{"id":119,"date":"2021-10-25T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=2402"},"modified":"2021-10-25T21:16:23","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T19:16:23","slug":"road-bike-groupsets-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/road-bike-groupsets-everything-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Road bike groupsets: everything you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Jack Luke\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 25 October 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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A road bike groupset is the collection of components that make you stop and go \u2013 in other words, the drivetrain, shifters and brakes.<\/p>\n

Plenty of companies make bike components, but the market is dominated by three main brands: Shimano<\/a>, SRAM<\/a> and Campagnolo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Despite the differences between the brands, the components all do the same job, even if there are some subtle variations in how they approach their specific tasks.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start this buyer\u2019s guide by explaining the different groupsets available in their hierarchies, then go into greater detail on the individual components and how they differ between brands. We\u2019ll finish by explaining the benefits of the more expensive groupsets and discussing compatibility.<\/p>\n

If knobbly tyres are more your thing, we\u2019ve got a separate guide to mountain bike groupsets<\/a>. And while we\u2019ve covered gravel briefly here, we\u2019ve also got a guide to gravel bike groupsets<\/a> for all the details on gearing choices.<\/p>\n

Jump to:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shimano road groupsets<\/a><\/li>\n
SRAM road groupsets<\/a><\/li>\n
Campagnolo road groupsets<\/a><\/li>\n
Groupset components explained<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>

Need more buying advice?<\/h3>\n
Does this feel like running before you can walk? We\u2019ve got a separate guide to bike gears<\/a>, including the different types of bicycle transmissions.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re just looking for some straightforward bike buying advice, start with our beginner-friendly guide to the best bikes<\/a> to find the most suitable type of ride for your needs.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re sure you want a road bike, but need some general advice on what to look out for, head over to our best road bikes <\/a>buyer\u2019s guide.<\/p>\n
Once you have a better idea of what you\u2019re looking for, we\u2019ve got specific guides for:<\/p>\n
By frame material<\/h4>\n
Best aluminium road bikes<\/a><\/li>\n
Best steel road bikes<\/a><\/li>\n
Best titanium road bikes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
By price<\/h4>\n
Best road bikes under \u00a3750<\/a><\/li>\n
Best road bikes under \u00a31,000<\/a><\/li>\n
Best road bikes under \u00a32,000<\/a><\/li>\n
Best road bikes under \u00a33,000<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
By riding type<\/h4>\n
Best aero road bikes<\/a><\/li>\n
Best climbing bikes<\/a><\/li>\n
Best touring bikes<\/a><\/li>\n
Best gravel bikes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Happy to talk groupsets? Keep reading.<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
What is a groupset?<\/h2>\n
A groupset comprises all the mechanical parts for your bike \u2013 so basically everything except the frame, fork, wheels, handlebar, seatpost and saddle.<\/p>\n
You can buy a complete groupset or the individual components and there\u2019s some possibility to mix and match between groupsets, although many items are not inter-compatible.<\/p>\n
When you buy a new bike, a bike brand will often sub in some cheaper parts with a groupset, so you might for example get a crankset that\u2019s from a different level or even a different brand from the rest of the groupset.<\/p>\n
The components of a full groupset are:<\/p>\n
Crankset (also called the chainset)<\/li>\n
Bottom bracket (the bearings in the frame on which the crankset spins)<\/li>\n
Brake levers\/shift levers, usually combined<\/li>\n
Rear derailleur<\/li>\n
Front derailleur<\/li>\n
Cassette (the gear sprockets at the rear of the bike)<\/li>\n
Chain<\/li>\n
Brakes<\/li>\n<\/ul>
There\u2019s an explainer of each component and more groupset specifics later in this article.<\/p>\n
Shimano groupsets: different levels explained<\/h2>\n
Shimano is the oldest and most widely used of the three main brands. It began life in Japan in 1921 when Shozaburo Shimano decided to start making freewheels in a rented corner of a demolished celluloid factory.<\/p>\n
Fast-forward to today, and it\u2019s become so successful that Shimano now accounts for at least half of the global bike components industry.<\/p>\n

Shimano road groupset ranking<\/h4>\n
Claris R2000:<\/strong> 8-speed<\/li>\n
Sora R3000:<\/strong> 9-speed<\/li>\n
Tiagra 4700:<\/strong> 10-speed<\/li>\n
105 R7000:<\/strong> 11-speed<\/li>\n
Ultegra Di2 R8100:<\/strong> 12-speed electronic only<\/li>\n
Dura-Ace Di2 R9200:<\/strong> 12-speed electronic only<\/li>\n<\/ul>
Shimano gravel groupset ranking<\/h4>\n
GRX RX400:<\/strong> 10-speed<\/li>\n
GRX RX600:<\/strong> 11-speed (apart from 10-speed version of crank)<\/li>\n
GRX RX810:<\/strong> 11-speed<\/li>\n
GRX RX815:<\/strong> 11-speed electronic<\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Entry-level Shimano groupsets: Claris, Sora and Tiagra<\/h3>\n
$\""Claris\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>