hybridbkrdr

I read a stunning message from saying that anything under Deore (including Alivio) won't last nearly as long as Deore. Like there was no comparison. Does anyone know how Claris and Sora compares to Tiagra in durability?

sdmc530

I can't comment on them all But I have 105 on two bikes, Sora on one.

The Sora is on my Cannondale gravel bike and it has been excellent. It was my first drop bar bike and knowing what I now know I would have went for Tiagra on it so I could go 1X with it but the Sora really has been flawless. No issues and lots of hard riding.

My go to now is 105, its like the perfect place for value and performance for an average enthusiast. But if I found I bike I really liked and it was fitted with Sora I wouldn't walk away from it because of that. AND the 9 speed chains are cheap too!

I have no experience with Claris though, sorry.

riverdrifter

Everything I have read points to there being zero difference in durability. The only thing you gain is weight savings.

I read one long-time expedition rider who has done 2 total custom builds (can't remember the name right now)... anyway he said next time he would go with the lower level as he feels it may even be more durable, and the weight savings doesn't matter.

I'll try to find that link.

riverdrifter

https://tomsbiketrip.com/how-to-buil...-touring-bike/

Here's that link. He says that he would have no problem using any level of Shimano.

mstateglfr 

Who was the message from?

Lower than deore components can last decades...I come upon them frequently on bikes I refurbish.
Claris and sora can last for years and years- I've worked on plenty of bikes with old 8sp thumb button sora drivetrains.

Don't listen to morons. Instead, listen to some rando on the internet.

zowie

15 years and 15k on Sora brifters. Still work fine.

seau grateau

Only 1 kilometer a year?

sdmc530

no wonder they still work like new LOL!!!

Iride01 

I'm certain the Walmart and Target bikes I bought my kids growing up had the cheapest shimano on them possible. However despite the abuse from my kids riding, wrecking and leaving them in the rain, I only had to clean lube and adjust them.

Did they shift great? No! But they did last.

Would Dura Ace survive the wrecks and other abuse? I doubt it, but it sure does shift a whole lot better.

tagaproject6

I doubt anyone not having done an actual unbiased scientific study claiming any "stunning message". Having said that, I have a Sora equipped bike that is used regularly since 2009. Aside from a cable change, it still works well.

Weakbikr

I'm kind of in that boat. I bought a bike with a 10sp mirage group. I was told how cheap and terrible it is. Been riding the piss out of it with no issues. Best running drivetrain I've ever owned.

downhillmaster

It’s pretty well known that under normal riding conditions Tiagra lasts one year,12 days,36 minutes longer than Claris or Sora.

zowie

Average. Some years I ride 2.

OBoile

I've got about 6,000 km on my claris equipped commuter. It still works fine.

velojym

I've ridden my 105/XT Kona JtS nearly 40,000 miles... and the problem that eventually cropped up was when I left it in the basement for a decade. Brifter grease gunked up.
My wife's Trek 1000 is a Sora bike, though with fewer miles, and though it sat for about the same period, works fine.

I wouldn't hesitate to go 105 again, but I bought a set of 9 speed Sora brifters for now, to get Jake back up and running well. I'll play with the 105s, and if another flush/lube works well enough, I may use those on my old B'stone 200.
I'm fairly easy on hardware, so take it with a grain of salt, but I've never had any Shimano gear break on me. Then again, I've had some limited experience with Campy and Sram stuff, and can say the same for those.

dkoernert

I put thousands of trouble free miles on a sora group that came on my first bike. The only thing that didn't work for me was the front derailleur up shift throw. I have fairly small hands and I could never get it dialed in so I didn't have to rotate my hand around the brake hood to shift. Other than that, it lasted a really long time.

roccobike

IMHO no generalization about different level names should be made. Actually, there may be some members here who remember 9 speed Dura Ace brifters. The right brake/shifter was notorious for failing to shift after several years of use while 9 speed 105, Ultegra and now Sora go on for many more years of service. I had two of the failed DA brifters and a 105 that never died, sold it with the bike. Meanwhile, Dura Ace 10 speed, 7800 is well known for its reliability so no general comments about DA should be made.
If any Shimano shifter failures could be generalized, it's a specific design. My one car garage bike shop has many 7 speed and 8 speed donation bikes pass through it for repairs before we give them to new owners. There are some older Shimano 7 speed designs that I don't even bother to try to repair, I know they need to be replaced while other seven speed designs that aren't working just need a little Tri-Flow sprayed into them to recover.