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BUYER'S GUIDE

Shimano Tiagra v Shimano 105 R7000 — see which popular groupset is best for you

Find out how Shimano's 10-speed Tiagra and 11-speed 105 groupsets compare

If you’re choosing between Shimano Tiagra and Shimano 105 – either fitted to a complete bike or as an upgrade on an existing bike – here’s everything you need to know to make the right decision.

  • The biggest difference between Shimano Tiagra and Shimano 105 is that Tiagra has 10 sprockets on the rear wheel, 105 has 11 for closer-ratio gearing

  • Both Shimano Tiagra and Shimano 105 use the same ratio of gear cable pull to rear derailleur movement, so you can fit a 105 derailleur in  Tiagra system if you want to

  • While bikes with Shimano Tiagra are usually substantially cheaper than those equipped with 105, the margin between the cost of components is often a lot smaller

  • Tiagra is the highest-grade Shimano groupset that still offers a triple chainset for fans of super-wide-range gear systems

  • Overall, a Shimano Tiagra groupset is quite a bit heavier than a 105 groupset, but almost 200g of the difference is in the chainset

  • Want to know which 11-speed groupset to go for? Check out our comparison of Shimano 105 v Shimano Ultegra

A groupset is a component manufacturer’s collection of mechanical parts, usually covering the derailleurs, shifters, brakes, chainset, bottom bracket, cassette and chain. Brands group these parts into various different levels.

If you want to know more about what a groupset is, check out our beginner’s guide.

Shimano offers six road groupsets. Starting at the top these are:

• Dura-Ace
• Ultegra
• 105
• Tiagra
• Sora
• Claris

Plus, Dura-Ace and Ultegra are available with Di2 electronic shifting, and Dura-Ace, Ultegra and 105 are also available with hydraulic disc brakes, and Shimano offers both hydraulic and cable discs for Tiagra

The recommended retail price of a complete Shimano Tiagra groupset (chainset, shifters, derailleurs, chain, cassette, brakes, bottom bracket) is £500 or £450, depending which retailer you choose to believe. A Shimano 105 R7000 groupset is nominally £596. That’s a difference of £96-£146.

However, both groupsets are widely available heavily discounted. You can pick up a Tiagra group for about £300, and 105 R7000 for as little as £400, though cheap deals like that usually don't offer the full range of chainring, cassette and crank length options.

Read more: Complete guide to Shimano groupsets

The biggest difference between the groupsets is that 105 – which is the most popular groupset in the world, according to Shimano – is 11-speed (there are 11 sprockets on the cassette) whereas Tiagra is 10-speed.

Tiagra is offered with both a double chainset (there are two chainrings) and a triple chainset (there are three chainrings) whereas 105 comes as a double only.

A number of technologies have filtered down to 105 R7000 from the more expensive Ultegra and Dura-Ace groups and Tiagra components are a little heavier. As ever, you pay more for lighter weight.

Read our full Shimano 105 R7000 groupset review.

Read our full Shimano Tiagra 4700 groupset review.

Dual control levers (mechanical)

  Weight RRP Online price
Tiagra 493g (pair) £224.99 £157.50
105 476g (pair) £214.99 £214.99

The main difference between the dual control levers is that Tiagra (below) is a 10-speed system and 105 is 11-speed.

Shimano-Tiagra-4700---STI-lever

In both cases the bracket is made from GFRP (glass-fibre reinforced plastic), the main lever is aluminium, and you get screw-operated reach adjustment to bring the levers closer to the handlebar for smaller hands.

Gear shifting on the Shimano 105 R7000 group is light and snappy, a significant improvement on the previous 105 iteration. Shimano has captured the very light lever action of Ultegra and Dura-Ace and brought it down to a cheaper price.

105 R7000 brifters

Tiagra has cables that are routed underneath the handlebar tape like the higher level Shimano groupsets, a feature that was a long time coming to the budget groupset.

When we reviewed Tiagra we said, “Shift feel is perhaps a little heavier than Dura-Ace or Ultegra, but that's an unfair criticism given the huge price difference.”

