Summary of Shimano component grades used in hybrid bikes
Modified at: Mar. 10, 2023
Posted at: Nov. 28, 2021
The following is a summary of the grades of Shimano components (road and MTB) used in hybrid bikes. There are also points to choose from when comparing hybrid bikes from a component perspective.
Table of contents
Sponsored Link
Hybrid bikes are equipped with two types of components: road type and MTB type.
Road Components on Hybrid bike
The most common road components for hybrid bikes are the CLARIS and SORA grades, which are the second most common road bike components.
Some of the higher-end hybrid bikes are equipped with 105 components, but there are fewer types available as complete bikes. The price of a complete bike can easily exceed $1,000, and many users may decide to buy a road bike if they have to pay this price.
When it comes to Shimano’s racing grade components for road bikes, DURA-ACE and ULTEGRA, there are probably no hybrid bikes equipped with them.
MTB-compatible components for hybrid bikes
Since hybrid bikes are similar to MTB bikes, MTB components have a high affinity with them and are often used.
Among MTB components, Tourney, ATLUS, and ACERA are the most commonly used in entry and middle grade hybrid bikes, and are all lower grade components.
There are some hybrid bikes equipped with DEORE grade components, but they are still DEORE 10s, which is the lowest grade of DEORE.
This is the same as the compo for road bikes, and it may mean that if you want to ride a higher grade sport bike with 11 or more speeds, you should choose a MTB.
New brand “QUES” is also in the spotlight
Shimano has announced a new component brand “QUES” for March 2023. While conventional composites were composite grade with the number of shifting gears as it is, QUES will support 9-speed, 10-speed, and 11-speed with one brand.
QUES is characterized by increased compatibility among QUES components, with 9-speed, 10-speed, and 11-speed QUES components being compatible with each other. This means that instead of having to replace all components when increasing the number of gears, as has been the case in the past, the number of gears can be upgraded at a minimal cost.
Also, until now, most cross bikes have been equipped with up to 10-speed components, but with the introduction of QUES, 11-speed cross bikes may also be on the horizon.
Although no specific pricing information has been released for QUES, cross bikes are included in the target bicycles for QUES, so it is possible that QUES-equipped cross bikes will be introduced.
Note that QUES is not compatible with conventional road or MTB components, with the exception of the chain.
Shimano Components and Hybrid Bike Mounting Comparison Chart
Here is a comparison of Shimano components used in hybrid bikes in terms of number of gears and for road and MTB bikes.
Rear Shifting Gears
Road Bike Components
MTB Components
Complete Bike Price
12 speed
-
-
-
11 speed
105
-
Over $2,000
10 speed
TIAGRA
DEORE 10s
Over $1,500
9 speed
SORA
ACERA
Over $1,000
8 speed
CLARIS
ALTUS
$800
7 speed
Tourney A070
Tourney
$400
The most popular entry-level bikes are the CLARIS and ATLUS 8-speed bikes, which cost around $600 to $800. 8-speed bikes also have good cost performance for consumables such as chains and sprockets, so they are more compatible with hybrid bikes, which are often chosen for daily use.
Giant's Escape R3 hybrid bike also uses the 8-speed ATLUS
Tourney is often used in cheap hybrid bikes under $400. In this area, it is more likely to be cheaper to buy a new bike than to convert a hybrid bike to road or MTB.
Most of the hybrid bikes in the $1,000 range are equipped with SORA or ACERA, which can be converted to road bikes if you have handlebars and STI levers.
The higher grades are usually 10-speed (2x10, 3x10) hybrid bikes equipped with DEORE, and the price is over $1,000.
The new QUES will be added here, but it is expected to replace cross bikes with MTB components rather than road components at present.
Depending on the price of QUES parts, it is said that it will not replace QUES at the same price or slightly higher than the current price.
Which is the best Shimano component for a hybrid bike?
CLARIS and ALTUS are the most common entry-level hybrid bikes, but even the entry-level road and MTB bikes are solid sport bikes compared to ordinary city bikes.
Therefore, CLARIS and ALTUS bikes and above are enough to give you the fun of a sport bike, and you can also upgrade to 9 or 10 speed bikes. Consumables such as chains and sprockets are also common for 6 to 8-speed bikes, which is also a big advantage.
On the other hand, the Tourney series, which is used in cheaper hybrid bikes, uses 7-speed parts that are not suitable for upgrading, so these hybrid bikes are designed to be used up rather than upgraded.
The 7-speed is used in cheap road bikes and cross bikes, and we have compiled a list of ways to upgrade from 7-speed to higher grade gears such as 8-speed, 9-speed, 10-speed, and 11-speed.
When it comes to hybrid bikes with more than 10 speeds, the middle grade models of road bikes and MTBs are also considered in terms of the price of the complete bike, so make sure to compare complete bikes in the same price range of road bikes and MTBs.
It does not mean that road bikes and MTBs are better, but for the same price, road bikes and MTBs may have more options.
This section summarizes what tire inserts are and the advantages and disadvantages of using them, which have been attracting attention along with the spread of tubeless tires and have recently been used in professional road racing.
When looking for items to upgrade your road, MTB, or gravel bike tires, technical terms such as TPI, compound, and pattern appear in the descriptions. At first glance, tire specifications may seem difficult to understand, but if you keep only the important details in mind, your tire selection will be enhanced.
A torque wrench is a useful tool to have if you want to properly maintain your road bike or MTB. The following is a summary of what a torque wrench is and the advantages and disadvantages of torque management.
Bead raising" is an essential task with tubeless tires. However, there are times when it is easy to raise the bead, and other times when it does not raise at all despite your best efforts. In this issue, we will introduce a method to raise the bead of a tubeless tire that will not raise, considering the cause.
If you hear a strange "shuffling" noise coming from the disc rotor area of your disc brake bicycle, it could be disc rotor distortion. This section summarizes why disc rotor distortion occurs and how to correct the distortion.
The booster simplifies bead raising, which is the most difficult part of tubeless installation. We have compiled a list of air pumps with booster(boost functions) that are reassuring to have one.
Many "hookless rim" wheels are lightweight and cost-effective. What is hookless? We have compiled a list of advantages and disadvantages of hookless, as well as points to keep in mind when choosing.
Tubeless tires have seen a dramatic increase in the number of users over the past few years. Even with tubeless and tubeless ready tires, punctures cannot be reduced to zero. The following is a summary of the causes of punctures and how to deal with them.
When trying to change tire thickness on a road bike or other sport bicycle, it is important to know what tire size the wheel will allow. In this article, we will show you how to find out which tires are compatible with your wheel based on its specifications.
We have compiled a list of 12-speed chains that can be used with Shimano road bike and MTB components. Also about chain compatibility with chains from manufacturers other than Shimano.
Mounting adapters for bicycle disc brakes are essential when changing calipers with different standards or rotor sizes. This section explains the types of mount adapters, how to recognize them, and the model numbers of Shimano's mount adapters.
There are two types of lock rings for center locking disc brakes, inner serration and outer serration. The following is a summary of the differences and how to select the right one.
Mechanical disc brake calipers are easy to maintain and a low-cost way to upgrade from rim brake components to disc brakes. We have lined up models from major manufacturers and compared them.
With the popularity of gravel road bikes and the spread of disc brakes, the choice of road bike wheel size has become not only the standard 700C, but also 650B. In this issue, we will look at the differences between 700C and 650B, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.