Quote Originally Posted by TigerMom View Post
As for the Shimano 105 derailleurs, I think that you will definitely feel the difference between the lower end shifters and the Shimano 105 and above shifters. The difference in the better shifters is how fast the shifters shift when you go uphill, and sturdy the shifting feels, how your hand feels/how easy to shift in your hand (which is why some people prefer Shimano while others prefer SRAM and others prefer Campy), and less often to derail. The lower end shifters feel more clunky and sometimes, I can't tell if it shifted well when I pedal hard uphills. That is the best way that I can explain what it feels like.

We would love to know which bike you ended up with though!
Very helpful, thank you. I'm pretty much only looking at the Ruby right now (I'm not the original poster looking at the Amira), but I will for sure share what I get. Based on the posts here and the bike shops I've talked to (outlining my personal requirements/needs), the Ruby sounds dreamy to ride.