A road bike groupset is the collection of components that make you stop and go – in other words, the drivetrain, shifters and brakes.
Plenty of companies make bike components, but the market is dominated by three main brands: Shimano , SRAM and Campagnolo .
Despite the differences between the brands, the components all do the same job, even if there are some subtle variations in how they approach their specific tasks.
We’ll start this buyer’s guide by explaining the different groupsets available in their hierarchies, then go into greater detail on the individual components and how they differ between brands. We’ll finish by explaining the benefits of the more expensive groupsets and discussing compatibility.
If knobbly tyres are more your thing, we’ve got a separate guide to mountain bike groupsets . And while we’ve covered gravel briefly here, we’ve also got a guide to gravel bike groupsets for all the details on gearing choices.
Jump to: Shimano road groupsets
SRAM road groupsets Campagnolo road groupsets Groupset components explained What is a groupset? A groupset comprises all the mechanical parts for your bike – so basically everything except the frame, fork, wheels, handlebar, seatpost and saddle.You can buy a complete groupset or the individual components and there’s some possibility to mix and match between groupsets, although many items are not inter-compatible.When you buy a new bike, a bike brand will often sub in some cheaper parts with a groupset, so you might for example get a crankset that’s from […]
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