Trading in a base Dolce for a base Ruby

[Crankin]

You might want to rethink a bike with Sora. I think you can find something with 105.

[humblpirate]

You might want to rethink a bike with Sora. I think you can find something with 105.

So, I've read that quite a bit on this forum, but I guess I was thinking that anything would be a step up from what I am currently using. I rode the Compact with Sora today and I definitely cannot go back to the Shimano 2300. I guess that's probably what its like with the Ultegra or the 105s.

Here's what I noticed: I really liked being able to shift from the drops (have thumb shifters on my Dolce that I can't reach) and the shifts were cleaner than on my bike. However, there were certain gear changes that were rough, like it was a big jump for the chain. Is that what is wrong with the Sora? Is that what the ultegra does better? Or is it something more? I liked having a 34/32 combination for the really steep hill on my route.

When you say you think I can find something with 105 ... This Ruby fit wonderfully and I really liked it. And this bike shop is my best bet. And now I cannot go back to my Dolce. Now that I've seen how much better riding can be, I do not want to ride my Dolce for the century ride I have on Sept. 28.

[Owlie]

So, I've read that quite a bit on this forum, but I guess I was thinking that anything would be a step up from what I am currently using. I rode the Compact with Sora today and I definitely cannot go back to the Shimano 2300. I guess that's probably what its like with the Ultegra or the 105s.

Here's what I noticed: I really liked being able to shift from the drops (have thumb shifters on my Dolce that I can't reach) and the shifts were cleaner than on my bike. However, there were certain gear changes that were rough, like it was a big jump for the chain. Is that what is wrong with the Sora? Is that what the ultegra does better? Or is it something more? I liked having a 34/32 combination for the really steep hill on my route.

When you say you think I can find something with 105 ... This Ruby fit wonderfully and I really liked it. And this bike shop is my best bet. And now I cannot go back to my Dolce. Now that I've seen how much better riding can be, I do not want to ride my Dolce for the century ride I have on Sept. 28.

Sorry for back-to-back posting, but:
It's probably not so bad as it once was now that Sora is 9-speed (I have 8-speed 2300 from 2009 on my road bike, so that's where I'm coming from), but yes, the shifting on the more expensive components is smoother (that's what a 10-speed cassette gets you--smaller jumps so smoother shifting, in addition to the better machining and finishing). It's also lighter, and less...finicky. (Basically translates to less adjustment.) If you can afford it, go for 105. It'll last you a lot longer.

[Crankin]

Owlie just said what I was going to say. My first road bike had Sora, and although it was 13 years ago, it was the reason why I bought another bike 1 year later. Going up to Ultegra was the biggest change that made riding better.

[Owlie]

You might want to rethink a bike with Sora. I think you can find something with 105.

New Sora is a heck of a lot nicer than it used to be, and they've moved to the two-lever style rather than the thumb triggers. So it's not horrible. It's probably the Tiagra of five years ago. The only caveat is that the carbon on the entry models, as far as I know, still isn't as nice as on the higher-level ones. That may have changed.