Shimano today announced two new groupsets: the cost-conscious performance road groupset, 105 Mechanical; and the similarly located gravel group, GRX.
We’ll cover the launch of the new GRX in a separate story but here we’ll do a good set of tires and stick to the road, focusing on the 105.
The big change with the new 105 groupset is the shift from 11-speed to 12-speed, and like the electronic Di2 version of the groupset launched last year, it’s disc brakes only, another nail in the rim brakes’ coffin.
Before we get into the details, let’s go back in time a few years to look at where 105 is in the range. It’s on the third rung of Shimano’s road groupset hierarchy, nestled neatly below the flagship Dura-Ace and second-tier Ultegra. It has long represented excellent value for money as a group that closely matches the shifting and braking performance of its flashier stable mates, only with a weight penalty and possibly the concession of ‘wonderful’.
But in recent years, both stable groups have evolved into electron-only groups. For 2021, both the Ultegra and Dura-Ace have been upgraded to “Di2” 12-speed semi-wireless electronic groupsets, and the mechanical versions have been removed from the range.
Last year, the same thing happened with the 105. “The cables are down,” we reported, as it seemed like the mechanical groupsets, at least those on the premium end of the road market, were going the same way as rim brakes and tubular tires. The new groupset also came with a price hike, which meant budget-conscious cyclists were forced down the hierarchy, something Will Jones discussed in the feature at the time.
Back in the day, we’re happy to report that Shimano hasn’t turned off the mechanical production line, and it’s better than Spinal Tap, and this 105 group has also been turned over to twelve.
A lot of the new groupsets will mirror the Di2 version that launched last year, so there’s a bit of “old ground” to go over the basics, so we’ll do this first: It’ll form part of the R7100 chain, and it’ll use the same chainset and cassette options you’ll find in the Di2 group. That means 50/34T and 52/36T chainring configurations with five crank length options ranging from 160mm to 175mm, and two cassette options from 11-34T or 11-36T. Full specification options are shown in the table below.
It also means the same BR-7170 brake calipers, with a 10% increase in pad rotor clearance to help avoid chafing, and the same SM-RT70 rotors, which come in either 140mm or 160mm in diameter.
Of course, due to the mechanical nature of this group, shifters and derailleurs are where the differences lie, but again, there will be no real surprises here for anyone familiar with Shimano. All components are taken from Shimano’s tried and tested playbook.
The only significant change when compared to the outgoing 11-speed R7000 components, besides the obvious switch to 12-speed, is an improved lever shape that reduces the reach of the bars, making them a little easier for those with smaller hands.
Elsewhere, the mechanical front derailleur is machined from brass, while the rear, which maintains the Shadow RD design, uses a direct hitch for increased stiffness and theoretically crisper shifting.
Full prices for the individual components are shown in the table below, but as a rough guide, a complete set would fetch in the region of £750 / €1,150 / $1,150 US.
12 speed Shimano 105: specifications
| an item | Options | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| String set | 50/34T and 52/36T with crank arms at 160mm, 165mm, 170mm, 172.5mm or 175mm | 765.6 grams (50/34 tons) |
| cassette | 11-34t and 11-36t | 361 grams (11-34 tons) |
| rear derailleur | unavailable | 96 grams |
| Front Derailleur | unavailable | 249 grams |
| Raiders | unavailable | 612g (pair, with brake) |
| Brakes | unavailable | As above |
| Brake hobbies | 140mm/160mm (mix) | 285.6 grams |
12-Speed Shimano 105: Pricing
| an item | American dollar | euro | GBP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shimano 105 (Hollowtech II) groupset | $179.99 | 182.99 euros | £159.99 |
| 11-34T cassette | $65.99 | 76.99 euros | £69.99 |
| 11-36T cassette | $65.99 | 76.99 euros | £84.99 |
| Front Derailleur | $46.99 | 49.99 euros | £41.99 |
| Drollor behind me | $64.99 | 61.99 euros | £59.99 |
| Brake kit (shifters, hoses, calipers) | $354.99 | 319.99 euros | £179.99 |
| Brake rotor 140mm (each) | $45.99 | 65.98 euros | £29.99 |
| Brake rotor 160mm (each) | $45.99 | 89.98 euros | £29.99 |
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