• Europes biggest bike selection
    Essential

    Shimano Claris review: Shimano’s most accessible road bike groupset

    Alice Huot
    Alice Huot
    Sep 12, 2024 13 min
    Shimano Claris review: Shimano’s most accessible road bike groupset

    Shimano Claris, often overlooked due to its entry-level status, is an excellent choice for beginner cyclists. This 8-speed groupset offers solid performance, with low gearing that makes tackling hills easier. Despite its budget-friendly position, Claris benefits from Shimano’s trickle-down technology, inheriting features from higher-end models. Reliable and affordable, it's a great starting point for those new to road cycling.

    👋
    Do you know buycycle? We are the leading marketplace for buying and selling used bikes. Not just any bikes - only beautiful performance bikes. Come and take a ride!

    Shimano Claris: A reliable and affordable entry-level groupset for beginners

    Shimano Claris review
    Shimano Claris components

    Shimano Claris often gets a bad rap because of its position at the bottom of Shimano’s road groupset line up. But this is a reputation it does not deserve.

    A solid starting point for beginners

    As an entry level 8-speed road groupset, Shimano Claris provides an excellent starting point for cyclists who are just getting into the sport. For the beginner roadie who just wants to get out on the asphalt, Claris performs well and, as a nice bonus, has a good low gear for tackling hills.

    Explore our range of road bikes on buycycle now!

    Long-lasting and easy to maintain

    As a jumping off point, Shimano Claris ticks almost all of the boxes. 

    Another good point to consider when investing in a new groupset is the availability of parts a few years down the line. Claris has been around since 2013 and while it has, of course, been updated since then, replacement parts for all its generations are readily available.

    Not for weight weenies, but that’s okay

    Certainly, more experienced cyclists may find it lacking in places but really, if you are that concerned about the weight of your bike, then you are not the Claris target audience. That being said, because of Shimano’s trickle down system, Claris inherits many features from the groupsets higher up the ladder, including the Dual Control levers and many of the same design choices as the more expensive groupsets. It looks great on any bike, which we all know is very important. 

    Read on for our review of Shimano Claris and a few tips on how to service your Claris groupset. 

    Get the buycycle App now!

    👉 👈

    Best things about the Shimano Claris groupset

    Shimano Claris review
    Despite being entry-level, Shimano Claris is highly recommended and offers a lot of value.

    Though it may be an entry level groupset, Shimano Claris has a lot going for it and comes recommended by many people. Here are the three best things about Shimano Claris. 

    Affordable pricing

    Obviously, we cannot talk about Shimano Claris without mentioning the price point. Part of what makes Shimano Claris so popular is the cost, and with good reason. With how expensive cycling is nowadays, Claris’ relatively low price point makes cycling more accessible and, as a result, makes it easier for more people to get out on the roads, which is always good. 

    If you are looking for a groupset on a budget, then Claris is an excellent option for you, especially considering its performance for the price. In many cases, with cycling components, you get what you pay for, but Claris does not disappoint. 

    🚲
    We have a huge selection of entry-level road bikes ready for purchase on our shop.

    Smooth rear shifting

    For the cassette that the Shimano Claris rear derailleur is working with, something we will cover later, Claris’ rear shifting is precise and mostly smooth sailing, even when shifting under load. Cycling Weekly calls the rear shifting on Shimano Claris “the highlight” of the groupset. Of course, if you are currently running a Shimano Sora or another higher level groupset, then you may notice that Claris’ shifting is slightly clunkier, but it is nonetheless impressive for an entry level 8 speed groupset. Beginner cyclists will not be let down by Claris’ rear shifting. 

    Great for hills

    Though Claris is an 8 speed groupset, part of what makes it a great option for beginner cyclists is its capability on the hills. Though the gear range itself may leave something to be desired, Cycling Weekly points out in their 2021 review of the Claris 2400 groupset that the 32-tooth sprocket combined with the 34 tooth chain ring provides new rides with a more than adequate low gear for tackling steep climbs. If you live in a particularly hilly area, or if you just are not a fan of climbing, then that is certainly a point in its favour. 

    Important things to know about Shimano Claris groupset 

    We have covered many of the things that are well liked about Shimano Claris, and while it is a great groupset for the price, no groupset comes without its downsides. Here are some things that you need to know and take into consideration before you buy a Shimano Claris groupset. 

    Best beginner road bike: Our top 5 best road bikes for beginners | buycycle blog US
    Best beginner road bike: Which is the Best? You’re in the right place! Here, we present 5 fantastic road bikes for beginners!
    buycycle BlogAlice Huot

    Front shifting

    Though Claris’ rear shifting may be one of the highlights of the groupset, the front shifting may leave something to be desired, though that is fairly standard with lower level mechanical groupsets. In particular, Cycling Weekly mentions that shifting from the small ring to the big ring does require a good amount of effort and that you do have to push the shifters quite hard, which can be less than ideal on hills in particular. That being said, even if the shifting is harder, it is still precise with minimal chain drops if adjusted correctly.

    ‘Gappy’ cassette

    As we briefly mentioned above, the standard cassette that works with the Shimano Claris rear derailleur does have its downfalls, namely that there are significant gaps between the sprockets. This is pretty typical of 8 speed cassette, especially compared to newer 11 or 12 speed systems, but it can leave you wishing for a gear between the sprockets that you have.

    The gaps are more pronounced on an 11-32t cassette but despite this, Claris’ rear shifting still functions nicely, so you do not need to be worried about the gaps affecting the performance. Rather the main impact will be on your gear range. 

    Explore our range of road bikes on buycycle now!

