# Tiagra Cassette VS. Ultegra Cassette



## nesdog (Jul 15, 2004)

This is not a an issue of weight. My new Domane 4.3 came with a Tiagra 12-30. Shifting is a little sloppy. While the cables are stretching and will need some adjustment, I'm also wondering if an Ultegra 12-30 would improve the experience. They are pretty cheap at the moment so not a big deal to pick one up. But not going to do so unless it would really matter. Opinions?


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## SundayNiagara (Apr 17, 2014)

One of the least expensive ways, (or so I've read) to upgrade, is to switch to DA-9000 cables. How would changing cassettes help you?


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

nesdog said:


> This is not a an issue of weight. My new Domane 4.3 came with a Tiagra 12-30. Shifting is a little sloppy. While the cables are stretching and will need some adjustment, I'm also wondering if an Ultegra 12-30 would improve the experience. They are pretty cheap at the moment so not a big deal to pick one up. But not going to do so unless it would really matter. Opinions?


You dont need cables or a cassette. Sounds like some fine tuning is in order. 
Park tool web site or a good shop are your friend.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

SundayNiagara said:


> One of the least expensive ways, (or so I've read) to upgrade, is to switch to DA-9000 cables. How would changing cassettes help you?


How would switching cables help? His bike is new.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

nesdog said:


> This is not a an issue of weight. My new Domane 4.3 came with a Tiagra 12-30. Shifting is a little sloppy. While the cables are stretching and will need some adjustment, I'm also wondering if an Ultegra 12-30 would improve the experience. They are pretty cheap at the moment so not a big deal to pick one up. But not going to do so unless it would really matter. Opinions?


Didn't your LBS tell you to bring the bike back after the sale for one tuning after the initial stretch?


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## vagabondcyclist (Apr 2, 2011)

tihsepa said:


> You dont need cables or a cassette. Sounds like some fine tuning is in order.
> Park tool web site or a good shop are your friend.


^^^^ This is the answer. Sure better cables might make the bike shift a bit better and might wear better, but new cables won't cure the current issue.


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

nesdog said:


> This is not a an issue of weight. My new Domane 4.3 came with a Tiagra 12-30. Shifting is a little sloppy. While the cables are stretching and will need some adjustment, I'm also wondering if an Ultegra 12-30 would improve the experience. They are pretty cheap at the moment so not a big deal to pick one up. But not going to do so unless it would really matter. Opinions?


Cheaper yet, use what you have.

The shifting isn't sloppy because you are using a Tiagra cassette.


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## Ledipus (Apr 17, 2007)

The cassette won't make a difference. The cables and housing will, however I bet it's more an issue of tuning the drivetrain appropriately. To those who said the cabling didn't make sense due to it being an new bike Trek uses jagwire housing on moist of their carbon hikes and the stuff is crap. It holds a very inconsistent tune. Going with a higher quality housing and cable WILL make a difference. Again I don't think it is the primary issue here, but it would help make the shifting better.


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

Ledipus said:


> Trek uses jagwire housing on moist of their carbon hikes and the stuff is crap. It holds a very inconsistent tune. Going with a higher quality housing and cable WILL make a difference. Again I don't think it is the primary issue here, but it would help make the shifting better.


Now you are just putting crap into the OP's head (although, in fairness, he did essentially come here asking us to help him spend $$$). The Jagwire stuff, even their cheaper stuff, works fine if everything is cut, installed, and tuned properly... at least when it's kept lubricated and clean. Sure, the higher end stuff makes for a marginally cleaner shift but it's hardly worth it for a dollars spent vs performance gain, especially on a ten speed drivetrain.


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## Z'mer (Oct 28, 2013)

nesdog said:


> My *new Domane 4.3* came with a Tiagra 12-30. Shifting is a little sloppy. ... I'm also wondering if an Ultegra 12-30 would improve the experience.... Opinions?


