The Shimano Tiagra and Shimano 105 are two groupsets that any serious road cyclist will encounter when looking for the next best set of equipment. However, they come at wildly different price points, and choosing one or the other may not be as simple as selecting the cheaper option. After all, they have different perks as well. So, is it worth upgrading to the Shimano 105, or is the Shimano Tiagra good enough even if you have the budget? Our Shimano Tiagra vs 105 groupset comparison looks to answer this question.
The term groupset refers to many components, including brake levers, shifters, cranksets, chains, bottom brackets, cassettes, and derailleurs. However, how these components are packed may differ from brand to brand, with some even leaving out some components.
For instance, you’ll see a difference between the components included in the Shimano Tiagra and the Shimano 105 options. Naturally, even where components such as a crankset are included in both options, the quality may differ, which is one reason for the Shimano Tiagra vs. 105 price difference.
Here’s a quick overview table with the most pertinent information for those who want a short snippet of the differences between the two groupsets.
| Shimano Tiagra | Shimano 105 | |
| Dual control levers (mechanical) | Yes | Yes |
| Dual pivot brakes | Yes | Yes |
| Disc brakes | Yes | Yes |
| Chainset | 2×10-speed
3×10-speed |
2×11-speed |
| Front Derailleur | FD-4700-F
FD-4700-B FD-4703-F FD-4703-B |
FD-R7000-F
FD-R7000-B |
| Rear Derailleur | RD-4700-SS Shimano Tiagra short cage
RD-4700-GS Shimano Tiagra medium cage |
RD-R7000-SS Shimano 105 short cage
RD-R7000-GS Shimano 105 medium cage |
| Cassette | Shimano CS-HG500-10 1×10 Speed Cassette | Shimano CS-R7000 11-speed cassette
Shimano CS-HG700-11 11-speed cassette |
| Chain | Shimano HG-X 10-speed Chain | Shimano CN-HG601 Chain |
| Bottom bracket | Shimano BB-RS501 threaded bottom bracket
Shimano BB-RS500 bottom bracket |
Shimano SM-BBR60 bottom bracket |
| Weight | N/A | N/A |
Regarding which one is better for a road cyclist, there’s no one size fits all. For some, it might be the Shimano Tiagra, and there’s an argument for that, while for others, it may be the Shimano 105, with supporting arguments for that as well. It all depends on your needs, meaning what level you’re at, your budget constraints, what you want to get from the groupset, the bike you’ll pair it with, etc.
Often, people assume that just because one is more expensive, it’s automatically the better option. However, sometimes this is far from the case, and the only way to know that is to compare the Shimano 105 groupset vs. Tiagra side by side from a point of knowledge.
Below we give you all the necessary information to help you decide for yourself, as well as our opinion on which is better and for whom.
As highlighted in the quick overview table above, both groupsets come with dual control levers. The one in the Shimano Tiagra setup is the Shimano STI Trusted Source Shimano Total Integration - Wikipedia Shimano Total Integration (STI) is a gearshift system designed by Shimano for racing bicycles. It combines the braking and gear shifting controls into the same component. en.wikipedia.org ST-4700, designed for a 2×10 speed setup. Perks include comfortable, ergonomic lever shapes allowing fast, responsive gear shifts while on your road bike.
It’s also designed with Shimano’s Rapidfire Plus shift system for multi-shift action and great feedback when switching gears. Also, like most other high-end Shimano gear shifters, an optical gear display is included, so you always know what gear you’re on and what changes to make depending on gradient and terrain.
Overall, it’s an impressive light action shifter allowing for vivid feedback. It’s also provided with an inner cable, so you’ll have to budget for a hose as well.
For the Shimano 105, you get the mechanical SHIMANO ST-R7000 Dual-Control Lever Cable brake with a redesigned internal shifting unit. You have easier access to gear shifts with your hands on your bike’s drop bars, with the device also designed for confident braking.
Unlike the Shimano STI ST-4700, which is only available in black, you can get this in black and silver options. That said, since it’s a mechanical model, there’s no optical display to show you what gear you’re on, and you have to intuit that. This makes sense since it’s designed for races.
It can also provide lighter front shifting if paired with the Shimano FD-R7000 front derailleur included with the groupset.
The Tiagra can be paired with Shimano BR-4700 dual pivot brake calipers compatible with 28mm tires. These are designed with a thrust bearing pivot that reduces friction while, at the same time, the toe-in adjustable shoes improve braking performance. The device allows for over 30% braking power with linear brake operation.
The only problem is that compatibility is limited to 28C tires, while there are smaller variations like the 23c and 25c. As such, if your bike setup has smaller tires, you might need to pick a different groupset.
The dual pivot brakes are available for the Shimano 105 groupset, however, include the Shimano BR-R700, which can be had in silver and black color options. With its sleek design, braking is linear and predictable, with the setup also designed to work with 28c tires.
It also works with direct and traditional mounts, so it should work for most bike designs. Some of the perks of these dual pivot brakes are their balanced stopping power, sleek design, and even the narrow gap between the braking arms.
