[This article was last updated on April 24, 2019]

If you’re deciding between Shimano 105 and Shimano Ultegra groupsets, either on a complete bike or as an upgrade, here’s everything you need to know to make the right choice.

Starting at the basics, a groupset is a component manufacturer’s collection of mechanical parts, usually covering the derailleurs, shifters, brakes, chainset, cassette and chain. Brands group these parts together in various different levels.

Going from the top, Shimano's current road groupsets are:

• Dura-Ace
• Ultegra
• 105
• Tiagra
• Sora
• Claris
• Tourney

Additionally, Dura-Ace and Ultegra are available with Di2 electronic shifting. We’ll leave Di2 to one side here because there’s no 105 version to consider. If you want it, your decision is between Ultegra Di2 and Dura-Ace Di2, and that’s outside the scope of this article.

Check out our Complete Guide to Shimano Road Groupsets.

Shimano usually updates each groupset every three years. The latest version of Shimano 105 is called R7000 (the disc brakes are R7020) and the most up to date Ultegra is R8000 (the disc brakes are R8020, the Di2 is R8050 and Di2 with hydraulic disc brakes is R8070).

A Shimano 105 groupset with rim brakes retails at £612.91 (without pedals) while an equivalent Shimano Ultegra groupset is £982.91 (without pedals) – that’s £370 more, but what do you actually get for the extra money?

We quote official recommended retail prices here, of course, but we've also included typical online prices. The weights listed below are Shimano’s official figures.

Both 105 and Ultegra are 11-speed systems and there are many more similarities between them than differences. Although Ultegra is more expensive, all of the same technology features in 105, and you operate them in exactly the same way.

The differences are mainly down to materials used, and because of this 105 components are a little heavier.

We've put all the prices and weights into a table at the bottom along with the scores we awarded when we reviewed each groupset independently, just to make life easier for you.

Check out our full Shimano 105 review here and read our full Shimano Ultegra review here.

Dual control levers

The dual control levers are high points of both the Ultegra and 105 (above) groupsets and they each work in exactly the same way. They’re slim and comfortable to use with a short stroke and a light action (much lighter than earlier incarnations).

When he reviewed the Ultegra levers (above) Stu Kerton said, “The biggest difference of R8000 [current generation Shimano Ultegra] over 6800 [the previous version] is the shape of the brake lever. The curve for your index finger is more pronounced and if, like me, you like to wrap your finger around the bar when on the hoods then you'll find it very comfortable.

"The shape allows you to use just your second finger for braking to slow down, and to quickly add all your fingers for hard braking efforts."

The 105 levers have been redesigned with shifting mechanisms that make the shift a bit more snappy than before, and the shape of the lever is squarer, slightly more compact and features a patterned rubber cover for extra grip on the hoods.

There is a difference in the materials used. Ultegra dual control levers have carbon-fibre reinforced plastic brackets and main levers while 105 has glass-fibre reinforced plastic brackets and aluminium main levers.

The 105 levers are a little heavier but you won’t notice any difference in performance.

Chainset

The 105 chainset (below) has a spider with four unevenly spaced arms, the idea being to provide stiffness where it’s needed while saving weight over a five arm design. This is technology that started off in the top-level Dura-Ace groupset and has trickled down via Ultegra.

Both 105 and Ultegra (below) are available with 53-39-tooth, 52-36-tooth and 50-34-tooth chainrings, and Ultegra is also available in a 46-36-tooth cyclocross option. All of them use the same bolt circle diameter (110mm) so you can easily swap a 53-tooth outer chainring for a 50-tooth, for example.

The 105 and Ultegra chainsets use the same technology and the same materials in key areas. Although many rivals have shifted to carbon-fibre cranks, Shimano has stuck with aluminium. Its Hollowtech technology results in a hollow crank arm to keep the weight low while retaining stiffness.

The 105 chainset's outer chainring is heavily machined on the inside face to reduce weight, retaining splines across the machined section to make sure stiffness isn't compromised. It's not quite as technically advanced as the Ultegra outer chainring which features a two-piece construction, but you wouldn't know unless you looked at it from the back. The design is a bit more susceptible to storing grime in all the recesses but that's not a huge issue.

As usual, there’s a slight weight penalty if you go for 105.

Whereas some chainsets feature a aluminium axle in a 30mm diameter, Shimano uses a steel axle with a 24mm diameter across the board.

The weights given above are for chainsets with 50/34-tooth chainrings.

Front derailleur

The 105 (above) and Ultegra (below) front derailleurs each come with a glass-fibre reinforced plastic outer link, an aluminium inner link, a chrome-plated steel chain guide, and light shifting. A trim position allows you to avoid chain rub as you move across the cassette.

Both the Ultegra and 105 front derailleurs have been redesigned and use a cam arrangements to actuate the shift, allowing the units to be much more compact than before.

They each feature a tension adjustment screw, which means there's no need for an inline barrel adjuster.

The largest chainring recommended for use with each of them is 53-tooth. That’s fine for most people although some time trialists who like pushing big gears might struggle.

Rear derailleur

Both Ultegra and 105 (below) rear derailleurs are available in short cage (SS) and medium cage (GS) versions to suit the chainset and cassette that you are using. Go for the medium cage version of either and the maximum sprocket size you can officially use is 34T (although in reality they'll handle much more).

They're similar to one another in terms of materials although the Ultegra model has better pulley bearings.

For the latest versions of its top three groupsets, Dura-Ace, Ultegra and 105, Shimano has incorporated its Shadow technology, brought over from the mountain bike side of the business.

Its design means that the rear derailleur profile is much narrower when you look at the bike from the rear, sitting 12mm closer to the bike when in the bottom sprocket of the cassette. This means that should you crash or the bike gets blown over there is less chance of damage to the bike or wrecking your gear hanger.

The new design is compatible with direct mount frames, although there aren't many of those in the road sector right now.

In his review of Shimano Ultegra R8000 Stu said, "The gear shifts feel slightly quicker and lighter than on 6800, and it really is a joy to use."

Once set up, we found 105 shifting to be precise and consistent across the whole cassette. It's crisp and light whether you're using the short cage or the medium cage rear derailleur.

As well as the normal rear derailleurs, Shimano offers clutch-operated Ultegra RX options (£89.99 for the cable-operated version, £259.99 for the Di2 version) which are aimed at the gravel/adventure market. There's no Shimano 105 clutch derailleur.

Cassette

Both 105 and Ultegra are 11-speed systems. 105 cassettes (above) are available in 11-28-tooth, 11-30, 11-32, 11-34 and 12-25 options. Ultegra is available in all of those plus 11-25 and 14-28. There’s no reason why you can’t use an Ultegra cassette with an otherwise 105 groupset, or vice versa.

With both 105 and Ultegra, the largest sprocket you can officially use is a 34-tooth, although in truth you can go much larger than that; we have gear systems with 11-40 cassettes that work very happily.

In both cases, the sprockets are made from nickel-plated steel, although an Ultegra cassette has a carbon/aluminium spider arm and an anodised aluminium lockring while a 105 cassette has an aluminium spider and a nickel-plated steel lockring. These differences make for a difference in weight, but we're talking about 23-35g, depending on the size of the cassette.

Dual pivot brakes

Both Ultegra and 105 SLR EV dual pivot rim brakes are made from anodised aluminium and we rate them very highly. They’re essentially the same design: a symmetrical twin pivot system that’s designed to equalise the braking forces through each arm allowing for better control and power.

In reviewing the 105 brakes (above) Dave said, “The Shimano symmetrical dual-pivot brakes are, for me, the best road rim brakes out there. They have a very solid feel and modulation is excellent. I've been using the brakes on my race bike, which has Swiss Side Hadron 485 wheels that have an alloy brake track, and the brake performance is about as good as you're going to find for a rim brake. The 105 callipers are not noticeably inferior to the Ultegra brakes in anything other than weight, and even there the difference isn't great."

The maximum tyre width Shimano recommends for its Ultegra (above) and 105 SLR EV Dual Pivot brakes (below) is 28mm.

Shimano also offers direct mount brakes in both the Ultegra and the 105 groupsets. They’re virtually identical to one another, each taking tyres up to 28mm.

Hydraulic disc brakes

Shimano has offered 105-level and Ultegra-level hydraulic disc brakes for some time but it's only recently that designs have actually been incorporated into each of the groupsets.

The new Shimano 105 mechanical shift/hydraulic brake dual control unit is based on the cable-operated version (above), with the same lever design and a similar hood profile with the textured finish for better grip in the wet. The body of the hood is a bit bigger, especially at the bottom where the hose exits the lever, but not so much that it's a problem.

Read our Shimano 105 R7020 hydraulic disc brake review here

The 105 system has an aluminium brake lever while it's engineering composite if you go for Ultegra, which is a little lighter.

The brake callipers are very similar to one another, although the body on the 105 version is painted while it's anodised for Ultegra.

Will you notice a difference in the quality of the braking if you opt for more expensive Ultegra? In short, no. It works brilliantly whichever you choose.

You can buy a brake calliper and dual control lever separately (see table above) or you can buy a set that includes the lever, the brake calliper and the hose (£249.99 per brake in the case of 105, £309.99 per brake for Ultegra).

You'll also need to factor in £55.98 for two Shimano 105-level disc rotors, or £99.98 for two Ultegra-level rotors to complete the package.

Chain

Both the Ultegra and 105 chains undergo a Sil-Tec low friction plating process that’s designed to make them run smoother and require less maintenance, as well as increasing the durability.

The only difference between them is that the 105 chain has this treatment on the roller link plates (the inner ones) only while the Ultegra chain (above) has it on the pin link plates (the outer ones) too.

It's great to see that Shimano is finally offering its chains with a quick link similar to those used by KMC and others, making them much easier to fit and remove.

Bottom bracket

Shimano recommends the same bottom bracket whether you go for an Ultegra or a 105 groupset. The BBR60 (77g) is available in both British and Italian threaded versions, while the BB72-41 (69g) is for press-fit systems.

Pedals

The Ultegra and 105 (below) pedals both have wide carbon composite bodies, widely spaced bearings, chromoly steel axles and adjustable entry and release tension. The Ultegra pedals have slightly more stainless steel body plating, designed to reduce flex and wear, and a little more clearance (33° as opposed to 31°).

The Ultegra pedal is also available in a version with a 4mm longer axle for more clearance between the crank arm and your shoe.

Conclusion

If you’ve read everything above, looked at the pictures, and come to the conclusion that there’s not all that much difference between 105 and Ultegra components, you’re right. They work in the same ways, the shaping is the same and so is the engineering. There are no major technological features in the Ultegra groupset that aren’t included in 105.

Table comparing the prices, weights and road.cc review scores of Shimano 105 and Shimano Ultegra components

The differences are minor and mostly come down to materials. This results in Ultegra components being a little lighter than their 105 counterparts. No single Ultegra component is massively lighter and the small savings add up to just 191g across a whole groupset (the figure could be a little more or a little less than that depending on exactly which options you choose).

We reckon that 105 is as good as it gets in terms of bangs per buck right now and there is no compromise in functionality: this groupset is better than top-level Dura-Ace was a few years ago, for a fraction of the price. There's no aspect of its performance that would be meaningfully improved by going one rung up the groupset ladder.

We awarded both Shimano 105 and Ultegra 10/10 for performance, and we give out very few 10/10 marks. We marked Ultegra 7/10 for value while giving 105 9/10 courtesy of offering a very similar level of performance at a significantly lower price. That might or might not be important to you.

