Cycling UK Forum

Hi all,

I’m looking at a Ribble CGR but I’m unsure on all of the different spec options.

I’m on a budget and (for now, I think) have narrowed down my choice to the CGR AL. But I’m not sure what spec would be best and if the performance difference outweighs the price increase.

So my options are:

Tiagra 4700 2x10 mechanical brake
Tiagra 4700 2x10 hydraulic brake (+£200)
105 R7000 2x11 hydraulic brake (+400)

Is the 105 worth the extra £400?
If I opt for Tiagra, are hydraulic brakes much better than mechanical?

The bike would mainly be used as a commuter in London (10 miles each way, not too many hills) and for fun rides on my days off out of the city. I currently have a Genesis Flyer SS. I like my SS but don’t overly enjoy it and don’t use it other than a means of transport to work.

I have Tiagra 4700. Works impeccably and parts are readily available, at a reasonable price too. I service both my bike and my mate's 105 equipped bike. There's an extra measure of finesse about the 105. Everything seems to be smoother and more responsive. But that's it - nothing significant to take into consideration.
I have the cable brakes. Work great but do require some tweaking now and again. I replaced the outer cables for the compressionless type and found an improvement over the originals. The hydraulic ones are more fit and forget. No need to screw the pads in and no worries about the position of the cable run going to the rear. Hydraulics are a worthwhile upgrade. Hope this helps.

Hi, I would go for the 10spTiagra with Hydraulic upgrade. If you’re using the bike for commuting regularly including winter, there will be wear and tear on the components especially the chain and a cheaper group set will probably suit you better. I don’t think that you’d be disappointed with it. I read a review recently (can’t remember where!) which rated 4700 better than (the older) Ultegra 6700 (which I have and is very smooth). I don’t have any experience with 4700 hydraulic brakes but if reviews are good I wouldn’t hesitate to go for this option over the 105 11sp. Unless you are super fit, I’d recommend specifying the 11-34 cassette rather than 11-32.

105 is 11 speed. probably the most up todate, although just replaced with electronic shofting. Possibly slightly more expensive to run as things may be a touch more fragile and a touch more expensive as well. Probably a bit more common now though.
The Tiagra is, I believe, has a design that means you can't bung any old 10 speed mechs etc on it. Not sure of the details.
10 speed stuff is currently a bit cheaper to buy. Either way go for the hydraulic brakes. You won't regret that.
Me? Best bike, 105, commuter which does the miles day in day out, Tiagra.

Only £400 extra for 105?! Bargain.
Absolutely get that, it's 11sp so easier for upgrades and better overall compatibility.

Tiagra is a bit of a tired groupset now, probably due a refresh in the next year or so.

How much was the base bike? Sort of makes a difference to the relative price.

I'd 100% go Hydraulic.
I've recently gone Tiagra Hydraulic. A 'downgrade' from SRAM force 10x2 drivetrain.

Early impressions are positive.

Regarding replacement parts, I got a Short cage and medium RD from China Reaction, less than £10 each.

Jupestar wrote: ↑29 Aug 2022, 9:05am How much was the base bike? Sort of makes a difference to the relative price.

OP said Ribble CGR so this range:
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-c ... BCGRAOR000

£1200 for the base bike, £1600 for the 105 one.
Although there isn't a Tiagra / hydraulic option so maybe the OP meant the GRX400 groupset which is £1400...?

The 105 model comes with far better tyres as well - the Marathons that are on the base bike are renowned for being tough but also thoroughly uninspiring and harsh to ride.

rareposter wrote: ↑29 Aug 2022, 10:14am £1200 for the base bike, £1600 for the 105 one.
Although there isn't a Tiagra / hydraulic option so maybe the OP meant the GRX400 groupset which is £1400...?

It's in Ribble's "Customise" feature. Start with the Tiagra mechanical model, click on Customise and change the groupset to Tiagra hydraulic and you get the price the OP mentioned. The Customise feature also lets you choose different tyres so the Marathons on the base model could be swapped out.

Having said that, for the same price I'd probably go for the GRX400 build rather than Tiagra, though it does have slightly lower gearing (46/30 chainset as opposed to the 50/34 on the Tiagra and 105) which may not suit the OP's intended use for fast commuting in flat ol' London. It also comes with WTB gravel tyres which wouldn't be ideal for road commuting, but again the "Customise" options mean they can be swapped out.

Buckbeak wrote: ↑28 Aug 2022, 2:59pm I currently have a Genesis Flyer SS.

Mechanical disc?
I prefer hydraulic brakes, but also get on fine with mechanicals, both IME have similar stopping ability, the differences are in feel and effort and maintenance. I'm not sure I'd spend £200 on the upgrade, whether it's worth it to you will depend on how much you like/dislike the mechanicals. Drop bar STI's are expensive, once you've made that commitment you're pretty much stuck with it.

audaxjk wrote: ↑28 Aug 2022, 6:13pm Hi, I would go for the 10spTiagra with Hydraulic upgrade. If you’re using the bike for commuting regularly including winter, there will be wear and tear on the components especially the chain and a cheaper group set will probably suit you better. I don’t think that you’d be disappointed with it. I read a review recently (can’t remember where!) which rated 4700 better than (the older) Ultegra 6700 (which I have and is very smooth). I don’t have any experience with 4700 hydraulic brakes but if reviews are good I wouldn’t hesitate to go for this option over the 105 11sp. Unless you are super fit, I’d recommend specifying the 11-34 cassette rather than 11-32.

