C11 or upgrade my 10spd

leejdavies

I have an almost 18month old 10 speed Veloce groupset that is in desperate need of an upgrade. Do I:

A. Buy an Athena / Chorus Groupset

or

B. Just upgrade my drivetrain with Chorus / Record components.

Will 10 speed become redundant within the next few years? If so probably worth jumping onto the 11 speed ship now I guess. Buying an 11 speed groupset may be more costly but may be slightly more futureproof is my opinion at the moment.

Any advice would be great. And on an important note. Is C11 any good?!

giant_man

You're asking if 10sp is going be redundant and I don't think so. I run 10sp record which I love and have been riding for the past 8 years. It really comes down to the choice of 11 or 10 speed.

If you have been happy with 10 speed, why not upgrade as you say with Chorus parts. Cheaper than Record, and apart from weight, almost as good.

11 speed is going to feel similar but not the same, the ergo levers being different for one.

There are still good resources for 10 speed parts such as GB cycles and the Campag service centre, amongst others.

http://gbcycles.co.uk/eshop.asp?wci=subdept&wce=125

http://www.campagservice.co.uk/

bigmat

I've still got 9 speed on my winter bike, doesn't cause me any trouble! 10 speed will be fine for the next few years I reckon. How have you managed to ruin your Veloce gear in 18 months anyway? My 9 speed Mirage is still going strong after 4 years (OK, I've had to make a couple of replacements...), surprised you need such a radical overhaul so soon.

leejdavies

I use it pretty much everyday except maybe the odd weekend when life gets in the way. So has probably done an average of 80-120 miles or so every week. I try to look after it as much as possible but think it needs replacing. Shifting, no matter how much I fiddle, doesn't quite cut it now.

Drivetrain looks very, very tired. Even the front rings have become horribly distorted. Does it help to replace the chain more often (so I don't have to renew drivetrain every 15-18 months). Any tips on this?

antikythera

I don't get it, 100 miles/week doesn't sound like too much. A few battle scars are expected and some consider badges of honor.

If you components are "looking" dodgy, then address them. Have you damaged your chain rings or are they worn? I wouldn't expect to replace chain rings in 18 months, but then I probably dont ride where/how you do.

I have 10 year Centaur (nee Daytona, read: 9 speed), the only service/upgrade has been the standard chain, cluster, cables and one rebuild of the ergos. This bike has been around the world (twice) and ridden in some difficult situations.

Having said that I do maintain it regularly, cleaning etc. I also check the chain wear and replace at the <=0.75 strech. I don't bother calculating how many chains/cluster, but it's porbably around the 3:1 range.

I also have 11 speed (SR and Chorus), while I love the new ergonomics, the difference isn't worth an upgrade after 18 months IMO based on £/performance.

If you kit is really as worn as you say, then it seems to me that there's a maintenance issue, faulty part :shock: or maybe you should be riding a mountain bike 8)

leejdavies

Thanks antikythera. Maybe I'm being over cautious. It is my first Road Bike, just getting used to all the baggage thats comes with it. MTB's are easy. So maybe I'll just replace the chain and cassette. Probably guilty of wanting shiny new bits for the summer sun.

Will a change of cables help? Have looked at the Yokozuna or Gore cables roughly a similar price are they significantly better than the standard Campy replacements?

Thanks.

Also If you see an Orange Patriot around the City area, I will have taken your 'you should be riding an MTB' advice

redddraggon

[quote="leejdavies"MTB's are easy[/quote]

If you think MTBs are easy, road bikes should be really easy.

No suspension forks, no rear suspension, no hydraulic disk brakes, simples

moonshine

I think the 10/11 speed discussion is only really relevant when you have more than one bike and you want to switch kit between them, like a back wheel.

I used to run 9peed dura ace, then bought a new bike that had 10 speed ultegra....
the 9 speed went on a winter bike, and 10 speed on race bike.

now i've sold the 9 speed bike and my TT bike is 10 speed too, so i can easily switch wheels - i find it easier to have everything compatible

I don't really think there is a requirement to move to 11 over 10 - you won't notice a massive difference in performance - you'll just have an extra gear, and a lighter wallet, as 11 is dearer than 10 (or is that louder? - Spinal tap.....)

but if you have no tie to 10 and money isn't an issue, why not get 11?

antikythera

moonshine wrote:

I think the 10/11 speed discussion is only really relevant when you have more than one bike and you want to switch kit between them, like a back wheel.

+1, although this is an excellent reason for more wheels

A word of caution on the gore cables. I haven't tried to fit them, but I did have an chance to look at them. The terminating ends of the cables don't appear to be the same as campy, so may not fit?

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable could provide some input?

leejdavies

redddraggon wrote:

If you think MTBs are easy, road bikes should be really easy.

No suspension forks, no rear suspension, no hydraulic disk brakes, simples

I thought this too, but my MTB can take anything and bounces back for more without any TLC really. I see the road bike as a more finely tuned machine.

@antikythera Thanks for the heads up on the Gore cables too

Wooliferkins

I'd tidy up your 10 speed. Chain, cassette, chainrings if required. TA's chainrings last as long if not longer than Campags own and you won't need a mortgage for them.