I have used Tiagra 12-30, 12-28, 105 12-27, and Ultegra 12-30. No difference in shifting, all the same. So no, going to an Ultegra will not change the way it shifts from using a Tiagra. 
If you have a compact 50/34 crankset and really don't need the low gear combo of 34/30, using one of the other cassettes above or even 12-25 will give you more gears, with smaller steps in the middle of the range. I'm currently using 12-27. 
That would be the only reason to change. 

In addition to adjusting the derailleur cable tension, and cleaning the drive train, there are a couple other things to check.

One, the cable attachment (often overlooked by many with shifting problems). The factory cable "groove" at the derailleur bolt is supposed to just work, but In my experience it may need a very slight adjustment one way or another to be perfect. 

Two, the derailleur hanger alignment. You'll need a special tool to do that, like Park DAG-2. Most have their shop do this, but some like me just pony up for the tool. I work on 7 bikes for 3 riders, so worth it. Read the reviews, sometimes this IS the problem. 
Amazon.com : Park Tool Derailleur Hanger Alignment Gauge : Bike Derailleurs : Sports & Outdoors

First though, make sure you clean the chain, cassette, and derailleur pulleys. Lubricate it, and adjust the cable tension. Really dirty chain shifts crappy too, and makes a lot of noise. Do the easy stuff first.


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## readyrockc (Mar 16, 2014)

An Ultegra cassette does shift better than a Tiagra. It is slightly more crisp because there's less flex in the teeth and a more slippery surface. It is a very subtle difference, but it is there.


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

readyrockc said:


> An Ultegra cassette does shift better than a Tiagra. It is slightly more crisp because there's less flex in the teeth and a more slippery surface. It is a very subtle difference, but it is there.


You are telling me that you can feel "less flex in the teeth" between the two cassettes? I don't buy it.

You might have a point with the surface friction, but that's negated if the cogs aren't clean to begin with.

Either way, it's not what is causing the OP's problem. Marginal improvements gained are just that, marginal... the lack thereof isn't going to send someone off to the internet to find a "fix." for bad shifting.

Z'mer's post is spot on. If the OP's bike isn't shifting well, it's probably a problem with the cable or maybe even a bent hanger.


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## nesdog (Jul 15, 2004)

The LBS did tell me I can come in to adjust everything in a few weeks and I intend to. I knew from the get-go that the bike wouldn't be dialed in quite yet and expected this. I was just pondering the differences in materials, machining or design of a higher quality cassette. 

I'm really good with the 12-30, especially given the climbs we have in our area. (the Tour of Calif finishes right here next Sunday on our signature Rock Store climb, just a 15 minute ride from my front door).


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## mpcbike (May 12, 2009)

I would say I HAVE seen a drop in shift quality on Tiagra 10 speed cassettes! 105-DA are indistinguishable in my experience. Seems like Tiagra's can be inconsistent in their quality.


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

readyrockc said:


> An Ultegra cassette does shift better than a Tiagra. It is slightly more crisp because there's less flex in the teeth and a more slippery surface. It is a very subtle difference, but it is there.


My experience is that there's no difference between them other than weight.

"flex in the teeth"? Total BS. You should be writing ad copy.


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## mpcbike (May 12, 2009)

Granted there are usually other "lower end" components in a Tiagra cassetted bike, but I have had a couple brand new bikes with mystifying shift issues. Swapped to 105 cassette & improvement. Some Tiagra cassettes work as well as any other. Could be a qc issue?


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

readyrockc said:


> An Ultegra cassette does shift better than a Tiagra. It is slightly more crisp because there's less flex in the teeth and a more slippery surface. It is a very subtle difference, but it is there.


Thats a load of BS.


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## chiefkeef (Mar 12, 2014)

readyrockc said:


> An Ultegra cassette does shift better than a Tiagra. It is slightly more crisp because there's* less flex in the teeth* and a more slippery surface. It is a very subtle difference, but it is there.


you gotta be kidding me


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## davcruz (Oct 9, 2007)

Ledipus said:


> The cassette won't make a difference. The cables and housing will, however I bet it's more an issue of tuning the drivetrain appropriately. To those who said the cabling didn't make sense due to it being an new bike Trek uses jagwire housing on moist of their carbon hikes and the stuff is crap. It holds a very inconsistent tune. Going with a higher quality housing and cable WILL make a difference. Again I don't think it is the primary issue here, but it would help make the shifting better.


