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Groupset upgrade - Sora 3500 - Ultegra 6800

by richcrocker79
Sat, Jul 04, 2015 14:08
13

So, advice needed. I'm currently running Sora 3500, and hankering after the 6800 groupset.

Having taken a recent spill and damaging the right sora shifter, I'm thinking about upgrading.

I'd like to upgrade the drivetrain piecemeal (finances!), and benefit from better brakes than the appalling ones currently fitted.

My question really is this - can I switch out the shifters, chain and cassette to the 6800, and still (temporarily) run the 3500 derailleur? man logic says that the shifter controls how much the rear mech moves, and so subject to a little fiddly indexing, should be able to cover the 11 speed block? that way i can ditch of the faulty shifter, and chuck the 6800 brakes on then grab the correct front and rear mechs in a couple of months?

anybody tried this?

Cheers

Rich

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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13 comments

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richcrocker79 | 8 years ago
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It seems the 105 would hit all the points I need then, and save a few quid. Luckily I've already done the wheels to some mavic ksyrium (how do you even say that word) jobs, which are excellent!

Thanks for all your help!

Rich

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2 Wheeled Idiot | 8 years ago
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The current 105 brakes have the same geometry as 6800 but with bushings instead of bearings...
IMO they are excellent brakes but 6800 will be slightly better.
The point about spending the extra on wheels is certainly a good one too, they will have more effect than a 105 vs ultegra change

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Nixster | 8 years ago
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Current 105 brakes are I believe last gen Ultegra brakes and are good, well they work for me.

Another disruptive thought, if you go for 105 you could put the £200 saving to good use on wheels. Merlin have Aksiums for £140, Ultegra 6800 wheels for £240 for example. Would probably get a better result overall than £500 on the Ultegra group set.

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alotronic | 8 years ago
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You will benefit from doing the whole lot at once. Shimano is quite 'generation' dependant these days and bodging from one to another can be a real bore. 105 and sell buy an adaptor for the chainset or sell it on new and un-used. 105 is so cheap from ribble or merlin that it's a no brainer - ultegra will be a little nicer but coming from sora 105 will seem like a dream.

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CGT | 8 years ago
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Try changing your brake cables

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richcrocker79 | 8 years ago
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thats a good point well made, i keep forgetting 105 is now 11 speed. how are the brakes? I've tried 6800 and they were a world apart from my current set up, even with me using swiss stop pads - if 105 are as good then i think you may well be right about justifying the price difference.

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fukawitribe replied to richcrocker79 | 8 years ago
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richcrocker79 wrote:

thats a good point well made, i keep forgetting 105 is now 11 speed. how are the brakes? I've tried 6800 and they were a world apart from my current set up, even with me using swiss stop pads - if 105 are as good then i think you may well be right about justifying the price difference.

I think the general consensus is that 6800 brakes are better than 5800 but the difference is small, and the 105 groupset as a whole is really not that far off Ultegra e.g. from the road.cc review

In a word: brilliant. The 11-speed 105 5800 groupset is everything you could want in terms of performance, looks, durability and above all value.

The week before getting my hands on the 5800 group I was riding a 5700-equipped bike.The difference is like night and day. The new 11-speed group provides faster and more precise shifting, more powerful and easier to control braking and an overall more solid feel.

I've also been riding the 5800 alongside a test bike with brand new Ultegra 6800. Ultegra performs even better than 105, but the difference is minimal. Taking into account the fact that even with the cheapest internet prices 105 is £200 cheaper for a mere 370g weight penalty, overall it comes out on top.

or the cyclingweekly review

The new Shimano 105 5800 groupset offers improved shifting, faultless braking, and all-round great performance and efficiency as it makes the jump up ot 11-speed for 2015. The performance gap to Ultegra is smaller than ever, and with an RRP of £559.99, it's a hard choice to make.

Nice choice to have 1

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fukawitribe | 8 years ago
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Well worth looking at the 105 5800 groupset - 300 quid for the lot seems like a bargain to me. I run 6800 currently, and it is lovely, but if I was buying these days i'd be hard pressed to justify the price difference between the 105 and Ultegra.

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richcrocker79 | 8 years ago
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hmmm, seems like a far fetched plan really - the free hub is 11 speed, so that's all good. will just do it properly in one go, and not mess about!

cheers

rich

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wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
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Sora mech may not have the same range of lateral movement as the 9 speed castle is narrower than 11 speed. Also as stated the freehub may not be 11 speed compatible.

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2 Wheeled Idiot | 8 years ago
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Nah, it won't work I'm 99% certain.
Just buy the whole group set and sell the chainset, you'll still save money.
Also make sure your freewheel can physically fit the 11 speed cassette on it

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richcrocker79 | 8 years ago
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I have, but I have a BB30 bottom bracket, so was going to stick with what I have (saves 100 odd quid) I suppose the other option is to wait and get it all in one go, but i'm now kinda intrigued as to if this would work!

oh, and thanks for your response! 21

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Nixster | 8 years ago
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Have you looked at the costs of buying the complete groupset versus the individual parts? You can get big discounts at e.g. Merlin on groupsets which may mean you're better off flexing the plastic than spreading it out. And you won't have compatibility issues of course.
I realise this doesn't answer your question but then this is an Internet forum. 4

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