Shimano 105 groupset history

You're in luck. There is not much to tell about the 105 groupset prior to 1990. The 105 groupset was born, so to speak, in 1986 when Shimano wheeled out a couple of new innovations, namely their Shimano Indexed Shifting(SIS) technology and their Shimano Linear Response(SLR) brake technology. They used their existing Exage 500EX groupset and added the SIS and SLR features to it and renamed it 105. At the same time, they discontinued a whole host of former groupsets like the 200GS, 300GS, 400GS, 500EX, and Exage. They re-introduced these groupsets under new names with added SIS and SLR features over the next several years. The last name change was the Shimano 600 AX groupset which was changed to 600/Ultegra in 1993 and then became just Ultegra in 1996.The Dura Ace name never changed but the groupset went through its own re-design so that older pre-1990 parts are generally non-compatible with the newer post 1990 parts.

Since its introduction as a groupset to showcase Shimano's new technology of 1986, the 105 has taken its place as the most affordable high end groupset made by Shimano. Although it typically follows Dura Ace by a year in development, it does benefit from advances that are first introduced on the DA groupset.

thank you kdelong [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]

question: you say this groupset came with SIS, so there is no such thing as 'pure friction' 105?
I have heard there is sometimes the option to choose between friction and index modes, how does that work?

cheers

Shifting between index and friction modes is something that was available only before integrated shifting (integrated brake/shift levers). Before integrated shifting, shifters were typically on the down tube. There was usually an adjustment that could be made from index to friction shifting via a wire loop lever (poor description) on the side of the shifter (See the pic below). Before indexed shifting, of course, only friction shifting was available.

[IMG]cyclingforums.com256Open ↗[/IMG]

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by kdelong [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

You're in luck. There is not much to tell about the 105 groupset prior to 1990. The 105 groupset was born, so to speak, in 1986 when Shimano wheeled out a couple of new innovations, namely their Shimano Indexed Shifting(SIS) technology and their Shimano Linear Response(SLR) brake technology. They used their existing Exage 500EX groupset and added the SIS and SLR features to it and renamed it 105. At the same time, they discontinued a whole host of former groupsets like the 200GS, 300GS, 400GS, 500EX, and Exage. They re-introduced these groupsets under new names with added SIS and SLR features over the next several years. The last name change was the Shimano 600 AX groupset which was changed to 600/Ultegra in 1993 and then became just Ultegra in 1996.The Dura Ace name never changed but the groupset went through its own re-design so that older pre-1990 parts are generally non-compatible with the newer post 1990 parts.

Since its introduction as a groupset to showcase Shimano's new technology of 1986, the 105 has taken its place as the most affordable high end groupset made by Shimano. Although it typically follows Dura Ace by a year in development, it does benefit from advances that are first introduced on the DA groupset.

I don't think 105 got SIS in 86. Back then it was only Dura Ace and 600EX that had SIS. 105 was still friction.

After killing the crank during a crash on my peugeot Robert Millar sometime early 1986 I picked up a rather dusty 105 chainset that had been sitting in the window of the local bikeshop for sometime. From that I'm guessing that 105 had been around a few years as it was definitely pre Dura Ace 7400 or 600EX SIS styling. Old school and very 'boxy' - unlike the Dura Ace AX and 600 AX aero styling.

Shimano 600AX was pre-86 and tied in with it's big brother Dura Ace AX that was kulled around 1984/85. 600EX was the SIS groupset that was updated at the end of 85 to tie in with Dura Ace 7400. Prior to that there was the 600AX (aero) and EX (regular road) groupsets.

Around that time there was the Sante groupset.

Here's some technical documents from 1983 for the 105 group, which is very much friction shifting...

velo-pages.commain.phpOpen ↗

Click on the links on the left hand side to navigate to other pages.

My old chainset:velo-pages.commain.phpOpen ↗

My 1986 Cannondale came with Shimano105 with index shifting. I remember I could have bought the same bike with Shimano 600, but it was another $100-150 or so and I just didn't want to spend that much money at that time.

Still works great....

That piqued my interest so I found a 1986 Cannondale catalog online. The only RD that had indexing was their top of the line model with Dura Ace. The only other bike in the lineup with a Shimano RD featured the 600 group but curiously not the 600EX SIS.

66.147.244.1791986.pdfOpen ↗

Cannondale's catalog didn't show a 105 SIS until 87, which probably meant that group could have been available towards the tail end of 86 and ties in with the usual and still current "hand me down" philosophy that Dura Ace gets the good stuff first, then 600/Ultegra, then 105.

66.147.244.1791987.pdfOpen ↗

Yep, that 1987 catalogue has the SR500 that's equiped exactly the same as mine was when I bought it and the SR600 matches my memory of the bike I could have had for another $150.

What the catalogue doesn't mention is that you could get either of those bikes with black frames too ( at least that's what my LBS told me ), and I wasn't into the the blue paint, so the bike shop got me a black one. It doesn't have the fancy graphics on the seat tube, but that's fine with me.

My friends called it "the beer can bike".... [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]

This is great stuff about the Cannondale Shimano 105. Thanks