Upgrades for Supersix 105

CrouchingPig

Afternoon BR!

Recently bought a 'Dale supersix105 '12

Was thinking of lightening it up a bit.

Currently the bike is stock,

I've been doing a couple of 30+ miles a week rides and I use it to commute most days.

Here are my plans to save some weight with the bike,
All I've done so far, is shortened the seatpost and I've saved a massive....40g :?
please let me know which you'd do first, and why? perhaps you can think of an alternative.

Change the wheels from Mavic Aksium's to some Shimano RS80's.
- From what I read on the web, I'd save approx 400g on the wheelset
- PlanetX are selling the RS80 wheelset for £300 and they have 10% off this weekend + free delivery! (£270)
- I could probably get £100 return on my Aksiums with no tyres and cassette? (200 miles use)

Change my pedals from Shimano A530's to a more road based pedal, Time i-Clic2 racer pedals
- 100g+ saved?
- I'd also have to buy new cycling shoes, as currently I use some dhb SPD shoes to match the SPD pedals.
- Ribble have 10% off everything also, can get the pedals at sub £80 (Everywhere else they're £100+)

Any other suggestions?

Perhaps this should be in road buying advice, sorry.

Karl
Change

unixnerd

Change the wheels from Mavic Aksium's to some Shimano RS80's.

Agreed.

If you use the bike in traffic a lot stick to the SPDs. SPD-SLs are harder to clip into and unlike SPDs you really can't move unless clipped in. I went the SL route on one of my bikes last year and to be honest I prefer SPDs. The SL shoes generally have a mesh top so budget on overshoes for 80% of our weather!

CrouchingPig

Thanks for the advice!

Do you think the RS80's will be a worthy upgrade? 8)

smidsy

Cycling Plus has a wheel review this month - worth a look OR

Just get the American Classics 420 Aero 3's as the bike surely deserves them :-)

banditvic

I had a cannondale six and upgraded to sram force and some easton wheels felt a whole lot better. Trouble is i've now got carried away and bought an Evo. Selling wheels this thursday on Ebay £200 if your interested. Easton Orion II fantastic condition 1550 grams smooth bearings. First upgrade wheels. 105 stuff is quite heavy compared to sram, you are only getting weight savings not quality with groupsets, well very little.

CrouchingPig

smidsy wrote:

Cycling Plus has a wheel review this month - worth a look OR

Just get the American Classics 420 Aero 3's as the bike surely deserves them :-)

Maybe it's just me, but these wheels look awful to me! I'm sure they perform great though.

Regarding the Eastern Orion's, are they new / just removed from the Evo?

Bantha_Tracks

Just to note the RS80's will not look like the RSeighty wheels shown on the website.

You will get the newer plainer black nipple/spoke version from planet x with block RS80 graphics like the rest of the range.

I picked a pair up last week for my Ultegra caad 10 to replace the stock Aksiums. 1980g down to 1560 including rim tape.

Very happy with them.

Not feeling at my best this week but I have already racked up 4 Strava PB's in the first couple of rides since changing them.

..Though that could also be down to swapping out of SPD into SPD-SL pedals with Giro Trans the week before that.

siamon

I would seriously consider leaving it as it is. Standard bikes (generally) have well matched components, once the exuberant excitement of having spent a few quid has died down, you will probably fell very little benefit, if any at all. In fact it might feel worse.

Gizmodo

siamon wrote:

I would seriously consider leaving it as it is. Standard bikes (generally) have well matched components, once the exuberant excitement of having spent a few quid has died down, you will probably fell very little benefit, if any at all. In fact it might feel worse.

I have to disagree with this. Most bikes are sold in ranges, so the same frame is sold with a wide variety of components that are picked to meet a "price point" rather thank being matched.

For example my Trek Madone 3.5 has exactly the same frame as the 3.1, the difference in price is made by fitting different wheels and components.

I fitted new wheels to my bike. My brother just bought a brand new Pinarello. On descents he would have to pedal to keep up with me coasting. He has bought new wheels and now he can keep up with me! I can pretty much guarantee that a wheel upgrade to stock wheels will make a big difference.

Goodtwist

The cheapest, most reliable and effective way of shaving off weight is to lose some of your own weight.

smidsy

You do not have to get pink if that helps They do the white with red (instead of pink) and also do a black red variant. I have the pre 3 model (same but the rear has normal pattern spokes not the 3 group) and I must say I like them a lot. 1530g the pair and no flex that I have noticed even when pushing hard out of the saddle on climbs etc.

I know that factory wheels are seen as a bit limiting but as I got mine second hand for less than half RRP I could not refuse.

They have a few innovative features like cam operated pawls and specially designed nipples to mitigate the usual fatigue cracking (in compression rather than tension). They also come with ceramic bearings option if that floats your boat.

CrouchingPig

Thanks for the sound advice,

Regarding the comment about losing my own weight, I've lost close to 1 1/2 stone in the past 2.5 months though there is still a stone to lose before I'll be happy with my weight again.

I take it losing your own body weight is the one thing that'll truly help with hill climbs?

drlodge

Shaving a little weight off your bike is a somewhat pointless exercise, shaving weight off your body is much more effective, especially uphill. I'm 20+ lbs heavier than when I was in my 20s, that's a complete bikes worth of extra weight I'm luggin up every hill!!!

That said, I'd say a wheel upgrade is one of the most effective, not just to reduce the rotating mass but to get a better "quality" ride. The other valuable upgrade IMHO is anything that makes you feel more comfortable on the bike.

Gizmodo

CrouchingPig wrote:

I take it losing your own body weight is the one thing that'll truly help with hill climbs?

Climbing hills is all about power to weight ratio, so loosing weight and building muscle is the best answer.

In terms of bike upgrades, improving the quality of components such as wheels with better water seals will improve performance (marginally), comfort and longevity (less time and money spent on servicing).

My personal favourite upgrades would be:
1. A professional bike fit to make sure my bike is right for me
2. Good quality pedals and shoes to make long rides comfortable
3. Good quality wheels and tires that wil roll well and last for ages
4. A carbon seat post to reduce road buzz and improve comfort
5. A comfortable saddle that means I can ride 100+ miles without a sore ....
6. Gel handlebar pads/tape to reduce road buzz through the hands

I'm still looking for the perfect saddle :?

CrouchingPig

I read that you shouldnt buy a carbon post if you are over xx KG

I'm 14 1/2 stone, and slowly becoming lighter. Would I be too heavy for a carbon post atm?

keef66

You'll be fine on a carbon seatpost

metronome

How much difference is there between a carbon post and a carbon wrapped seatpost?