Tiagra VS 105's - What's the functional difference? (getting a new Trek 1500)

[PolishPaul]

Hello,

I've decided to get back into cycling. Used to ride a trek mid '90s while i was in highschool. Now i've checked out some bikes and long story short, i was checking out the 1200 and 1500 Trek bikes.

My friend who's an avid cyclist and an anal retentive person, highly reccomended that i switch to the 1500 for better component set. This means mostly upgrading Tiagra components to 105's. The bike shop has Ultegra rear derailer (trek 1500) although the catalog says 105. http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Road/Performance_Road/Alpha_Aluminum/Index.php

Now, what i'm really interested in - How much functional difference is there in the components if i upgrade from 1200 to 1500. I mean, what exactly am i getting with the 105 set ? I hear all the time how much "BETTER" it is, but i can tell that from the lists ranking the worst to best components. I wanna know from somoene with experience - why is the 105 better should be the question i have here.

If one was to ask me about computer components when buying/building a new PC i would be able to tell them exactly the diff between most components, but probably because that's more quantifiable.

Now i've made the jump from 1000 - 1200 - 1500 now. So yay! i'm getting a freaking road bike!!! Man i can't wait to get on and tear up some road...

~PolishPaul~

 

[Ronanmk]

Your budget will tell you which way to go. IMHO, If you're not planning to do 200 Km in a day or serious racing, then Tiagra is perfectly fine for group rides and all round usage.

I had a Tiagra bike and it worked flawlessly for as long as I had it.

If you were comparing Sora to Tiagra, then there could be a significant difference (shifters), but Tiagra to 105.....I would love to know how many riders could tell the difference between each other riding "blindly".

Cheers

 

[cmoore992002]

I would love to hear from some of the forum members on this as well. We all know that you cannot buy speed in the bicycle world. How about plain old functionality? Is the 105 just made better than Tiagra or is it just lighter? I will eventually upgrade to a better bicycle with "better components" and would like some real world input on this.

 

[cmoore992002]

I would love to hear from some of the forum members on this as well. We all know that you cannot buy speed in the bicycle world. How about plain old functionality? Is the 105 just made better than Tiagra or is it just lighter? I will eventually upgrade to a better bicycle with "better components" and would like some real world input on this.

 

[cmoore992002]

I would love to hear from some of the forum members on this as well. We all know that you cannot buy speed in the bicycle world. How about plain old functionality? Is the 105 just made better than Tiagra or is it just lighter? I will eventually upgrade to a better bicycle with "better components" and would like some real world input on this.

 

[cmoore992002]

I would love to hear from some of the forum members on this as well. We all know that you cannot buy speed in the bicycle world. How about plain old functionality? Is the 105 just made better than Tiagra or is it just lighter? I will eventually upgrade to a better bicycle with "better components" and would like some real world input on this.

 

[cmoore992002]

I would love to hear from some of the forum members on this as well. We all know that you cannot buy speed in the bicycle world. How about plain old functionality? Is the 105 just made better than Tiagra or is it just lighter? I will eventually upgrade to a better bicycle with "better components" and would like some real world input on this.

 

[cmoore992002]

I would love to hear from some of the forum members on this as well. We all know that you cannot buy speed in the bicycle world. How about plain old functionality? Is the 105 just made better than Tiagra or is it just lighter? I will eventually upgrade to a better bicycle with "better components" and would like some real world input on this.

 

[capwater]

I would love to hear from some of the forum members on this as well. We all know that you cannot buy speed in the bicycle world. How about plain old functionality? Is the 105 just made better than Tiagra or is it just lighter? I will eventually upgrade to a better bicycle with "better components" and would like some real world input on this.

The difference (ultegra vs. 105) on the 1500 rear derailler could be a model year change (05 vs. 06).

I wouldn't pay significantly more for 105 than Tiagra. They are both fine and functionally identical. As a previous poster noted, once you get past Sora the 9-speed groups are pretty indistinguishable from each other. A few grams here and there aren't going to be noticed by the average user. Quality-wise they are on par. I've used/owned both, and when properly tuned will perform well with no difference between the two.

 

[cmoore992002]

Sorry about my multiple post here. I could not get my message to post earlier today. I also can not figure out how to edit/delete. I will be more careful next time.

 

[TKOS]

I went with the 1200. The rpice was much lower, I liked the paint job better and the 105 componenst weren't enough to sway me. They do work the same as I have riden both 2005's 1200 and 1500. The 105 is supposed to be a bit lighter and maybe a bit more durable. I have no reason to question that but I don't think the difference is substantial.

The ultergra rear derailler is supposed to be standard. They generally have a derailler that is 1 step up. Of course since 105 is 9 speed and new ultegra is 10 speed it can sometimes be whether or not they still have access to older Ultegra (which was 9 speed).

I have seen the difference between Dura Ace and Ultegra. There is quite a difference as the Ultegra is much bulkier in feel and apperance.

 

[PolishPaul]

I thought Ultegra was supposed to be a step up from the 105 rear... like a lil bonus, hehe.

Welp, my bike still isn't here!!!.. was supposed to be ready by friday - my day off... another week to wait. may borrown one for a ride tomorrow.. i can'T WAIT to get started. Getting on a road bike again was a great feeling.. don't know why i love cycling so much but.. its kinda like your own race car.. and the engine is you... so you are the race car.. so i digress...