Whether the small weight saving you get with Ultegra is worth the extra cash is something you have to decide for yourself based on your bank balance and your priorities.

If you’re choosing between Shimano 105 R7000 and SRAM Rival 22 groupsets, here’s everything you need to know in order to make the right decision.

Starting right at the beginning, a groupset is a component manufacturer’s collection of mechanical parts, usually covering the derailleurs, shifters, brakes, chainset, bottom bracket, cassette and chain. Brands group these parts into various different levels. 105 and Rival 22 are the third tier road groupsets from their respective manufacturers.

Shimano 105 is much more commonly fitted as original equipment on complete bikes than SRAM Rival 22. It rules the roost on bikes priced from about £1,000. You might easily find yourself having to decide between a bike fitted with 105 and one in a Rival 22 build, though, or you could be looking to upgrade from Shimano Tiagra or SRAM Apex and want to check out the options open to you. Either way, the aim of this article is to explain the differences so you can make an informed choice.

A complete Shimano 105 R7000 groupset, available in both silver and black finishes, costs about £600 at RRP while a SRAM Rival 22 groupset is priced from £524.

SRAM Rival is also available as a 1x system with a single chainring matched up to a wide-range cassette. We’re not covering that here because it has no direct rival from Shimano. Just bear in mind that SRAM Rival 22 and SRAM Rival 1 are not the same thing.

We’ll go through each component in turn.

Shifters

105 RRP: £194.99 | Typical price: £139.99
Rival 22 RRP: £221 | Typical price: £150

In use, the biggest difference you’ll notice between 105 and Rival 22 – and between any other Shimano and SRAM groupsets, come to that – is in the way the shifters work.

With Shimano’s design (above), you change to a larger sprocket by sweeping the brake lever inward, and you change to a smaller sprocket by pushing a lever that sits behind the brake lever. Shifting the chain between chainrings follows the same principle. It’s a very light action thanks to polymer coated cables.

SRAM uses what it calls a DoubleTap mechanism. A shift paddle located behind the brake lever handles both upshifts and downshifts. You tap it to move to a smaller sprocket, and you push it further to shift the other direction. Shifting at the front operates in a similar way.

We wouldn’t say that one system is inherently better than the other, but they are different. We’d suggest you try out both systems before making a buying decision, perhaps at a local bike shop, to see which you prefer. This will also tell you whether you find the hoods of one brand more comfortable than those of the other. You’re likely to spend a lot of your riding time with your hands resting on them.

105 provides 10mm of reach adjustment for smaller hands while Rival 22 offers individual reach adjustment of both the brake lever and the shift paddle.

Rival shifters are lighter than their 105 equivalents. A pair of 105 R7000 brake/shift levers weighs 500g. Rival 22 shifters are about 150g lighter.

If you go for a hydraulic brake system, the shifters will be a different shape because they have to incorporate a master cylinder. The levers of the SRAM Rival 22 Hydro system (above, £284 per wheel) are chunky, though not as large as SRAM’s original hydraulic levers, and some people just don’t like the look of the tall front end. On the other hand, the high hood can be easy to grab, especially if you're riding with your forearms parallel to the road.

We liked the old Shimano 105 5800 hydraulic disc brakes (RRP £500; typical price £379.99); the new R7000 version is a substantial improvement on them. They're so easy to feather and control, even when braking from the hoods, that they'll instantly put a smile on your face. Go down to the drops and settle in for a technical descent and they're even better. It's so easy to scrub off a bit of speed that it becomes second nature; going back to a bike with average brakes is a bit of a shock. RRP is £470; typical price: ~£350.

Chainset

105 RRP: £129 | Typical price: £109.00
Rival 22 RRP: £220 | Typical price: £110.99

Both the Shimano 105 and the SRAM Rival 22 chainsets are made from aluminium with hollow arms to save weight (go up to SRAM Force and the cranks are carbon fibre; Shimano sticks with aluminium right up the range).

Shimano (above) now uses a four arm rather than a five arm spider to secure the chainrings, with uneven spacing between those arms. The idea is to provide the strength where it’s most needed while dropping the weight of the fifth arm. SRAM uses a five bolt system.

The Shimano 105 chainset has a reputation for being super-stiff. When we reviewed it we said, “Regardless of how much power you put through the cranks, there’s no detectable flex there whatsoever.”

Shimano lead the field here but we’ve been impressed by the SRAM Rival 22 chainset too. Our man Dave Atkinson reported, “I had no issues with derailleur rub under power which suggests [the chainset] is nice and stiff.”

You can get the 105 chainset in a standard 53/39-tooth option, semi-compact 52/36, and compact 50/34. There’s no cyclocross-specific option, though.

SRAM’s Rival 22 chainset (above) is available in 52/36, 50/34 and 46/36-tooth options. With both Shimano and SRAM, you can swap to other chainring sizes quite easily.

Shimano offers 105 cranks in 165, 170, 172.5 and 175mm lengths – which will cover the vast majority of people –while SRAM provides all of those plus 167.5mm and 177.5mm options.

The Rival 22 chainset is available in both 24mm and 30mm axle options whereas Shimano offers 24mm only. Whichever you choose, you obviously need to get the correct bottom bracket for your bike (105 £21.99, Rival 22 £29).

The 105 chainset we reviewed here on road.cc hit the scales at 737g while you’re looking at over 100g more for Rival.

Front derailleur

105 RRP: £32 | Typical price: £24.95
Rival 22 RRP: £41 | Typical price: £26

SRAM boasts that you don’t need to adjust the position of your front derailleur (below) to avoid your chain rubbing on the side plates, no matter which sprocket you’re using. This results from what it calls ‘Yaw’ technology that has trickled down from its higher end groupsets.

Essentially, the front derailleur cage rotates slightly when you shift from the small chainring to the large one, so its angle relative to the chain remains the same.

When he reviewed SRAM Rival 22, Dave Atkinson said, “It's a bit of a fiddle to set up, but once you have it dialled in it works perfectly, and I didn't have any derailleur rub at the front even when I was crossing the chain on purpose.”

With 105 you’ll sometimes find that you need to trim the position of the front derailleur as you move the chain across the cassette.

When we reviewed 105 here on road.cc, we found that the new cam design of the front derailleur combined with the other tweaks to the group made for a slightly improved shift. Dave Atkinson wrote: " It's not a seismic change, but the front shifts are a bit lighter and more predictable than with the previous version."

There’s not much to choose between them in terms of weight, the 105 front derailleur weighs 95g and the Rival 22 one a claimed 89g with a chainspotter included (to stop the chain coming off the inside of the inner chainring; you don’t get one of these with 105).

Rear derailleur

105 RRP: £47.99 | Typical price: £35.40/£42.56
Rival 22 RRP: £46/£57 | Typical price: £40/£47.39

We’ve been massively impressed by the Shimano 105 R7000 rear derailleur (below).

“Shifting is everything you'd expect: precise and repeatable across the whole cassette. We've used both the SS derailleur on an 11-28 cassette and the GS derailleur on an 11-34, and there's no meaningful difference in performance between the two: shifts are crisp and light,” we said in our review.

We’ve not had any issues with SRAM Rival 22 shifting either.

With both SRAM and Shimano, you need to choose the correct sized rear derailleur for the gears you are running. Shimano’s 105 R7000 GS rear derailleur will handle up to a 34-tooth maximum sprocket, while the mid-cage version of SRAM’s Rival rear derailleur (above) allows you to use a maximum sprocket size of 32-teeth.

A short cage Shimano 105 rear derailleur weighs 225g while the SRAM Rival 22 equivalent is 45g lighter.

Brakes

105 RRP: £83.98 pr | Typical price: £64.99 pr
Rival 22 RRP: £74 pr | Typical price: £58.30 pr

Shimano’s 105 twin pivot brake callipers (below) are exceptionally good, offering loads of power and plenty of control.

They have a very solid feel and modulation is excellent. In our review Big Dave wrote: "I've been using the brakes on my race bike, which has Swiss Side Hadron 485 wheels that have an alloy brake track, and the brake performance is about as good as you're going to find for a rim brake. The 105 callipers are not noticeably inferior to the Ultegra brakes in anything other than weight, and even then we're only talking about 20g here and there."

If you have a frame with direct mount points, you can use the BR-7010 versions (£44.99) built to the same SLR-EV design but with two frame mounting points rather than the traditional single.

There’s no direct mount option in the Rival 22 lineup but the dual pivot callipers come with very good SwissStop pads. Both 105 and Rival 22 are compatible with tyres up to 28mm.

The Shimano 105 brake callipers weigh 379g the pair while SRAM claims 300g for its Rival 22 brakes.

Both the Shimano 105 (above) and the SRAM Rival 22 groupsets include hydraulic disc brakes (see under 'Shifters', above) that are more powerful than mechanical rim brakes, and less affected by wet conditions. Obviously, you need the correct frame and fork to take these.

In terms of overall performance, they’re very similar.

“Shimano's units feel a bit more powerful overall but the SRAM brakes (above) are a bit more progressive through their range of power, so it's swings and roundabouts,” said Dave Atkinson.

“If I had to choose one or the other, the SRAM brakes would probably edge it. They're a bit more keen to squeak when they get wet, but in my experience there's less rotor rub after heating the discs up on a long descent.”

We’ve found that bleeding the SRAM brakes is a bit more of an involved process than it is with Shimano.

SRAM also offers hydraulic rim brakes (above, £254 per wheel with brake/shift levers, though you can now pick them up for £179.99) that will fit to a standard (non-disc) bike, although we can’t say we’ve seen these fitted as original equipment on any bikes.

Cassette

105 RRP £42.99 | Typical price: £34.40-£34.99
Rival 22 RRP £62 | Typical price: £40.499-£55.99

Both 105 and Rival 22 are 11-speed systems, and each offers cassettes in various tooth ranges.

One SRAM cassette covers 11-36 teeth, although you’d have to use that as part of a 1x system with a specially designed rear derailleur. For the R7000 version of 105, Shimano has introduced an 11-34 cassette to provide an even wider gear range, and we've found that the GS rear derailleur will even work with the 11-40 cassette Shimano makes for its mountain bike systems.

You’re looking at weights from around 260g for both brands, depending on the size option you choose.

Chain

105 RRP £29.99 | Typical price: ~£17.50
Rival 22 RRP £19 | Typical price: £15.78

We’ve found the chains of both systems to be smooth and reliable, although the SRAM chain is easier to set up thanks to the inclusion of a PowerLock connecting link that doesn’t require the use of any tools. With Shimano (below), you have to use a connecting pin and a chain tool, or buy a connecting link separately.

A SRAM Rival 22 chain weighs a claimed 259g for 114 links while our Shimano 105 chain weighed 265g for 116 links, so they’re about the same.

Overall

Properly setup, both Shimano 105 and SRAM Rival 22 offer similar levels of performance to the top-level components from their respective manufacturers, it’s just that they’re a little heavier.

Each system has its strengths. We highly rate Shimano’s braking, for example, and we really like the Yaw technology that SRAM uses in its front derailleur.

By far the biggest difference that you’re likely to notice between 105 and Rival 22 is in the shifting, not in their level of performance but in the way that they’re designed to operate. You’ll probably adjust quickly to either shift system – most people do – but just make sure you’ve had a test ride before you lay down your cash.

