
When searching and shopping for your next (or first!) road bike, you’ll probably come across the term “Gruppo”.
In cycling, gruppo is another word for groupset, which is all of the mechanical parts that make up your drivetrain and brakes. Gruppo is an Italian word, which just means “group”, but it’s become an actual word for groupset in cycling.
When you purchase a groupset, you typically get brakes, shifters, derailleurs, bracket, crankset, and cables.
Besides the frame, the gruppo is a big part what defines the quality and value of a bicycle. There are three main manufacturers of groupsets, namely Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo. Each of them has different price points for their groupsets with increasing cost for performance and weight.
For example, Shimano has many levels from low to high: Claris, Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, and Dura-Ace. And when you’re purchasing a bike, paying close attention to which groupset is on the bike will give you good idea of it’s overall value, from entry-level to pro.

Which gruppo should you choose when buying a bike? That’s a whole topic in itself, and there are many pros and cons of each. As well as personal preferences. They all have their own feels, construction, and shifting models, and you should definitely try them all out to determine which is best for you.