Cyclists Hub is supported by its readers. We may receive a commission if you buy products using our links.
All content on Cyclists Hub is written by humans, not robots. Learn More
When choosing an entry-level road bike, you will most likely encounter Shimano Claris, Sora, or Tiagra groupsets. Below, I will compare their weights, performance, and prices to help you decide which one to choose.
I also share my experience, add my perspective, and suggest a few questions you should think about before you decide to pay extra for a better groupset.
KEY TAKEAWAY
If your budget allows, I recommend buying Tiagra because it offers the widest gear selection (2×10 or 3×10spd). It also has shifting cables routed under the handlebar tape, not externally like Claris. But Claris and Sora are good starting points, especially if you don’t plan to ride often.
Shimano Road Groupsets Hierarchy
According to this estimate, Shimano has about 70 % market share. It’s the go-to choice of most cyclists. Its competitors, like SRAM and Campagnolo, are less popular, especially in the lower-end spectrum of road bikes.
See the following table that summarizes the Shimano road bike groupsets hierarchy.
| Level | Shimano | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Claris | Mechanical |
| Entry | Sora | Mechanical |
| Entry | Tiagra | Mechanical |
| Mid-range | 105 | Mechanical |
| Mid-range | 105 Di2 | Electronic |
| Pro | Ultegra Di2 | Electronic |
| Pro | Dura-Ace Di2 | Electronic |
The other three groupsets (105, Ultegra, and Dura-Ace) can be found on higher-end road bikes. Those groupsets are electronic and more expensive. The same also applies to SRAM eTap AXS groupsets.
Naming and Generations
Each of these groups is already several generations old. The product cycle for Shimano groupsets is approximately 4-5 years.
However, Claris, Sora, and Tiagra were not updated for a long time, so we will see when Shimano updates them.
The name of each groupset is specified by a number (e.g., R3000). All these groupsets are mechanical.
Below are the latest generations:
- Shimano Claris (2400, R2000) [2×8 or 3×8spd]
- Shimano Sora (3400, 3500, R3000) [2×9 or 3×9spd]
- Shimano Tiagra (4500, 4600, 4700) [2×10 or 3×10spd]
Sources: Shimano Claris history, Shimano Sora history, Shimano Tiagra history
Price
Groupsets like Claris, Sora, and Tiagra are significantly cheaper than Shimano 105. It’s no surprise that entry-level road bikes use them.
| Shimano | Price |
|---|---|
| Claris (R2000) | ~$350 |
| Sora (R3000) | ~$400 |
| Tiagra (4700) | ~$450 |
Generally, beginner road bikes use Claris, Sora, or Tiagra (depending on the price range), road bikes for under $1000 have Claris or Sora, and those under $2000 have Tiagra or 105.
You might be interested in my article How Much to Spend on a Bike, where I explain the different price ranges and components to expect.
Ride Feel
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to try these groupsets. I have experience with the higher-end ones.
But I read many reviews and talked with many cyclists. I learned that the main difference between these groupsets is the jumps between gears.
The Claris cassette has only 8 speeds, while Sora 9 and Tiagra 10. This means the jumps between gears are larger on Claris than on Tiagra.
This can result in the problem that, in certain situations (especially in mountainous terrain), you may not find the right gear to suit your preferred cadence.
Although the 3X option offers more gears than 2X road bike groupsets, it’s not very popular on road bikes due to its weight and complexity.
Shifting speed, accuracy, and reliability are on par with all these groupsets. Even the ergonomics of the shifters are similar.
So, the two main differences are the number of gears and how the shifting cables are routed.
The older Claris and Sora have the shifting cables routed externally. Tiagra has them routed internally. The same also applies to the newer Sora.
Overall Weight
The overall weight of the individual groupsets depends on multiple factors, mainly on the used materials, such as a rim or disc brake version, the cassette/chainring size, the speed, etc.
Unfortunately, Shimano doesn’t provide claimed weights for the components of these groupsets. However, the overall weight fluctuates around 2700g (rim brake version).
Shimano Claris vs. Sora vs. Tiagra: Summary
The following table compares the key features of these groupsets:
| Feature | Claris | Sora | Tiagra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latest generation | R2000 | R3000 | 4700 |
| Speeds | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Rim brake | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Disc brake | No | No | Yes |
| Groupset weight | n/a | ~2660g | ~2585g |
| Launched | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Price | ~$350 | ~$400 | ~$450 |
The price depends on the exact specification of the groupset.
Besides weight and price, there’s not much difference between them, right? So let’s finally answer the question:
Shimano Claris, Sora or Tiagra? Which One Should You Choose?
All three groupsets are pretty much the same regarding shifting speed and reliability. The main differences are the number of speeds, weight, cable routing, and price.
I recommend choosing Tiagra 2×10spd because it offers the closest experience to the Shimano 105 mechanical and newer 2×12spd groupsets.
But even Claris and Sora will do their job well. Just remember you will have larger jumps between gears. The biggest disadvantage of Claris is the external shifting cable routing.
TIP: You might also be interested in this Shimano and SRAM comparison.
Conclusion
Shimano Claris, Sora, and Tiagra differ mainly in the number of speeds they offer, cable routing, weight, and price.
For those of you who are just starting and have a tight budget, I recommend Claris (2×8spd). It’s the cheapest road bike groupset from Shimano.
But if you can, spare a little more and get Tiagra. You will get extra gears that can be useful in hilly or mountainous terrain.
Additionally, its shifting cables are routed under the handlebar tape, not externally, making the cockpit look cleaner.
It’s very helpful information.
Thank you so much.
Hi Datta,
Thank you as well. 🙂
– Petr
Very helpful thanks Petr!
Hello Graham,
Thank you!
– Petr
Man, this is an analysis about nothing. Weekenders, beginners or those with little money will buy Claris. The Claris, Sora and Tiagra series are more or less the same quality, the difference is whether I want 8-9-10 speed. Even a small child knows that there are bigger rebounds between Claris 8 and Tiagra 10, when the washers in the 8 cartridge are wider than in the 10 cartridge, both must fit on the same nut 8-10 /35mm/. By the way, the Tiagra 4500 is only a 9 cartridge . For all these types, I recommend that everyone replace them with type 105/ultegra brake pads. “NONANE” are cheaper than the original, but even a few original ones cost up to 10 euros. That is 20 euros for 4 pieces. The triangular “disgust” has to come out immediately!!!! I did it myself. The “money saved” by buying a Claris kit instead of Tiagra is good, get a min HG 70/71 8 speed cassette from the 105 series and the same chain, (forget HG 40/41 or 50/51) now these parts are available at great discounts. Otherwise bike manufacturers, in order to keep the price low, don’t put the whole set of Claris on the bike, but only part of it, there are other brakes, cassette, chain “NONAME” in order to get to a low price level of around 800 euros. Or you can save money by assembling the bike at home, when you can get parts at a big discount or special prices. But that is already extra for most of the “work”.
Hi Milan,
thank you for the criticism and the comprehensive comment. I’m sure it will help some readers.
– Petr