We'd be interested to hear about the experiences of readers who have used both systems.

When it comes to clipless pedals, you have the choice between a three-bolt road-style system, like Shimano’s SPD-SL, and a two-bolt mountain bike-style system, such as Shimano’s SPD, and here we’re going to help you decide which is the best option for you.

Check out a whole road.cc forum topic on the subject .

Now, although I’ve already described a three bolt system as ‘road-style’, not everyone who rides on the road opts for this type of pedal, and SPDs are certainly not confined to trail use.

One other thing to mention up top is that most of the characteristics of Shimano’s SPD-SL system are shared by other three-bolt designs from the likes of Look and Time. Plus, other mountain bike systems are similar in essentials to SPD. We're sticking to Shimano here to keep things simple, but here's a pic of some Look Keo Blade Carbons, just to show we're not biased!

Oh, and then there’s Speedplay, a unique system that has many avid fans, although for clarity we’re not going to cover it here. Sorry. If you want to know more about Speedplay, which is particularly valuable for those who need a lot of float, go to our article on 10 of the best clipless pedals.

Read our pedal reviews here.

Okay, so what are we talking about when we say SPD and SPD-SL?

Shimano first released its SPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics) design way back in 1990. A smaller metal cleat is mounted to your shoe with two bolts, fitting in a recess in the sole. The recessed cleat makes it easier to walk in SPD shoes and helps guide the cleat into the mechanism, so it’s easier to clip in. Originally intended for mountain biking, SPD has become popular with commuting and recreational riders too who tend to go for inexpensive workhorses like the Shimano PD-M520, above, £21.99).

SPD-SL pedals, on the other hand, are quite similar to the original road racing clipless pedals introduced by Look in 1984 and updated many times since. These have a three-bolt cleat that stands proud of the sole, hooks into the front of the pedal and is held in place by a spring-loaded latch at the rear. You can see the mechanism in the carbon-fibre-bodied Shimano 105 R7000 pedals, above which are popular with road riders and will typically set you back about £70. This allows an uncomplicated, rigid sole, but is awkward to walk in; think of a penguin waddling on ice or a sheep on lino and you’re somewhere close.

"Our pedals are always developed with particular shoes in mind (and vice versa), so we can give riders a complete pedalling system," says Shimano's Ben Hillsdon. "When making a decision on which to go for it's important to consider whether the shoe and pedal combination offer you the right level of usability and comfort for the type of riding you're doing. One of the biggest differences between the two pedal systems is how easy it is to walk in the shoes, which can have a big impact on a rider's experience and mid-ride coffee stop!"

What type of soles are right for you?

When you walk in SPD-SL shoes, the prominent cleat is in contact with the ground. Little tips on the cleat provide some protection against wear but you get relatively little grip. Most manufacturers make three-bolt soles as rigid as possible for cycling performance, and that’s far from ideal when you’re not on the bike. Really, you want to keep walking to a minimum: getting to and from your bike, tapping in and out of the cafe, that kind of thing.

The £96 dhb Aeron Carbon Road Shoes that we recently reviewed here on road.cc are typical shoes for a three-bolt system. They come with a full-carbon sole that has a 3k weave top layer.

“Although it's not the most rigid sole ever, it's pretty damn stiff and there's no sense that your power is being directed anywhere but straight into your pedals,” we said.

That’s great when you’re in the saddle, but it doesn’t make for ease of walking. You get very little grip on wet surfaces, while mud and SPD-SL systems really don’t get along.

The fact that an SPD cleat sits in a recess means that when you’re off the bike it’s not in contact with the ground nearly as much as an SPD-SL cleat. Manufacturers can give you a treaded sole that’ll grip on various different surfaces.

“The grip on the sole is pretty fat, chunky and made from SlipNot rubber tread,” said Jo Burt in his review of Specialized’s £200 two-bolt Recon Mixed Terrain shoes. “There's even a little bit of waffle grip mid-sole should you fluff a clip-in or be a little nervous and need to ride a section resting on the pedal not clipped in, and there are studs in the toe in case any rides see you scrabbling up muddy banks and suchlike.

“The tread works well in both on and off-road environments, although they're going to flounder in really muddy situations, and for off-bike applications they're confident even in the slipperiest of surfaces – such as the floor of a gent's toilet in a pub.”

Read our review of Specialized’s Mixed Terrain shoes here.

The two-bolt Giro Civila Women’s road shoes (£69.99)that we recently reviewed are designed for more recreational riding.

“They are easy to walk in, comfortable for the job and the grippy sole sections offer a much better likelihood of staying on your feet on a tiled or laminate floor than many shoes offering equivalent performance,” we said.

Also, although mountain bike race shoes, like road race shoes, have rigid soles, some shoes designed for SPD pedals offer more flex.

Giro describes the Petra VR shoes (£59.99), for instance, as “versatile shoes that combine performance riding features like clipless pedal compatibility with the walkability and comfort of light hiking shoes” (the recess for the cleat is covered in the picture below).

When she reviewed them here on road.cc Lara Dunn said, “These are one of very few pairs of cycling shoes of this ilk that I've tried that genuinely don't feel like cycling shoes when you're walking, such is the fine-tuning of the flexibility of the sole. The soles are also grippy enough to be genuinely useful to walk in.”

Check out all of our shoe reviews here.

There are many two-bolt touring shoes out there, like Shimano’s RT5s (£71.99 - £80.99, RT stands for Road Touring).

“There’s no ultra stiff low profile carbon sole with a road-style three-bolt cleat drilling here,” we said. “Instead, it’s a glass fibre sole with a recessed two-bolt drilling that’ll accept Shimano’s mountain bike SPD cleat system with the raised tread sections ensuring you can walk without fear of slippage. It’s not an aggressive sole like you get on a mountain bike shoe – they’re not intended for walking in muddy conditions, but getting around town, the office or cafes without slipping up and spilling your flat white.”

Read our Shimano RT 5 First Look.

Some two-bolt shoes are designed specifically for urban use, like Shimano’s £61.67 CT5 (CT stands for City Touring) which have a casual trainer style to them along with an EVA mid sole designed to add walking comfort.

The more time you’re likely to spend walking, the more appealing SPDs become.

So why wouldn’t you want the treaded outsole that an SPD system allows? There’s no point for a lot of us. If you get on your bike and ride until you get home again, or you just stop for a coffee or to nip into a garage for an emergency Snickers, you might as well save a little weight by doing without.

If you really don't know whether you'll be better off with a two bolt or a three bolt system, some shoes, such as Shimano's RP2 Women (above) are capable of taking either. Look out for a sole that has a pair of SPD bolt holes nestled among the three spots for SPD-SL cleats

Clipping in

Most SPD-SL pedals are single sided, meaning that you can only clip in to them when they are the right way up. With most of the weight at the back of the pedal, they’ll usually hang with the correct side facing backwards towards your foot, so clipping in is straightforward when you get the hang of it. Occasionally, though, bikes do funny things and you might find yourself trying to engage the wrong side of the pedal. Hopefully, no one will notice!

Some people find it easier to clip into SPD pedals than SPD-SLs. First, most (not all) SPD pedals are double-sided, so you can clip in to either side. There’s no such thing as having those pedals the wrong way up.

Second, the recess in the sole of the shoe can help guide the cleat into the mechanism. In truth, though, you’ll probably soon adapt to whichever system you choose.

Shimano Click’r is essentially a variant of SPD with even easier entry and release. You use the same SPD cleats but clipping in and twisting out of Click’r pedals takes far less effort than with standard SPD pedals. You want figures? Shimano reckons it takes 60% less force to clip in, and 50% less force to release.

Over on the road side, the R540 pedal is available in a standard model for £27 and a Light Action model (£29.99).

All of these pedals have spring tension adjustment allowing you to alter the force holding the cleat in place. It’s a simple hex key job that takes seconds.

Check out our guide to getting started with clipless pedals.

Contact area and weight

SPD cleats are small and many people find an SPD-SL system more stable, especially when riding out of the saddle. The top-level Dura-Ace 9100 road race pedals (£135), for instance, have a platform that’s 66mm wide.

Read our Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 pedal review.

However, you can buy SPDs that have a cage around the pedal body to increase the size of the contact area with your shoe. Shimano’s PD-M424 pedals (above, £30.99), for instance, features a resin cage that’s designed to increase foot stability while the PD-M324 pedals (below, £33.49) have an SPD mechanism on one side with a steel platform on the other.

Despite being larger, SPD-SLs are a little lighter than SPDs of an equivalent standard. SPD-SLs weigh from 228g (per pair) for race-focused Dura-Ace R9100 up to 330g for R540.

SPDs weigh from 310g for XTR cross-country mountain bike pedals to over 500g. A pair of the M324 SPD/flat pedals (above) just mentioned, for example, weighs 533g.

People often say that SPD-SLs offer more stable attachment of the shoe to the pedal than SPDs. Is that true?

"SPD-SL pedals hold the cleat in three positions whilst the SPD pedal holds the cleat in two positions (fore and aft) to make it easy to unclip in off-road situations." says Shimano's Ben Hillsdon. "With both pedal systems, though, the cleat retention (and therefore the stability of the connection) can be adjusted."

Cleats

SPD-SL cleats are available with three different amounts of float (the degree to which your feet can rotate while the cleat remains engaged with the pedal). Cleats with red tips are fixed (0°), blue offers 2° of float and yellow gives you 6°.

The fact that they’re made from plastic and they’re exposed (rather than recessed into the sole of your shoe) means that SPD-SL cleats wear out fairly quickly if you walk far in them on a regular basis.

SPD cleats are metal and they’re better protected when you walk so they tend to last much longer. They’re cheaper too – £14.99 rather than the £19.99 you have to pay for SPD-SL cleats.

SH51 SPD cleats allow you to release from the pedal by twisting your heel outwards while SH56 SPD cleats (above) allow you to disengaged by twisting your foot in either direction.

"Common Shimano SPD cleats (like the SH-51) offer at least 6° of float," says Shimano's Ben Hillsdon. "It's worth mentioning that as cleats wear the amount of float increases so it's important to adjust tension on the pedals to reduce unwanted unclipping."

Prices

SPD-SL pedal prices start at £26.48 for a pair of PD-R540s (above) and go right up to £135 for Dura-Ace PD-R9100s.

SPD pedals are a little cheaper than SPD-SLs of a similar level. They start at £21.45 for PD-M520 (above) and go up to £89.99 for XTR-level PD-M9020 trail pedals.

Multi-purpose M324 SPD pedals are £32.99.

What we say

Comments from the road.cc team

“I find SPDs more practical, particularly for commuting, getting on and off the bike, popping in to Sainsbury's on the way home. They're easier to walk in, and because the cleats are metal they don't wear at anything like the rate of a plastic SPD-SL or my Time road cleats. Even when they do wear, they still work. Also, maybe because I'm more used to them, I find them more comfortable over short to medium distances.”
Tony Farrelly, road.cc editor

“I use SPDs for mixed rides and long rides, and the shoes are better for walking in. Maximal power transfer and platform stiffness aren’t such an issue on a 400km audax as not falling down the steps at the tea rooms. Also, they’re easier to clip in to because they're double sided, and cleats and pedals cost 3 shillings and sixpence and last about 1,000 years. If I'm racing, or on the chaingang, I use road shoes and SPD-SLs because they look more pro. Erm. I mean, they're lighter and stiffer”
Dave Atkinson, road.cc tech guy

“If it has fat tyres and I know I’ll be heading off-road at some point in the ride, I ride SPDs. If I’m staying on the road I’ll always go for a three-bolt system because I know I won't be doing any walking and prefer the lightness and stiffness for maximising every measly watt of power I can output (even if it's only in my head). That and I'm also using PowerTap's excellent power meter pedals that i can easily swap between test bikes for consistent power measurement.”
Dave Arthur, road.cc technical editor

What you say

Comments from the road.cc forum

“When I got back into road a few years back I just took the SPDs off my mountain bike and went riding in my carbon soled mountain bike shoes. It was okay but felt wobbly on climbs.

