upgrade or save?

pbamf

I have got a Trek 1.5 triple on the ctw scheme. Unfortunately I have caught the bug and now would like a "better" bike. I understand that the frame of the 1.5 is used on the higher spec Trek's (don't know if this is true). So do I spend the money on upgrading to 105 or Ultegra groupset or do I put this money away for a carbon? Nothing has worn on the original groupset but I prefer a double and would like to get away from the Sora shifters. I have already upgraded wheels, tyres and saddle. Its true what they say isn't it cycling is addictive not only the actual riding but also the spending money on more or better equipment.

STEFANOS4784

New bike definately

STEFANOS4784

How much have you got so far?

pbamf

Haven't got any of the groupset yet, wasplanning on getting the lot £300-£400 depending on 105or Ultegra. Have got Shimano rs20 wheels, Schwalbe tyres and Toupe saddle.

gkerr4

well - the cheapest I can see 105 for is £339 - not sure what group the 1.5 has to start with but if it is tiagra then I'm not sure you will feel a whole lot of difference - it's not that big a jump between groups and it could be the most deeply unsatisfying purchase ever.

you could upgrade any non-group parts - for example if it has unbranded brakes then upgrade them to 105 - you will notice a big difference with them. Likewise the chainset, if it has an unbranded or a bontrager with those bloody ISIS bottom bracket then an upgrade to shimano hollowtechII would be great and Tiagra can be had for about £45 + £15 for the bottom bracket cups - again a good upgrade.

next I'd upgrade the wheels - these would be a better area to spend £3-400 on as you can take them with you to your next bike and will be a 'noticeable' upgrade on the 1.5

6288

i'd sell what you have and get something you can upgrade later and it be worth it (you can get a 2008 105 cannondale synapse online for £1k ... same for a caad frame)

the trek frame will actually be worth around £300 at most and not worth the spend on blinging it up ...

mfin

You could get a Cube Peloton with 105 gear on it for £799 or a Kiron from wiggle for under a grand and either would be good and have 105 gear, both these bikes were recently on my shortlist of good value bikes along with the Focus Cayo.

If I was you I'd look up the prices you can expect to get on ebay for the stuff youd take off the bike (search completed listings) ...cos if its all 'as new' you can work out how much money you can get back towards your 105 change.

Personally I'd have a look at some Sram and Campag gear too, just of interest I have a Cube but all the 105 stuff is gone, I changed it all to Sram after finding the shifting 'iffy', it was setup exactly right but I didn't like the feel of it. I did the same on my MTB after a year of Shimano I went to Sram and now wouldn't have anything else on that bike, its never played up since having Sram, not once. Road bike the same, so far its faultless with a really positive, great feel, hasn't made me 'wish for something else' not once.

So have a look around and try some other stuff as well, you never know what you might set your heart on, or you might just reinforce that you're a 'shimano person'. By the way, my 105 to Sram Rival change cost me a grand total of £50 to change by the time I'd finished and that included chainset, BB, shifters/levers,front and rear mechs, I looked out for good offers and got some of it as end of line 08 gear and some 09 gear which kept it all cheap and the sram stuff is even lighter than ultegra (I seem to remember reading).

akcc05

i think keeping the bike is a good idea. start saving up for a new nicer bike, after that you can just use the trek as a winter/commuting bike, everybody needs one of those right? nothing wrong with having more than one bike, ask everyone here on this forum...

it may seem far in the future but your trek will probably benefit from parts coming out of your future better bike. meanwhile, get some miles under your belt so you know what type of gear/components/frame geometry to go for when you have saved up sufficient cash (e.g. Shimano vs Sram vs Campaq as mentioned above). it seems to me this is a bit of an impulsive thing, don't want to get a new better bike right now and wish you had gotten another one later right? this happens to a lot of people, they jump quickly into buying new bikes, say the mainstream ones like trek and specialized because they are in every shop window, and then later found that other frame makers has better deals or look or fit, like look, time, felt, cervelo, de rosa, colnago, orbea and wilier...etc. having said that trek and specialized both make amazing bikes, i quite fancy a tarmac myself.

what you will probably find is that your budget will go up as your mileage increase. i think its good to learn more about cycling in general as a sport before getting new stuff. hope my humble opinion helps.

mfin

I also completely agree with akcc05... I think he (or she!) has hit the nail on the head with the 'next rung up' kind of thing... the stuff he's saying is the only 'next time round' option to me both for the future and for going up in budget.