Although they may not be included with the other components of the groupset, both the Shimano Tiagra and Shimano 105 can be paired with disc brakes for their respective systems. For the Tiagra model, you can buy the BR-4770-F or BR-4770-R as extra purchases, while for the Shimano 105, the BR-R7070-R and BR-R7070-F are the most compatible.
Starting with the BR-4770-F offers one-way bleeding and is designed for easier hose joint system installation and adjustment. Once integrated, you get additional control no matter the riding conditions, and maintenance is easy.
It even supports simple wheel replacement when necessary with convenient tool access. The R-4770-R, despite a different design, offers many of the same benefits.
As for the Shimano 105-compatible disc brakes, the BR-R7070-R has ICE technologies built-in for heat dissipation. Considering the braking power and friction necessary when racing, this makes a lot of sense. It also adds to the control riders have over their speed.
Another difference is colors, as buyers of this option also have both silver and black finishes to choose from, while those who pick Tiagra-compatible can only have black.
Besides that, it uses the same J-kit easy hose joint system as the Tiagra-compatible disc brakes allowing for convenient tool access and optimization depending on riding conditions. Similarly, there’s an easy-use one-way bleeding system with the brakes also allowing for simple wheel replacement when necessary.
The BR-R7070-F is identical in almost every way.
The chainset that meshes well with the Shimano 105 is the Shimano FC-R7000, available for a 2×11 speed system. It’s designed to cater to provide a balanced weight and high performance without sacrificing stiffness. It also caters to different gear combinations, especially when paired with the right cassette.
This is thanks to the Hollowtech II technology Trusted Source HOLLOWTECH II TECHNOLOGY | SHIMANO BIKE COMPONENT The concept of HOLLOWTECH II technology is focused on producing a superior crankset which will maximize a rider’s power transfer. bike.shimano.com allowing for hollow crankarms, which are lighter, and integration of the right crankarm with the bottom bracket axle for additional stiffness. There are also elements like high-precision sealing around the bearings that add an extra layer of durability to the setup.
It’s worth noting that this chainset works best with a 24mm diameter axle and bearings since this combination will give the best mix of performance, weight, rotating performance, stiffness, etc.
Also, its wider gear does well to increase small gearing changes, especially for modern frames and comes in different chainring options to cater to the different crank arm lengths. Another perk of this model is its availability in silver and black colors.
With the Shimano Tiagra groupset, you can choose two chainsets, i.e., the FC-4700 2×10 speed and the FC-4703 3×10 speed. If you want a 20-speed configuration, you can choose the 2×10 variant, while the 3×10 speed offers a 30-speed configuration allowing you more gear choices.
The FC-4700 2×10 comes with reinforced 4-arm construction with the gear optimized for the HG-X chain availed with this groupset and support for 165,170,172.5 and 175mm crankarms. Also, it’s designed to match more riding styles than most others, so you’re free to experiment even if you haven’t nailed down your riding style yet.
Similarly, the FC-4703 supports most of the same crankarm lengths with the construction and design looking to optimize stiffness and a lightweight design. It’s reinforced with s110 PCD, and once you have it on your handlebar, it allows for fluid shifting when necessary. Also, just like the FC-4700 2×10, it works best with the HG-X chain.
However, it’s a 3×10 speed option, meaning three sprockets are included.
Those who choose a 2×10 speed setup with the Shimano Tiagra get the Shimano FD-4700-F and Shimano FD-4700-B as their front derailleur options, while those who go for a 3×10 speed setup get the Shimano FD-4703-F and Shimano FD-4703-B.
The two F models, i.e., the FD-4700-F and FD-4703-F, are braze-on models that must be permanently attached to the bike frame. As for the other two, they’re clamp-on models and can attach or detach easily to most road bike frames.
Nevertheless, they all have longer lever arms to create light action reliable shifting.
As for the Shimano FD-R7000-F available with the Shimano 105 groupset, it’s also available in both brazed-on and clamp-on mount configurations. However, this one has a new-link toggle construction and offers a more natural feel.
It also allows for more cable routing configurations with integrated cable tension adjustment. Furthermore, in addition to the silver color option, it’s built with a shorter rear center to cater to disc brake road bikes.
As for the rear derailleur options, with the Tiagra, you get the RD-4700-SS which is the short cage option, and the medium cage RD-4700-GS. Both are designed for light action smooth shifting for 10-speed road bike setups.
The Shimano 105 has the RD-R7000-SS and RD-R7000-GS short cage and medium cage options, respectively. The biggest perk for these derailleurs is their stable shifting performance, and as mentioned above, they work best with 11-speed drivetrains.
Similar to most other groupset components mentioned above, for the Shimano 105, you get a silver-colored option in addition to the black.
Cassette-wise, there’s the Shimano 105 CS-HG700-11 if you pick the 105 groupsets, and you can also use another 11-speed option like the CS-R7000. The former works well with GS cage derailleurs like the RD-R7000-GS and RD-4700-GS mentioned above to give various gear options for different gradients.