In practice, a 34 rather than a 32 doesn't make that much difference for hill climbing if the chainring is 34. However, many Shimano 11-32 cassettes have closer-spaced teeth at the high gear end (11-12-13-14-) whilst most 11-34 cassettes have 11-13-15- . Personally I find the high gear 2-tooth gaps of an 11-34 cassette annoying, as the 2-tooth jumps in ratios with a 50 tooth ring are far too big. Even with a 46 ring, the 2-tooth jumps remain too large albeit 46X11 might actually get used once in a while.

So, consider the 11-32 cassette in preference to the 11-34, assuming the 10-speed Tiagra version has those 11-12-13-14 sprockets at the high gear end. (I can't seem to find an interweb description with the actual tooth counts, although there must be one).

Hydraulic disc brakes are (all other things being equal) much better than cable-pulled disc brakes, requiring less lever force and giving a far better modulation control. Cables lose lever-pull energy unless perfectly set up; and they tend to bind and stretch as they age. Hydraulics, especially the oil-operated Shimano hydraulics, seem to need no maintenance unless the lines or connections are damaged or badly installed. The pads of hydraulic brakes also seem much easier to replace and position correctly, with less chance of developing a rub-squeak than with cable operated disc brakes.

Cugel

Thanks for all your help.

Think I will opt for Tiagra and hydraulic. I know the 105 is only an extra £200 on top, but I’ve been slowly increasing my budget throughout my new bike search. If I keep doing it then before I know it I’ll be commuting on an S-Works Tarmac!

AndyK wrote: ↑29 Aug 2022, 10:37am

rareposter wrote: ↑29 Aug 2022, 10:14am £1200 for the base bike, £1600 for the 105 one.
Although there isn't a Tiagra / hydraulic option so maybe the OP meant the GRX400 groupset which is £1400...?

It's in Ribble's "Customise" feature. Start with the Tiagra mechanical model, click on Customise and change the groupset to Tiagra hydraulic and you get the price the OP mentioned. The Customise feature also lets you choose different tyres so the Marathons on the base model could be swapped out.

Having said that, for the same price I'd probably go for the GRX400 build rather than Tiagra, though it does have slightly lower gearing (46/30 chainset as opposed to the 50/34 on the Tiagra and 105) which may not suit the OP's intended use for fast commuting in flat ol' London. It also comes with WTB gravel tyres which wouldn't be ideal for road commuting, but again the "Customise" options mean they can be swapped out.

Yeah spot on. It’s a £200 customise upgrade to add hydraulics to the Tiagra. I’d also change tyres to have Schwalbe G One all round.

What’s the benefits of GRX400? Would it be better than the Tiagra on a road?

Buckbeak wrote: ↑28 Aug 2022, 2:59pm Hi all,

I’m looking at a Ribble CGR but I’m unsure on all of the different spec options.

I’m on a budget and (for now, I think) have narrowed down my choice to the CGR AL. But I’m not sure what spec would be best and if the performance difference outweighs the price increase.

So my options are:

Tiagra 4700 2x10 mechanical brake
Tiagra 4700 2x10 hydraulic brake (+£200)
105 R7000 2x11 hydraulic brake (+400)

Is the 105 worth the extra £400?
If I opt for Tiagra, are hydraulic brakes much better than mechanical?

The bike would mainly be used as a commuter in London (10 miles each way, not too many hills) and for fun rides on my days off out of the city. I currently have a Genesis Flyer SS. I like my SS but don’t overly enjoy it and don’t use it other than a means of transport to work.

Go for the 105 . I tried the R7000 series is its like night and day compared to my 5700 series 105.

Buckbeak wrote: ↑29 Aug 2022, 3:01pm

AndyK wrote: ↑29 Aug 2022, 10:37am

rareposter wrote: ↑29 Aug 2022, 10:14am £1200 for the base bike, £1600 for the 105 one.
Although there isn't a Tiagra / hydraulic option so maybe the OP meant the GRX400 groupset which is £1400...?

It's in Ribble's "Customise" feature. Start with the Tiagra mechanical model, click on Customise and change the groupset to Tiagra hydraulic and you get the price the OP mentioned. The Customise feature also lets you choose different tyres so the Marathons on the base model could be swapped out.

Having said that, for the same price I'd probably go for the GRX400 build rather than Tiagra, though it does have slightly lower gearing (46/30 chainset as opposed to the 50/34 on the Tiagra and 105) which may not suit the OP's intended use for fast commuting in flat ol' London. It also comes with WTB gravel tyres which wouldn't be ideal for road commuting, but again the "Customise" options mean they can be swapped out.

Yeah spot on. It’s a £200 customise upgrade to add hydraulics to the Tiagra. I’d also change tyres to have Schwalbe G One all round.

What’s the benefits of GRX400? Would it be better than the Tiagra on a road?

Officially Tiagra is a "road" groupset and GRX400 is Shimano's entry-level "gravel" groupset. Quality-wise they're going to be similar. The main practical difference is the smaller chainrings on the GRX400, meaning lower gears. Whether that's best for you on the road depends on the conditions and how you ride.

For big-city commuting with lots of stops and starts, personally I'd favour the lower gear range. Even if you get into top gear you're not going to stay in it for long. But then my urban commuting has mostly been in hilly places so I may be overstating things.

If you're a fast rider, though, you might want the higher gears the Tiagra setup offers for your weekend fun rides.

Then again, if your idea of fun involves occasionally heading off onto an offroad trail in the Chilterns or somewhere, the GRX would give you more versatile gearing.

Also as rareposter pointed out the current Tiagra groupset design is fairly "tired" so it may be replaced by something that's not entirely compatible in the near future, which could be a pain for sourcing spares. GRX400 is a relatively recent introduction to the range. That's a minor consideration, though.