Help a Newbie

russyh

Hi All,
I am new to road riding, and so far i am hooked. 3 of us have recently started evening and weekend rides and we are hoping for another 2 to join us.

I have a question about the technical aspect (now please understand i am a complete Newbie)

Can someone explain to me the best upgrade path for a bike? and how easy it is to carry out upgrades yourself? I have an entry level bike, but part of the attraction of road riding to me is the messing around with the bike itself. I know it may be cheaper in the long run to just swap bikes but would like to use my first bike as a test bed for the future.

As an example if i wanted to upgrade to a 105 Rear Mech, what do i need to look out for? i understand there are different cage lengths etc. But why? IS there an internet or printed bible to help bring me upto speed as browsing through the forums is still baffling to me.

Thanks in advance and sorry to post a first question which may sound stupid.

pbt150

Upgrading components like mechs will have no perceivable effect on your bike, all you'll do is save a few grammes in weight. Even entry level mechs are perfectly good these days, and should last several thousand miles.

If you absolutely MUST upgrade something - what tyres do you have on your bike? Any what wheels? These will have the biggest effect on comfort and speed.

g00se

Tinkering with the bike is great fun - but it can turn out expensive compared to buying new. However, if you're idea of fun on a wet Sunday nigth is trawling through ebay and websites for a discounted bit of quality kit - like me - then it's very rewarding and bargains can still be had.

I'd say use your cheap bike for now. Then, when you have a better idea on what your ideal bike is, you can keep the old one for winter training and either buy or build the new machine.

Head over to the workshop forum for tips. The Park Tools website is a good resource - as it the Sheldon Brown site. If you want a book - then 'Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance' is very good.

wishitwasallflat

Pretty much all info on bikes is here -

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

How to do most stuff is here -

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

edit - These are the sites g00se reffered to - simultaneous posts!

g00se

By the way - what bike/groupset do you have at the moment?

russyh

Thanks for the links guys, i will trawl through the pages of information over the next few evenings. Hopefully that way i will be better informed!!!

As for my bike i have a Saracen tour, with basic shimano group set(Altus??). It all works fine for a first bike, the wheels seem a bit heavier compared to my brothers Trek. But it really is a first bike for me and i love it! However i would like to use it as a practice bed to understand the mechanics etc. Obviously its not worth chucking too much money at an entry level bike, but i would like to upgrade the wheels and tyres at the least over the next few months. What would someone recommend as a good wheel for a newbie road rider (not racer, jsut enjoying the ecercise)

g00se

Hi,

A half-decent set of stock factory wheels, arguably, will start about the £200 mark - something like Fulcrum Racing 5. You can get something like the Racing 7s for less but the weight difference might not be great though (decent training wheels though). Will be worth keeping an eye on ebay for pairs but make sure they're not too warn.

You'll need Shimano freehub compatible ones. If the ad doesn't say, they probably are, as Campagnolo-compatible wheels are less common.

Make sure that any second-hand wheels are reasonably 'modern' though - as the technology used for attaching the sprockets on old wheels-sets is different (new=freehub, old=freewheel).

g00se

The quickest, cheapest upgrade you can do is getting some decent tyres (I'm guessing the tyres you have on the Saracen are very basic).

One one extreme are the fast-rolling, 'sticky' race tyres like Michelin Pro3/4, Schwalbe Ultremo ZX, etc. These will be the quickest and lightest but are more prone to punctures and shorter life - aimed at speed.

At the other end are the puncture resistant ones like Contenental Gatorskin and Schwalbe Durano. They'll last longer but won't roll as well - these are aimed at all weather training.

In the middle are the fastish rolling tyres with some puncture protection - Schwalbe Ultremo DD, Contental GP4000.

russyh

Thanks for the tips. I will change the tyres first and keep an eye out for some replacement wheels. The bike currently has a 7 cog cassette on the back wheel, researching most wheels are 8,9 or 10 compatible. Does this mean I need a new cassette, rear mech and shifter?

nochekmate

This is going to get expensive with the amount of changes that you are going to need to bring your bike up to 10 speed (if that is your wish). Probably better to look for a complete bike rather than change a whole host of components on your existing frame.

BobScarle

A book I have used is Robert Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zinn-Art-Road-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030422/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333528488&sr=1-1.

If you can get past the Americanisms then it is very useful. If like me, you do not have a laptop to use in the garage, it is good to have a reference close at hand when tinkering.

To change from a 7 speed to 8, 9 or 10 is quite a lot of work. You will need a new hub, in reality a new wheel, new cassette and new shifters. You may need a new rear mech but probably not.

russyh

Thanks again guys. I will order the book tonight!

Whilst i am aware it would be cheaper to buy a better bike, i cannot afford to splash out the extra money all upfront. I would also like to learn how to modify/maintain my own bike. Therefore if i can upgrade in stages, i can then upgrade a frame in a year or so. Its going to be more costly in the long run. But i hope it will be a fun learning curve.

russyh

Right i have been reading up a bit more this afternoon. Is it possible to upgrade my wheel set slightly to a freehub, and use a 7speed cassette with my current shifters? Sorry if this is stupid!