Shimano’s “gateway,” “stepping stone,” or whatever you want to call them groupsets are going through changes. Acera is joining its higher-end brethren with the addition of a ninth cog. Nine speed will be the new standard across the Shimano mountain component line. Tiagra is upping its cog-count as well, only it is going from 9 to 10 speed. The new Tiagra will offer double, triple, and compact cranksets…so no matter how gravitationally challenged you might be, Shimano has an option for you.
More Shimano Tiagra/Acera news after the break…
The M520 SPD has got a new step brother: the M530, a wider-platform trail pedal. I see a whole lot of wedgies in the M520′s future.
For urban riders, commuters, and people who hate drop bars or “racing bars,” Tiagra will have a flat-bar-shifter alternative. There are also plans for the release of a non-series R-780S shifter for use with 105 and Ultegra.
The ergonomics of the Tiagra STI lever have been improved, they now have adjustable reach settings for people with wee-bitty hands. The brake levers will share the pull ratio of its more expensive/lighter counterparts, allowing for compatibility down the line. And as it should have already been, it will be.
The new Acera’s rear derailleur is lower profile, but burlier than the higher-end Shadow derailleurs.
Replaceable chainrings on the new Acera crankset. Another “it’s about freakin’ time” feature.
The addition of more gears means the addition of more confusion for the entry level rider, so the new Acera shifter has a more prominent gear indicator. The brake lever and shifter remain married (despite the protests from their shop mechanic in-laws). And while Acera has one foot in the present, it keeps one foot planted firmly in the past with its anachronistic V-brake calipers.
The new Acera will be available in “scratch me once and I’ll look like crap” black and the classic and more durable silver.
How cheap will the Tiagra 10 speed chain be? We’ll have to wait and see.
The Tiagra CS-4600 12-30T cassette. With this thing and a triple and some oxygen and a team of Sherpas to carry you, you could ride up Mt. Everest.
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