Japanese components giants Shimano have launched the latest iteration of their Tiagra drivetrain: Tiagra 4700.
The group features trickle-down technologies from 105, Ultegra and Dura-Ace and Shimano describe it as giving grassroots and new cyclists the chance to ride a groupset inspired by the pros.
Gone is the external cable routing sending the cabling from the side of the shifter down to the cable guides. It’s replaced with full internal cabling, giving Tiagra a sleek, modern look much more like it’s more expensive stablemates.
On top of that, Tiagra is also getting the four-arm crankset design first adopted by Shimano with Dura-Ace 9000 and two chainring options: 52/36 and 50/34. The 110mm BCD crankset will accept either combination, so you can easily buy a set of rings and swap them around as you see fit, without swapping the crankset.
As well as the STI-style shifter, Tiagra 4700 will also have an option for a rapid fire-style flat bar shifters and companion brake levers. It’ll give Tiagra versatility that extends beyond drop bar road bikes.
Down at the back, the rear derailleur is now compatible with up to 34t cassettes, providing an even wider spread of gears for climbing, and Shimano have revised the cable pitch, which they claim will offer precise and long-lasting performance. They’ve also improved the braking and, in the same way the latest versions of 105 and Ultegra saw greatly improved braking performance, Shimano say Tiagra 4700 has 30 per cent more braking than it’s predecessor on top of improved modulation.
