[jacksonpt]

I've started looking at road bikes a bit. What's the "heirarchy" of shimano road parts (i.e. low end to high end)? I'm looking at bikes around $1000, and 105 parts seem to be the norm, with some Tiagra and Ultegra sprinkled in.

Also, what's the difference between a CX bike and a road bike?

 

[Nate at RIT]

Sora - real low end Shimano
Tiagra - Deore
105 - LX
Ultegra - XT
Dura-Ace - XTR

I have 105 on my road/CX bike, and it's held up real good to crashes, etc. Not sure what the true differences are between the different groups, you might want to check with a roadie shop on that. But just like mtn. biking, it'll boil down to how much you want to pay vs. what you're getting (diminishing returns). Mostly 105 on a $1000 bike sounds like a pretty good deal.

Road vs. CX:
I have a Redline Conquest Pro cyclocross bike that I use for dirt and road with just a tire switch. Cyclocross bikes usually have a little beefier construction, more powerful brakes (canti brakes compared to road calipers), beefier wheels, disc compatibility (in some cases), more clearance for larger tires (usually up to around 700x40, most road frames will barely fit a 28), different geometry (slightly more upright, higher BB for clearance, longer chainstays). I'm more comfortable on my CX bike for long road rides than a road bike.

 

[TheMontashu]

and with campy it goes
record-best
corus
centar
veloce
mirage
xenon-worst