# Sram Rival vs Shimano 105/Tiagra



## kerob (Mar 29, 2010)

I am having a hard time trying to decide what RB to pull the trigger on, with sizing out of the question (I am getting sized at the store...new bike) I am having a problem because I think the Rival set is better and I like Sram but the frame is better I think on the other set-up and I like the look of the bike. I can't decide between a Fuji Roubaix 1.0 (Sram) and the Fuji Roubaix ACR 3.0 (Sweet Frame) Anyone out theere have anything for me...?

http://www.fujibikes.com/Road/Performance/Roubaix-1-0.aspx (*SRAM*)

http://www.fujibikes.com/Road/Performance/Roubaix-ACR-3-0.aspx (*Frame/appearence/more carbon*)


----------



## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

kerob said:


> I am having a hard time trying to decide what RB to pull the trigger on, with sizing out of the question (I am getting sized at the store...new bike) I am having a problem because I think the Rival set is better and I like Sram but the frame is better I think on the other set-up and I like the look of the bike. I can't decide between a Fuji Roubaix 1.0 (Sram) and the Fuji Roubaix ACR 3.0 (Sweet Frame) Anyone out theere have anything for me...?
> 
> http://www.fujibikes.com/Road/Performance/Roubaix-1-0.aspx (*SRAM*)
> 
> http://www.fujibikes.com/Road/Performance/Roubaix-ACR-3-0.aspx (*Frame/appearence/more carbon*)


If history is any indicator, this thread is going to demonstrate just how much polarization there is here on RBR on this topic. For years, the Campy followers sparred with the Shimano followers (still do) and now SRAM is just an addition to the 'arguments' of what's better.

Riders viewpoints on this is highly subjective, formed (mostly) on ones experiences with both groups and (most likely) how those groups were set up/ tuned on a given bike. That said, IME Shimano holds the edge in refinement. They both shift fine (albeit, differently), but properly tuned I find the Shimano groups to be quieter with a refined feel to the shifters. When riding on the hoods, the reach is admittedly longer than on SRAM's but (again) some see it as a positive, others a negative.

Best thing to do is get some saddle time in on both and decide for yourself. It's fine to get thoughts/ feedback here in the hopes that someone offers something that just makes sense to you, but it's not going to be our bike. It's going to be yours. And interestingly, this points up another important facet to test rides. Fit still trumps all else, but rider preference in control placement and operation ranks pretty high on the list.

Bottom line is, if both bikes fit well, you can't make a bad or wrong decision here. IMO the groups are more different than they are better or worse.


----------



## Jett (Mar 21, 2004)

kerob said:


> I am having a hard time trying to decide what RB to pull the trigger on, with sizing out of the question (I am getting sized at the store...new bike) I am having a problem because I think the Rival set is better and I like Sram but the frame is better I think on the other set-up and I like the look of the bike. I can't decide between a Fuji Roubaix 1.0 (Sram) and the Fuji Roubaix ACR 3.0 (Sweet Frame) Anyone out theere have anything for me...?


Have you tested ridden both bikes? Go to shop and test ride the bikes. See which one do you feel better on.

To determine which grouppo to get, ask yourself the following questions: 
Which shifters fit your hands better? 
Do you like double tap better then STI? 

If everything is still equal after that then go with the bike you like better. It seem like you like the Roubaix ACR 3.0. Avoid that case of buyer remorse.

The odd thing is I think the Roubaix 1.0 looks better. I like the white seat post and stem against the black frame. But that just me.


----------



## black_box (Jun 7, 2008)

the ACR 3.0 looks nicer visually, but its a 2x9 setup. Would that limit your options for upgrading things later? if you wanted to go 2x10 you'd have to get new STI brifters, which would be pricey. You might ask if you can swap out components, but going to the ACR 2.0 is probably easier ($1670 retail).