Still i have yet to find any experience someone had, that could actually tell me why one would be better (worth more money) that the other. Like.. It lasts much longer, its made of such and such... It doesn't need a tune up as often, work foever without adjusting. Works smoother... , doesn't rust (as bad), i mean.. anything...

There are many things in this world that are marketed where the increase in $$ is not worth much more than the satisfaction of... owning it...

 

[Doctor Morbius]

I thought Ultegra was supposed to be a step up from the 105 rear... like a lil bonus, hehe.

Welp, my bike still isn't here!!!.. was supposed to be ready by friday - my day off... another week to wait. may borrown one for a ride tomorrow.. i can'T WAIT to get started. Getting on a road bike again was a great feeling.. don't know why i love cycling so much but.. its kinda like your own race car.. and the engine is you... so you are the race car.. so i digress...

Still i have yet to find any experience someone had, that could actually tell me why one would be better (worth more money) that the other. Like.. It lasts much longer, its made of such and such... It doesn't need a tune up as often, work foever without adjusting. Works smoother... , doesn't rust (as bad), i mean.. anything...

There are many things in this world that are marketed where the increase in $$ is not worth much more than the satisfaction of... owning it...

I have two specialized bikes, one with Tiagra and the other with 105. After riding them both for almost a year I can't tell much in the way of functionality. The polished aluminum 105 looks nicer and has a cleaner appearance to it but they both seem to shift about the same. Well adjusted Tiagra is going to shift much better than poorly adjusted 105 or even Dura Ace for that matter. I don't know which weighs less but my guess would be 105. Even so I have plenty of bodyweight to lose before I start counting grams on the bike.

If you go to a bike shop and take out two very similar bikes, such as the Specialized Allez Sport and the Allez Elite and test ride them both back to back and can't tell a difference in how they shift, then that's what matters. After all, we're just a bunch of faceless posters on an internet forum who may or may not know what we're talking about. You wouldn't trust your purchase to a bunch of 14 year olds saying "yeah, sure the 105 is definitely better dude!" When it comes to getting your your wallet, you're going to have to be happy with what you've purchased.

FWIW, I have a NIB Ultegra crankset and a NIB 105 crankset out in the garage. Both are the 9 speed Octalink 1 polished silver variety. Honestly, I don't think there's enough difference between the two to justify the higher cost of the Ultegra cranks.

 

[PolishPaul]

I did test ride some bikes... couldn't tell much difference between a lot of things...

 

[TKOS]

You will like the Trek 1500 though which I assume you are getting. It is a nice bike. And heck if nothing else you get to say I have 105, not that cheap Tiagra stuff (LOL).

I will look with envy as your 105 bike drives away from my Tiagra bike.

Seriously though it is a nice bike.

 

[noonievut]

You will like the Trek 1500 though which I assume you are getting. It is a nice bike. And heck if nothing else you get to say I have 105, not that cheap Tiagra stuff (LOL).

I will look with envy as your 105 bike drives away from my Tiagra bike.

Seriously though it is a nice bike.

Not sure if you've settled on the 1500 because of fit/feel, but if you're still shopping around you should check out the Giant OCR1. It's mainly ultegra and I've seen it for less than the 1500 (you're paying for Lance).

 

[PolishPaul]

You will like the Trek 1500 though which I assume you are getting. It is a nice bike. And heck if nothing else you get to say I have 105, not that cheap Tiagra stuff (LOL).

I will look with envy as your 105 bike drives away from my Tiagra bike.

Seriously though it is a nice bike.

Hehe, it is a nice bike... Say goodbye to lunches at work (gotta pack them at home now). You know as long as they last forever i'll be happy.

 

[IEatRice4Dinner]

if it's an 06 bike 105 is 10 speed... get what U think feels the best i would take 105, it just feels better to me.

 

[solelife]

Hello,

I just recently purchased a Trek 2100 '05. Aside from that, I tested the 1000 1200 and 1500. The ride was honestly the best on the 1500 out of those three. It felt like I had more control over the machine. The stem and bars made the difference for me. Well, I decided to go with the 2100 because of the upgrade in components as well as the frame (carbon/alum).

But the answer to your question is a good one. I was told by my LBS that if I ride alot, the Ultegra would last longer/more durable. Now, true or not, unsure. The Ultegra did feel a little smoother on the shift. But if you have Ultegra RD on a 1500, that is a deal if you get it at $1000 or below '05 IMHO. I personally like the 1500 even though I picked up the 2100 '05.

Go for it!!

Hello,

I've decided to get back into cycling. Used to ride a trek mid '90s while i was in highschool. Now i've checked out some bikes and long story short, i was checking out the 1200 and 1500 Trek bikes.

My friend who's an avid cyclist and an anal retentive person, highly reccomended that i switch to the 1500 for better component set. This means mostly upgrading Tiagra components to 105's. The bike shop has Ultegra rear derailer (trek 1500) although the catalog says 105. http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Road/Performance_Road/Alpha_Aluminum/Index.php

Now, what i'm really interested in - How much functional difference is there in the components if i upgrade from 1200 to 1500. I mean, what exactly am i getting with the 105 set ? I hear all the time how much "BETTER" it is, but i can tell that from the lists ranking the worst to best components. I wanna know from somoene with experience - why is the 105 better should be the question i have here.

If one was to ask me about computer components when buying/building a new PC i would be able to tell them exactly the diff between most components, but probably because that's more quantifiable.

Now i've made the jump from 1000 - 1200 - 1500 now. So yay! i'm getting a freaking road bike!!! Man i can't wait to get on and tear up some road...

~PolishPaul~