It’s sometimes said that Shimano’s budget-minded Tiagra groupsets function much like Ultegra from a decade before. Perhaps proving that to be true, Shimano’s latest Tiagra R4000 road group is now 11-speed, disc-only, and with a number of familiar features.
I’d been wondering what Shimano’s plans were for keeping existing bikes with its 11-speed road components in service, but unfortunately, this new Tiagra isn’t quite the answer I’d hoped it would be. Still, the components are sure to appear on a bunch of lower-priced road bikes, and with a new 11-36T cassette, there may still be something for those already on Shimano 11-speed road shifting.
I got hands-on with the new components to test cross-compatibility. Let’s take a look.
The basics
With Shimano Claris and Sora now phased out in favour of the CUES range, it’s Tiagra that’s left standing as Shimano’s most budget road-specific groupset label. Tiagra R4000 now sits between 105 and CUES U6030.
New Tiagra.
The new Tiagra R4000 makes the move to 2×11-speed – one more gear than the previous-generation R4700. Gone is the option for rim brakes or mechanical disc brakes, as the new Tiagra is now hydraulic-disc only.
Those new levers look and feel exceptionally similar to the mechanical-shifting and hydraulic-braking 105 R7020 and Ultegra R8020 before them, which is to say they don’t feel like a budget product. The scales also suggest as much, with the new R4020 levers weighing almost exactly the same as R8020s at 289 grams each. Compared to those Ultegra levers, the new R4020 have a subtly narrower profile.
New Tiagra R4020 against Ultegra R8020.
There is now just one rear derailleur size (274 g): a long-cage model designed for the new R400 11-36T cassette. Shimano already offers that range for 9-, 10-, and 12-speed, but until now, not 11-speed. That cassette features an aluminium spider, and at 392 g, it’s lighter than previous-generation cassettes at this price point (a 105 HG700 11-34T 11-speed cassette is 365 g). The cassette has a fairly even gearing progression of 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-28-32-36T.
Up front is a familiar-looking crankset that’s available in 50/34T or 52/36T. Crank lengths are 165, 170, 172.5, and 175 mm. And shifting those chainrings is a compact toggle-style front derailleur (95 g, braze-on version) like what we’ve seen with previous mechanical 105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace.
The new 11-36T cassette. Meanwhile, the crankset looks much like the previous R4700 version.
There are no new chains here, with the pre-existing HG601-11 being the official match. All of Shimano’s 11-speed chains remain compatible.
Groupsets of this level often exist to fill OE (Original Equipment) demand. As such, international aftermarket pricing is still to be confirmed.
ModelUSDGBPAUDEuro
Shimano Tiagra R4020 shift/brake lever – Sold per end $240TBC$300
TBC
Tiagra R4000 front derailleur – Band Clamp$55TBC$70
TBC
Tiagra R4000 front derailleur – Braze on$55TBC$64
TBC
Tiagra R4000 rear derailleur$70TBC$115
TBC
Tiagra R4000 crankset$160TBCTBC
TBC
Tiagra CS-RS400-11 cassette 11-36T 11-Speed$70TBC$115TBC
Cross-compatibility explained
Most unexpected is that the new derailleurs and shifters are interchangeable with CUES U6030, but not any of the previous generations of Shimano 11-speed road or Tiagra 4700. The reason? Shimano increased the cable pull ratio for the new Tiagra.
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