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2017 Shimano Sora ups entry level game with disc brakes, four-arm cranks; still nine speeds

Written by Tyler Benedict
2017 Shimano Sora R3000 road bike drivetrain group with mechanical disc brakes
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2017 Shimano Sora R3000 road bike drivetrain group with mechanical disc brakes

Just last week, SRAM unveiled their updated Apex group, giving their entry level road series disc brakes and expanded gearing options. Now, Shimano’s equivalent, Sora, gets freshened up in its own way.

The aesthetics of the higher end groups trickle down to the new four-arm, asymmetrical spider on the cranks, the derailleurs are more shapely, and the levers switch to internal routing, letting you hide the cables under the bar tape. They’ve even got new a flat-mount disc brake caliper joining the rim option, with both drop and flat bar levers to actuate it. Pedal past the break for all the details…

2017-Shimano-Sora-R3000-road-bike-cranks01

The Sora R3000 group will be offered with double (FC-R3000, 50-34) and triple (FC-R3030 – 50/39/30) chainring options. There’s also a more traditional 5-arm crankset in 2x and 3x with included chain guard for commuter bikes. The cassettes will have a new 11-34 option, up from the prior 11-32, for a bit easier pedaling.

2017 Shimano Sora R3000 road bike drivetrain group with mechanical disc brakes

Those commuter bikes will likely get the RapidFire Plus trigger shifter option. For drop bar bikes, the new STI levers keep everything inside, no more wires jutting out the sides.

2017 Shimano Sora R3000 road bike drivetrain group with mechanical disc brakes

The derailleurs end up looking very much like 105, with the front getting the new, taller actuating arm that dramatically decreases effort at the lever to perform front shifts.

2017 Shimano Sora R3000 road bike drivetrain group with mechanical disc brakes

Flat bar builds will have a simple lever to saddle up with the triggers. Rim brake calipers are all new, featuring a dual pivot design they say increases braking power by 20%. They also get a quick release cable lever to make wheel changes easier. As more and more bikes switch to disc brakes, the new Sora flat-mount mechanical brake caliper will help keep everything on the same page.

2017 Shimano Sora R3000 road bike drivetrain group with mechanical disc brakes

They’ll combine with either steel or stainless steel rotors in 140mm and 160mm sizes.

2017 Shimano Sora R3000 road bike drivetrain group with mechanical disc brakes

Those rotors will fit with the new mid-range RX31 disc wheelset, which gets 12mm E-Thru axles…

2017 Shimano Sora R3000 road bike drivetrain group with mechanical disc brakes

…and a new axle design (SM-AX720) that makes adjustments easier. Weights, pricing and other tech details aren’t announced yet, but look for the parts to be on bikes and available aftermarket in summer 2016.

Bike.Shimano.com
Tyler Benedict
11,282 articles

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com, where he’s been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel and ride in new places.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler also loves the Vanlife & family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part and off-grid adventure.

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21 Comments
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Burton
Burton
8 years ago

I’m more of a SRAM fan but Sora is now good stuff! If you’re secure enough in who you are as a cyclist and human being, and are wise enough to know that 9 speeds are all you need, you can save a ton of bucks. Tiagra, even better, 105 better still and beyond that, it’s all vanity, not that I’m immune from it.

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fealakwen
fealakwen
8 years ago
Reply to  Burton

It’s not vanity only, but function too. You gain 2 speeds. This matters.

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Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  fealakwen

2 more cogs, but less range.
Only 11-32 option for 11 spd. Even 11-28 is good enough for pro and enthusiast, but for entry level, 11-34 9 speed is still better.

11 means even beginngers won’t spin out down hill, and 34 helps them to climb maybe 15% hill.
The big jump is not such a big problem for beginner, but range is.

Although, personally I’ll stick to 11-28 with 11 speed.

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Allan
Allan
8 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

But it’s more than that. In between the extremes, an 11 speed gives you much better shift progression. I am not hating on 9 speed, one of my bikes still has 9, and the drivetrain is so much quieter. But I’m still not trading that for the smoother progression of an 11 speed. Oh, and IMO, it’s 12-28 11sp FTW!

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Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen
8 years ago
Reply to  Burton

There’s a 390 gram difference between 105 and Ultegra. If you can’t appreciate that, that’s fine, but the upgrade is huge.

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nosely
nosely
8 years ago

wow, still doing 9 speed. nice!

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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

This still uses the old actuation ratio? I was worried for a minute. It looks like the RDs are the old design.

Also, I think people should note, there’s really no advantage to 4-arm at this level except possibly stiffness. The things are heavy with the 3d chainrings which aren’t hollow. Even at 105 level, 4 arm isn’t really any lighter than 5 arm. At Tiagra, and presumably Sora level, they’re actually heavier.

I can only assume that pushing 4-arm means Shimano hopes they can cut out OEM FSA cranks, and they want to get people used to looking at 4 arm. It also means people have to buy matching replacement rings. It looks slick though. I would not be embarrassed riding Sora.

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nosely
nosely
8 years ago
Reply to  anonymous

Would be good to know the weight diffs between 4 and 5 arm. As noted above 5 arm in double and triple are still available, too bad there isn’t pics unless the 5 arm options are the same as last iteration?

