SHIMANO 105 CS-HG700 11-speed cassette, 11-34T One Size,Silver,ICSHG70011134

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The derailleur cage has also been updated, although this part isn’t a straight port from the Di2 version – with the mechanical cage appearing to have more material cut from the outer plate, perhaps shaving off a few more grams. Gravel bikes are best viewed as a crossover between a road and mountain bike. As such, it’s normal to see them specced with either a road or mountain bike cassette.

The rear derailleur is completely new for 105, moving over to Shimano's Shadow technology that's come over to the road from the mountain bike groupsets. The mechanism is significantly more compact than the previous mech, meaning that the derailleur doesn't protrude so far outside the frame (33mm, as opposed to 45mm). This means it's better protected in the event of a crash. The new derailleur is available in two cage lengths; the shorter SS mech is for cassettes up to 11-30T, and the GS has a claimed maximum of 11-34T (although in reality it'll handle a lot more). The new design is compatible with direct mount frames, although there aren't many of those in the road sector right now. It would have been uncommon to find a cassette as large as SRAM’s Eagle 10-50 a few years ago. Alex Evans The differences are mainly down to materials used, and because of this 105 components are a little heavier.Shimano got on the low-gear train with its GRX components including 46/30 chainsets. Going for a triple chainset Now that 12-speed road bike groupsets exist, cassettes can have a larger range and the jumps between each gear can be relatively small. 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.

I also have to make do with a 10-speed triple chainset as there are no 11-speed triples now. Happily it works fine with an 11-speed chain.I splashed out on nicer wheels (Shimano RS21) which seem to be wearing at an astonishing rate - next bike is disk based. I don't have any info on the alloy blend of 105 but if you look at the finish treatment this also differs to other more expensive groupsets. Above all though, if 105 is on a winter bike (ie being ridden in wet weather with overshoes etc) and Dura-Ace is on a summer bike then certainly it will appear that 105 wears faster. It's difficult to compare similar riding conditions at the same time of year but I'd wager that more people take greater care of their Dura-Ace bikes than their 105 bikes. Overall it looks to me that usage rather than product specification is the primary defining factor in longevity. How often should I clean my bike? Regular cleaning ensures that your material lasts longer and that you can enjoy your cycling for longer. How often you need to clean depends on the weather conditions in which you ride. Do you cycle through all kinds of weather, or do you only go out when the sun is shining? It all affects the degree of wear and tear and some people will have to clean their bikes more often than others. Use the schedule below as a guide: I've recently replaced the rear mech for a Sora R3000 as the adjuster had rusted. Otherwise it was fine. I've replaced the Microshift brake hoods as I'd worn through them. I'm on my second casette (SRAM 850) but mostly as I fancied a 12-26 instead of 12-25. I'd also mention that there are sub-compact set ups that use mountain bike sized chainrings and touring chainsets (some very high end, like the TA Carmina and Middleburn X-type) and even Shimano's mountain bike chainsets. At the budget end, the Stronglight Impact chainsets offer doubles and triples with very useful combinations of chainrings.