----------



## kerob (Mar 29, 2010)

I still havn't made my decision yet...when I go for my fitting I will pick the pros brain a touch more on the subject. I visually like the Roubaix ACR 3.0 better and as far as the upgrading down the road I dont really know about that, I'm a noob and not really looking to take road biking anywhere but who knows? Will I ever want another gear? Im assuming thats what you mean by a 2X10. Every roadie that I have talked to so far had said that they had no desire to race or anything but they do...that will probably happen to me. You never know...


----------



## RUV (Aug 13, 2009)

Great advice from PJ and Jett.

You could always get the ACR, sell off the Tiagra/105 set and upgrade (my personal bias in this word choice) to Rival. I like the ergonomics and double-tap with SRAM/Rival better than Tiagra brifters and the 105 RD. That being said, both are great gruppos and will serve your (current) needs very well. Good luck!


----------



## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

yeah watch out for that nine speed shimano cassette its quickly going the way of the dinosaur...

sounds like your local dealer is defiinitely a fuji guy, but pound for pound, again, i dont see the roubaix beating the felt. its a better bike for better money. better frame and component group all around. imo fifteen hundred is waaaaay much to pay for sora and tiagra group. if you want to go with the fuji guy do it, the 1 and the 3 look roughly equal, maybe you get better value with the sram group. but you should at least look at the 75. much better

bang for the buck.

http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/reviews/feltF75-2009.shtml


----------



## kerob (Mar 29, 2010)

*Felts are nice...*

I looked at Felts too in my quest for a road bike, but the Felt dealer closest to me left a bad taste in my mouth. I like the look of them and the prices aren't that bad but the Fuji and Giant dealer I met was awesome...he is very knowledgable and that experience alone made me want to buy from him, I have a fitting with him today and I will look at all options. I still have some time. I havnt looked at any bike with sora sets on it though...


----------



## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

kerob said:


> I looked at Felts too in my quest for a road bike, but the Felt dealer closest to me left a bad taste in my mouth. I like the look of them and the prices aren't that bad but the Fuji and Giant dealer I met was awesome...he is very knowledgable and that experience alone made me want to buy from him, I have a fitting with him today and I will look at all options. I still have some time. I havnt looked at any bike with sora sets on it though...


Good luck with your fitting today. As far as 9 spd parts availability; I wouldn't base a decision on that. As long as they're still offering production bikes with 9 spd drivetrains parts will be readily available, and after that it'll be years before they become hard to fine. By then you'll be looking to upgrade to 10 spd or get a new bike.

It wouldn't hurt to try Sora shifters, but I think you'll prefer the dual levers offered on Tiagra (and up) groups as opposed to Sora's thumb shifter. As always, YMMV.


----------



## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

i blew out a nine speed 105 shifter on my specialized allez elite, which i llloooovve btw. trust me, the replacements are hard to get. and expensive. shimano's goin ten speed all the way, only a matter of time berfore sora and tiagra go ten too. called shimano and guess what? oh sorry we dont do the nine for 105 or ultegra anymore. sorry. so much for that theory. and personally, i preferred not to downgrade to a tiagra shifter (slippery slope), imo 105 still smoother and better quality; went through hell till i finally found a replacement. couple months after that i managed to stumble on to an ultegra nine set D)which you can bet your ass i jumped on quick, i am not going through the hell of trying to find that nine speed shimano part ever again.

but as far as the fuji like i said if you are that comfortable with your local dealer, then go with him, supporting your local lbs is always good karma. but if how he makes you feel ultimately determines your purchasing decision, you could wind up selling yourself short. trust your instincts, yeah sure, but also trust in the facts. you pay more for less components with both fuji and giant (cannondale and trek too btw) than you do with felt, at least in that price range. the 75 is a peformer, too, dont doubt it..ask anyone who owns it. check the felt forum here, online at rbr, bike radar, whatever. the 75 is simply a better, check that, the BEST bike in its weight class. not even close, really. 

why pay more for tiagra/105 grouping on a fuji when you can have the whole new compact 105 on a 75? for less, dude, for less. AND a better frame? AND first quality carbon fork AND stays? AND mavic wheels? and and and...at that price, fuji and giant cannot hang bro, i'm tellin you

felt is the move. you might want to give that felt dealer another shout


----------



## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

easyridernyc said:


