# Why does Specialized mix groupsets?



## 5DII (Aug 5, 2013)

Hello, out of curiosity do you guys know why Specialized mixes groupsets on their bikes? Ie, on the tarmac comp it has 105 front derailleur while the rear is ultegra, etc, while other companies like Giant/Cannondale generally use the same groupset for the whole bike?


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

the save costs where they can.

though my buddy's CAAD10-Ultegra doesn't have a Ultegra crank. It gets a FSA crank instead


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## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

All manufactures do that.


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## Dunbar (Aug 8, 2010)

So they can advertise it as having "Ultegra components" while staying below a certain price point. It's the same reason they use off-brand cranks and crappy wheels.


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## systemr (Aug 12, 2012)

tednugent said:


> the save costs where they can.
> 
> though my buddy's CAAD10-Ultegra doesn't have a Ultegra crank. It gets a FSA crank instead


i'm pretty sure this is b/c using the Ultegra crank with a BB30 would require an adapter


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

systemr said:


> i'm pretty sure this is b/c using the Ultegra crank with a BB30 would require an adapter


or... Cannondale could have designed it from the start to use an Shimano crank... but... designing around the BB30 means they can cut cost on their frame production so they can offer both SRAM and Shimano drivetrains


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

brianmcg said:


> All manufactures do that.


Giant doesn't. It's one of the reasons I bought a Giant instead of a Specialized last year. Plus not every manufacturer does it anyway. I can't stand it when they do this on bikes that cost thousands if dollars in order to milk their profits.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

darwinosx said:


> Giant doesn't. It's one of the reasons I bought a Giant instead of a Specialized last year. Plus not every manufacturer does it anyway. I can't stand it when they do this on bikes that cost thousands if dollars in order to milk their profits.


All manufacturers do it, Giant included. Be it a Tiagra cassette on a 105 bike or an Ultegra mech on another.

Manufacturers generally build to a price point. A bike retailing for $1999.99 is a more attractive proposition for most potential buyers than one at $2012.45. Then you have the issue of BB30 which is not cheaper to produce, it's actually less tolerant of variances than a traditional BSA set up. 

If one bases one's choice of bike on whether it has a full groupset or not, one's priorities are back to front. Fit first, quality of construction next, then wheels & group.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

Giant puts FSA cranks on their 105 bikes.

Hell I do it on my own bikes. Chorus/Athena/Centaur on my campy bike because I really don't care that they're matching. Centaur brakes work just as well as chorus, for half the cost.


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## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

darwinosx said:


> Giant doesn't. It's one of the reasons I bought a Giant instead of a Specialized last year. Plus not every manufacturer does it anyway. I can't stand it when they do this on bikes that cost thousands if dollars in order to milk their profits.


Yeah...keep believing you didnt pay a premium for that Moots name on the downtube you ride.

I will say this.....some of the mid level Tarmacs still have Tiagra on them. Getting Tiagra on a $3,000 bike is a little rough.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

tednugent said:


> or... Cannondale could have designed it from the start to use an Shimano crank... but... designing around the BB30 means they can cut cost on their frame production so they can offer both SRAM and Shimano drivetrains


Plus there's the fact that Cannondale invented BB30, so they kinda have to use it....


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

RkFast said:


> Yeah...keep believing you didnt pay a premium for that Moots name on the downtube you ride.
> 
> I will say this.....some of the mid level Tarmacs still have Tiagra on them. Getting Tiagra on a $3,000 bike is a little rough.



Huh? What does that have to do with anything I said? Oh right..nothing. Because I didn't mention anything at all about price premiums based on names.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Did I say I choose my bikes based on whether it has a full group set or not? No I did not. I said "It's one of the reasons". 
Also I did not ask for nor do I require your attempt to tell me what I should consider in a road bike based on something i did not say. i have been buying high end road bikes for a long time.
As to Giant and components I said specifically "bikes that cost thousands of dollars". It is clear there is no comparison to Specialized cheaping out on components and Giant at this price range. I don't look at Tiagra or even 105 bikes as they are below my price range. 



ultimobici said:


