I currently have an 8spd drivetrain consisting of 105 FD & RD, Sora triple 52-42-30, Shimano HG 12-27 8spd cassette, and Sora brifters. I've been a bit underwhelmed by the Sora shifters. So I'm considering upgrading the shifters to Shimano ST-R500 Shifters (tiarga level brifters, 8speed) this approach means I get to keep everything the same. The 500 shifter go for $170-230. The other option is to upgrade to 10spd. A friend gave me a 105 brifters. So I'd have to buy a 10spd cassette & chain. This route would cost about $70-90. So some things I'm wondering are: Are the St-R500 shifters as smooth as 105s? I'm also concerned about the added maintenance a 10spd would require. I appreciate any opinions. Thanks in advance, Brian.
Looking for opinions on upgrading drivetrain
- Thread starter BrianTX
- Start date
On the surface, your friend's offer sounds great ...
But, if you plan to continue to use your crankset as a Triple, then you will also need to pony up for a new, 10-speed front derailleur, too ... but, that's a small additional price.
FWIW. I love Shimano because BOTH the components & customer service are excellent ... but, I continue to believe that Campagnolo shifters are superior ... vastly superior. OTHERS MAY DISAGREE!
So, what?
Well, the great thing about the 10-speed Campagnolo shifters is that they can index to 8-or-9-speed Shimano drivetrains ... direct connect of the rear derailleur for 8-speed Shimano indexing OR hubbub.com the rear derailleur connection to achieve 9-speed Shimano indexing.
By my reckoning, they should index to 10-speed Shimano drivetrains, too, with a hubbub'd 10-speed Shimano rear derailleur AND is known to index to a 10-speed Shimano cassette with a 10-speed SRAM rear derailleur.
Similarly, the 11-speed Campagnolo shifter can be used with Shimano drivetrains by varying how the rear derailleur cable is connected.
The "LEFT" Campagnolo ERGO shifter can be used with almost any front derailleur & any chain & any crankset ...
N.B. The pre-2007 ([COLOR= #808080]NON-Xenon based, non-QS[/COLOR]) shifters are preferred over the QS-designated, Xenon-based shifters of 2007-2009 (Xenon-based shifters will definitely work, BTW, with a Double & maybe with a Triple, but the latter is not definite) ...
The 10-speed Campagnolo shifters are available on eBay for between $100-and-$200(US) depending on model & condition -- [COLOR= #ff0000]you can, of course, pay more ... much more![/COLOR]
8-and-9-speed Shimano-or-SRAM cassettes & chains are less expensive (if that matters to you) than 10-speed consumables.
I mostly use my 10-speed Campagnolo shifters with 9-speed Shimano Cassettes + Shimano derailleurs of one-ilk-or-another, but I have also used 10-speed Campagnolo shifters with 8-speed Shimano & SRAM cassettes ...
But, if you plan to continue to use your crankset as a Triple, then you will also need to pony up for a new, 10-speed front derailleur, too ... but, that's a small additional price.
- MY [COLOR= #0000ff]rule of thumb[/COLOR] -- match the chain to the cassette AND (with Shimano STI shifters) you subsequently want to match the front derailleur to the chain OTHERWISE the front indexing may not work properly ... particularly, with a Triple..
FWIW. I love Shimano because BOTH the components & customer service are excellent ... but, I continue to believe that Campagnolo shifters are superior ... vastly superior. OTHERS MAY DISAGREE!
So, what?
Well, the great thing about the 10-speed Campagnolo shifters is that they can index to 8-or-9-speed Shimano drivetrains ... direct connect of the rear derailleur for 8-speed Shimano indexing OR hubbub.com the rear derailleur connection to achieve 9-speed Shimano indexing.
By my reckoning, they should index to 10-speed Shimano drivetrains, too, with a hubbub'd 10-speed Shimano rear derailleur AND is known to index to a 10-speed Shimano cassette with a 10-speed SRAM rear derailleur.
Similarly, the 11-speed Campagnolo shifter can be used with Shimano drivetrains by varying how the rear derailleur cable is connected.
The "LEFT" Campagnolo ERGO shifter can be used with almost any front derailleur & any chain & any crankset ...
- 60's era front derailleurs may be the exception & may require WIDE 5-speed chains with certain cranksets (e.g. Campagnolo Nuovo Record front derailleurs & Strada cranksets ... and, their copies) to avoid the outer plate of the front derailleur contacting the inside of the driveside crank arm.
N.B. The pre-2007 ([COLOR= #808080]NON-Xenon based, non-QS[/COLOR]) shifters are preferred over the QS-designated, Xenon-based shifters of 2007-2009 (Xenon-based shifters will definitely work, BTW, with a Double & maybe with a Triple, but the latter is not definite) ...
The 10-speed Campagnolo shifters are available on eBay for between $100-and-$200(US) depending on model & condition -- [COLOR= #ff0000]you can, of course, pay more ... much more![/COLOR]
8-and-9-speed Shimano-or-SRAM cassettes & chains are less expensive (if that matters to you) than 10-speed consumables.
I mostly use my 10-speed Campagnolo shifters with 9-speed Shimano Cassettes + Shimano derailleurs of one-ilk-or-another, but I have also used 10-speed Campagnolo shifters with 8-speed Shimano & SRAM cassettes ...
- Campagnolo's largest commonly available cog size is a 29t, and I wanted a cassette with a 32t cog:
The 32t cog was supposed to be a bail-out cog, but I seem to be bailing out more-and-more with each successive year!
After yet another failure of my Shimano 9-speed D/A brifters (fourth one to break--or was it the fifth?), I recently decided I was done with Shimano up front, though I intend to keep my Shimano rear der for the same reason alfeng's kept his. I've installed 2010 Campy 11-speed Chorus (on sale at Competitive Cyclist) on my otherwise Shimano 9-speed D/A drivetrain. Works great, just as the above table suggests it should; just install, run the cables, retape the bar, and go ride! Looks great too, without the "clotheslines" strung out in front of the bar. I also appreciate the way the Campy's provide more options for trimming the front der. Plus, I'm part of the way to a S10 or C11 drivetrain if I elect to go that way in the future (unlikely--I can only ride in one gear at a time, and I need the larger bailout option my current setup provides....)
One thing I wished I'd done in retrospect, though, was to replace the right-side fancy D/A cable stop--which has the little flippy thing for adjusting cable tension--with a more standard Campy or Shimano screw-type cable stop (not an issue for non-D/A Shimano groups). That would've let me route the der cables to the opposite side for better clearance and a smoother curve around the head tube; they would've, of course, had to re-cross en route down to the bottom bracket. No biggie from a functional point of view, but would've been more aesthetic.
The change in shifting motion to reduce der cable tension (thumb shift akin to Shimano Sora) was fairly easy to adapt to, as was the different hood shape, though my first ride on the new Campy's started off on a very steep decline and it did feel for a moment like my hands might slide off the bar over the hoods (didn't happen!).
One thing I wished I'd done in retrospect, though, was to replace the right-side fancy D/A cable stop--which has the little flippy thing for adjusting cable tension--with a more standard Campy or Shimano screw-type cable stop (not an issue for non-D/A Shimano groups). That would've let me route the der cables to the opposite side for better clearance and a smoother curve around the head tube; they would've, of course, had to re-cross en route down to the bottom bracket. No biggie from a functional point of view, but would've been more aesthetic.
The change in shifting motion to reduce der cable tension (thumb shift akin to Shimano Sora) was fairly easy to adapt to, as was the different hood shape, though my first ride on the new Campy's started off on a very steep decline and it did feel for a moment like my hands might slide off the bar over the hoods (didn't happen!).
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