Unlike 105, Tiagra is available with a triple chainset (with three chainrings rather than two, see below). If you want to go down that route you’ll need to buy the compatible dual control levers.

Dual pivot brakes

  Weight RRP Typical price
Tiagra 360g (pair) £62.98 (pair) £39.98 (pair)
105 388g (pair) £95.98 (pair) £73.98-£87.98 (pair)

One of the biggest differences between 105 and Tiagra is the braking performance.

Shimano 105 R7000 brake calipers

Shimano calls its latest calliper design SLR-EV Dual Pivot and this is now found on 105 (above), Ultegra and Dura-Ace. The new symmetrical twin pivot design equalises the braking forces through each arm for better control and power.

Slowing rather than stopping can be achieved with just a couple of fingers applying pressure to the lever and it's easy to avoid locking a wheel. The brake pad compound feels a little more grippy than the previous version in both wet and dry conditions.

Shimano Tiagra 4700 brake caliper.jpg

The latest Tiagra brakes (above) do provide more stopping ability than before but they aren’t a patch on 105. The brakes will certainly stop you in a hurry, they're just lacking in feel and feedback through the levers.

The one-piece brake blocks also exhibit some flex, and changing them isn't as simple as swapping a brake pad in more expensive cartridge brakes such as those found on 105 and Ultegra.

Shimano says both 105 and Tiagra have room for tyres up to 28mm wide. However, the latest 105 R7000 brakes have slightly more drop (the distance from the mounting bolt to the brake pads) than before: 51mm v 49mm. That implies you should be able to run 30mm tyres with the right frame.

105 is also available in a direct mount option (you need to have a compatible frame and fork) where the brake arms bolt straight on to the frame/fork rather than via a central bolt. There is no Tiagra direct mount option.

Disc brakes

  Weight RRP Online price
Tiagra hydraulic NA £469.98 £375.98
105 NA £539.98 £539.98

The 105 hydraulic STI units for disc brakes are 11-speed, as you'd expect, while the Tiagra are 10-speed. The new 105 R7000 STI units are considerably streamlined compared to both their predecessors and the Tiagra versions.

Riders with small hands should definitely look to the R7000 brakes. The ST-R7025 levers sit closer to the handlebar than the standard ST-R7020 levers.

105 R7000 hydro brifters

We've been impressed with the Tiagra hydraulic discs. They were fitted to the Genesis Datum 10 that Mike Stead tested in mid-2017, and he commented: "I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that Shimano can do no wrong brake-wise, the performance being consistently excellent across all specs from base model non-series to Dura-Ace. Stopping power is enhanced by the use of a 160mm rotor up front, meaning there's never any need for more than two fingers on the levers, even with hands on the hoods let alone in the drops." The Tiagra brakes specifically boosted the Datum 10's performance downhill: "the wide tyres and hydraulic brakes give you the confidence to bomb rough-tarmac descents without fear."

Shimano Tiagra disc brakes.jpg

Chainset

  Weight RRP Typical price
Tiagra 910g (50-34 tooth) £114.99 £99.99
105 716g (50-34 tooth) £154.99 £120.99

Shimano Tiagra (below) and 105 each feature chainsets with aluminium crank arms and a steel axle. They both use a four-arm spider with uneven spacing between those arms, the idea being to provide strength and stiffness where it’s needed while keeping the weight low.

Shimano Tiagra 4700 chainset triple.jpg

The outer ring in both cases is aluminium/GFRP. Again, the design is intended to provide stiffness.

Both 105 and Tiagra are available in 165mm, 170mm, 172.5mm and 175mm crank lengths. Diminutive riders can also choose a 160mm 105 R7000 crankset

Chainring options are slightly different. With 105 you can decide between 53-39, 52-36 and 50-34 tooth setups but Tiagra lacks the traditional, racing-orientated 53-39 option.

On the other hand, Tiagra is available in a triple chainset configuration: 50-39-30. You’ll need a triple-compatible left hand shifter and front derailleur as well.

All 105 (below) and Tiagra chainsets use the same bolt circle diameter (BCD, 110mm) so it’s easy to swap from one size of chainring to another.