> All manufacturers do it, Giant included. Be it a Tiagra cassette on a 105 bike or an Ultegra mech on another.
> 
> Manufacturers generally build to a price point. A bike retailing for $1999.99 is a more attractive proposition for most potential buyers than one at $2012.45. Then you have the issue of BB30 which is not cheaper to produce, it's actually less tolerant of variances than a traditional BSA set up.
> 
> If you base your choice of bike on whether it has a full groupset or not, your priorities are back to front. Fit first, quality of construction next, then wheels & group.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Which bikes. I don't see it on any Giant bikes for this year or last.



charlox5 said:


> Giant puts FSA cranks on their 105 bikes.
> 
> Hell I do it on my own bikes. Chorus/Athena/Centaur on my campy bike because I really don't care that they're matching. Centaur brakes work just as well as chorus, for half the cost.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

darwinosx said:


> Which bikes. I don't see it on any Giant bikes for this year or last.


My 09 Defy 1 (105) came with a FSA Gossamer crank. Might be different now, but nothing precludes it from happening in the future either.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

darwinosx said:


> Did I say I choose my bikes based on whether it has a full group set or not? No I did not. I said "It's one of the reasons".
> Also I did not ask for nor do I require your attempt to tell me what I should consider in a road bike based on something i did not say. i have been buying high end road bikes for a long time.
> As to Giant and components I said specifically "bikes that cost thousands of dollars". It is clear there is no comparison to Specialized cheaping out on components and Giant at this price range. I don't look at Tiagra or even 105 bikes as they are below my price range.


The way you put your post it appeared that the groupset issue was high up the list of important factors. Having looked at the specs of the high end Specializeds I can't see any real problem with them at all. Subbing Ultegra calipers on an otherwise Dura Ace equipped bike but using one of the lightest carbon crank setups seems a better deal than having matching cranks & pedals.

BTW the 105/Tiagra reference was just an example. It works just the same with Record/Chorus or Red/Force etc. 

What is more annoying is companies like Giant who may give you a full group but stiff you with in-house wheels bars & stems and dumbed down parts. You may have an Aliante saddle on your Defy but it's a model that is only available to manufacturers, the Delta. Costs less than $25. Then they compromise on the wheels & tyres. Would that be why you have yours upgraded to Pacenti?

Every manufacturer has to compromise somewhere so they can have a coherent range of bikes priced appropriately. The way you paint it Specialized et al are misleading people.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

2014 Giant Defy 1. while 105 based, gets Tektro dual pivots, Shimano R565 cranks, a KMC chain & a Tiagra cassette

similarly, the TCR Composite 2 doesn't get the full 105 gruppo either.


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## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

darwinosx said:


> Huh? What does that have to do with anything I said? Oh right..nothing. Because I didn't mention anything at all about price premiums based on names.


BS.

Youre going on an on about how important it is that your bike has the right "name" on all its parts. So the name on the downtube also comes into play.

Regardless, its already been pointed out that youre FOS..that Giant mixes components like every other manufacturer does. 

Now run along back to the Giant forum, troll.


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## Tupelo (Apr 29, 2012)

Take a look at the Santa Cruz Bronson. They ALL get Shimano Deore/XT/XTR brakes regardless of the main groupo, XX1/XO1/Shimano XTR etc....


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## Sean.B (Jul 20, 2012)

darwinosx said:


> Giant doesn't. It's one of the reasons I bought a Giant instead of a Specialized last year. Plus not every manufacturer does it anyway. I can't stand it when they do this on bikes that cost thousands if dollars in order to milk their profits.



The only 105 components on my Defy 1 are the shifters and derailers. Crank is some random Shimano no name, brakes are no name Tektro, cassette is Tiagra and I can't remeber what the chain is, but it's not 105. In reality though, It's not that big of a deal to me.


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

5DII said:


> Hello, out of curiosity do you guys know why Specialized mixes groupsets on their bikes? Ie, on the tarmac comp it has 105 front derailleur while the rear is ultegra, etc, while other companies like Giant/Cannondale generally use the same groupset for the whole bike?


Specialized has been doing it since day one. Grant Peterson was a pioneer of mixing things up when he was at Bridgestone.


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