I was then persuaded to buy SPD—SL and some mid range road shoes… The difference in power transfer, and more importantly, foot stability/knee tracking, was night and day different.

I still use SPD on the mountain bike, but for road riding riding, including hill climbing, long distance and even commuting, it’s SPD-SL.”
hampstead_bandit

“The physical benefits of SPD-SL over SPD's are the wider platform of the cleat and pedal means there is more lateral stability for your foot on the pedal.

“The single sided nature of the SL also reduces the profile of the pedal allowing you to pedal marginally deeper into a corner.

A proper road shoe has a stiff sole all the way to the tip of the toe giving a more stable base, whereas in most MTB shoes the carbon or nylon stops just ahead of the cleat to allow the sole to bend slightly at that point, to aid walking as often required in MTBing.

“Road shoes are generally lighter as they don't have tread and reinforcements, so a slight reduction in rotating mass.

“As with all the bike industry claims, none of the above will make the huge difference they would like you to believe, but I do prefer the more stable, lower profile of a proper road shoe/pedal setup.”
DaSy

“Having learned to ride clipless with SPDs, I thought I should try SPD-SLs on my road bike. I never got on with the clipping in on the SLs. Partly this is because it is much easier clipping in to double-sided pedals, but this is not the only factor - I ride A530 single-sided SPDs on my commuting bike, and even these are much easier than the SPD-SLs, even though they are not double sided.

“I was also really unimpressed with the wear on the plastic SPD-SL cleats. I made a real effort not to walk in them, and they still rapidly wore down such that I think I would have needed to replace them at least twice a year, and they're not cheap.

“If your shoe sole is stiff enough, SPDs are fine.”
Mystery Machine

Eddy Merckx once famously said that you shouldn’t buy upgrades, but should ride up grades. Riding more is almost always the best way to improve your cycling, but there are some component changes that will improve your comfort, safety and speed. Here’s a selection that each cost under £100.

Gravel bike low gear kit — ~£99

Shimano SLX CS-M7000 11-40 cassette — £40.45
​ Shimano 105 RD-R7000-GS rear derailleur — ~£36
​Shimano CN-HG701 HG-X chain with Quick Link — ~£21.60

If you have a typical gravel bike with an 11-32 11-speed cassette, this combination of components gives you a substantially wider gear range with a 25% lower bottom gear. That's enough to make the difference between riding and walking when things get steep, or between spinning comfortably up a shallower climb and grinding up with your knees whinging that they didn't sign up for this.

But hang on, you're saying, surely even the long-arm GS version of the new 105 rear derailleur can only handle a 34-tooth largest sprocket? That's the gospel according to Shimano, but Shimano's official specs are always very conservative. As we demonstrated in this article, it works just fine, although there are a couple of gotchas to watch for during installation. And since the idea is to ride up grades, we think Eddy would approve.

Continental Grand Prix 4000S II tyres — £27.99 ea

Why: Faster rolling; improved comfort (if switching from 23mm to 25mm or 28mm)

Consistently rated in the top handful of tyres, the GP 4000S II is deservedly massively popular. Its main claim to fame is its low rolling resistance. As a tyre rolls along, it flexes, and this flex absorbs energy; the tyre literally resists rolling. Tyres with thin tread made from flexible rubber, and light, supple casings have low rolling resistance. Problem is, they also tend to be easily punctured. The success of the GP 4000S II is down in part to a layer under the tread of fabric made from Vectran, a high-strength synthetic fibre. This helps ward off punctures, though they still happen. It’s not as effective as the thick anti-puncture layer in a tyre like the Schwalbe Marathon Plus but it’s considerably better than nothing.

While you’re buying new tyres, consider going up a size or two. The 28mm version of the GP 4000S II rolls superbly and can be run at lower pressures to improve comfort and road holding.

A pair of these comes well under our budget, so consider adding Michelin or Vittoria latex inner tubes too (both £8), to further reduce the rolling resistance. Can’t be bothered pumping your tyres up daily? Fit a pair of Continental’s 50g Supersonic tubes.

If you want Conti's latest and greatest you can get a apir of the new GP 5000 tyres for £85, but if you're on a budget the relatively small improvement over the GP4000 might not be worth it.

Read more
All tyre reviews on road.cc
Buyer’s guide to tyres
The best tyres for winter riding

Speedplay Zero Aero Walkable Cleat Set — £48

Why: easier walking for Speedplay Zero users

If you’re a Speedplay pedal user, then you know the system’s biggest weakness is that the cleats are very awkward to walk in. To make things worse, any significant amount of walking, or even frequent touching down at lights, erodes the aluminium outer plate.

Speedplay’s Walkable cleats fix both these problems by putting a rubber cover over the cleat mechanism, so the metal is protected.They come with plugs that stop crud from getting into the mechanism too, fixing another common gripe with Zeros.

USE Duro Carbon Seat Post — £64

Why: Less weight, less road buzz

USE is better known to road cyclists for its Exposure lights, but it has a long history as component maker, particularly of seatposts. At 174g in 400mm x 27.2 post, this is a light post, and will be lighter still in a more road-appropriate 300mm length.

Weight aside, carbon fibre seatposts have the advantage that they’re usually more flexible than those made from aluminium,reducing the road buzz that gets through to your bum.

If road buzz is more important to you than weight, Syntace’s P6 Flex post is specifically designed to absorb road shock. It’s usually over £200 but we’ve just noticed Amazon has 27.2mm versions for around £100 (okay, £101.20, but what's £1.20 between friends?).

Read more: All reviews of seatposts on road.cc

Fizik Aliante R3 K:ium Saddle — £86.99

Why: Improved comfort; less weight

At 215g, this classic saddle lops almost 100g off a typical stock seat and is famously comfortable. The usual caveats apply, of course: everyone’s bottom is different, so what suits other riders may still give you a bum rap.

More broadly, changing your saddle, and carefully adjusting its height, angle and fore-aft position, can be the biggest comfort improvement you can make. If you’re not sitting comfortably — if cycling is literally a pain in the arse — then go shopping for a better seat.

Read more
All saddle reviews on road.cc
Buyer’s guide to saddles
Buyer's guide to women's saddles
Buyer's guide to performance saddles — improve comfort & save weight in one upgrade

Shimano Ultegra 11 Speed Cassette & chain — from £68.99

Why: Better shifting; less weight; chance to change ratios

For the most part, Shimano shifting systems work best if all their components are made by Shimano. If the company that made your bike shaved a few cents off the bill of materials by using a non-Shimano chain and sprockets, then you’ll get slicker shifting if you fit Shimano parts when they wear out.

With its alloy carrier, the Ultegra-level CS-8000 sprocket set is in Shimano’s value-for-money sweet spot. It can be found for around £50, weighs 212g in an 11-23 (the Dura-Ace cassette is feathery at 166g, but costs three times more) and Just Works™. In a bundle with an Ultegra chain, it’s a no-brainer.

Ultegra brakes — £89.98/pr

Why: More stopping confidence

The brakes on many less-expensive bikes are, frankly, not great. In particular, the cheap unbadged brakes you often find on sub-£1,000 bikes lack feel and oomph. Replacing them with these solidly-built stoppers substantially improves braking feel and power, and if you can brake with more control, you can go faster.

Shimano says these brakes should only be used with Super SLR levers, but that’s all current Shimano brake/shift levers.

Hope Stainless Steel Bottom Bracket — £85

Why: Improved reliability and durability; pretty colours

Hope’s bottom brackets have an enviable reputation for durability, with plenty going strong after five years or more of mountain bike use. Your cranks spin on Swiss INA bearings, and for another £24 you can have ceramic balls in them instead of steel.

Because the sleeve between the two threaded bearing holders is aluminium not plastic, the Hope bottom bracket is slightly heavier than a Shimano unit, but to make up for it you can have it in a choice of colours.

Shimano Ultegra R8000 SPD-SL Pedals — £85

Why: Light weight, excellent durability and reliability

Shimano’s SPD-SL pedal system is popular for its reliability and function. The Ultegra version is light thanks to a carbon fibre body and durable because of its stainless steel top plate and excellent, easily-maintained bearings. As with many Shimano pedals, you can remove the axle unit, fill the body with grease, and screw the axle back in, forcing fresh grease into the bearings.

Read more
All pedal reviews on road.cc
Buyer’s guide to clipless pedals
Buyer's guide to high-performance pedals

Save money and keep your bike running better by doing your own maintenance; here’s what you need.

You don’t need a vast array of specialist tools to work on your bike. Most essential jobs can be done with a few good quality standard tools and a handful of bike-specific ones.

If there’s an area where the adage ‘buy quality, buy once’ applies, it’s tools. Good tools work better, last longer and are less likely to damage the parts you’re working on. Think of them as an investment, not a cost.

Each bike’s different, but there are many tools common to almost all bikes. Here’s what you need for straightforward jobs such as changing cables, adjusting brakes and gears, tweaking saddle position and angle, setting up handlebars, changing and inflating tyres and changing your chain and sprockets.

Ball-end Allen keys. Don’t skimp on these; you’ll be using them a lot. Ball-end keys allow you to turn a bolt from an angle, which speeds up many jobs. As well as being harder and more accurately made, and therefore less likely to mash the bolts you tighten with them, high-quality keys have a narrower neck for the ball, and therefore work at steeper angles, making them more versatile.

Recommended: Bondhus 1.5 - 10mm Hex Key Set — £11.95 | Park Tool PH1 P Handled Hex Wrench Set — £55

Screwdrivers. You want a couple of flat-blade screwdrivers and Phillips (cross-head) No 1 and 2, and possibly a size 0 too. A more extensive set will include sizes that are useful round the house too.

Recommended: Stanley Cushion Grip 8-piece Screwdriver Set — £19.09 | Draper 43371 16-Piece Screwdriver Set — £39.90

Combination spanners. I almost hesitate to include these because bolts with spanner flats are now rare on good quality bikes. You will almost certainly never need more than 8, 9 and 10mm, plus a 13mm if you have bolt-up hubs. If you need spanners for other jobs, then the sets we've suggested have everything you need for the bike too, but if bike fettling is your only need, then it'll be cheaper to buy individual spanners.

Recommended: Draper 11-Piece Metric Combination Spanner Set — £21.99 | Bahco 12-piece Metric Combination Spanner Set of 12 — £39.00

Pliers. A set of combination pliers has lots of uses, from generally holding and pulling parts to crimping cable ends.You'll also find lots of uses for long-nose pliers, so a set of three with side cutters is good value.

Recommended: Draper 09405 160mm DIY Plier Set — £20.68 | Stanley Tools FatMax Compound Action Plier Set of 3 — £30.49

Torx keys. Torx fittings are becoming increasingly common. Like Allen keys, you can get them with plain or ball ends.