Shimano 105 R7000 chainset

As commenters have pointed out, the 105 chainset is significantly lighter than the Tiagra, but is reported to work fine in an otherwise Tiagra set up, so if you have a Tiagra bike, a 105 is a worthwhile upgrade.

Front derailleur

  Weight RRP Typical price
Tiagra 106g £35.99 £17.99
105 109g £38.99 £29.00

The 105 (below) and Tiagra front derailleurs are made from the same materials – aluminium with a chrome plated stainless steel chain guide – and each comes in braze on and band on varieties to suit different frames.

Shimano 105 R7000 front mech

The differences are that the 105 front derailleur is suitable for 11-speed use and a large chainring of between 46 and 53 teeth while the Tiagra one (below) is 10-speed compatible and takes a large chainring of between 46 and 52 teeth. (If you want to use a chainring larger than 53-teeth, Shimano says you have to go all the way up to a top level Dura-Ace front derailleur). You can also get a Tiagra front derailleur that’s suitable for use with a triple chainset.

The two derailleurs have very different appearance because the 105 R7000 uses what Shimano calls a "compact toggle design". This design — previously seen on Dura-Ace and Ultegra — increases tyre clearance and provides a cable tension adjustment screw in the body of the derailleur.

Shimano Tiagra 4700 front mech.jpg

We found the Tiagra front derailleur to shift cleanly, smoothly and quietly, even under load.

Rear derailleur

  Weight RRP Typical price
Tiagra 277g (long cage) £35.99 £32.00
105 220g (short cage), 227g (long cage) £51.99 £48.00

Following the design of the Ultegra R8000 rear derailleur launched the year before, the 105 R7000 is a radical departure from previous 105 derailleurs and looks very different from the Tiagra unit. The 105 R7000 derailleur uses the Shadow design Shimano originally developed for mountain bikes to tuck the derailleur in to the bike and increase the largest sprocket it can handle.

The Tiagra version is designed to be used as part of a 10-speed setup while the 105 version is designed for 11-speed. Each is made with a bracket body, plate body and plates made from aluminium.

Shimano 105 R7000 rear mech GS

Both Tiagra and 105 rear derailleurs come in short cage and long cage versions for use with different cassettes. The short-cage Tiagra derailleur can handle up to a 28-tooth large sprocket, while the 105 R7000 equivalent can shift up to a 30-toother. The long cage versions will both handle a 34-tooth sprocket, though we've found the long-cage version of the 105 R7000 will actually shift all the way to a 40-tooth chainring without any hassle at all.

Shimano Tiagra 4700 rear mech mid cage.jpg

When we reviewed Tiagra we said, “Shimano says it has revised the cable pitch on the rear derailleur (above), claiming it now offers 'precise and long-lasting shifting performance'. It's certainly living up to those claims compared with old Tiagra.”

Cassette

  Weight RRP Typical price
Tiagra 308g (12-28) £34.99 £37.00
105 284g (11-28) £51.99 £46.80 - £52.20

The Tiagra and 105 cassettes both feature nickel plated steel sprockets although the 105 version has an a spider arm and a lockring made from anodised aluminium and it’s considerably lighter. The biggest difference, though, is that a 105 cassette is 11-speed while a Tiagra one is 10-speed.

105 is available in 11-25, 11-32 and 12-25 tooth options, plus a newly-introduced 11-34 that will fit on a 10-speed wheel, while Tiagra comes in 11-25, 12-28, 11-32 and 11-34 tooth.

Shimano CS-HG700 11-34 cassette

When he reviewed the previous Shimano 105 Stu said, “Resistance to wear has always been a reason for me to buy 105 sprockets even with an Ultegra or Dura-Ace equipped bike, and that remains here as the nickel-plated sprockets are standing up to pretty much anything you can throw at it.

“The shifting is sharp and those computer designed tooth profiles must be doing their job as even under load there were no missed shifts.”

Tiagra 10-speed cassettes are currently very hard to find. The link above goes to an 11-25 cassette. If you need the opposite end of the scale, you can use an SLX 11-34 10-speed for £44.00.

