Shimano 105? Surely not ....

[doctor-bond]

I'm putting together a mid/late 80's build at the mo; the aim is an eclectic mix of light and lovely parts that work. For me, this usually means spending time and wonga collecting Suntour Superbe, Gipiemme and Mavic stuff.


However, the bike in question came with Shimano 105 brakes and shifters. Now I always thought 105 was a notch lower than 600 and have never gone near it. But comparing the brakes to 600 (6207), they are miles ahead in terms of feel, looks and function. The build quality is on a par with some lush Dia COmpe Aero G stuff I have, and Aesthetically they're easily up with 6400 Ultegra.

Is 105 an unsung hero of the 80's or am I just the only one who didn't know the tune?

The only trouble is, they're only slightly lighter than gorgeous Chorus .....

 

[terryhfs]

105 is great stuff and more than good enough for 95% of us.

I think the functionality think goes in spurts. Dura-Ace or Ultegra/600 will get a feature and it trickles down into the next year's 105.

Remember as well that the only real difference (apart from the AX series in the early 80's) is weight and finish until Dura-Ace Integrated 8 and then STI in 1989/90. From 1983/4 until then they were all basically the same groupset.