> i blew out a nine speed 105 shifter on my specialized allez elite, which i llloooovve btw. trust me, the replacements are hard to get. and expensive. shimano's goin ten speed all the way, only a matter of time berfore sora and tiagra go ten too. called shimano and guess what? oh sorry we dont do the nine for 105 or ultegra anymore. sorry. *so much for that theory. and personally, i preferred not to downgrade to a tiagra shifter* (slippery slope), imo 105 still smoother and better quality; went through hell till i finally found a replacement. couple months after that i managed to stumble on to an ultegra nine set D)which you can bet your ass i jumped on quick, i am not going through the hell of trying to find that nine speed shimano part ever again.


It's no theory, and you proved my point by posting that you could have used Tiagra shifters. You just chose not to. 

No matter what bike or group someone buys, the longer they own it, the more likely it'll become second generation. And you touched on that fact when you stated that Sora and Tiagra will likely go 10 spd in the near future. Taking that trickle down philosophy a step further means that Shimano will either trickle down Di2 or go 11 spd... or both, leaving those of us with cabled 10 spd drivetrains in the same position you are now in with 9 spd.

In short, there is NO escape. It's called planned obsolescence, but if you were willing to buy whatever parts would work for your bike (like I've done with my 1990 steel bike), there's nothing saying you can't keep your Allez running and on the road. You just can't be picky.

Sorry for the slight derailment, kerob.


----------



## ericc0 (Apr 14, 2010)

Good question. I am debating between those same two bikes. FWIW I think I'm going for the ACR 3.0. Right now my (skill-appropriate) price range is right around the price of these bikes. The SRAM components are very nice, but in my case I think that I might want to upgrade in the future. Components can be upgraded but the frame is the frame (and the carbon seat stays and big bottom bracket seem like a worthwhile upgrade).

BTW, I'm not sure I understand your comment, "with sizing out of the question (I am getting sized at the store..." If you mean that sizing is not a problem because by swapping stems, spacers, etc. any bike can be made to fit you, I would have to disagree. Different frames feel _very_ different. I decided on the Fujis after trying different models by Cannondale, Specialized, Trek, Jamis, and Giant. I'm always amazed at how different a few centimeters in a few key measurements feel. It's always worth trying as many bikes as possible before pulling the trigger. On the other hand, if you meant that they fit you to a Fuji and it felt better than anything else, then nevermind.

I didn't try out any Felts because they didn't have any that caught my eye in my price range. The F75 does look like a potentially nice candidate, but I don't want my price range to creep up. If I let it, it would creep right now to a ~$3k carbon bike. Also, if you want to compare the Fujis to the F75, the ACR 2.0 would be a better comparison. That Fuji is ~$50 (store price) more and is spec'ed out very similarly (and very tempting because of the bump from tiagra to 105 allover, but I won't budge up!). In any case, maybe I'll go pop into a local Felt dealer and try it out anyway. I'll report back if I manage to talk myself up into the next price bracket.

If anyone else out there has any other bike recommendations in that general $1250ish price range, feel free to mention them. I've canvassed the major brands pretty well, I think, but I know there may be some smaller makers with quality bikes that I know nothing about. Right now I'm waiting on the backordered ACR to come in so I have some time to try others out.

In any case, enjoy your new bike! They are both great bikes and you'll enjoy the ride either way.


----------



## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

I say go w/ the 1.0.
Both are mainly aluminum bikes. The 3.0 doesn't have much more carbon and the color scheme on the 1.0 looks better. 
Plus, since you're a fan of SRAM already, you're good to go!


