Ted Bennett wrote:
>>My wife and I went looking at road bikes for her. After testing out
>>several bikes, she liked the Bianchi Brava and the Trek 1200C.
>>
>>The Brava is steel with Sora components. The 1200C is alum with Tiagra
>>components. Sora is the bottom of the Shimano line. Will they hold up
>>over time? She will mainly ride along the Chicago lakefront, a path that
>>is almost entirely flat. She doesn't shift gears often, but will want
>>smooth shifts.
> For the type of riding you have described, I don't think there is much
> functional difference between Sora and Tiagra.
>
> Practically everything Shimano makes shifts fine; the differences as you
> go higher in the line have more to do with lighter weight and fineness
> of finish. More expensive parts do tend to last longer, because of
> better materials and seals, but that won't be an issue unless you will
> be riding thousands of miles per year or are riding competitively.
That's all true. The Chicago lakefront is dead flat and gears are
pretty superfluous there anyway, unless the Hawk Wind is blowing.
The Sora brake levers are a particularly good choice for many women,
because they feature a reach adjustment that allows them to be set up
for easier use by people with small hands.
Also the Sora shifters are less confusing to use than other Shimano
models, since the motion for upshifting and downshifting is done in
different directions, with different fingers...sort of like Campagnolo.
Sheldon "Sora, Sora, Sora!" Brown
+---------------------------------------------------+
| In theory, there's no difference between theory |
| and practice; but, in practice, there is. |
+---------------------------------------------------+,
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com