Chain

  Weight RRP Typical price
Tiagra 273g (114 links) £22.99 £17.18
105 257g (114 links) £32.99 £22.55

The 105 chain (below) is 11-speed rather than 10-speed, so it’s narrower and a little lighter than the Tiagra version.

Shimano 105 - chain.jpg

They both run very quietly thanks to Sil-Tec (PTFE) coated links.

Bottom bracket

  Weight RRP Typical price
Tiagra 92g (threaded), 71g (press-fit) £20.99 £19.99
105 77g (threaded), 69g (press-fit) £32.99 £23.99
Shimano 105 - bottom bracket.jpg

The Tiagra press-fit bottom bracket is nearly as light as the 105 version. Although the threaded model is quite a bit heavier than the 105 one (above) in percentage terms, you’re still only talking about 15g, and that’s negligible considering the overall weight of your bike. That said, for the tiny increment in typical price, the BB-R60 (105) is also used in the Ultegra groupset and has an excellent reputation for durability.

Conclusion

Tiagra is a really impressive groupset. It does everything you want from a mid-level road bike with only a few minor quibbles. The biggest decision is whether you're really fussed about having the 11-speed of Shimano's more expensive 105.

If you go for Tiagra you can’t upgrade to 105 one component at a time because 10-speed and 11-speed drivetrain components aren’t interchangeable. You’d have to upgrade most of the groupset components at once for optimum performance. As well as an 11-speed cassette having an extra sprocket, the spacing between those sprockets is smaller, an 11-speed chain is narrower than a 10-speed chain, and, obviously, an 11-speed shifter has one more position than a 10-speed one. However, you should be able to put a 105 rear derailleur in a Tiagra system as the cable pull ratios are the same, but to go to 11-speed you're eventually going to need the big bang of new sprockets, chain and shifters.

If you go for 105, on the other hand, you could swap to Ultegra or Dura-Ace gradually as each component wears out. That might be attractive, but only if you’re realistically likely to do this.

If you want really low gears, 105 is the better choice. In theory both systems will handle a 34-tooth largest sprocket, but while we've heard of people persuading Tiagra to cope with a 36-tooth, we have direct experience of a long-arm 105 mech cheerfully shifting to a 40-tooth sprocket.

The other major difference between the two groupsets is that the 105 brakes are considerably better than Tiagra ones. They are a real highlight both in terms of all-out power and fingertip control.

Tiagra offers excellent value for money but 105 is certainly the better groupset and we’d recommend going for it if your funds allow because of the better brakes, the small weight saving and the upgrade to 11-speed.

Explore the complete archive of reviews of groupsets on road.cc

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Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

Add new comment

44 comments

Avatar
RW replied to pockstone | 7 years ago
0 likes

"

Phase 2 paired a 9 spd Alivio MTB mech. with a 34 tooth cassette. Not really a success but that may have been down to a cable kink problem.

Phase 3 swapped the Alivio for a Deore XT mech. which seems to work much more smoothly. (Not actually ridden it further than round the block yet.)

"

I had a lot of problems with my 5700/9sp XT mech setup until I was shown how to attach the rear mech cable to the XT mech. It needs to be attached via the upper side of the pinch bolt on the mech, rather than below the bolt as intended if running mtb shifters.

When the shifters give up the ghost, you might consider using a regular road groupset with a Wolftooth Roadlink RD hanger. That'll cope with up to a 40t cassette.

Avatar
daturaman | 7 years ago
1 like

FWIW you can fit cartridge brakes to the Tiagra calipers.

Avatar
Stef Marazzi | 7 years ago
0 likes

Agree with the comments above - You can mix the Ten Speed Tiagra 4700 but add a 105 5800 Chainset if you want.

Also New Tiagra 4700 is much crisper than old 105 5700, plus its got the adjustment of the levers, whereas 105 5700 did not.

This might be an important consideration if you are considering possibly buying a 2nd hand bike because its got 105 5700. If the price difference between it, and a new bike with Tiagra 4700 is minimal. Buy the new bike with Tiagra instead. It will be better.

Avatar
mike the bike replied to Stef Marazzi | 7 years ago
0 likes
cyclesteffer wrote:

  ...... Also New Tiagra 4700 is much crisper than old 105 5700, plus its got the adjustment of the levers, whereas 105 5700 did not ...... 

