Chainset opinions

extrusion

Hi

Just looking for some opinions on what i should do.

Currently have full Tiagra 4600 groupset, it was what i could afford at the time. Now im about to start my plan of upgrades month by month.

First call is chainset i think.

Do you think a) i should stick with what i have or b) buy the 105 5600 chainset i have seen for £60.00 or c) 105 5700 chainset for £80.00 or d) go for ultegra sl at £120.00 and save for a couple of months ??

I guess im hoping for the lightest i can afford to fit the bike now, but does one over the other really save much weight??

I know that it won't make a huge difference to me on the move, but i like the idea of having a light weight bike now.

Cheers

cougie

Very expensive way to do things - and you really won't notice any difference.

Save up for wheels - they do make a difference. Even decent tyres. Or a trackpump.

Basically id not bother upgrading unless something breaks. Save the money for the next bike and keep the heavier one for winter.

BruceG

Yep best bang for buck tyres and wheels, you will notice some improvement here.

Leeuw

cougie wrote:

Very expensive way to do things - and you really won't notice any difference.

Save up for wheels - they do make a difference. Even decent tyres. Or a trackpump.

Basically id not bother upgrading unless something breaks. Save the money for the next bike and keep the heavier one for winter.

Yup, agree wholeheartedly - best upgrade (and most noticeable upgrade) are some lighter/stiffer wheels.

And as the group set starts to show its age, start with rear mech as this gets most wear, then shifters.

Hoopdriver

cougie wrote:

Very expensive way to do things - and you really won't notice any difference.

Save up for wheels - they do make a difference. Even decent tyres. Or a trackpump.

Basically id not bother upgrading unless something breaks. Save the money for the next bike and keep the heavier one for winter.

Absolutely!

extrusion

Ulp! Okay, thanks, appreciated. Il'll have a think. This is gonna be the best bike for a while tho ... Maybe ...

Pross

The chainset would be about the last thing I'd upgrade (I also have Tiagra with a 105 rear mech and use it for racing with no problems). Wheels or, if that's too pricey, some good tyres would be the first upgrade as others have said.

Wheelspinner

Another vote for wheels, and especially tyres and tubes... but also a suggestion elsewhere. If you are interested in weight saving, I'd recommend a weight-weenie approach: strip some of the parts off and weigh them individually, then do some comparisons around.

As an example, lots of bikes at the more budget end of the spectrum are built to look good on the floor for a price, so the branded bits (derailleurs and shifters) will be the lighter versions, but things like saddles, seatposts, stems, bars, and even pedals can be hefty lumps. You can likely cut at least half a kilogram or more by swapping out those parts for lighter (and probably stronger in some cases!) components. Plus you can keep them for the next bike...

Another bonus from checking your bars/stem/saddle/post weights and maybe swapping them is you can also improve the handling feel of your bike a bit - lighter bits up high means the centre of gravity of the bike moves lower - that's a good thing.

Nothing wrong with the Tiagra groupset at all (except the name.. ), wear it out first is the best approach. To save a lot of weight there you spend a lot of money...