBack how do I convert the brakes and shifters from a Cervelo p5 TT bike from Dura Ace 9150 to Dura Ace 9200? This is a part of upgrading the whole group set to 9200 and it’s the tricky part! Thanks, love the channel.



  48. Kendrick Carroll on May 1, 2023 at 9:25 am

    I have the full XTR group set on mtn bike. I about shit a brick when I was grabbing another cassette and saw the price. Oof, that hurt a lot less when purchased as a “bike.”



  49. Jayson Ibañez on May 1, 2023 at 9:25 am

    Can you link the video for groupsets for MTB



  50. James O'Neill on May 1, 2023 at 9:27 am

    Is it possible to update the 105 from mechanical to electronic? Do I just need new shifters, front & back detainers, battery components?