bike upgrades
hi i've alreay posted this in the newbie cycling section, but thought i might get a more informative, and useful answer here (not saying road beginers section is rubbish!)
recently bought a giant scr 3 and am loving it so far! but i have got to that stage of wanting to upgrade it and was wondering what your opinions on the most important parts to upgrade.
i have in mind either the:
shimano 105 groupset upgraded from sora.
or
EASTON Vista SL wheels upgraded from Alex da22 rims and haven't a clue about the rest of the wheel.
buying from triuk as there local and free fitting
plus price match guarantee!
what will be best?
many thanks,
George
recently bought a giant scr 3 and am loving it so far! but i have got to that stage of wanting to upgrade it and was wondering what your opinions on the most important parts to upgrade.
i have in mind either the:
shimano 105 groupset upgraded from sora.
or
EASTON Vista SL wheels upgraded from Alex da22 rims and haven't a clue about the rest of the wheel.
buying from triuk as there local and free fitting
plus price match guarantee!what will be best?
many thanks,
George
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Comments
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Wheels should always be your first upgrade.
Nowt wrong with the Sora groupset per se .It does it's job well.
Better to look for good deals on the net for groupset upgrades.i.e. special offers on the individual components like gears/levers ,chainset ,calipers etc.0 -
I don't get the point of buying a cheap bike and upgrading the components. I bought a cheap bike to see if I enjoyed cycling, and I'm planning on getting a £1000+ new bike next spring.
Really good wheels on a heavy frame with Sora doesn't seem right. You're better off keeping the cash in a high interest account, and saving towards a new better bike.0 -
rockon338 might actually like his bike, hence wheels first then drive chain, nice saddle etc.
Some might say that a £1000 bike is cheap as well reddraggon.... all personal taste !0 -
No real point in upgrading groupset unless it breaks. You'll not notice the weight reduction, and improvements in performance are marginal.
I would prob save up for my next bike and use the old bike as a winter one.0 -
redddraggon wrote:I don't get the point of buying a cheap bike and upgrading the components. I bought a cheap bike to see if I enjoyed cycling, and I'm planning on getting a £1000+ new bike next spring.
Really good wheels on a heavy frame with Sora doesn't seem right. You're better off keeping the cash in a high interest account, and saving towards a new better bike.
Don't agree.
The SCR 1.0 2008 with the same frame but 105 spec and still unexciting wheels is around £800+
The SCR Aluminium frame rides well and having ridden my pals Tiagra equpped SCR 2.0 back to back with my Ultegra AluXx SL TCR 1.0, I'm pretty impressed. It's a good all-rounder, quick enough and handles nicely and would be much enhanced by lightweight wheels.
I swapped my original Ultegra hubs + CXP22 and OE Hutchinson tyres for Reynolds Alta-Race and PR2's and the difference in ride speed and handling was stunning, approx 1lb in rotating weight saved for a tad under £200.
The SCR will take better...Fulcrum 5's and Kryilions for the sumer fun, the original wheelset for salty winter commutes.0 -
rockon338, from the other thread you might be okay.
I had a quick search about and, while you'd best get the shop to confirm, the Vista SL's may take Shimano 8, 9 and 10 speed.
Unless you've got your heart set on them maybe have a look at Fulcrum Racing 5s.
I had those recommended to me on here and until I went daft and got the 1850s was going to get those (when my Zonda dream would've cost another £55 for the freehub).
If your Alex-based wheels are anything like mine I'd ditch them sharpish. My only regret is that didn't upgrade them sooner.
My bike only cost £600 in the sale. My 1850's were nearly £400 but I bought them with my next bike in mind.
I plan to spend £1k-£2k after Christmas on a new steed but I'm guessing even then the bike will unlikely come supplied with better wheels.
Hell, you could shell out over £2,500 on a Colnago CLX and your reward is a set of Aksiums. :shock:0 -
redddraggon wrote:I don't get the point of buying a cheap bike and upgrading the components. I bought a cheap bike to see if I enjoyed cycling, and I'm planning on getting a £1000+ new bike next spring.
Really good wheels on a heavy frame with Sora doesn't seem right. You're better off keeping the cash in a high interest account, and saving towards a new better bike.
There is nothing wrong with the Giant SCR 3 frame. Certainly not 'heavy' in the grand scheme of things,I think this is probably your own preconception based on the price of the complete bike.
The bike is 'cheap' because they have used budget componentry and I can't see any reason why Rockon should not upgrade the wheels or the gruppo.
Now stop being such a bike snob 0 -
go for the wheel upgrade. if cycling gets hold of you, you'll soon enough want a new frame a higher groupset, and the giant can become your reserve/winter bike as someone above has said. Sora is absolutely fine for that ... it's not as nice to use as 105 and in particular the braking is a bit lousy i think, but overall the difference is not huge.
you'll get a bigger performance benefit, and have more future-proofing, from a good set of wheels.
Easton wheels have a very good reputation. i've never used them, but have used lots of easton components which have been great. Buy the very best you can can afford and you won't have to upgrade again for a while.0 -
i was tempted to buy an older 2004 or 03 ocr with aero wheels the other day for £375 the other day but my friend was giving me to much abuse for the idea
i might upgrade to a nicer bike near the start of summer next year so only want to spend a 100-200 max. on equipment now to make the experience just that bit more enjoyable.
cheers for all of your advice and i expect it will help alot when i go down to my LBS at the weekend.0 -
Anton de Lacey wrote:Now stop being such a bike snob
How can I be called a bike snob when I ride a halfords road bike?0