As such, if you’re riding on mixed surfaces, it should be perfect. It even works with 10-speed drivetrains with rider-tuned gearing. It works well with various drop-bar road bikes, so you needn’t worry about compatibility.
You might not find this feature useful as a road bike user, but you can also remove the spacer, turning the cassette Trusted Source HG CASSETTE | SHIMANO BIKE COMPONENT The distinctively designed HYPERGLIDE cassette incorporate specially positioned shift ramps and tooth profiles for improved chain control during shifting. Fast and responsive indexed shifting is the result. bike.shimano.com into a mountain bike option.
Conversely, the most commonly used cassette with the Shimano Tiagra is the CS-HG500-10. It’s designed with a lightweight sprocket carrier, often delivering just the right amount of smooth gear shifts you need. This is thanks to the Hyperglide system available in HG models.
Overall, this system caters to a fairly wide range of riding styles as well.
The Tiagra works best with the Shimano CN-HG54 10-speed chain, while the Shimano 105 system is compatible with the CN-HG601-11 and CN-HG600-11 models. Both the CN-HG54 and CN-HG601 are directional chains.
However, what sets the former apart from other models is the mud-shedding design since it also works with mountain bikes. The CN-HG601 is slightly more optimized for speed, with the inner plate treated for reduced friction.
Similarly, the CN-HG601 allows for optimum power transfer with the chain specifically designed for road bikes.
The bottom brackets for the Shimano Tiagra are the BB-RS501 and BB-RS500, with both great for 68/70mm shell widths. The construction is optimized for performance and durability with Shimano’s Hollowtech II technology included, just like with the cranksets mentioned above.
With the Shimano 105, you have more shell widths to choose from, depending on your setup. There’s the 68/70 mm shell width with Hollowtech technology and the 86.5mm shell width option. If they’re installed correctly with other Shimano parts like the bearings and seals, all these components should last a while, and there won’t be much difference in the Shimano 105 groupset vs. Tiagra comparison.
Naturally, the weight of the groupsets will vary depending on which components you pick, and as seen above, there is a wide variety of options to choose from. However, certain components make it likely the Shimano 105 is lighter.
For one, it’s a racing setup, meaning it’s designed to minimize weight as much as possible without losing stiffness. This includes even the chain, which is designed for racing, and you can see that in the friction coating.
Mechanical dual control levers also cut out components like the optical gear display. However, this is not to say that the Shimano Tiagra groupset is significantly heavier. With road racing, even a few grams can decide whether you win or lose, with other factors like skill level weighing in as well.
In the Shimano Tiagra vs. 105 price comparison, the Tiagra is significantly cheaper, with buyers having to fork out almost three times as much to get its counterpart. The 105 has a few more components included in the groupset purchase. However, this doesn’t account for the full difference in cost, with the quality of components also playing a part.
Overall the Shimano 105 has some better-quality components, with the chain being one example. There are also cassettes, derailleurs, chainsets, etc. As a racing groupset, the 105 is likely to get more use and therefore is designed to be more robust.
For a hobbyist, the extra durability may not be as important.
While upgrading from the Tiagra to the 105 may seem like a good idea, there’s a pretty big difference between the two, and it may not be worth the cost. It’s understandable if you’re racing, but it may not make much sense if you’re just a hobby rider, especially if you don’t have the money.
Naturally, if you’re even more strapped for cash, you can consider lower options on the Shimano groupset hierarchy, like the Shimano Claris and Shimano Sora. For how they compare against others, we have a Shimano Sora vs. Tiagra comparison you can check out.
If you have the money and want to shave a few seconds off your lap time, an argument can be made for upgrading. However, if you’re not timing yourself and just enjoy going out for a ride on the weekend, the Shimano Tiagra will get you there just as easily as the 105.
Also, if you’re new to road racing, mechanical dual-control levers may not give you much feedback on which gear you’re at. As such, it might be better to stick with the Tiagra until you can make gear shifts without having to think about it.
The Shimano Ultegra is slightly more expensive than the Shimano 105. However, it’s not necessarily better or worse than the Shimano Tiagra. Just like with the Shimano 105 groupset vs. Tiagra, it depends on what you need from your purchase and your current road bike setup. We already have a Shimano 105 vs. Ultegra comparison that you can look at for a more informed decision between the two.
Notably, some components may also be wasted on some road bike frames. If you’ve upgraded to a high-end road bike, for instance, the Ultegra may not be a bad idea since you want performance to match your frame. However, if you’re still with a $400 road bike, it might make sense to upgrade that fast before looking into higher-end groupsets.
The Shimano Tiagra vs 105 comparison shows groupsets from two different worlds. If you plan on going pro, the Shimano 105 can be a decent way to get into the big leagues, although you also have to match it to a high-end frame. The Shimano Tiagra is 100% better if you don’t have much of a budget and still have a beginner road bike. It should also work just fine if you’re a hobbyist.