Recommended: X-Tools Torx Star Key Set — £6.99 | Wera Multicolour Tamper-proof/Ballend Torx Key Set — £21.95

Bike-specific tools

Tyre levers. You need a couple of sets, one for your home toolbox and one for your on-bike toolbag.

Recommended: Lezyne Power Tyre Lever — £2.99/pr | Park Tool TL-5 Heavy Duty Steel Tyre Levers — £23.07

Floor pump. It’s much easier to keep your tyre pressures up to snuff with a floor pump (aka a track pump) than any portable pump.

Recommended: Topeak Joe Blow Sport III — £32.99 | Beto Surge — £45

For more options see our Buyer's Guide to track pumps

Pedal spanner. If your pedals have 15mm flats, then you'll need a 15mm spanner to take them on and off. A standard 15mm spanner will fit some pedals, but others need the thinner jaws of a specific pedal spanner.

Recommended: Lezyne Classic Pedal Spanner — £16.81 | X-Tools 15mm Pedal Spanner — £3.99

Cable puller. Owners of hydraulic-braked bikes with electronic shifting can ignore this. The rest of us will find fitting and adjusting brake and gear cables a lot easier with a tool that pulls the cable snug and holds it in place while you tighten the clamp bolt.

Recommended: Draper 31043 Cable Tensioner — £12.49 | Park Tool BT-2 cable puller — £39.59

Cable cutter. Do not try and cut cables with pliers, sidecutters, tin snips or any other vaguely sharp snippity-chop tool you have kicking around; you’ll just make a mess of them. Get yourself a proper set of cable cutters with blades shaped to keep the cable strands together.

Recommended: Draper Expert 57768 Cutters — £9.89 | Shimano TL-CT12 — ~£32

Chain wear gauge. You can keep an eye on the wear of your chain by measuring its length over 12 full links with a good quality ruler. If it’s 12 1/16in long, then it’s time to replace it and if it’s reached 12 1/8in you will probably have to replace the sprockets too. A wear gauge makes this easier by telling you when your chain needs ditching.

Recommended: Park Tool Chain Wear Indicator CC3.2 — £5.99 | Park Tool CC-2 chain checker — £19.75

Chain tool. Essential if you want to replace your own chain. If you've a Campagnolo 11-speed transmission you'll need a tool with a peening anvil like Campagnolo's, which has a wallet-clenching £153 RRP. Fortunately, Park Tool and Lezyne, among others, have cheaper alternatives that will tackle other chains too.

Recommended: Lezyne Chain Drive Tool - 11 Speed — £20.99 | Park Tool Master Chain Tool — £52.93

Chain joining link pliers. Almost all chains now come with a joining link. SRAM calls it a Powerlink, KMC a Missing Link and Shimano a Quick-Link, but they're all basically the same thing: a pair of outer link plates with a permanently mounted pin in each that fits into a slot in the other. Once upon a time, joining links like this could be opened by hand, but for 10-speed and 11-speed chains there's just not enough room to leave slack for hand operation, and they have to connect tightly enough that you need these pliers to separate them. Shimano's 11-speed master links are an extremely tight fit and need force to join them too, which is why these pliers have an extra set of jaws.

Recommended: Shimano TL-CN10 Master Link Pliers — £21.74 | SuperB_ToBe 2 in 1 Master Link Pliers — £9.33

Workstand. On the one hand, this is a bit of a luxury; on the other being able to hold your bike steady and well clear of the floor makes any job easier. Your back will thank you for not leaning over a bike for hours on end too.

Recommended: FWE Compact Folding Workstand — £49.99 | Feedback Sports Pro Ultralight — £154.49

Torque wrench. Expensive, but essential to prevent damage if you're wrenching carbon fibre or other super-light components.

Recommended: Effetto Mariposa Giustaforza II — £149.99

Sprocket tools. To change your sprockets you’ll need a chain whip — to hold the sprockets in place — and a lockring tool to undo the nut that holds them in place.

X-Tools Pro Chain Whip BTL11 — £14.99 | Acor Cassette Lockring Remover — £11.24

Find stockists

Lezyne
Park Tool
Birzman
Shimano
BBB

​A groupset is a collection of bike components designed to work together. These days it usually means the gears and brakes on your bike. The term once included the hubs and headset too, but threadless headsets knocked the traditional groupset makers — Shimano and Campagnolo — out of the market. Nevertheless, the groupset is where a lot of the money in a new bike goes.

Japanese company Shimano is the most popular groupset manufacturer with a range of groupsets at different prices. It’s constantly updating the groupsets too, with the newest features debuting first on its top-end groupset, Dura-Ace, before eventually filtering down through the range.

Whether you’re buying a new bike, or looking to build one from scratch, it’s good to know what your options are. The more expensive groupsets are lighter and usually offer smoother gear shifting and superior braking performance, and you get more gears and with the more expensive groupsets, 11-speed on Dura-Ace, Ultegra and 105, down to 8-speed on entry-level Claris.

Here’s an overview of the entire lineup, with the most expensive at the top of the list:

• Shimano Dura-Ace 9150 Di2
• Shimano Dura-Ace 9100
• Shimano Ultegra R8000
• Shimano Ultegra R8050 Di2
• Shimano Ultegra 6870 Di2
• Shimano Ultegra 6800
• Shimano 105 R7000
• Shimano 105 5800
• Shimano Tiagra
• Shimano Sora
• Shimano Claris

The range includes six mechanical groupsets, using cables to operate the front and rear derailleurs, and there are two electronic groupsets. First introduced in 2011, electronic groupsets have proved to be extremely popular, with precise gear changes, long battery life and good durability. Whether you choose mechanical or electronic comes down to budget and personal preference.

Complete sets of the pre-2017 Dura-Ace 90XX components have sold out from major retailers. You'll still find individual parts, though, so we've retained some basic information about them here.

At the moment, both the 2018 Ultegra R80XX and the previous 68XX components are listed by retailers. We've covered both here, but if you want to pick up the old parts at bargain prices, you're going to have to be quick.

Similarly, the new 105 R7000 components are available alongside the previous 5800 incarnation. The new kit is a bit more expensive than the old, but prices are coming down rapidly.

>>Read more: Why you should switch to electronic shifting

Shimano Dura-Ace 9150 Di2 — £1699.99-£2059.99

RRP: £3,040.82

Shimano's flagship component group gets a major facelift and some new options for 2017. The mechanical and Di2 electronic groups share the same chainset, brakes and other non-shifting components, but with Di2 you get switches on the brake levers, derailleurs with built-in motors and the battery, wiring and control box that ties it all together.

The major new feature of Di2 is Synchronized Shift, a technology borrowed from Shimano's mountain bike Di2 components. Rather than buttons controlling front and rear derailleurs independently, one pair of buttons moves up and down the gear ratios, making shifts at the front or rear derailleur, or both, as necessary.

Shimano says this is “designed to simplify gear choice and reduce decision making in racing situations.”

There are two modes. If you go for the Full Shimano Sychronized Shift, the front derailleur reacts based on the rear derailleur’s shift action. You don’t need to use two separate shifters, you just use one. Press one button and the gear will get harder to turn, press the other button and the gear will get easier. If that requires a front shift, the system will take care of that automatically; you don’t need to worry about it.

If you go for Semi Shimano Synchronized Shift mode: the rear derailleur reacts based on the front derailleur’s shift action, shifting to the next most appropriate rear gear when the rider makes a front shift.

A new junction box is not only very tidy — it can be hidden inside the end of the handlebar — it provides wireless ANT Private connectivity to third-party devices. The system also offers a Bluetooth connection to phones and tablets running Shimano's E-Tube software so you can program the shifting behaviour.

Buy Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 if you want the state of the Shimano art.

>>Read our review of the Dura-Ace 9150 Di2 groupset

>>Read more: New Shimano Dura-Ace R9100: 5 key innovations

Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 — £1,049.99

RRP: £1,904.91

If your budget won't stretch to the electronic version of Dura-Ace, the mechanical version is by no means second best — it's still a superb ensemble. The 9100 group offers perhaps the widest range of options Shimano has ever offered in road bike components, including a power meter, hydraulic disc brakes, a wider gear range and an increased selection of wheels.

The 9100 group features new derailleurs too, using design features that originally appeared on Shimano's mountain bike parts to reduce the chance that the rear mech will get damaged in a crash. Just one rear derailleur will handle any gear system you choose, including the new 11-30 cassette.

Shimano's rival SRAM has offered power meters since it acquired Quarq in 2011. With the 9100 group Shimano adds a very tidy power meter to its collection. How tidy? You can see in the pic to the right that the electronics are barely visible:

The inclusion of hydraulic disc brakes in the Dura-Ace line shows how completely Shimano has embraced road bike discs. Previously Dura-Ace equipped bikes with discs had to use Shimano's non-series brakes and levers; now they match.

If you're using rim brakes, the 9100 Dura-Ace calipers have been subtly redesigned so they'll accommodate 28mm tyres.

Finally, there's a big range of wheels in the latest Dura-Ace line up. The new C40 and C60 wheels have 28mm wide carbon fibre rims that are 40mm and 60mm deep, respectively.

Buy Shimano Dura-Ace if you're racing or doing mega distances and you want the best mechanical shifting.

>>Read our first ride review of the Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 groupset

>>Read more: Shimano reveals new top-end R9100 Dura-Ace groupset

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070

RRP: £2,999.99

As mentioned above, the previous version of Shimano's electronic groupset has just about vanished from retailers, but individual components are still available.

Dura-Ace Di2 uses a similar shifting design to mechanical, but instead of pushing two levers, you push two buttons positioned next to each other. If you want to move two or more sprockets at a time, rather than swinging the lever further like you do with a mechanical system, you just keep the button pressed down.

If you want, you can customise the shift function. Plug the groupset into a computer and you can configure the shift buttons in any way you want. You can personalise the speed of the shifting, the number of sprockets that will be shifted, and even control the rear derailleur with the left hand. An advantage of Di2 is the option of adding additional shifter pods, satellite shifters that can be fitted to the tops or the drops.

This Di2 groupset was the first from Shimano to feature an internal battery, which you can hide inside the seat post. Worried about it going flat? It’s good for a claimed 2,000km between charges. That’s lots of riding. Apart from charging the battery, there is very little to go wrong with Di2, and it’s actually really well suited to winter riding and long distance rides through demanding conditions.

>>Read our review of the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 11-speed gear system

Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 — £NA

RRP: £1,899.95

Dura-Ace was the first Shimano groupset to go to 11 sprockets, causing some controversy at the time, but widely accepted now. Shimano has evolved the ergonomics of the hoods (the rubber part at the top of the brake lever) over the years and this design has trickled down through the ranks. This version was replaced by the current Dura-Ace 9100 and complete groupsets have all but vanished from retail.

>>Read our review of the Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 groupset

Buy Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 if you want a pro-level groupset at a bargain price

Shimano Ultegra R8000 — £514.99-£799.99

RRP: £1,100

Ultegra Di2 R8050 — £1,059.99

RRP: £1,700

​Shimano announced the latest version of its number two groupset in June 2017; both mechanical and electronic versions are now widely available and appearing on bikes.

If you want high performance without the hefty price tag of Dura-Ace, then Ultegra is probably the pick of the range. Since the 6800 update, the gap between the two has been narrowed, and the R8000 incarnation looks an awful lot like the current version of Dura-Ace too. Ultegra shouldn’t be overlooked too quickly if you want high performance and decent weight components.