 

Not sure about that Mr Steffer.  My current 105 (5700) has the usual plastic shims that take up lever travel.  They are a different shape from the Tiagra's but work just as well.

Avatar
alotronic | 7 years ago
0 likes

I have new Tiagra on my Datum, 5600 105 on another bike and 6400 Ultegra on another.  All very good, but new Tiagra is better than older 105 - hoods are nicer shape, lighter shifting.

The only rubbish thing about the new Tiagra is the weight of that chainset - it weighs a ton. It doesn't help the feel of the bike at all and it's around 200gm heavier than a cheap chainset like a miche, or even the old-school square-taper triples.

If I wanted a triple these days then I would buy a tiagra set and immediatley swap the chainset out - then I would be very happy.

The bike I bought (a lovely gensis Datum) was substantially cheaper in Tiagra form, and the whole range had the same (crappy) wheels. The money saved will go where it matters - wheels! And that chainset  1

Avatar
Simon E replied to alotronic | 7 years ago
2 likes
alotronic wrote:

The only rubbish thing about the new Tiagra is the weight of that chainset - it weighs a ton. It doesn't help the feel of the bike at all and it's around 200gm heavier than a cheap chainset like a miche, or even the old-school square-taper triples.

An extra 185g compared to 105 is "rubbish"? That seems a bit OTT to me. Perhaps it's time to start drilling holes in your saddle...

The lighter, more expensive chainrings are hollow. I believe this means that they wear out quicker.

The difference in cost of replacing chain & cassette is less than I had expected: at RRP in the table £50 (4700) v £80 (5800), while CRC prices are £38 and £50.

Avatar
Richard1982 replied to Simon E | 7 years ago
5 likes
Simon E wrote:

The lighter, more expensive chainrings are hollow. I believe this means that they wear out quicker.

I don't see how the chainrings being hollow would affect the wear on the teeth.

Avatar
Simon E replied to Richard1982 | 7 years ago
0 likes
Richard1982 wrote:

I don't see how the chainrings being hollow would affect the wear on the teeth.

No, but I remember it being mentioned. Different material?

Avatar
The Old Dope replied to alotronic | 5 years ago
0 likes
alotronic wrote:

If I wanted a triple these days then I would buy a tiagra set and immediatley swap the chainset out - then I would be very happy.

 

As a matter of interest, which triple would you replace it with?

Avatar
Batchy | 7 years ago
0 likes

Just say that you can mix and match some of the components. For example I run a 105 5700 10s groupset with a 5800 11s chainset and brakes. They work flawlessly so there is no reason to think otherwise regarding Viagra 10s and 105 11s.

Avatar
barbarus replied to Batchy | 7 years ago
13 likes
Batchy wrote:

They work flawlessly so there is no reason to think otherwise regarding Viagra 10s and 105 11s.

Stiff competition then!

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to barbarus | 7 years ago
4 likes
barbarus wrote:
Batchy wrote:

They work flawlessly so there is no reason to think otherwise regarding Viagra 10s and 105 11s.

Stiff competition then!

Makes it hard to choose!

Avatar
Batchy replied to Dnnnnnn | 7 years ago
1 like
Duncann]</p>

<p>[quote=barbarus

wrote:
Batchy wrote:

They work flawlessly so there is no reason to think otherwise regarding Viagra 10s and 105 11s.

Stiff competition then!

Makes it hard to choose!

[/quote

Yeah this Nexus of mine is highly unpricktable !

Avatar
Batchy replied to Batchy | 7 years ago
0 likes
Batchy wrote:

Just say that you can mix and match some of the components. For example I run a 105 5700 10s groupset with a 5800 11s chainset and brakes. They work flawlessly so there is no reason to think otherwise regarding Viagra 10s and 105 11s.

Further to this, I also run a 6700 Ultegra 10s groupset and apart from a slight weight penalty my 5700 105 functions equally as well, if not smoother, than the Ultegra. If I ever need a new groupset in future it will be 105 as it is quite frankly unbeatable for function and value.

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