What I'm saying is I'm totally happy with all aspects of my bike (forgot I changed tyres and saddle too) and I can't even say the same about my MTB which is 3-4 times as much and is very high-end, I also wouldn't just go on about my bike just because I've got one, but I've found it to be spot on for me. But, when mine gets long in the tooth and I start to fancy getting something new I'll be looking pretty much round the makes he mentioned (and a few more... Simoncini etc...) and I can say almost dead cert that I'll be going for a frame only by then, spreading the cost over time and picking out each bit of the build to my preference. Can't imagine thats going to be for a good while yet though there's no point when I'm already happy and enjoying what I have completely, that's a nice point to get to whatever the budget.

akcc05

mfin wrote:

I also completely agree with akcc05... I think he (or she!) has hit the nail on the head with the 'next rung up' kind of thing... the stuff he's saying is the only 'next time round' option to me both for the future and for going up in budget.

What I'm saying is I'm totally happy with all aspects of my bike (forgot I changed tyres and saddle too) and I can't even say the same about my MTB which is 3-4 times as much and is very high-end, I also wouldn't just go on about my bike just because I've got one, but I've found it to be spot on for me. But, when mine gets long in the tooth and I start to fancy getting something new I'll be looking pretty much round the makes he mentioned (and a few more... Simoncini etc...) and I can say almost dead cert that I'll be going for a frame only by then, spreading the cost over time and picking out each bit of the build to my preference. Can't imagine thats going to be for a good while yet though there's no point when I'm already happy and enjoying what I have completely, that's a nice point to get to whatever the budget.

it's a he thank you very much. a she? you wish... ..haven't met a serious 'she' cyclist yet, nevermind a hot one. (there are a few on here though).

agree with the frameset bit, a stock bike no longer satisfy my preferences in terms of components, fit or even bling. i'm currently building my first MTB from scratch (a king kikapu), it's a full sus too, which is the reason why i joined this forum in the first place, to get buying advice and ask about things that i'm completely foreign to, like hydraulics disc brakes, suspension forks/shocks and chain guides, don't have those on roadies.

mfin

Well, I think speccing an MTB is so much more difficult when you build them but ultimately more rewarding in that they are more complex to get right having more parts... I love the fact building one up it gets you out of the 07/08/09 rat race of new gear too which the MTB industry does suck people into quite successfully, roadies I know that do the same amount of cycling don't seem to have that attitude to new gear they just get on with the cycling most of the time.

I've gone the other way round to you, from MTBing to then starting roading as well and personally Ive found the journey to satisfaction with road gear much much easier. With MTBs the geometry and sizing alone has so much effect on the feel of the bike that everything you ride is different and its always about compromise for getting the best you can get for the terrain you ride and how you ride it.

Didnt think Id be spending so much time on my road bike since I got it but as soon as the road dries out atfer wet spells I'm straight back out of the door when MTB rides in still muddy conditions just take more time up, journeying to local centres and then cleaning everything afterwards.

pbamf

Thanks for talking me down from the upgrade guys. I really like the look of the cannondale in Liquigas colours with Ultegra at the moment, but cant persuade the better half that £2500 isn't a lot for a bike these days, and I suppose that when I get the cash the thing wouldn't fit proper anyway. Ah well keep saving and dreaming.

akcc05

pbamf wrote:

Thanks for talking me down from the upgrade guys. I really like the look of the cannondale in Liquigas colours with Ultegra at the moment, but cant persuade the better half that £2500 isn't a lot for a bike these days, and I suppose that when I get the cash the thing wouldn't fit proper anyway. Ah well keep saving and dreaming.

pbamf, welcome to the most expensive hobby you will ever take up, wait until you start discovering the joy of MTBing! we all have dreams on bikes, not sure about the saving bit though. for now, just to make you drool, check out the look 2009 range, it's so hot!
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/first-look-look-2009-road-bikes-17832