Bike groupset hierarchy
How Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo rank their groupsets, from entry-level to flagship, with speeds, electronic vs mechanical, and a cross-brand equivalence table. A groupset is one of the clearest signals of a bike’s quality and value.
New to this? Bike groupsets explained covers what a groupset is, what Di2 and AXS mean, and how the tier affects what a used bike is worth.
Road & gravel
Shimano · Road & gravel
Ordered entry → flagship.
| Groupset | Speeds | Shifting | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claris (R2000) | 8-speed | Mechanical | Entry-level, for first road bikes and budget builds. |
| Sora (R3000) | 9-speed | Mechanical | Entry fitness and endurance riding. |
| Tiagra (4700) | 10-speed | Mechanical | Keen beginner / club-rider starting point. |
| 105 (R7100 / R7150) | 12-speed | Mechanical & electronic | The enthusiast workhorse, with near-race performance at a sane price. Di2 (R7150) or mechanical (R7100). |
| Ultegra (R8100) | 12-speed | Mechanical & electronic | Just below the flagship, with lighter, slicker shifting. Di2 and mechanical. |
| Dura-Ace (R9200) | 12-speed | Electronic | Pro-level flagship. Current generation is Di2 (electronic) only. |
GRX is Shimano’s parallel gravel line (10/11/12-speed, mechanical or Di2), spec’d at roughly 105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace tiers.
SRAM · Road & gravel
Ordered entry → flagship.
| Groupset | Speeds | Shifting | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | 12-speed | Mechanical & electronic | Entry road and gravel, mechanical or AXS wireless. |
| Rival | 12-speed | Mechanical & electronic | Mid-range, popular AXS wireless option for gravel and endurance. |
| Force | 12-speed | Electronic | High performance with carbon parts; AXS wireless (mechanical largely phased out). |
| Red | 12-speed | Electronic | Flagship, the lightest, AXS wireless only. |
XPLR is SRAM’s 1×13 gravel platform (Red/Force/Rival XPLR). Eagle is the wide-range MTB line. Red/Force/Rival AXS parts are cross-compatible.
Campagnolo · Road & gravel
Ordered entry → flagship.
| Groupset | Speeds | Shifting | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centaur | 11-speed | Mechanical | Entry tier (rim brake only). |
| Chorus | 12-speed | Mechanical | Mid-tier mechanical 12-speed. |
| Record | 12-speed | Electronic | High tier (EPS electronic). Campagnolo announced it is retiring the Record name (2024). |
| Super Record | 12-speed | Electronic | Flagship. Super Record Wireless is the top, most expensive production groupset. |
Ekar is Campagnolo’s 13-speed 1× gravel groupset, outside the road hierarchy.
Mountain
Shimano · Mountain
Ordered entry → flagship.
| Groupset | Speeds | Shifting | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUES / Deore | 10–12-speed | Mechanical | Entry to mid trail. CUES is the unified entry platform; Deore is the 12-speed workhorse. |
| SLX | 12-speed | Mechanical | Keen trail riding, with most of XT’s performance for less. |
| XT (M8100) | 12-speed | Mechanical & electronic | Performance trail/enduro; the enthusiast benchmark. Mechanical or Di2. |
| XTR (M9100) | 12-speed | Mechanical & electronic | Flagship XC/race, the lightest, mechanical or Di2. |
SRAM · Mountain
Ordered entry → flagship.
| Groupset | Speeds | Shifting | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| SX / NX Eagle | 12-speed | Mechanical | Entry-level wide-range 1×12. |
| GX Eagle | 12-speed | Mechanical & electronic | Mid-range; the value sweet spot. Mechanical or AXS Transmission. |
| X0 Eagle | 12-speed | Electronic | High-end AXS Transmission (T-Type). |
| XX / XX SL Eagle | 12-speed | Electronic | Flagship AXS Transmission, the lightest XC/race. |
Cross-brand equivalence (road)
A rough guide to which tiers line up across brands, useful when comparing bikes. Treat it as approximate, not exact.
| Tier | Shimano | SRAM | Campagnolo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship | Dura-Ace | Red | Super Record |
| High performance | Ultegra | Force | Record |
| Enthusiast | 105 | Rival | Chorus |
| Entry performance | Tiagra | Apex | Centaur |
| Entry | Sora | · | · |
| Budget | Claris | · | · |
Groupset FAQs
- Is Shimano 105 good enough?
- For almost everyone, yes. Since going 12-speed, 105 shares the shifting performance and ergonomics of Ultegra and Dura-Ace; the higher groupsets mainly save weight and add Di2 polish. 105 is the enthusiast sweet spot and what most quality bikes ship with.
- What is the difference between Ultegra and Dura-Ace?
- They shift almost identically. Dura-Ace is lighter (more carbon and titanium), is Di2 electronic only in the current generation, and costs significantly more. Ultegra offers near-flagship performance, comes in Di2 or mechanical, and is the value pick for performance riders.
- Are Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo compatible with each other?
- Generally no. Shifters, derailleurs and cassettes are designed to work within one brand’s system because cable pull and electronic protocols differ. Mixing brands across the drivetrain is not supported. Stick to one ecosystem when upgrading.
- Electronic (Di2 / AXS) or mechanical shifting?
- Electronic shifting is more precise, consistent under load and easy to fine-tune, with less maintenance drift, but it costs more and needs charging. Mechanical is cheaper, simpler to fix anywhere, and perfectly good. SRAM’s top road groupsets are now electronic-only; Shimano keeps mechanical at 105 and Ultegra.
- How do I tell what tier a used bike’s groupset is?
- Look for the series name on the rear derailleur, shifters or cranks (e.g. “105”, “Force”, “Chorus”). Use the tables above to place it in the hierarchy: a known groupset is one of the strongest signals of a used bike’s quality and value.