fbpx

Shimano’s new Tiagra 4700 groupset is important and here’s why

Shimano’s road groupset evolution strategy is one of trickle down that starts with Dura Ace at the top of the tree. The trickle down effect sees ideas and designs from the top tier work their way down the price points. Since Dura Ace 9000 was released, many of the same features and benefits have been incorporated in Ultrega 6800, 105 5800 and now to Tiagra 4700.

The now superceded Tiagra 4600 was an excellent groupset with 10 speeds and super light shifting. It was reliable, easy to use and maintain … and cheap enough for almost anyone to afford. In fact to me, it shifted better than 105 the next level up and I always enjoyed riding it more than I expected.

However it wasn’t perfect and the new Tiagra 4700 address most of my personal issues with the old version.

New Tiagra 4700 STI shifters

New Tiagra 4700 STI shifters

Firstly it now has internal cabling from the shifters, so no more cables getting in your headlights at night. The catch is that the old external cabled shifters were what gave Tiagra 4600 such a light and easy gear shift. Shimano has made big steps forward on internally cabled shift quality so this should be resolved in the new version.

For me the ugliest part of the older Tiagra was the cranks, which I always thought looked “cheap” even if they worked well. Tiagra 4700 brings the striking four-arm crank design to a new, even more affordable price point and this is very welcome. It’s also great as it brings the very sensible 110mm chain ring standard, which means if you want to switch front gear rations from say 50/34 to 52/36 (a very welcome new option on Tiagra 4700) or to 53/39, you simply buy new chainrings not a totally new crank. This is a big step forward in functionality as well as looks.

New Tiagra 4700 rear mech

New Tiagra 4700 rear mech

The new rear mech has an improved cable pitch for better shifting and can work with up to 34 tooth cassettes – great for your trip to the Alps and perfect for the many beginner bikes this groupset will be specced on.

Braking is also improved with a nicer looking new caliper design boasting 30% improvement in braking performance – which is always welcome.

30% improvement in braking performance

30% improvement in braking performance

To me, Tiagra 4700 looks like a great and very welcome upgrade for budget bikes or people who want to stay 10 speed. This is also an important aspect to note, Tiagra remains 10 speed. Shimano have decided not to make the change to 11 speed with Tiagra, most likely to keep clear differentiation with 105 (which is the entry point for 11 speed shifting with Shimano road).

New Braze on Tiagra 4700 front mech

New Braze on Tiagra 4700 front mech

As much as I like high end kit, I’m excited about this new Tiagra and am already looking forward to riding it. If it’s as good as I think, it’s going to be a home run for customers looking for affordable bike builds.

If you’re ok with remaining on 10 speeds and don’t mind a little more weight than the more expensive Shimano road groupsets, Tiagra 4700 looks like a terrific upgrade. There’s never been a better time to ride Shimano.

Thanks for reading

New band-on Tiagra 4700 front mech

New band-on Tiagra 4700 front mech

If you’ve found this post useful, please consider subscribing to girodilento premium today to help us produce more great content. Subscribers also get access to our pro cycling coverage, premium interviews and the ability to give suggestions for future posts.

You can subscribe now for less than 3p per day by clicking on the green button below:

[mepr-membership-registration-form id=”20566″]