No, do not buy it at all. Jagwire makes high quality cables and housings, just as good as the Shimano stuff. Works just as well as any other brand out there in the marketplace.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

readyrockc said:


> An Ultegra cassette does shift better than a Tiagra. It is slightly more crisp because there's less flex in the teeth and a more slippery surface. It is a very subtle difference, but it is there.


I wouldn't agree with the flex in the teeth "theory".
But I've put a 12-30 Tiagra on a friends bike. And wasn't impressed with the quality of the cassette. The 2-3 largest cogs do not spin true. If you spin the wheel and look down on the cogs you can see waviness between them. It's through the entire cog, not the teeth. For a large 30T cog, I think it's just not stiff enough and not supported well from the spider. The shift quality is "ok" but not great in the top couple cogs. The rest of the cassette shifts perfectly fine though. 
I'd guess that with an 11-25 this wouldn't be an issue.

As you can see, the Tiagra large cog is just a stamped cog without a spider for support. Whereas the Ultegra has a large machined spider to reduce flex. 











For the OP: If the sloppiness is in the largest cogs, then perhaps this is what you're seeing. If it's throughout the entire cassette, then you've got something else going on.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

It doesn't matter how much money you spend on the drive train. If it isn't adjusted properly it is not going to shift very well. Before you spend a nickel on hardware, get it cleaned and adjusted. Especially, if it is a brand new bike. That first tune up really makes a difference. If you are the slightest bit mechanically inclined, learn how to do this yourself for later on down the road. Your bike is a machine. Parts will wear and need adjustment periodically. If you learn how it works and keep it cleaned and adjusted you will increase your ejoyment immensely and save some money too.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

To the OP:

There are some unanswered questions here. How many miles have you ridden on this bike? Yes, I know you say it is "new" but people have many definitions of new which can range anywhere from never used to 2 years and a few thousand miles. Cables stretch the most in the first few 100 miles. Many bikes are not adjusted correctly when new anyway. A simple cable adjustment usually does the trick here and is fairly easy to do. You probably have barrel adjusters on the shifters themselves so you can tweak these while you are riding - carefully of course.

If shifting is sluggish going from the smaller to the larger cog, turn the barrel adjuster counter clockwise a bit and ride awhile. If still a problem, turn a bit more.

If the drivetrain is trying to shift up on its own under load (ghost shifting), turn the barrel adjuster clockwise a bit and ride awhile. If still a problem, turn a bit more.

The cassette is not the issue here. The only difference between Tiagra and Ultegra is weight and cost. I ride with someone who has been riding with this same Tiagra 12-30 cassette for the last 2000 miles and it still shifts flawlessly.

Save your money.


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## nesdog (Jul 15, 2004)

Thanks for the tips, Lombard. I'm probably up to about 150 miles so far. I'll try the adjustments or have the LBS perform some tuneup in another week or two and then report back. 

Appreciate everyone's input.


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## bikerector (Oct 31, 2012)

I will add on the group saying the cassette is not you're problem. Having recently replaced my ultegra cassette with a tiagra I was surprised by how well it shifted. I wanted a wider gear range for some gravel road race and since I only do a few a year I didn't want to spend much on a cassette and chainrings, since I run CX rings most of the time on that bike. I would definitely buy the tiagra cassette again if paying full price but with a lot of 10 speed stuff on clearance it may be a good time to stock up.

After a thousand or so miles on the tiagra I would never know it wasn't an ultegra cassette; still shifts way better than the sram OG 1090 I'm waiting to die. Not a good cassette for CX.


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## nesdog (Jul 15, 2004)

Update: brought the bike to the LBS. They spent about ten minutes adjusting everything and now the bike shifts way smoother. Really just cable tweaks. So, as pointed out by several of you, I'm saving the money of the cassette. Thanks!


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