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TECH NEWS
Shimano 105 goes 11-speed
Shimano has launched a brand new version of its 105 groupset – the most popular road groupset worldwide – that features an 11-speed drivetrain and, says Shimano, improved braking power.
The new 5800 series 105 features technology that has trickled down from Shimano’s high-level Dura-Ace and Ultegra groups.
“The main thing about 105 is that it’s now 11-speed,” said Shimano’s UK brand manager Mark Greshon at the UK launch. “With it being 11-speed it brings many of the functions and features that you get with both Ultegra and Dura-Ace to a much wider range of riders.”
So, 105 follows in the footsteps of Dura-Ace and Ultegra (and groupsets from Campagnolo and SRAM) in going 11-speed. Shimano has redesigned the derailleurs and shift levers and included polymer coated cables to replicate the light shifting of its higher level groupsets – and, judging by the demo components available at the launch, it really is noticeably lighter than previously but still with a very definite click engagement.
Shimano says, “The shift levers have a compact grip which provides more comfort and control during a ride. The lever can be customised for different hand sizes with a 10mm screw-type reach adjust.
“The front derailleur has a longer link arm combined with a new spring mechanism. Also, the rear derailleur has a new spring mechanism and cable pitch, which provides robust adjustability.”
That’s the official line. The four-arm crank has trickled down from Dura-Ace too, with the uneven spacing between those arms that some people like and some people can’t stomach. Visuals aside, Shimano says that this gives the best transfer of power and balance between lightweight and stiffness.
This design also means there’s just one bolt circle diameter (BCD) for compact and traditional double chainsets. In other words, one crankarm fits all chainring sizes.
The standard chainset combos will be 53/39T, 52/36T and 50/34T. If you want to swap from 53/39T to 50/34T, for example, you can do that using the same crankarm – you can just change the chainrings rather than the whole chainset.
There will also be a non-series regular five-arm chainset.
The 11-speed cassette is available with 12-25 tooth and 11-28-tooth sprockets, as before, but there’s also a new wide-ranging 11-32-tooth option.
A short cage derailleur will handle sprockets up to 28T, but if you want to go to 32-tooth you’ll need the long cage derailleur.
Shimano treat the chain with a Sil-Tec surface-plating technology that they say makes it run smoother and wear longer in all conditions.
Shimano also say that they have improved the braking power by 10% over that of the previous 5700 series 105 groupset… and we love a statistic around these parts!
Shimano attribute most of that increased power to the new symmetrical dual-pivot brake caliper. Those calipers have a higher arch so they are compatible with tyres up to 28c – and there’s a general trend towards increased tyre size on the road these days.
The brakes are also available in a direct mount version (BR-5810), direct mount being an increasingly popular choice on road bikes as well as time trial bikes.
The 5800 Series 105 groupset will be available in black and silver from June. We don’t have prices on any of the components yet.
Shimano have an 11-speed flat-bar shifter that you can use with the new 105 components if you like, or with Ultegra or Dura-Ace for that matter.
Shimano has also introduced road hydraulic disc brakes that you can use with an 11-speed mechanical groupset like new 105. Check out our other story for all the details on that.
If you were hoping that Shimano would roll their Di2 technology down from Dura-Ace and Ultegra to 105, sorry, but that's not happening – not for the time being, at least. Electronic shifting will doubtless filter further down the road groupset hierarchy at some stage, but not yet.
Shimano say that 5800 Series 105 will be available from June.
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. 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.
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88 comments
Still no DI2 in the 105 range then?
Still no DI2 in the 105 range then?
Got to say, 50/36 and 11-32 mechanical, plus hydro discs, all internally routed, sounds like my perfect group.
Whether that's 10 or 11-sp, I care not.
Double check compatibility though, apparently a lot of Zipps are proving not to be cross compatible! A load of peeps I know this year have upgraded their groups and bikes to find they're having to flog their wheels.
I had to order a new compatible freehub body for mine to plop on for use with 11sp. Handy as though as how I have a separate cassette for two different bikes.
While I realise there are some real reasons for these technical developments (at least for those hard-core cyclists for whom their own body isn't far-and-away the primary limiting factor for performance!) I nevertheless find the topic of increasing numbers of cogs always makes me think of this Onion article (once satire but since overtaken by reality).
http://www.theonion.com/articles/fuck-everything-were-doing-five-blades,...
Yep - 50/36 would mean I need to buy a new chain ring for a compact. I also ride asymmetric crank lengths due to different length in effective femur size, so I'm going to have to stump up even more cash.
