Most Cost Efficient Upgrade

snohooper

Hi,

I recently purchased a Schwinn Super Sport as it was the best road bike that I could find in my price range. I have been riding for about 3 months now and its been a great entry level road bike. What is the most efficient part upgrade I could make (cost vs. performance) at this point?

Thanks.

redddraggon

It's probably going to be wheels.......depending on what you've got already.

Bronzie

A pair of light(ish) wheels can make a bike feel totally different. Well worth splooshing out £300-£400 on a decent pair IME.

top_bhoy

Is it worth spending 300-400 quid on a pair of wheels (or any other component for that matter) on an entry level bike? That must be near the cost of the complete bike I would have thought. IMO, unless parts genuinely need replaced through damage, etc., I'd simply enjoy the bike as it is currently configured and avoid upgardes for the moment. Save the money you'd have spent on upgrading and put it towards a replacement bike which is more suited to what you're looking for.

edeverett

Tyres!

Most entry level bikes come with cheapo tyres. Get some Conti GP4000s or Michelin Pro2s (or whichever top end tyre takes your fancy) and you won't believe the difference. This time of year you might prefer to look at something a little tougher like the Conti 4 Seasons though.

Look at ribblecycles.co.uk for some idea of decent prices.

Ed

Bronzie

Top_Bhoy wrote:

Is it worth spending 300-400 quid on a pair of wheels (or any other component for that matter) on an entry level bike?

Sorry :oops: - hadn't realised the Super Sport was £350 - at that price point it's probably not worth spending loads of money on upgrades - no doubt the wheels supplied will weigh a ton and you could pick up some lighter ones for £100-£150 that will make a difference to the ride, but agree with Top_Bhoy that you might be best to save up for a new bike when you've had your fun from the Schwinn

snohooper

Yeah, I feel that a new set of tires would help a little bit and that is a cheap upgrade. I just didn't know if that assumption was valid.

I only average between 13-15 mph on my Schwinn right now, so I was looking for a little help and I don't have the money to upgrade my bike right now.

Thanks for the replies to the original questions, and I would love to hear more, but I have another question as well. Is 13-15 mph normal on an entry level road bike or do I have some serious training to do? It seems as though every one else who posts on here has speeds between 17-20 even for beginner riders.

Bronzie

The bike looks to have a very upright position:
http://www.mailordercycles.co.uk/produc ... 62s20p5939

So you can't get your body very aero which will impact your speed - you could look at changing to drop bars and a longer stem so you could adopt a more "race" position, but frankly I'd think you'd be wasting money.

Accept the bike for what it is, don't worry too much about what speeds others ride at (unless you are trying to keep up with them!) and look at something a bit more racy as and when you can afford it. Concentrate for the time being on building up your mileage and enjoy yourself - the speed will come in time.

richardjallen

Wait until we've gone through the bad weather. If you got new wheels now road grit would eat through them over winter so you would not want to use them anyway. If you get a new bike again you might not want to ride it through bad weather either.

Tyres sounds like a good idea. Nothing worse than punctures. Or you might find you want a new saddle or pedals and shoes. Changing the brake pads to some that are supposed to be kind to the rims is a good idea as well.

snohooper

Great thing about Southern California is that there is no such thing as bad weather. Might be 10-15 degrees colder than the summer, but nothing on the road changes thats for sure.

phreak

I'd go for SPD pedals myself. When I added a pair of those my averages speed went up by about 3/4kmh straight away. I dare say they'd cost less than new tires as well.

bendembroski

Why not upgrade the wheels ? (OK, wait for winter to be over). If you take care of them, you can always transfer them on to the next bike. Or am I missing something ? It seems that unless you go for a high end set-up, the wheels on a lot of bikes aren't that great, so you might want the upgrade later anyway.

daniel_b

phreak wrote:

I'd go for SPD pedals myself. When I added a pair of those my averages speed went up by about 3/4kmh straight away. I dare say they'd cost less than new tires as well.

I was just going to say do you have decent shoes and spd's?

Needn't cost the earth. I have a pair of carbon soled Diadoras and basic Shimano SPD's, which cost me £75 all in.

Dan

il_principe

Save yer money and buy a proper roadie, until then just enjoy riding... I remember when I changed from a hybrid to a roadie, the difference was astonishing!

nickcuk

Save up to upgrade the whole bike in good time - until then, get the thinnest road tyres you can use on yr usual rides, make sure your bike is well maintained, change the rear drive / front rings if you are capable of going faster than the bike is, and if you're not exceeding what the current bike is capable of, why are you looking to upgrade ?

acorn_user

I would get some nice tires/tyres in 28c, something like a Panaracer Pasela, and some snazzy brake pads (Kool Stop, skip the Aztec and Avid blocks).

Beyond that, if you enjoy road riding, I would save up for a drop bar road bike along the lines of a Lemond Etape or Soma Smoothie or Bianchi Eros (the Eros is almost perfect atmo).

Monty Dog

Skinny tyres does not = better tyres - anything less than 23mm is likely to ride harshly and puncture easily. A decent pair of tyres will certainly improve the handling and feel of the bike - plus a decent floor pump to make sure you get the right pressure.
If you haven't already, consider clipless pedals and shoes - it help to get the power-down and is less tiring on the feet. If you tend to walk about in your bike shoes then MTB shoes and pedals are a good compromise for a beginner or commuter
If funds allow, then a better pair of wheels are a good idea too - you can always keep the old wheels for rainy days and use the lighter wheels on nice days. You can keep the wheels for newer bikes anyway.
Don't worry too much about your average speed too much at the moment - some people reckon it takes about 7 years for your body to 'learn' to pedal fluidly -
Enjoy your bike and start logging up the miles on different roads - this will improve your technique, strength and fitness which will all impact upon your performance.

feel

If you have only been riding 3 months i would think your 13/15 mph average is pretty respectable especially if that includes hills. I would keep riding your present bike, get some use out of it and improve your fitness, while deciding if you want a better bike. If you do decide to upgrade i would guess that your average mph will go up by at least 3mph.

simon_e

What is the most efficient part upgrade I could make (cost vs. performance) at this point?

Easy - tyres. 23mm lightweight clinchers. Michelin Pro Race 2 or similar, pump them up nice 'n' hard (ooh-er!)

To improve your speeds there's no magic bullet, just hard work. For some people riding in company is a great incentive, for others riding a regular route against the clock is enough.

Is it the flat bar model? Gearing is quite low on that one, and it may be a bit heavy. You may be better off saving your pennies and getting a racer.

In the meantime don't spend all your time dreaming or worrying about your speed compared to others, make sure you enjoy riding what you have.

Alex_Simmons/RST

Best upgrade is to invest time in riding the bike consistently.

Then anything that helps you do that - it might be a good bit of cycling clothing, good quality knicks comes to mind. Something to keep you warm/dry if weather ain't so flash.

Some friends to ride with.

Tri-Taffia

Weight loss!

If you are carrying a few extra pounds shift the fat. Cheaper than buying carbon.

<not in anyway saying your tubby!>