Shimano’s 105 Mechanical Groupset Is Still as Legit As Ever (Despite Its Discontinuation)

Shimano’s 105 mechanical groupset was the working-class hero of drivetrains—affordable, bombproof, and smooth as a jazz drummer’s ride cymbal.

And now, it’s gone. Axed. Tossed aside for the electric dreams of Di2.

But is it really gone?

Not if you know where to look.

Not if you understand how bike parts live on, long after their so-called “discontinuation.”

The 105 ain’t dead. It’s just waiting for you in a dusty bike shop, in the depths of eBay, or on a secondhand steel-frame road bike that some guy in Wisconsin never rode.

And maybe—just maybe—that’s a good thing.

Here are 9 reasons why the 105 mechanical warrior is still worthy of love:

1. It Just Works

You want crisp, reliable shifting? You got it.

No lag, no second-guessing, just the clean mechanical snap of a system that does what it’s told, every damn time.

Shimano 105 isn’t for the weight-weenies counting grams or the spreadsheet warriors debating watt savings.

It’s for the ones who ride.

The ones who know that Ultegra and Dura-Ace are nice, sure, but they’d rather spend that cash on more miles, more beers, or maybe just rent.

105 shifts clean, brakes hard, and never asks for a firmware update.

No apps, no batteries, no drama. Just you, the road, and a groupset that doesn’t quit.

2. It’s Practically Indestructible

Unless you launch your bike off a cliff or tangle with a city bus, Shimano 105 will keep grinding, mile after mile, year after year.

The chain will stretch, the cassette will wear, the brake pads will thin down to whispers—but outright failure?

Rare as an honest politician. This thing is built for the long haul, for the riders who put in the miles, rain or shine, hungover or high on life.

It doesn’t ask for much—just a little grease, a little love, and the promise that you’ll keep pushing it forward. It’s not the lightest, not the flashiest, but it’s the kind of workhorse that doesn’t flinch when the road turns to hell.

3. Parts Will Be Available for Decades

Distribution issues? Factories shutting down? Shimano hell-bent on turning everything into overpriced, overcomplicated, firmware-crippled junk?

Doesn’t matter. The bones of 105 are too solid to die. Third-party manufacturers will crank out replacement parts in dimly lit workshops.

The secondhand market will hum with scavenged derailleurs and brake levers, passed between riders like sacred relics.

Some guy in a garage will be rebuilding shifters with nothing but a screwdriver, a beer, and sheer stubbornness.

You can still buy six-speed freewheels from the ’90s, spinning like they just rolled off the assembly line.

The industry moves forward, but the real ones know: quality sticks around.

105 isn’t just a groupset. It’s a survivor.

4. It’s the Best Value for Performance

You could spend double on an electronic setup, but will it really make you that much faster?

Unlikely. The 105 has always been the sweet spot between price and performance.

5. It’s DIY-Friendly

Electronic shifting means troubleshooting error codes, dealing with software, and praying your bike doesn’t die mid-ride.

105? Just cables, levers, and a little mechanical know-how. You break it? You fix it. No trip to the dealer required.

6. Cross-Compatibility Is Your Friend

Shimano’s 11-speed road systems have a ton of interchangeability. You can mix and match Ultegra, GRX, even Tiagra. Your drivetrain won’t become an expensive museum piece.

7. Electronic Shifting Isn’t Always Better

Di2 is cool, but it locks you into a system you don’t control. Shimano decides when to stop supporting firmware. Shimano decides when your app no longer works. Shimano decides when it’s time to move on.

With mechanical 105? You decide.

8. A 105-Equipped Bike Is a Smart Buy

Worried about buying a new bike with “outdated” 105? Don’t be. It will outlast trends, outlast battery life cycles, and probably outlast you.

9. It’s a Statement

Riding a mechanical 105 groupset in 2025 is like driving a ‘90s Toyota Land Cruiser while everyone else is fiddling with their touchscreen Teslas.

It says, “I’m here to ride, not to charge my damn bike.”

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Reliable and durable	Discontinued (technically)
Affordable compared to Di2	May require hunting for parts in the future
No batteries, no software	Some high-end riders prefer electronic
Cross-compatible with many Shimano components	Less futuristic, if that matters to you
Easy to maintain and repair	Might need to stock up on spares eventually

Table: 105 vs. Di2 – The Real Cost

Feature	Shimano 105 (Mechanical)	Shimano 105 Di2 (Electronic)
Price	~$600	~$1,500
Maintenance	DIY, cheap	Dealer-dependent, expensive
Failure Rate	Extremely low	Software/hardware failures possible
Parts Availability	Abundant (for now)	Dependent on Shimano’s roadmap
Weight	Lighter	Heavier (battery + motors)

Final Thoughts: A Toast to the 105

So here we are. Shimano is phasing out mechanical shifting, and we’re left with two options: surrender to the march of progress, or fight the good fight.

Me? I like cables. I like the click of a well-tuned derailleur.

I like knowing that if the world ends tomorrow, I can still fix my damn bike with a $5 tool.

Shimano might have pulled the plug on the 105 mechanical groupset, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone.

It just means you have to know where to look. And if you find one—on a bike, on a shelf, in some guy’s garage—you should grab it.