It’s a favourite with amateur racers because the weight penalty is minimal, especially if built onto a decent carbon fibre frame, and the performance is nearly identical. You still get the carbon fibre brake lever as well like you do on Dura-Ace, and the cranks, brakes and derailleurs share the same design as Dura-Ace.

Dura-Ace is really aimed at racing bikes, making Ultegra a more versatile groupset. With a range of chainring and cassette options, it can be fitted to all sorts of bikes, from racing cycles to touring and adventure bikes. From an 11-23t cassette and 53/39t chainset for the racers to an 11-34t cassette and 50/34t compact chainset for sportive riders, it covers a lot of uses.

RRP for the full mechanical group is £1,100 and £1,700 for the electronic version.

R8000 component weights are very similar to Ultegra 6800. The significant differences are in the shifting, which gets an Ultegra version of the Shadow rear derailleur from Dura-Ace 9100; the brakes, which have been shaped to make room for 28mm tyres; and the sprockets which now have an 11-34 option. The larger cassettes require the use of the medium-cage rear derailleur, which has been reported as working with even larger sprockets such as the 11-36 and 11-40 cassettes Shimano makes for mountain bikes, though we haven't yet tried this.

Like the previous incarnation, there's just one chainring bolt circle diameter that will take chainrings from 34 to 53 teeth. You can get the chainset with pairings of 53/39, 52/36, 50/34 and 46/36. You could change the chainrings for the riding you're going to do: a 53/39 for a race, say, and a 50/34 if you're holidaying in the Alps.

Ultegra is also available with a Di2 option. It's Shimano’s most affordable Di2 groupset, and there is no 105 Di2 on the horizon at the moment. Like Dura-Ace, both Ultegra groupsets are 11-speed.

Buy Shimano Ultegra if you want performance without the price tag of Dura-Ace.

Shimano Ultegra 6800 — £NA

RRP: £969.91

Shimano Ultegra 6870 Di2 — £999.99

RRP: £1,499.99

Ultegra 6800 was functionally very similar to the current R8000, though not quite as versatile. Complete groupsets are now very hard to find, but there are plenty of individual components still around.

This generation of Ultegra saw a new chainset that uses the same spider design as Dura-Ace,and dropped the previous difference between the spider sizes for racing and recreational chainsets. That made changing rings easy, so you could easily swap rings from racing to riding in the mountains without removing the cranks. The rear derailleur came in short- and mid-cage lengths and can work with up to a 32-tooth sprocket on a wide-range cassette. Cassette options range from 11-23 right up to 11-32, with plenty of options in the between the two extremes.

>> Read our review of the Shimano Ultegra 6800 groupset

>> Read our review of the Shimano Ultegra Di2 6870 11-spd groupset

Shimano 105 R7000 — £404.95 (£624.95 with disc brakes)

RRP: £559

For the 2017 bike model year we got a new Dura-Ace groupset, for 2018 Ultegra got a makeover and for the 2019 model year (which pretty much started in July 2018) Shimano's most popular groupset gets a makeover and a hike in model number from 5800 to R7000.

The main mission of 105 remains the same: excellent performance at a sensible price. It’s a very good looking groupset too and while it's a bit heavier than Dura-Ace and Ultegra, the performance runs both very close, with good shifting and braking. It’s heavier than Ultegra, but you have to be a weight weenie to worry about that.

Many of the changes from 105 5800 are visual, bringing 105 R7000 into line with the styling cues of the other two 11-speed groupsets, but there are some performance improvements too. The shift lever throw has been shortened for faster, crisper transitions, and the rear derailleurs have greater capacity. The SS short-cage derailleur can now handle a 30-tooth largest sprocket, while the long-cage GS model goes up to 34 in theory, and in practice will cope with a whopping 40-tooth sprocket.

The rear derailleurs are Shimano's 'Shadow' design with the main parallelogram moved back and down by an extra pivot that effectively extends the gear hanger so the derailleur is tucked under the chainstay more, reducing the chance of crash damage.

The front derailleur gets the compact toggle design of Dura-Ace and Ultegra so there's no longer a gert long lever arm poking skywards from the front mech.

The big news in braking is that 105 R7000 gets its own hydraulic disc brakes and levers rather than having to make do with brakes that were 105 quality but lacked the logos and styling of the rest of the group. A disc-braked 105-equipped bike will now look 'of a piece' as it were.

Speaking of brakes, there are also restyled rim brakes for old school types. They follow the Ultegra and Dura-Ace convention of the quick-release lever tucking under the brake arm and have a couple more millimetres of brake drop than the previous 5800 brakes so they'll work with bikes that have a bit more room for fatter tyres.

You see a lot of entry-level and mid-range bikes specced with Shimano 105. It’s the workhorse of the Shimano groupset range, and features on bikes covering a really wide price band. Sometimes it gets mixed with other branded parts to meet key price points, but a full 105 groupset is definitely something to look for, as there really is no weak part of the groupset.

Buy Shimano 105 R7000 if you want the latest version of the most affordable 11-speed groupset

Shimano 105 5800 — £369.95

RRP: £600

There's still plenty of the previous version of 105 in the shops and it's excellent value for money, especially if you don't need the relatively small performance tweaks of the R7000 parts. It’s a very good looking groupset, but more than that, it’s an excellent performance groupset for the money. It’s a bit heavier than Dura-Ace and Ultegra, but the performance runs both very close, with good shifting and braking.

>>Read our review of the Shimano 105 5800 11-speed groupset

Buy Shimano 105 if you want the most affordable 11-speed groupset

Shimano Tiagra 4700 — £292.99

RRP: £540.91

Shimano’s fourth-tier groupset was last had a major update for 2016, and Shimano announced some tweaks and extra options in 2019. The changes bring it the appearance of Shimano 105 above it, with the same four-arm crankset and new shifters, with the gear and brake cables hidden underneath the bar tape. As well as the drop-bar kit, Tiagra will be available with flat bar levers and shifters, so expect to see it on commuter and city bikes as well.

The latest tweaks include new hydraulic STI units with a better lever shape and improved shifting, and an option of a 48/34 chainset.

Tiagra retains the 10-speed configuration, though, and that could be a deciding factor if choosing between Tiagra and 105. There’s no 53/39t chainset option for Tiagra either. Shimano reckon that most people buying a Tiagra-equipped bike probably won’t be racing it and won’t need the really high gears. The 52/36t, 50/34t and 50/39/30t triple chainset options still provide plenty of range, and 52/36t is just fine for most racers.

>>Read our first ride review of the Shimano Tiagra 4700 groupset

Buy Shimano Tiagra if you want good value and performance, and don’t mind not having 11-speed (but for another £100 (less if you shop around) you can upgrade to 105)

Shimano Sora R3000 — £299.95

RRP: £417.91

Underneath Tiagra is Shimano’s Sora groupset, which had a major facelift for 2017. It now matches the higher groups in the range visually, with its four-arm chainset, and a similar grey finish (though we can't be the only ones who wish for a shinier option). It’s a 9-speed groupset, but it’s still excellent for the money and does 90% of what the more expensive groupsets do; it just weighs a bit more.

You get proper Dual Control gear shifters, with the brake lever changing down the cassette and the smaller lever changing to a higher gear. That’s essentially the same system as used to be on Dura-Ace a few years ago. You have double and triple chainset options, and the rear derailleur will accommodate an 11-32t cassette along with a 50/34t compact chainset.

Other similarities with the more expensive groupsets include the Hollowtech 2 bottom bracket, with the bearings sitting outboard of the frame.

Buy Shimano Sora if you want performance and value

Shimano Claris R2000 — ~£220

RRP: £306.69

Claris is Shimano’s most affordable road bike groupset and is what you can expect to see on sub-£500 road bikes. The most recent update to the groupset saw Claris get the four-arm, fixed-axle chainset design of higher groupsets. Claris really does have the quality feel of the more expensive Shimano groupsets.

It’s an 8-speed groupset and is aimed at beginner and new cyclists, and so you have triple (53/39/30) and compact (50/34) chainset options, along with an 11-34 cassette. Getting up climbs won’t be a problem with the lowest gearing available with Claris.

>>Read our review of the Claris-equipped Cube Peloton

Buy Shimano Claris if you’re on a budget

Hydraulic disc brakes

We can't have a guide to Shimano groupsets and not mention the brakes. Shimano offers a choice of regular dual pivot or newer direct mount brake calipers, and also an increasing choice of disc brakes. Most groupsets now have dedicated disc brakes, and there still plenty of 'non-series' disc brakes around too, with options for electronic and mechanical shifting. The 105 R7000 disc brakes haven't yet reached retailers.

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9170 disc brakes and shifters — ~£900 (complete set)

Shimano Dura-Ace R9120 disc brakes and shifters — ~£660 (complete set)

Shimano says these are its first discs designed specifically for road bikes, rather than being adapted from mountain bike brakes. At an RRP of £450 per end for the mechanical-shifting version they're also the most expensive brakes Shimano has ever made. Like the R785 and RS685 brakes, below, they're available with 140mm and 160mm CenterLock rotors.

Disc brakes have numerous advantages over rim brakes: they're less affected by water; they're unaffected by rim damage and they provide finer control over braking power than is possible with rim brakes.

Hydraulic brakes also self-centre and automatically compensate for pad wear, neither of which you get with cables, and both of which are real benefits.

Buy if: You want Shimano's latest and best disc brakes — and you have deep pockets.

Ultegra R8000 disc brakes and shifters — £407.50 (complete set)

Ultegra R8070 Di2 disc brakes and shifters — ~£540 (complete set)

With the R8000 components, Shimano has introduced its first Ultegra-labelled disc brakes, with variants at the hydraulic levers for mechanical and electronic shifting.

Like the previous non-series disc brakes they use Shimano's Flat-Mount standard for a tidy appearance.

Shimano 105 R7020— £211.49/brake & lever

The first Shimano 105-level disc brakes were pretty good, but with the new hydraulic system, the R7020 lever and the R7070 calliper, Shimano has upped its game significantly. They're still quite expensive as an upgrade, but definitely one to look out for if you're in the market for a new disc-braked road bike.

The new R7020 lever is a full redesign and it's a much better overall shape. The extra width of the lever at the bottom meant that the bottom of the hood sat away from the bar tape a bit; it was noticeable close up but not really an issue.

The 105 brakes work brilliantly out of the box, and they're almost entirely fuss-free. These brakes bite when you'd expect them to in the lever travel, and from there there's masses of stopping power available as and when you need it. The reach is adjustable, but there's also a new, smaller lever (R7025) that should be ideal for those with smaller hands. The amount of effort you have to put in to control your speed on the steep, loose back road descents round here is genuinely a revelation compared to rim brakes or mechanical disc brakes.

Read our review of the Shimano 105 R7020 hydraulic disc brakes

Shimano RS505 disc brakes — £289.99

The 105 level hydraulic disc brakes are based on the RS685 hydraulic brakes with mechanical shifting (below), but have a new ergonomically shaped hood design. To save weight, and keep the cost down, the brake levers are aluminium rather than carbon fibre. There's 10mm of reach adjustment so you can tune the lever to your hands.

