Upgrade Tiagra levers to 105

[napier]

Apologies if this question has been asked elsewhere and I'm missing it. My 2013 Giant Defy Composite is fitted with Tiagra levers, derailluers & chain set plus unbranded brakes, the latter I don't think are very good. In a flush of wanting to blow some cash I've bought a set of 105 levers & brakes as they were heavily discounted. Now sitting here gazing at my purchases wondering if a) the 105 kit will work OK with my Tiagra stuff (its all 10 speed compact double) and b) will the hassle of fitting it all make my bike feel appreciably better? I've scanned the Shimano compatibility charts but they don't really tell me anything helpful. The bike has done 3,000 miles but selling it for a better model is not an option as I now have it for three years on a hire scheme as I brought it under bike to work. Any advice appreciated.

[Mark1978]

They should all work together fine yes. Obviously the brakes aren't an issue as you're replacing those too. But the shifters should work just the same. There are bikes on the market with 105 STIs but Tiagra derailleurs.

The only issue I can think is that 105 has under bar tape routing unlike Tiagra so the cable routing will be different.

[Claireysmurf]

b) will the hassle of fitting it all make my bike feel appreciably better? .

I have 105 levers and Ultegra everything else gear wise on my new bike, My old one had a mix of Sora and FSA stuff. If anything the new gears feel less slick in operation (maybe due to a wider cassette on the new bike?) but they are entirely fluff free, whereas the old bike had occasional difficulties. I'm glad I chose a better chainset but I wouldn't necessarily do it again. I would certainly avoid really budget components, but Tiagra is respectable.

The conundrum with such a big hierarchy of groupsets is that the bottom ones need to be fit for purpose with incremental improvements in quality (and whatever quality actually means, shift quality, longevity, weight, appearance, ergonomics etc.). How can you have really marked differences in a functional item over 8 levels?

2300
Claris
Sora
Tiagra
105
Ultegra
Ultegra Di2
Dura Ace

I must admit I almost bought Ultegra levers too but the extra money plus a few bad reviews about Ultegra lever reliability (there may have been a rogue batch) settled me on 105.

[niggle]

b) will the hassle of fitting it all make my bike feel appreciably better? .

I have 105 levers and Ultegra everything else gear wise on my new bike, My old one had a mix of Sora and FSA stuff. If anything the new gears feel less slick in operation (maybe due to a wider cassette on the new bike?) but they are entirely fluff free, whereas the old bike had occasional difficulties. I'm glad I chose a better chainset but I wouldn't necessarily do it again. I would certainly avoid really budget components, but Tiagra is respectable.

The conundrum with such a big hierarchy of groupsets is that the bottom ones need to be fit for purpose with incremental improvements in quality (and whatever quality actually means, shift quality, longevity, weight, appearance, ergonomics etc.). How can you have really marked differences in a functional item over 8 levels?

2300
Claris
Sora
Tiagra
105
Ultegra
Ultegra Di2
Dura Ace

I must admit I almost bought Ultegra levers too but the extra money plus a few bad reviews about Ultegra lever reliability (there may have been a rogue batch) settled me on 105.

Does higher end stuff really have any advantage for non competitive riders? The Sora/Tiagra mix on my Genesis works fine IMO (I don't mind the thumb lever shifter and the 'washing line' gear cables) My Sora STIs have approaching 15000 miles on them so far plus have suffered crash damage but they never fluff a change as long as cables are in good order, and there may actually be an advantage re the wear rate of chains and cassettes due to being 9 spd rather than skinnier 10 spd.

In fact I would not be surprised to learn that 8spd 2300/Claris cost less over time than any of the more exotic stuff when you consider the life expectancy of things like chains and cassettes, plus the low price of the other components like mechs which might be a bit less durable. Obviously there are likely to be minor weight advantages with the high end stuff that makes them worth buying for pros or wannabe roadies, but for the rest of us I am not so convinced.

[Brucey]

b) will the hassle of fitting it all make my bike feel appreciably better? .

Not really. IIRC Tiagra 10s STIs have similar guts in them to 105 etc from a couple of years ago.

If you use a bar bag the lack of washing lines will be very welcome, but one reason Shimano didn't put the cables under the bar tape like this years ago is because it makes the whole system a little more finicky and sensitive to cable condition.

When the time comes to change the cables you may heartily curse having them under the bar tape.

Older STIs do tend to break cables from time to time; I don't know if newer ones are any better in this respect. I do think that the ease of dealing with a broken cable (in particular dealing with the broken end with the nipple on it) will vary enormously with the design of the Shifter. Again I don't know if one lever design has a big advantage here or not.

cheers

[Dave W]

Cable changing on 105's is fairly simple and the outers can remain taped under the bars if you want. Just feed the cable through the barrel and push through. Gear changing is slightly different on the downshift if I remember rightly depending on the model. So they will feel different but not by much.

[Claireysmurf]

The left hand lever seems to have 5 positions to allow trimming.

[cycleruk]

There will be no problems using 105 shifters with the Tiagra.
Dérailleurs will match which would be the only issue.
I have 105 STI on two and I like the clean bar look with the hidden cables.

(triple left levers have 6 positions.)

[easyroller]

b) will the hassle of fitting it all make my bike feel appreciably better?

For my hands at least, the 105 hoods are more comfortable than Tiagra, plus the under bar tape cabling looks nicer.

[napier]

Many thanks to you all, this has answered my questions perfectly. Next step is to summon some patience, clear the garage, make the coffee and embark on a happy morning of fitting the stuff!

[cycleruk]

Before wrapping the bar tape just hold the cables in position with some tape (electrical?) and then ride the bike.
You may want to alter the height (angle) of the changers to give a different position when on the hoods. Also a good time if you want to alter the angle of the bars as well.