To Upgrade or replace

prm292

Hi I have a 2008/9 Felt Z35 and I need to change the rear cassette from 11-25 to at leat 11-28 following a move to Switzerland as I can't hack the mountains. I'm also considering upgrading wheelset, but then wonder if it's worth spending on this, or shoudl I change the bike for something like a Canyon CF SLX 7 or maybe 9
Any thoughts?

cougie

What chainset do you have on it ?
What wheels do you have on it ?

t4tomo

If you replace, then consider a triple if it all mountains near you, although a 11-28 cassette is a far cheaper option!

smidsy

Keep what you have and then buy something with a triple for the mountains.

N+1 needs to be applied :-)

prm292

cougie wrote:

What chainset do you have on it ?
What wheels do you have on it ?

50-34

prm292

cougie wrote:

What chainset do you have on it ?
What wheels do you have on it ?

Wheels are Mavic CXP22

prm292

smidsy wrote:

Keep what you have and then buy something with a triple for the mountains.

N+1 needs to be applied :-)

What is N+1??

prm292

t4tomo wrote:

If you replace, then consider a triple if it all mountains near you, although a 11-28 cassette is a far cheaper option!

It's not all mountains, but I want to improve my climbing and so my challange is to get to the top of a place called La Dole, its a gentle climp for first 6km and then climbs around 1,000m over next 11km, so for me that's a long pull up!

stabilised

If you are happy with the Felt then keep it and upgrade. If it fits you well, you feel comfortable riding it and all that is wrong for you is that you lack the spread of gears necessary to cope with the new terrain then buying a new bike is unnecessary. From what you say it sounds as though you are riding for the pleasure of it and to keep fit and that sort of stuff, as opposed to organised racing where the latest kit might make a difference to your results.

As you already have a compact chainset then going for a new cassette is the easiest way forward. Going over to a triple chainset would be pricey, as you could need a new bottom bracket and new front mech as well as the chainset and the curent wave of tiples look expensive compared to compacts (a few years ago they price difference was small, now it can be big - look at triple Capmpag Centaur compared to a compact, say). A 34-28 gear should be low enough to get you up long steady drags like the one you describe, and lighter wheels will help, too.

Lighter everything - the new bike solution - would also help, of course, but wheels are usually seen as a very good place to start. A significant step up from those Mavics is fairly straightforward and given that almost all manufacturers are seriously scrimping on the quality of wheels supplied with new bikes, then something like a good pair of Ksyriums, like SLS (to stick with Mavic if you like them), would be an investment, as they would be better than anything likely to be supplied with a new bike if you end up buying one anyway. It's astonishing, to me, to see £3000+ bikes being supplied with £140 wheels, as I think I saw on a Ridley review recently, where Campag Khamsin came as standard fit, especially when this is in order to spec carbon fibre handlebars and other trivial items that are basically unimportant compared to wheels. Having said that - looks like Canyon are bucking that trend, with that CF SLX 7 you mention coming with just the sort of Ksyriums you could look at.

PS N+1 refers to the common cyclists answer to the non-cyclist's bemused question, 'How many bikes do you actually need?' Where N is the number of bikes you presently own.

Bar Shaker

An 11-28 or 12-28 (a bit less spaced out in the middle range) should get you up anything less than 15% without working too hard.

Stiffer wheels would also help your climbing and this is where I would be looking to spend money. Fulcrum Quattro or Mavic Elites are probably your most obvious choices.

Some Canyon SLX owners are reporting rear brake rub, implying that the back end is a bit flexy. This makes them really comfy but they may not be ideal for serious climbing, especially out of the saddle stuff. Climbing needs everything to be really stiff; the frame, the wheels and the cranks/chainrings. If you are looking for a new bike for the mountains, look for stiffness over everything, even over being 100g lighter than something else.

charlie_potatoes

Bar Shaker wrote:

Some Canyon SLX owners are reporting rear brake rub, implying that the back end is a bit flexy.

Not this Canyon owner though

I find it to be a real pleasure on the climbs.

MickTheMove

I am considering the same thing, I am thing of swapping out my 105/tiagra group set and putting in an 11 speed ultegra 6800, with a mountain goat 11-32 cassete! but I am concerned that by doing this I will then need to change the wheels ( I have the same as the OP) so it suddenly becomes a £1000 upgrade!?

robbo2011

No need to buy a new bike (unless you want to of course) just fit an 11-28 cassette. You'll need to fit a longer chain too. If you fit a new rear mech, you can fit an 11-30 or possibly an 11-32 depending on your groupset.

I use a set of Ksyrium SLS wheels and they are great climbing wheels, worth a look.

This place is the cheapest place to buy components in Switzerland

http://www.bike-import.ch/

OWO1-750

Just fitted a set of Mavic SLS to my Storck Scenero G2 and cannot believe how much better it feels, smoother over the road surface and climbs much better, in all the perfect upgrade for this bike.