Upgrades to Defy 4

decca123

I ride a Giant Defy 4. I've had it for a year or so and am going to upgrade a few things. I've got a few contacts in the trade and have been offered a great deal on a group and wheelset. I just want to know if there is any reason that I couldn't put these on the Defy 4, before I commit. Also any thoughts on whether this is a good idea in general?!

Groupset. Shimano 105
Wheelset. Hope Hoops Pro3 RS-Mono ( http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... t-11-44505 )

Thanks

Decca

night_porter

If you are happy with the frame then there is no reason whatsoever not to upgrade those parts. For the most part a Giant Defy is a Giant Defy and the only difference is the parts bolted onto it so you will have changed your bike into a lower numbered Defy.

Go for it!

decca123

Thanks. Is there any 'technical' reason why these new components won't fit the bike and work together? I'd be getting my local shop to do the work!

anthdci

No reason they wont fit. But make sure you get the correct type of front dérailleur, it can either be braze on (screws to a bracket that is welded onto the frame) or band on (no bracket so a loop goes round the frame and is tightened with a bolt.

night_porter

Unless your local shop means the grocers at the end of the street? I would assume they know what components are needed for your bike.

If it is the grocers the get them to add an attachment for your blackberry or apple...

anthdci

night_porter wrote:

I would assume they know what components are needed for your bike.)

OP didn't say whether the same shop would be supplying the groupset as would be fitting it. He maybe getting it from his contact and getting the LBS to fit it, so he would need to know he was buying the right thing first.

decca123

LBS is just fitting it.

Phil_D

Is it terribly difficult to do it oneself and not make a pigs ear of it?

anthdci

band on


braze on

anthdci

Phil_D wrote:

Is it terribly difficult to do it oneself and not make a pigs ear of it?

youll need some basic tools, a decent set of allan keys for starters. You'll also need the tools for removing the cassette and chainset, but once you have them there are plenty of guides on youtube for you to follow for each.

1 thing to be aware of though, as you'll be moving from Sora shifters to 105 shifters the shifter cable route changes from coming out the side of the shifters on the Sora to running under the bartape on the 105. So to fit the 105 the bartape will need to be removed and replaced.

decca123

just realised its the compact 105 that i can get cheap. the triples is a load more. doh!

anthdci

decca123 wrote:

just realised its the compact 105 that i can get cheap. the triples is a load more. doh!

why is that a problem? The vast majority of road bikes now come with 10x2.

decca123

i dont know enough about it to know whether it is? ive rode a triple for 12 months so i guess im thinking i should move to the same? hills etc

anthdci

nah, there wont be any hills you'll need a triple for if you think you'll struggle with hills get a bigger range cassette.
on a triple your smallest chainring is 30 teeth, vs 34 on a double. If you got a 11-25 cassette for the triple you'd have a ratio of 1.2: If you got a 11-28 cassette for the double you would get a ratio of 1.21:1. So the difference there is next to nothing. You really shouldn't need a 28 tooth cassette with a 30tooth chainring unless your going to the alps!

decca123

Thanks, helpful.

Here are the options I've got for the groupset. It's all jargon to me, so any help appreciated. http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/r ... tAod-EUAIA

anthdci

This is what I would get

Chainset Options
Shimano 105 5700 Chainset - Silver 172.5mm 34/50

Cassette Ratio Options
Shimano 105 5700 10 Speed Cassette 11-28 (so you've got that climbing gear a new cassette if you want to change ratios is not that expensive)

Bottom Bracket Options
Shimano 105 5700 Bottom Bracket British Standard

Rear Derailleur Options
Shimano 105 5701 Rear Derailleur - Silver

Front Derailleur Options
Shimano 105 5700 Front Derailleur - Braze-On - Silver -I'm 99% sure yours will be this as my Defy 1 is also a braze on but double check!

STI Levers Options
Shimano 105 5700 STI Levers - Silver

Chain Options
Shimano 105 5701 Chain

Brake Calipers Options
Shimano 105 5700 Brake Calipers - Silver - Pair

johngti

Thanks for posting this - I'm thinking of doing something very similar through merlin cycles! The only difference is that I'm planning on the tiagra groupset as I haven't as much money to play with I think 2300 to tiagra is a worthwhile upgrade isn't it?

Toe knee

Hi, Tiagra group set for sale on the classifieds ( road parts) think he wants. £180 for it.
Hope this helps.

decca123

Thanks again for the help.

I don't understand any of the logic behind your suggested options as I don't have the knowledge. With the cassette option, will the 11-28 mean that I have less 'power' on the downhills where I want speed, as a sacrifice to more on the uphill? How do different chain lengths affect things?

Sorry for the many Qs but leaning a lot here!

decca123

By chain length I meant 'chainset'

johngti

Toe knee wrote:

Hi, Tiagra group set for sale on the classifieds ( road parts) think he wants. £180 for it.
Hope this helps.

Yep, saw that. Trouble is its a 9 speed groupset. I'm going to go 10 speed, seems like more of an upgrade

anthdci

well it is always a compromise, you have 10 cogs on the rear cassette, you could work it as having 11-20 which would give each cog as having 1 more than the last, that'll give you the absolute best ratio possible, but then you have quite a narrow band to work in. 11-28 will mean some are 2 more than the next smaller cog, but this gives you a wider band. So whether its 11-20 or 11-28 you'll still have the ratio 50:11 for the downhill bits.

decca123

Thanks anthdci

At the moment, I have a 11-28 cassette and a 30/42/52 crankset. Does this not mean that I have 30:28 for the hills, so 1.07 and 52:28 for the downhill (4.73)?

If I was to go to the compact 11-28 with the 34/50 you suggest, would this not mean I have 'less' at the low and high ends - ie, 34:28 for the hills (1.21) and 50:11 for the down (4.54)?

Thanks!

anthdci

Yes that is correct, but in reality those extra ratios aren't really required. I top out at 40+ on my compact and I've just to find a hill that I've needed to get off and push up.