>> Read more: Shimano hydraulic discs trickle down to 105 level

Shimano RS405 disc brakes and levers — ~£285

Shimano announced these Tiagra-level disc brakes in March 2016 and they're now a common sight on bikes around the £1,200 mark. The lever shape looks very much like that of the 11-speed RS505 hydraulic lever, although the BR-RS405 lever is 10-speed rather than 11-speed. Tiagra is currently Shimano's only 10-speed road system, so while they're not startlingly cheaper than 105, they're the only game in town of you want to upgrade a 10-speed-equipped bike to hydraulic stoppers.

>>Read more: Shimano unveils Tiagra hydraulic disc brakes

Shimano RS785 Di2 disc brakes and levers — £249.95

Shimano’s first road-specific disc brake offers a genuine improvement in braking power and control. The system comprises brake calipers, disc rotors and brake levers, and you can combine with either Dura-Ace Di2 or Ultegra Di2 11-speed groupsets.

Shimano's road disc brake system has been designed for use with 140mm or 160mm rotors, with the idea being that users can choose the size to suit their weight and intended use. The rotors are designed to combat overheating with fins and grooves. They are CenterLock only, there's no 6-bolt option.

Buy if you want electronic shifting and hydraulic disc brakes

>>Read our review of the Shimano RS785 road hydraulic discs

Shimano RS685 disc brakes and levers — £625

But what if you don't want Di2 with your hydraulic disc brakes? Shimano was listening, and RS685 is the result. It offers mechanical gear shifting with hydraulic disc brakes. Shimano sees this as an Ultegra level brakeset but as it’s 11-speed it’s compatible with Dura-Ace and 105.

ST-RS685 uses the same brake caliper as BR-RS785, it’s just the brake lever that is actually different. Shimano has included a mineral oil reservoir and brake system in the mechanical lever while managing to keep that lever compact. The lever features a 10mm reach adjustment to customise the fit for people with smaller or larger hand.

>>Read our first ride on the Shimano RS685 hydraulic disc brakes

http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/

We’ve previously taken you through the wheel ranges from Mavic and Fulcrum, now it’s time to turn our attention to Shimano’s rather large offering of wheels. Shimano wheels are frequently specced by bike manufacturers and they’re popular aftermarket upgrades, no doubt helped by being a common sight in the professional peloton - it supplies wheels to more teams than any other brand.

Your complete guide to Shimano groupsets

Dura-Ace R9100 and R9170 wheelsets

Shimano unveiled new Dura-Ace wheels with the launch of its latest groupset last summer. The new C40 and C60 wheels have a fashionably wide rim designed for improved aerodynamics.

The rims have a wider profile than the previous generation Dura-Ace wheels, following the current trend for bulbous profiles that are more stable in crosswinds than the older V-shape rims. Each is available in a clincher or tubular version, so you can emulate the pros if you want or be sensible and fit some inner tubes.

Alternatively, the R9170 versions of the C40 and C60 wheels are designed solely for disc brakes and use a 12mm thru-axle hub and a rim that is tubeless compatible. There’s also a tubular option as well.

If you want the lightest option, the R9100-C24 has a very shallow 24mm rim that keeps the weight low, making it an ideal wheelset for climbers. It's virtually unchanged from the previous R9000-C24 in case you're wondering.

Clincher

R9100 C24 — £691.99
R9100 C40 — £1,099
R9170 C40 Disc — £1,446
R9100 C60 — £1,074.99
R9170 C60 Disc — NA

Tubular

R9100 C40 Carbon — £1,632.48
R9170 C40 Disc — £1,503.98
R9100 C60 Carbon — £1,979.98
R9170 C60 Disc — ~£2,300.00

Shimano’s previous Dura-Ace R9000 generation wheels are still available if you shop around. There’s the C24 (£1,999.98) and C75 (£1,699.98), the classic C50 (£1,599.98) and finally the C35 (£1,499.98).

Review: Shimano Dura-Ace C24 Carbon Clincher wheelset

Ultegra RS700 and RS770 wheelsets

Along with the latest version of Ultegra 8000 launched this year, which follows closely in the wake of new Dura-Ace, Shimano released updated wheels. It’s offering two wheelsets under the Ultegra label, the carbon-laminate RS700 for rim brakes (£486.10) and the RS770 (£498.26) for disc brakes.

Both are tubeless-ready and the later is compatible with thru-axles. There are also new hubs to shed about 60g of weight compared to the old 6800 wheels, and there’s a lighter carbon layup in the new rims. Claimed weight is 1,568g for the rim brake wheels and 1,639g for the disc wheels.

RX830 35mm Tubeless Disc Brake wheelset — £592.50

The RX830 combines Shimano’s proven carbon laminate technology in a 17mm wide (internal) tubeless-ready rim optimised for disc brakes, so there’s no brake track on these rims. The hubs are cup and cone and ready for disc brakes with conventional quick release axles - so you’ll only see these on cheaper or older generation rim brake bikes, as most disc brake bikes are moving over to thru-axles. Shop around and you can find them discounted, as is the case for most of the wheels here.

RX31 Road Disc Brake wheelset — £272.22

The RX31 was one of the very first dedicated disc brake wheelsets available when disc brakes started appearing on production road bikes a few years ago. Shimano has built a solid wheelset around 24mm profile aluminium clincher rims with 24 stainless steel butted and bladed straight pull spokes in each wheel to best deal with the disc brake forces. Hubs are now thru-axle compatible with contact sealed bearings with an 8,9,10 and 11-speed compatible freehub.

- Review: Shimano RX31 wheelset

RS330 Alloy clincher wheelset — £207.83

Looking like a good upgrade option for many entry-level bikes, though you’re likely to see these wheels specced on a lot of mid-range bikes, the RS-330 uses a lightweight aluminium rim with a 30mm depth providing good aerodynamics, making them ideal for anyone wanting to inject a bit more speed into their riding.

RS11 Alloy clincher wheelset — £159.98

You’re getting a bit more technology in return for your extra £50 at RRP over the RS010 wheels below, with a 24mm profile aluminium rim and bladed stainless steel straight pull spokes - 16 up front and 24 our back. The hubs have labyrinth sealed angular contact bearings and low-friction seals for low rolling resistance and good durability.

RS010 Alloy clincher wheelset — £119

The RS010 is the most affordable in the RS line and uses much of the same technology as you'd expect higher up the range, and is a really good entry-level wheelset. You get the same 24mm rim depth as the more expensive wheels with 20 front spokes and 24 rear spokes and quick release hubs with wide flanges, contact bearings and steel axles.

RX010 Centre Lock Disc wheelset — £132.46

An affordable disc brake wheelset with 28 spokes in each wheel for extra durability and a 24mm rim for low weight, combined with Centre Lock disc rotor mounting system. The rim width is recommended for 25 to 38mm wide tyres. The hubs use regular quick release axles.

R500 24mm wheelset — £81.55

Shimano’s most affordable wheelset and one you’ll see on a lot of entry-level road bikes with 8 and 9-speed drivetrains. Combining 24mm aero and anodised rims with 20 black chrome plated spokes in each wheel and weighing 1,884g, it’s a solid wheelset.

Read more: 22 of the best road bike wheels

What are the key factors when choosing a new road bike? It might be price, purpose, style, weight, but for some, it might very well come down to what groupset the bike is equipped with. And one of the most popular groupsets is Shimano's Ultegra, a groupset that combines a competitive price with top-level performance.

Here, then, is a roundup of road bikes fitted with Shimano’s Ultegra groupset, and we’re going to focus on the mechanical version because it covers a wider range of prices. Shimano launched the latest R8000 version of Ultegra last summer and now all new Ultegra-specced bikes have swapped over to the new components; although if you shop around you can still find the odd deal on past season bikes with the old 6800 group (this 60cm Ribble Gran Fondo at 21% off for example). The new version is functionally very similar to 6800 but styled to look like its Dura-Ace big sister.

>> Read more: Shimano launches new Ultegra R8000 groupset

If you read Mat’s head to head feature, pitting Shimano Ultegra against its rival SRAM Force, you’ll know that Ultegra-equipped bikes can range in price from just over £1,000 right up to £3,000 or more. That means there’s a wide selection of bikes to choose from, with different frame materials and riding purpose, and a choice of disc brakes or aero frames.

Some bikes will feature a full Shimano Ultegra groupset, but at both extremes of the price spectrum, you’re going to find some manufacturers mixing in some other components to help them meet key price points. The most common changes are brake calipers, especially on cheaper models, and sometimes chainsets get swapped for another make.

>> Head to head: Shimano Ultegra v SRAM Force

Let's dive in then...

Merida Silex 700 — £2,100

Sitting in the upper end of the gravel range from Merida, the Silex 700 delivers a no-nonsense package of reliable components, parts and a geometry that brings a stable ride feel. Its geometry vaguely references mountain bikes, which makes for a really excellent ride feel, on road or off, blurring the line between road and mountain in a fast, fun bike.

Read our review of the Merida Silex 700
Find a Merida dealer

B’Twin Ultra 920 AF — £999

Going with an aluminium frame is one way to get maximum value for money. And with modern aluminium frames offering the great performance they do, it’s a choice we can wholeheartedly recommend. B’Twin’s Ultra 920 combines a triple butted aluminium frame with a direct mount front brake and internal cable routing, with a carbon fibre fork and a smart paint job. Best of all, it gets a full Shimano Ultegra 11-speed groupset, including the brakes and a compact chainset. The wheels are Mavic’s Cosmic Elite with matching 25mm tyres.

Planet X Pro Carbon Ultegra – £1,300

British company Planet X has a reputation for affordable and well-specced road bikes, and so it’s the case with the Pro Carbon, which as the name suggest, offers a full carbon fibre frame and fork. It's the cheapest carbon fibre road bike with Ultegra that we're aware of. The frame has a compact geometry and it’s been designed to provide long distance riding comfort, so ideal for sportives and leisure cycling. It’s equipped with a full Shimano Ultegra R8000 groupset, and the build is finished off with Vision 30 aluminium wheels with 25mm Hutchinson Nitro 2 wire bead tyres.

Canyon Endurace CF 8.0 2019 — £1,699

German direct-sales brand Canyon has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity and sales in the UK, and it can always be counted on for providing very good value for money. The Endurace’s carbon fibre frameset is designed to offer a more upright and comfortable riding position than it’s racier Ultimate. You get a full Shimano Ultegra groupset with a compact chainset, along with DT Swiss P1800 wheels and a claimed bike weight of 7.5kg.

If you prefer a speedier ride, then the Canyon Aeroad CF SL 8.0 (£2,999) swaps the sportive frame for one designed in a wind tunnel and switches to deep-section wheels. It retains the identical groupset. It’s a good demonstration of how widely Ultegra is used in a bike manufacturer's range.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 Disc Ultegra — £4,200

Some people say you should never put a Shimano groupset on an Italian frame. We say you should make up your own mind. The Bianchi Oltre XR3 draws inspiration from the company’s top-end race-ready Oltre XR4, but uses less expensive carbon fibre to hit lower price points. It’s a full Shimano Ultegra groupset too, including brakes. Wheels are Fulcrum’s Racing 7 LG shod with Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slicks in 25mm width. Once he learned that this was a bike to be coaxed to speed not thrashed, tester Stu had a great time with it.

Read our review of the Bianchi Oltre XR3 Disc Ultegra

Trek Emonda SL 6 2019 — £2,250

Here’s the 2019 Trek Emonda SL 6, which features the slightly-less-exotic-but-still-light 500 Series OCLV version of Trek's pared-down Emonda platform. It has a full Ultegra transmission plus Trek's own Bontrager direct mount brakes, and the Bontrager Paradigm Tubeless Ready wheels mean going tubeless is just a matter of fitting tubeless tyres.