    Gear range

    While Shimano Claris is an excellent choice for beginner cyclists and those of us who are not fans of hills, with a good choice of low gears to make climbing easier, the rest of the gear range may not be sufficient for harder efforts. This is to be expected from an 8 speed groupset but is certainly something that you will want to consider when looking for a new bike or a replacement groupset.

    As with many things in cycling, the most important thing to consider is what your goals are with the bike. If making climbing easier is a priority, then Claris is a good option. If speed is your number one objective, then a groupset with a deeper repertoire of gears may be something to think about. 

    🚲
    Want to learn more about Shimano groupset? Read our article about the Shimano Di2.

    How does the Shimano Claris groupset work?

    So, you have your Shimano Claris groupset all set up and ready to go, but you are not sure how it all works. No need to worry, in this section we will walk you through everything you need to know before riding away into the sunset. 

    How to shift gears with Shimano Claris

    If you have already used a Shimano road groupset (other than Tourney, which has a different shifting system) then Claris will already be familiar to you. If not, then here is a quick rundown of how to shift gears with Shimano Claris. 

    To shift up a gear on your rear derailleur, push the lever behind the right brake lever inwards until it clicks. To shift down, simply push both levers inwards until it clicks. Shifting on your front derailleur, on the left side of your handlebars, uses the same ideas but reversed. That means that shifting up is done with both levers and shifting down is done with the smaller lever behind the left brake lever. 

    What size chainrings can I use with Shimano Claris? 

    Shimano Claris has a few different options for cranksets and chainring sizes, including a triple front crankset if you are looking to add a few more gears to your gear range. The chainring size options include a 46-34T, a 50-34T and the triple which has a 50-39-30T range to make the most out of your 8 speed groupset. 

    How big of a cassette can I use with a Shimano Claris med cage derailleur?

    With the Shimano Claris RD2400 medium cage rear derailleur, the largest cassette that you can run is an 11-32T, as the biggest sprocket it can accommodate is a 32 tooth. As we mentioned above, with the right chainring combination, you’ll have enough low gears to conquer those hills. If hills are not your concern, then the smallest cassette that will work with the Shimano Claris medium cage rear derailleur is a 13-26T. 

    Explore our range of road bikes on buycycle now!

    How to remove, replace and install Shimano Claris components

    Now that we have covered the upsides (and some of the downsides) to the Shimano Claris groupset, here are a few more bits you need to know in order to service your groupset. 

    Shimano Claris review
    Shimano Claris components

    How to remove Shimano Claris crankset

    To remove a Shimano Claris crankset, you will need an 8mm Allen key, a crank puller and (if your crank puller does not have a handle) a 15mm wrench. First, remove the drive side crank bolt with the 8mm Allen key (you may have to take the small cover off of the bolt first.

    Once the bolt has been removed, make sure that the foot of the crank puller has been screwed back as far as it will cover before inserting the crank puller into the crankset. Then, screw the foot back out, using the handle or 15mm wrench. Getting the crank loose will likely be the hard part, once it is loose it should slide right off. Then, just remove the crank puller and repeat the process on the other side. 

    How to adjust Shimano Claris front derailleur 

    Shimano Claris review
    Shimano Claris front derailleur

    There are a few adjustments that you can make to your Shimano Claris front derailleur if it is not shifting properly. The first is making sure that the derailleur sits at the correct height. If your front derailleur is shifting poorly or rubbing against the chainrings, you can make minute adjustments to the height by loosening the clamp that holds the derailleur to the frame and adjusting up or down as needed. To check the height, shift into your smaller chainring. With the clamp still loose, check that your front derailleur is aligned with the chain before tightening the bolts.

    The last step is to adjust the high and low limits. Shift into the smallest front chainring and largest rear cog before turning the low limit screw until the derailleur is aligned. Loosen the cable tension before shifting into the largest front chainring and repeating the same procedure with the high limit screw. Pull the cable tight.

    Explore our range of road bikes on buycycle now!

    How to adjust Shimano Claris rear derailleur 

    Shimano Claris review
    Shimano Claris rear derailleur 

    As with the front derailleur, adjusting the Shimano Claris RD2400 rear derailleur is similar to adjusting most Shimano rear derailleurs, so if you have experience, it should be fairly straightforward. If not, here is a quick guide to adjusting your rear derailleur. 

    The main adjustments you will be doing to your rear derailleur are setting the high and low limits and adjusting your cable tension. If you are having issues with your shifting, start by shifting into your largest chainring and smallest cog on your cassette, then loosen the rear derailleur cable. With the chain in the smallest cog, turn the high limit screw until the pulley wheels are aligned with the smallest cog and the bike pedals smoothly. Push the derailleur until the chain is in the largest cog and repeat the process with the low limit screw before tightening the cable. 

    Shifting can then be fine-tuned with the barrel adjuster located at the rear derailleur. If the chain skips when shifting down, turn the barrel adjuster left half a turn and do the opposite if it skips when shifting up.

    The verdict

    To sum it all up… we love Shimano Claris for its accessibility, its performance-to-price and its simplicity. If you see yourself racing your bike or pushing the limits of your performance, then there are better groupsets out there with more bells and whistles. However, to get you rolling on the road, Claris is very hard to beat. 

    Go to buycycle

    Components guide

    Gearing system

    Wheels and tires

    Breaks

    Pedals

    Saddles

    Bags

    Electronics

    Bike Maintenance

    Others

    Road bike buying guides

    Road bikes reviews

    Top road bikes

    Road bike sizing guides

    History & brands

    Road bike gear guides

    Road bike selling guide

    Road bike winter cycling

    Buying guide

    Brands guide

    Where to buy a bike?

    Sizing guide