Road bike groupsets buyer's guide

September is the start of the new product year in cycling, with a flurry of trade shows where brands show off their new wares, including the latest groupsets. But what exactly is a groupset?

In simplest terms, it’s all the moving bits on your bike: gear/brake levers, cables, brake callipers and derailleurs, plus the oily bits of bottom bracket, cranks, chainrings, chain and cassette – also known as the drivetrain. Wheel hubs and headset used to be included (and you can still get Campagnolo Record items) but with so many complete wheelsets and frame-specific headsets now available, they’ve slipped off the list.

We’ve focused on the big three –  Shimano, SRAM  and Campagnolo – but other companies are hovering on the periphery, with complete groupsets (Microshift), partial sets (FSA), or in the case of Rotor, a groupset that is not yet commercially available. But even limiting your choice to the main players, there’s a dazzling wealth of options. So let us guide you to the right one to suit your performance needs, budget and even aesthetic sensibilities.

At its most basic level what differentiates the three players in the market is how the rider shifts gear, and that’s in no small part down to patents that protect intellectual property. Campagnolo uses two levers – one thumb-activated, one by your finger – while Shimano has the brake lever doing double duty as the second shift lever. SRAM has one finger-operated lever that shifts up or down depending on how far you press it. 

It’s hard to say if one system is better than another, being largely a matter of preference and what you’re familiar with – saying that, we’ve yet to meet a rider who hasn’t been able to get used to any brand within a dozen or so rides. Another consideration for some is the size and shape of the levers – especially important for riders with small hands.

Campagnolo Potenza 11

Launched earlier this year, Potenza is Campagnolo’s new fourth-tier groupset, though it’s pitched against Shimano’s Ultegra, which is the Japanese firm’s second-tier offering. It’s indicative of the different philosophy of the two companies – Shimano only has one ‘pro level’ groupset, Dura-Ace, while Campagnolo offers Chorus, Record and Super Record, all promising raceworthy performance (the only real benefit of Record and Super Record being lighter weight). Similar to Ultegra, Potenza 11 promises top-notch shifting at a more affordable cost, and for most of us, this is as good as we’ll ever need. 

Available with numerous cassette and chainring options, it’s easy to tune the ratios according to your riding tastes and terrain. Like its big brothers, Potenza has gained the four arm crank, albeit in aluminium rather than carbon, and introduces Power Torque+, an update of the crank connection. Although it looks the same as Super Record, the rear mech uses differing materials, so you can expect excellent durability. Combining with the new rear mech is the shift lever that sticks with the thumb and finger operation, and thanks to updated internals, a lighter shifting action too.

Read more here: Campagnolo Potenza

campagnolo.com

SRAM Rival 22

As the newest of the three major manufacturers, SRAM’s range has grown fast and continues to gain ground as it targets niche markets with innovative products such as hydraulic rim brakes. Rival is the next step up from the entry level 10-speed Apex and SRAM states that it is ‘for the dedicated rider whose demands are different, not lower than the professionals’. 

Coming late to the market means SRAM has had to work around other brands’ patents, yet its DoubleTap system has more than proved itself: the first click of the single shift lever moves to a smaller ring, but continue the stroke and it moves up. This system places a premium on the lever movement so engineers have developed what they call Zero Loss to ensure the pick up of lever travel is near instant. For us, the highlight is the Yaw front mech, with its frame-saving chain catcher and unique action that enables you to use the full range of the cassette without chain rub. 

Along with Force22, Rival offers a massively broad range of gears, marketed under the WiFli sub brand, and with a longer cage rear mech, a larger cassette can be used to give super low gearing.

Read a full review here: Sram Rival review

sram.com

Shimano Ultegra 6870 Di2

While Campagnolo and SRAM only offer electronic shifting for their top level groupsets, Ultegra Di2 brings the convenience of electronic shifting to the mass market. Naturally it borrows much from its range-topping Dura-Ace version but tech trickle-down effect means the materials and shapes remain the same, it’s just the finish and a few internal parts that are changed to reduce cost.

With no cables to stretch or go out of alignment, the front and rear derailleurs function perfectly time and again, for thousands of miles. With no mechanism to move, the action of changing gear is done with far less human effort and gears can even be selected ahead of time. And if all that wasn’t enough, shift speed can be altered and extra shift buttons added to your handlebars. Shimano has seriously gone to town with the electronics.

Read the full review here: Shimano Ultegra Di2 review

madison.co.uk

SRAM Force 22 HRD

With hydraulic disc brakes benched from the pro peloton and some sportives, it’s a tough start for the new innovation, yet both SRAM and Shimano have brought several very good hydraulic offerings to the market, not least the Force22 HRD.

Disc brakes bring everyday advantages to most riders even if the pros aren’t currently enjoying them. Rim brakes are notoriously poor performers when wet and mucky, mostly due to the braking surface being so close to the road. Lifted away from grime, disc brakes are capable of coping with greater braking forces and provide more reliable stopping.

SRAM’s top three road groupsets all offer hydraulic disc brakes, with Force in the middle of the range. Launched when SRAM entered the road market as the racer’s option, it may have since  been usurped by Red for that honour but still delivers raceworthy performance, with innovative single-lever shifters, carbon cranks and Yaw front mech. In fact, Force 22’s become somewhat of the all-rounder, with a single-chainring option and cyclocross versions also added to the mix.

sram.com

Shimano Tiagra 4700

It would be easy to dismiss the Tiagra groupset – or, in fact, any of the lower priced offerings from Shimano – due to the vast range the Japanese manufacturer offers, combined with the excitement the top end versions rightly attract. But make no mistake, Shimano’s top 10-speed groupset is seriously capable and offers a lot of power for your pound.

Shimano’s philosophy of trickling down technology as new versions come in at the higher end, means the latest Tiagra, which runs the series name 4700, has gained the four arm crank, brake calipers and ergonomic hood shape of the shifters that look like past top-of-the-range items. As such, performance is seriously good.

On the road, you’d struggle to differentiate between Tiagra and those older generation Dura-Ace originals, with quality of finish and minor bearing changes being the only significant differences. These changes do mean you’ll have a slightly heavier action and higher overall weight, but if value is your priority, it’s a great proposition.

Shimano has given Tiagra a broad range of appeal as, along with the road version shown here, there are alternative shift and brake levers for flat bars and a triple chainset to cater to the broader performance and fitness market.

madison.co.uk