Giant Defy Advanced 1 — £1,999

Maybe you’ve got your heart set on a road bike with disc brakes? Well, Giant has completely overhauled its Defy endurance/sportive model with disc brakes, and for its £1,999 RRP, the Defy Advanced 1 offers you a carbon fibre frameset, designed to provide a comfortable ride, with a Shimano Ultegra groupset. For 2017, Giant upgraded the brakes to Shimano hydraulics, a significant improvement over the previous mechanical discs, and that spec carries over for 2019. Giant supplies its own-brand finishing kit and wheels, along with 25mm tubeless tyres.

Liv Avail Advanced 1 2019 – £1,999

Giant launched the Liv sub-brand to cater for women cyclists, and the Avail Advanced 1 shares many design features with the Defy, but the company says the carbon layup has been tuned specifically for women. As well as that, the geometry has also been adapted, and Giant has optimised the stem lengths, handlebar width and drop, crank arm lengths and brake lever reach across the size range. It’s similarly equipped, with a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed components and hydraulic disc brakes.

Specialized Women's Tarmac Disc Expert 2019 – £4,250

The women's version of the Specialized Tarmac received a rave road.cc review this year (read it below) and the latest version is as good to ride as it is to look at if you've the money to spare. The latest version has the added stopping confidence of disc brakes. The Tarmac Disc has all the gubbins you'd expect for the money, including neat internally routed cables, a high grade full carbon frameset, tidy wheels and a super plush Oura Pro saddle. The brakes are direct mount, and you also get a set of the Specialized S-Works Turbo tyres in 26mm. The men's SL6 has an iridescent paint job and this is the only colour option for the women's version; but if you like it, then there are few finer Ultegra-equipped carbon race bikes than a Tarmac. We also recently reviewed the men's Tarmac Pro which has some Ultegra parts in there, and it's fair to say we were impressed.

Read our review of the Specialized Tarmac SL6 Expert Women's

Look 765 Optimum — ~£1,760

When we tested the Look 765, a sleek and stylish carbon fibre endurance bike, we were very impressed with its performance. Not all carbon frames are made equal: the Look designers have infused this frame with some linen fibres, which in key places (the fork legs and chainstays) is claimed to help dissipate nasty vibrations from ruining the ride quality. It appears to work, there’s very little road buzz through the saddle or handlebar when riding. This bike is finished with a full Shimano Ultegra groupset and the build is completed by way of some Mavic Aksium wheels and matching tyres, in a comfortable 25mm width.

Read our review of the Look 765

Cervelo S3 Ultegra — £3,519

Cervelo's S3 might have been around since 2009, but it’s still regularly the choice of racers and professionals, and in 2013 it received an update so it's still a decent choice. It's a frame, reckoned by some to still be one of the most aero choices, that combines comfort with skinny rear stays, so you can have your aero cake and eat it. 

Proper cycling shoes help keep your feet comfortable, improve power transfer and let in air to cool your feet on hot days. They’re an under-rated part of the cycling wardrobe and needn’t cost the earth.

The key to the function of cycling shoes is the sole. Cycling shoes have soles that are substantially stiffer than those of regular shoes or trainers. They don’t need to bend for walking, so they can be very stiff. That spreads the force you’re putting on the pedals around your foot and stops your foot uncomfortably bending at the edges of the pedal.

Let’s take a look at cycling shoes from the sole up.

Soles

A cycling shoe sole is stiff because it’s made of some sort of rigid plastic, often reinforced with fibreglass or carbon fibre. Most cycling shoe soles have threaded inserts so you can attach cleats for use with clipless pedals, though there are a few retro-styled shoes with smooth soles for use with clips and straps.

Pearl Izumi M Elite Road IV Shoe with three threaded inserts for a cleat and ventilation holes

There are two types of soles for clipless pedals. Road racing-style shoes have three threaded inserts for a cleat that sits on the outside of the sole. Mountain bike style shoes take a two bolt cleat that sits in a recess in the sole tread so that the shoes are easier to walk in when you have to get off the bike.

Shimano MW7 winter boots with a recess in the sole for a two-bolt cleat. (Only one pair of bolt holes is used at a time.)

Shoes for three-bolt cleats are great for rides where you don’t get off the bike for more than a cafe stop. If you want to walk around in between periods on the bike, go for two-bolt shoes.

Three-bolt soles usually have a couple of lumps of rubber under the heel and toe to make it slightly easier to walk in them, but they only improve things a little.

These Quoc Pham Fixed shoes are intended for use with clips and straps and so don't have fixings for cleats

Uppers

Bontrager Classique Shoes have a synthetic leather upper and laces for a retro look.

Cycling shoe uppers are made from many materials including real leather or suede; synthetic leather or suede; and nylon mesh. They are usually stitched together from various panels of material, but some high-end shoes have the upper moulded in one piece, which saves weight. Look for seams reinforced by double lines of stitching at the edges of the panels.

Shaped heel cups keep your foot securely in place in the shoe

The main body of the upper will have padding, reinforcement and stiffening in various places. The most significant stiffening is usually around the heel. This heel cup is shaped to hold your heel down in the shoe so it doesn’t slip on the upstroke as you pedal. The toes are usually reinforced against scuffing, especially in shoes intended for mountain biking. There’s usually padding at the heel and top of the shoe for comfort.

Shimano RP900 shoes have multi-panel construction with mesh and a rubber toe bumper

Some high-end shoes have uppers that can be moulded to more precisely fit your feet. Your dealer warms them, usually in a special oven, and then you put them on and buckle them up. As they cool they’ll take on the shape of your feet.

Closures

Laces can still be found on more casually-styled shoes like these Giro Petra VRs

To keep them on your feet shoes need to be fastened. The old school way of doing this was with laces, but most cycling shoes now use Velcro straps, buckles, dials or some combination. Laces have made a bit of a comeback in the last few years, though, with some very high-end models using sophisticated string to keep them snug. 

Shoes with laces will usually have a Velcro strap to cover the knot or some sort of ‘speed laces’ with a buckle to hold the laces in place and a place to tuck the free end. Either way, you don’t want any dangling string that can get caught in your chain or wrapped round the pedal axle so be sure to there are no loose dangly bits to get snagged. They may be a bit fiddly, but laces allow you to spread the tension evenly over your foot, which can make lace-up shoes very comfortable.

B'Twin Road 5 shoes are a very typical three-strap shoe

Velcro straps are the cheapest option. There are usually three along the top of the foot and you simply pull them tight and cinch them down. They’re quick and easy and they hold the shoe firmly im place, but as there are only three of them it’s easy to overdo tightening one and end up feeling like part of your foot has been clamped. Tighten them gently.

Vittoria Speed shoes each have a pair of Velcro straps and a ratchet buckle

On more expensive shoes you’ll find a ratchet buckle replacing the top strap. The advantage of a ratchet is that it’s very easy to adjust the tension as you ride, either to tighten it for a big effort or loosen it off if your feet are getting tired.

Bontrager Specter shoes combine a BOA with a single Velcro strap

On some high-end shoes you’ll find one or two dials that tighten very fine plastic-covered steel cables. In effect this is the high-tech answer to laces, spreading the tension around the top of the foot. The idea first appeared as the Boa closure; several shoe manufacturers now use it or their own versions. Like ratchets, wire-dial closures allow you to adjust the tension while you ride.

Insoles

The underside of these CurrexSole Bikepro insoles shows the different regions for support and shock absorption

Inside the shoe you’ll find an insole that cushions your foot and spreads the loads around. These vary in sophistication from a simple layer of foam to liners with multiple densities and adjustable support to heat-mouldable insoles that can be shaped to fit your foot. You can also buy new insoles to improve the fit and comfort of your shoes.

Ventilation, warmth and waterproofing

Vents at the front and in the middle of this Gaerne sole let cooling air fow through.

All that pressure through your feet can lead to them getting hot on warm days. As well as weight reduction, that’s why some shoes use lightweight mesh to let air in and cool your feet. Many shoes also have ventilation holes in the soles, though these can make you too cold in the winter. A strip of duct tape fixes that.

Winter cycling shoes ward off the cold and wet

Speaking of winter, you can get shoes specifically-designed to keep your feet war and dry during the cold and wet months. They usually have a breathable, waterproof Gore-Tex liner and a layer of insulation. That means they’re not cheap, but they’re worth it if you want to carry on riding through the winter. Pro tip: buy them in the spring when they’re heavily discounted and put them away for winter.

Women’s shoes

In general, women have narrower ankles than men and smaller feet. Women’s shoes are therefore a slightly different shape, and some models are available in smaller sizes than the 36 that’s usually the lower limit of men’s ranges.

What do you get for your money?

It pays to shop around; shoes are rarely sold for full RRP. At actual prices of around £50 you start getting ratchet buckles for easy tension adjustment.

Want something stiffer and lighter? The cheapest shoes we’re aware of with carbon fibre soles will set you back £65, and you don’t have to pay much more for heat-mouldable soles.

From there on up shoes generally get more orientated toward racing, with a few exceptions like winter boots and expedition mountain bike shoes. That also means soles usually get stiffer and the whole shoe lighter. The light, high-strength materials needed to achieve that are expensive, which pushes up the price of the shoes. Won the lottery? Check out the handmade Assos G1 shoes with carbon fibre soles, kangaroo leather uppers, Boa closure and every clever detail you can think of. A snip at £370.

Five great shoes for beginner cyclists

Triban RoadC 100 shoes — £29.99

Shoes with two-bolt SPD cleats are great for riders who are new to cycling shoes because they're easier to get into and allow you to walk around off the bike. These cycle touring shoes from Decathlon are a bargain, with a Velcro strap to stop the laces getting tangled in your bike and a reflective insert in the heel for visibility.

Muddyfox RBS100 — £30

My eyes! It's okay, these budget road shoes from Muddyfox are also available in a snazzy white, red and black colour scheme for those who aren't sufficiently extrovert for screaming neon.

They have a two-strap closure, with a very broad strap across the top to spread the tension over your foot, and Amazon reviewers say the sole is plenty stiff. For just £30, they do the job.

FWE Pitch Sport — £49.99

For £60 these SPD shoes from the Evans store chain look like a decent deal. There's also a road-specific version for the same price.

There are plenty of other shoes for under £50 at the moment in Evans' sale.

Giro Petra VR — £59.99

While there's always going to be a time and a place for super-stiff lightweight road shoes, sometimes that's not always what's required, or desired. The Giro Petra VR Shoes are designed for those times when there's going to be a fair bit of walking as well as riding, and when a more low-key looking shoe may be the thing. But they're still technical.

Officially in Giro's 'dirt' section of the company's website, the Petra VR is more a touring or casual shoe, rather than a technical mountain bike shoe. They lace up, have a Vibram sole, and feature a removable plate under which lurks SPD attachment points, but they are styled much more casually.

The men's equivalent is the Rumble VR.

Read our review of the Giro Petra VR

Find a Giro dealer

Shimano ME2 — £39.99-£47.50

Happy customers report comfort on three-hour-plus rides from these three-strap mountain bike shoes which have fibreglass reinforced soles for comfy pedalling. A rubber outsole provides grip when you're off the bike, so these can be used for strolling around as well as riding.

Find a Shimano dealer

Fizik R1 Infinito Knit — £349.99 - £359.99

Only kidding!