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Tenner
Tenner
8 years ago

Was hoping to see hydraulic brakes/shifters come down to the 10-speed Tiagra. 🙁

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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

105 5750 is ~718g
105 5700 is ~775g
105 5800 cmp ~736g
105 5800 std ~761g
Tiagra 4650 ~814g
Tiagra 4603 ~1015g
Tiagra 4700 ~916g
Tiagra 4703 1030g(? – can’t find a pic with a scale)
So for 105 it’s a wash, depending on standard vs compact. A lot of people will just get 52/36 anyways. Tiagra is heavier. Sora will probably also be heavier. The new 5800/6800 and 9000 BBs are lighter, but the Tiagra and Sora cranks don’t come with them. 4 arm is not lighter without the hollow chainrings at the Ultegra/DA level.

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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  anonymous

And for anyone that doubts these numbers, consider the evolution of Shimano cranks. Shimano makes light stiff hollow chainrings for 7900/6700, but does not carry them down to 5700 because they’re expensive. Shimano realizes they can get away with a smaller spider, since the spider is basically integrated with the 3D rings and no longer has to try and support a flat plate as close to the edge as possible, and the rings are stiff and light enough to get away with 4 arms. There were mock ups of 5800 with 4 arm flat rings, but apparently, Shimano found a way to make 3d rings cheap, so they went that direction. As you can see, the pocketed rings of 5800 make it about the same weight as the old 5 arm maybe stiffer though. Since weight loss is not a priority for Tiagra, rather cheaper construction and lower speeds, they just gave Tiagra really heavy 3d rings, but at least it looks premium. It could be that the new FD design plays nicer with really stiff rings too.

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Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  anonymous

The weight is spindle only?
What about spindle + chainring total weight?
I still doubt 4 arm 105 (compact/semi compact) is no heavier than old 5 arm 105.

And is UT/DA any lighter than previous model?

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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

Those are weights for crank arms and chainrings. The entire crankset, not including BBs, because you can just buy a DA9000 BB to use with your old cranks. 9000 is lighter than 7900. Not sure about Ultegra.

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WannaBeSTi
WannaBeSTi
8 years ago

I don’t think Shimano worries about weight as much once below Ultegra. Function first.
Much like other industries (auto, motorcycle, and etc) Shimano is probably wanting a unified look through their lines.
I wish suppliers to the bike companies would make it to where more road bikes came with complete groups instead of Sora shifters and FD, Tiagra RD, and a company branded crank made by another company (which usually results in poorer shifting). Look around at Sora-level bikes, you’ll see a doo-doo brakes, awful Z chains, Jagwire cables and housing, and I-DON’T-KNOW-WHO-THAT-IS cranks.

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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

It means Shimano is pushing a new standard down your throat for aesthetics and to have more control over the supply by creating proprietary standards with questionable benefits despite making claims about 4 arms helping achieve a balance of low weight.

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Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  anonymous

Yeah, Shimano is pushing a new standard by sticking to 24mm spindle and normal freehub body.

If 4 arms is threatening you, just use normal 5 arms crack, there are so many products from ROTOR or praxiswork and even Shimano itself, not to mention different BCD for compact and standard.

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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

You mean opposed to JIS square taper, octalink V1 and octalink v2? Or uniglide? I’m not sure what your point is. The SRAM driver lets you use a 10t cog, which Shimano can’t. Sram still makes “normal” freehub bodies. Campagnolo didn’t change their freehubs for 9,10, 11. If you look further back, you can see places where Shimano tried to invent new standards, like their failed downtube shifter boss, and we still use Campagnolo standards like derailer hangers, and Shimano’s “new” shifter cable head. The only reason you don’t realize this is because Shimano dwarfs the other companies, it’s the major OEM supplier, so it basically gets to dictate standards, like flat mount.

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Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen
8 years ago
Reply to  anonymous

Shimano is unequivocally THE most standards adherent company in cycling for the past decade. This group, Tiagra, and Claris are even more evidence of that. Instead of pushing lower end groups to 11s, requiring everyone get new wheels, they’ve maintained production of new 8, 9, and 10s components, ensuring retrogrouches can revel in their mediocrity indefinitely.

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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  Eric Hansen

Do you seriously think Shimano wants every group to be 11 speeds, ruining their part hierarchy? The only time Tiagra was ever at the same number of speeds as Dura Ace for the same year was 9 speed, and people wondered why buy fancier components. Ever since then, Tiagra has always been a step or two behind. Sora and Claris were created to make even lower tiers of parts. It doesn’t work if they’re all 11 speeds. Instead, it lets Shimano push hubs that are still 10-speed, requiring you to purchase 11 speed hubs if you want to upgrade.

You’d also be wrong about parts compatibility. The new 10 speed Tiagra? That uses the new 11 speed actuation ratios, but with 10 speed spacing. That means you can’t use the new mechs with the old shifters, or the new shifters with the old mechs. Sora will have the new front mech but it looks like the old style rear mech, so there are some compatibility issues there.

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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  Eric Hansen

Also Shimano does’t control the wheel market nearly as much as they control the component market. Shimano wanted to push freehub standards when it had a patent on freehubs, and they have changed their freehub designs in the past. If Shimano forced everyone to buy new wheels, they probably would buy a 3rd party wheel, not Shimano.

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Mike
Mike
8 years ago

Some more background on the R3000 (and larger visuals!!) at http://bikenews.shimano-eu.com/unitedKingdom/en/the-new-sora-r3000-premium-features-for-fitness-and-urban-riders
Really hope the weight isn’t to much with the R3000…

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