----------



## kerob (Mar 29, 2010)

Well thanks for all the comments guys, I did a pre-fit yesturday and got some good/bad news...mostly good. I wanted to pull the trigger on a 1.0 but the are back ordered 6-12 weeks out and I would like to be on the road by then. In discussion with the LBS and my current situation/budget (baby due in Aug) I decided to go with the Roubaix 2.0 with the full Tiagra group. It costs less money and the frame is the look I am looking for. With the initial savings on the 2.0 I can get a little bank roll saved and add to it...until I have enough to upgrade to a Rival/Force groupo, or maybe a new bike...who knows. I really just want to get on the road this season and get some miles under my belt. The Tiagra set should do me fine. I feel like a little kid...I have to wait till wed I believe and it is killing me...I want it!

Thanks for the advice and help guys...


----------



## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

ericc0 said:


> If anyone else out there has any other bike recommendations in that general $1250ish price range, feel free to mention them. I've canvassed the major brands pretty well, I think, but I know there may be some smaller makers with quality bikes that I know nothing about. Right now I'm waiting on the backordered ACR to come in so I have some time to try others out.
> 
> In any case, enjoy your new bike! They are both great bikes and you'll enjoy the ride either way.


If you have an LBS that carries SCOTT, the Speedsters are in your price range and might be worth a test ride.


----------



## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Have no fear, the Tiagra group will serve you well. Give us an update when you get your new bike, and as always, pics are appreciated.


----------



## kerob (Mar 29, 2010)

*Have no fear, the Tiagra group will serve you well. Give us an update when you get your new bike, and as always, pics are appreciated.* 

Will do PJ352, I am taking that glorious day off of work so I can have plenty of time to do a good fit session as well as put some miles on it first thing. I will be posting pics as soon as I can...I'm going MTB'n this weekend though. I cant wait...


----------



## Ibashii (Oct 23, 2002)

Congrats! Hope you have fun with it.

Just for good measure, I'll add that the suggestion that Shimano 9sp parts will become unavailable is ludicrous. They're everywhere and very affordable, from e-Bay to my LBS to all of my internet shops...along with 6, 7 and 8sp stuff for people with older drivetrains, including groups that haven't been shipped with new bikes for many years. Another rider's problem finding 9sp Ultegra or DA parts is not relevant to your situation.


----------



## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

good deal. 

full tiagra set and a carbon fork for under a thousand. sounds like just like what you were looking for. for all of my bullshyt about 105, in the final analysis the tiagra, i'm sure, is a very capable group. congratulations, hope your ride comes in soon...


----------



## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

oh and ibashii i dont do flea bay, sorry. (not that i didnt look there at first for a replacement--disgustedly, actually, and at a lot of used garbage masquerading as legitmate. didnt inspire a great deal of confidence in the ebay method). after blowing that 9 spd my initial intent was to keep the integrity of the 105 groupset intact. then my local dealer told me it was no longer possible to order that replacement part. period. which meant i was on my own to find it or something close. which sucked.

hustling to find shimano nine speed 105 right side shifters (try it on for size) was not easy. right now, and for the next couple/few years i'm sure the tiagra nine speed will remain current for replacement parts, but shimano has clearly indicated its intent, for whatever reason, to upgrade all groupsets to ten speed. maybe that shouldnt be an immediate or primary consideration in making a nine speed purchase. or maybe it should, i dont know its up to the op. as durable and reliable as shimano's shyt is, chances are he'll probably never even have to think about replacing any of the associated parts. if, however, and somewhere down the line he does need to apply a fix, the incompatible ten speed parts will be more readily available and much, much easier to replace than the "outdated" nines. which, to repeat, if you own a nine and have a repair need, will suck. cause shimano won't make or sell it any more. period.

just sayin having had experience with both the nine and the ten, and all other things being equal, if i were making a new purchase, i would probably go with the ten. one less thing. again not an immediate, or immediately pressing consideration, but a possible factor among many in making a purchasing decision.


----------



## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

lol..that's the thing with new bike purchases. its always more. the oh 10 acr definitely looks nice, sleek profile. i dont think the components match up to the felt tho. some have said the carbon stays and seat post on a bike dont matter, but for the same price

why would you go with the acr, again?


----------