Mind you I prefer the look of the silver 105 crankset over the dark grey of Ultegra so I'll save some cash there
There seems to be an awful lot of talk about gearing.. From what I see there is nothing to tempt me to upgrade to 11 speed. Quite happy with my Ultegra triple 52.39.30 11/28. Perfect range of gears for what I need and it gets me up any mountain.
Having used a compact I was glad when it wore out. I found I never used the 34 ring except for hills, which effectively meant I had a 10 speed for most purposes!
Where is Shimano 105 5800? June was said to be the date, but no stores have it yet. (18 Aug says CRC.)
According to my pre-order with Tweeks, some parts are available for delivery now, still waiting for my midsize chainset though which is due into stock 05/08. Quite excited.
One thing I did find amusing was the substantial difference in lead times between the front and rear brake calipers..!
The reviews of the 5800 seem really positive.
I have a ten speed block. As the indexing is in the lever, is there any logical reason why I can't use a Shimano 105 5800 rear changer with a ten speed block?
Any advice gratefully received!
Just to add, it isn't just that the shifter pulls a different ammount of cable, its also the way the derailuer moves has changed. So, for example, you cant use the newer Tiagra 4700 10 speed rear derailuer with older 10 speed shifters.
[snip] comment retracted
It won't shift well/at all - the indexing will be off because the gaps between the cogs in the cassette are thinner on 11-speed compared to 10-speed. Its why 11-speed chains are thinner.
If the spacing was the same you could do it - you'd just need a longer limit screw to prevent the mech chucking the chain into the spokes.
10 speed shifters with 10 speed block OK 11 speed shifters with 10 speed block not OK.
BUT I can't see why you'd replace the mech only.
Thank you for your reply.
My thought had been that the indexed gear shifter sorts the movement... not the rear changer.
The shifter moves in increments to suit the spacing of the cogs, so on 11-speed both are different to 10-speed as the cogs are closer together to get them on the same size freehub body. Also the chain is narrower for the same reason.
Still no DI2 in the 105 range then?
talking to shimano it seems that consumer demand for triples has rather dropped off a cliff in the past few years, presumably due to the increasing availability of wide-range double setups. they also don't think that the shifting across a triple and 11spd cassette is up to scratch either, due to the more extreme chain angles over a double.
whether that's manufacturer focus driving the demand down, or manufacturers responding to consumer demand, well...
i suspect that sora/tiagra level groupsets will persist with them them though
On a slightly related note, how long before a new tiagra groupset is announced, under bar shifting ten speed (with improved braking maybe) if they lose the gear indicators then I think Tiagra would be even more of a bargain than it already is.
Does Tiagra still use the little sticky thumb shifters? or is that Sora I'm thinking of...?
My first bike (ridgeback radium 2012) had those.... if they got rid of those it'd be amazing.
My 2014 Marin has Sora and it has double levers. I think the previous incarnation had a lever and thumb button. Not sure about Tiagra
Ahhh perhaps they've got ride of them then, that'd be excellent! Cheers
Tiagra has 'drop shifters', not 'thumb shifters', good budget shifting if a little clunky(9 speed), the 10 speed tiagra feels a lot slicker/sharper and really isn't that far off 105 in the weight and quality stakes...
Shimano release new groupsets at the rate of one a year normally. It starts with DA, then Ultegra, 105, Tiagra and Sora. So if I was a gambling man I would say new Tiagra will be a 2016 groupset, probably available mid 2015.
Breaking news:
Major bicycle component manufacturer introduces another new product to make a profit, yet some members of the cycling community find this unacceptable.
Stay tuned for more unbalanced comment, vitriol and other stuff about bananas.
Looks way nicer this year!
I've just gone up to Ultegra 11sp on the new bike...still finding it a bit awkward to find my sweet spots tbh. Though it's come in really handy for climbing in races, less clunks as I'm on a 28/11.
Some wheels are OK with swapping using adapters too which means I can swap my powertap wheels between any bike.
Good job Shimano, can't fault this kit for the price, nice to see the quality filtering down to entry level.
I want a 12-28 11-speed option...
With the debate about longevity of modern chains appearing once again, it's worth reflecting that the late Tommy Chambers, that most eminent Glaswegian clubman who in his lifetime rode a documented 799,405 miles no less, meticulously records in his diaries that he wore out 76 chains.
In other words, a decidedly impressive average of 10,518 miles per chain.
That may be the case but he also rode old steel bikes, fat heavy tyres, baggy clothing, fixed wheel and pedals with toe straps (not even clips on the pictures i have seen) so what exactly is your point? That old technology is better than modern stuff maybe? I, for one, dont think so.
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