upgrade or wait?

incog24

I'm cycling an old raleigh racer at the moment, but am looking at upgrading to something nice and new. The problem is that I won't be able to do so until around the end of september or start of october. So, is it worth buying a cheapish wheel set and clipless pedals for my raleigh? I'm guessing I could then use it for a winter trainer as well. If so, what wheel sets are going to be compatible with my suntor cassette? Oh, and the budget probably is around £100 for the wheels and pedals so I have enough to get the new bike later.

whyamihere

How old are we talking? Hub spacings etc have changed since the 80s, so if it's any older than that, it's not worth spending any money on wheels.

The clipless pedals can be transferred to a new bike though, so would be a good upgrade.

incog24

Not sure exactly, but I'm guessing its early/mid 1980's. Could I keep the hubs and replace the rims and spokes or something? Pedals are probably worth it then, although I'm looking at the Via Nirone which comes with them. Might be good to have a choice though.

baudman

Go the pedals. Good for practice. Will make a big difference. Easily transferrable.

Rich Hcp

I'd wait.

Get the new bike.

top_bhoy

baudman wrote:

Go the pedals. Good for practice. Will make a big difference. Easily transferrable.

Normally I'd say wait rather than upgrade but in this case I agree with baudman and change to the pedals you would like on the new bike when you get it. You most likely will have to purchase these seperately from the new bike in any case. Best to get practicing so your flying on the new bike from the off

incog24

Cheers guys, I'll go and try out some pedals then! At least my old wheels will work as decent resistance training...

Monty Dog

£100 wouldn't get you much in the wheels and pedals department - but would get you some fairly decent pedals and shoes.

HungryCol

Bianchi are releasing their new 2008 range in September so if you could manage to bring your purchase forward a month, i.e. now, you might get a Via Nirone 2007 on sale. Unless of course you want a 2008 bike hence the wait until Sept/Oct.

No to wheels and yes to pedals (and shoes?). Keep your old pedals though so you can put your new pedals on the new bike, they don't normally come with pedals, and put your old ones back on the Raleigh.

acorn_user

I think wheels would be a lot of trouble. If you have a Suntour cassette, it's probably a Suntour freewheel (5 or 6 speed right?). YOu could run a modern cassette in friction mode, but again, you might have 27" wheel rather than modern 28" (700C) wheels. YOu might try new brake pads and servicing the hubs. New tyres might make a big difference too (and keep em pumped up to the right pressure or just below).

volvine

Treat yourself to a new bike forget about wheels and pedals also worth looking for a good second hand bike lots of nearly new bikes around that would be a big improvement on your current bike. good luck

custom-freak

i'd say that the pedals and shoes would be the best bet, maybe convert the old bike into a fixie or a singlespeed for the winter to save the new one from the worst of the weather, having said that a new pair of tyres might be worthwhile on the old bike they can make the world of difference and can be had fairly cheaply, they will come in handy to keep it on the road as a winter bike too

Cf