Upgrade advice please

parryman

Hello,
I currently have a 5yo Spesh Allez Elite, full 9sp tiagra.
Front mech failed a while ago so have just been running big ring (thankfully Essex is not very hilly and i have a history of riding fixed wheel)
This morning the rear mech commited suicide.

(Bike is a daily commuter as well as weekend miler)

SO, the time has come to commence the upgrade.

Looking at replacing the mechs has shown a 9 speed vacancy, it was on the cusp of obsoletedom when i got the bike but it seems to have pretty much vanished now.
So this now raises a number of questions/ options.

Scenario 1
Buy new parts to replace the b0rked ones.
Can i run 10speed front and rear mechs and a 10sp chain on a 9sp cassette/ shifter?
Might treat myself to a new crankset too, again 10sp (but still a 9 block)

Will this all work? (probs 105 stuff, but my old Tiagra shifters)

Scenario 2
Buy a full groupset
That throws up the 9 10 11 debate.
I don't think my wheels (Fulcrum Racing 7 from a few years back) will be 11sp compatible and I can't afford to replace them. (also rules out Campag)

The options are:
Sora 9 speed - seems a step back, but would porbably be on even footing with my GS
Tiagra 10 speed (4600) - the logical step, the GS will be of a better standard than my old Tiagra just though trickledown.
105 10 speed (5700) - the current front runner. decent mid level GS and only slightly higher than my budget.
OR
Sram Apex 20 - the dark horse. I've never used Sram stuff, but as its full GS its not an issue switching.

Have about £300-350 (which covers all the above, i would love an Ultegra GS but not in my budget)
Any advise greatly appreciated

(aslo, thinking about uping from a compact to a full size, shouldnt be an issue since i havent used a middle ring in over a year, thoughts on this?)

homers_double

Parry, with £500 to spend is it not worth searching out a second hand bike?

parryman

Budget is only £300 not £500

Anonymous

I would spend the bare minimum on new mechs, cables cassette and chain the pocket the rest and save up for a new bike. Nothing really wrong with it as it stands and going 10sp won't change your life except for maybe the braking. 11sp is a revalation but it will swallow your whole budget and leave you without wheels!

Anonymous

I have a 9sp rear mech you can have. Barrel adjuster may be seized, but it's 2 quid to replace it (or use pliers).a Alternatively you can always use a 9sp sora rear mech. Will work fine with no noticeable difference

cougie

Under £30 will get your Sora 9 speed rear mech and front mech back working.

I'd do that and save the rest for the new bike in the future.

dinyull

cougie wrote:

Under £30 will get your Sora 9 speed rear mech and front mech back working.

I'd do that and save the rest for the new bike in the future.

This.

I personally wouldn't consider dropping £300 on groupset if it wasn't 11 speed.

Bobbinogs

cougie wrote:

Under £30 will get your Sora 9 speed rear mech and front mech back working.

Yepp, modern Sora is pretty good actually.

I still happily run 9 spd (mixture of Tiagra/Ultegra) on a 2011 Allez Comp, great combo of a lightweight frame and plenty of gears.

6500 cassettes, etc., are all still easily available from most stores and don't cost the earth, KMC x9L chains work great. I recently had to buy a new shifter set, a really decent nick Tiagra set cost me about £30 (I only wanted the left so flogged the RHS one for about £20). Front mechs? No probs there either as I bought a fleabay special last year, 6500, again good nick and only cost about £15. Same goes for 6500 brakes if req'd. The RD was replaced a couple of years ago on another bike before I transferred a lot of the GS across after the frame cracked.

Most new wheel models still offer a 9 spd option (certainly many Shimano wheels and I also recently bought some Zondas).

If you want to stay 9 spd there really is no real reason not to. More gears are nice but more gear is better!

parryman

Thanks for your replies.
Will probs go for the replace route and save 11speeding for the major upgrades further down the line.

ai_1

Yeah current Sora looks to be essentially the same as the last gen 9sp Tiagra on my older bike.
I'd just replace the dud parts with Sora replacements. No point splashing out on more expensive parts unless you're upgrading the whole groupset. If the rest of the current one is okay, why bother.
Being a 5 year old bike it may be worth checking the condition of the chainrings before you decide. If they're badly worn it will make any decision about changing chainrings easier!