Worth it upgrading components?
tenohfive
Posts: 152
I've picked up a second hand CAAD8 105 as my first road bike, mostly used for commuting. I don't have any major issues with the bike but I do a decent distance on the commute and don't tend to hang about so I wouldn't object to saving a bit of weight and hopefully a bit of time.
Are there any cheap upgrades that I can do that'll give me (either individually or cumulatively) a bit of extra speed? I'm not shy about looking for second hand components if we're talking something that's not massively affected by wear. All I've done on it so far is switch from the stock 23c Lugano's to some 25c Michelin tyres which seem to deal with the mixed-quality roads a bit more effectively.
No idea if there are any sensible upgrades that'll be noticeable or if I'm trying to polish a turd. And either way - yes, I fully intend to pedal faster to get home sooner.
As an aside the braking performance seems a bit lacklustre when applied in a hurry. There's enough wear on the brake pads to justify replacement, any obvious contenders?
Are there any cheap upgrades that I can do that'll give me (either individually or cumulatively) a bit of extra speed? I'm not shy about looking for second hand components if we're talking something that's not massively affected by wear. All I've done on it so far is switch from the stock 23c Lugano's to some 25c Michelin tyres which seem to deal with the mixed-quality roads a bit more effectively.
No idea if there are any sensible upgrades that'll be noticeable or if I'm trying to polish a turd. And either way - yes, I fully intend to pedal faster to get home sooner.
As an aside the braking performance seems a bit lacklustre when applied in a hurry. There's enough wear on the brake pads to justify replacement, any obvious contenders?
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Comments
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If everything works then stick with it. Obviously if your pads are worn replace them.
There's no miracle short cuts.
Cables smooth?
There's nothing wrong with 105 or your bike. Maybe better wheels?0 -
upgrade as components wear out; keep an eye out on the usual suspects for component deals - my suggestions below
Wheels; probably your best upgrade in terms of performance, budget's your limit really
rear mech; upgrade to Ultegra
cassette; stick with 105 or Tiagra, I've always struggled to justify Ultegra or above for a rear cassette
Front mech; stick with the 105, the chances of it wearing out are slim
Chainset; Ultegra or SRAM red0 -
wheels are probably the only thing you could upgrade that would make you noticeably faster .. but even then, it will only be during acceleration, or absolute top speed if they are aero .... but the time off your overall journey will be minimal unless you have a 6 hour commute home.
I have a 7kg sworks Roubaix and a 12kg Boardman team hybrid .... both take the same time to get to and from work ... and currently ALL bar 2 of my segment PRs are held by the 12kg hybrid
EDIT: SO ... is it worth it .... as far as performance goes .... NO ! ....... as far as having a hobby and a bike full of bling ... hell yes, get that credit card out and go Red22 or Dura-Ace0 -
you mention brakes being a bit lack luster - check the brake calipers - if they're not 105 or better then look for some replacement ones - I found replacing the stock (Specialized) brake calipers improved response massively. Of course, just replace brake blocks as they're needed.
as for components, weight saving and going faster - it's not worth it if you're just trying to "go faster". For that, your best bet would be to replace it with a TT bike, get a TT lid and skinsuit ...
As others have said - wheels - yer you could get "faster" wheels - but you're unlikely to save much time - although that depends how far your commute is ...0 -
As above - could get yourself a nice pair of wheels (hand built obviously). Use the new ones in the summer and the old ones in the winter.WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
Find me on Strava0 -
I just fitted some barely used 105 5800 calipers to my summer bike and find the braking so much better than with the Tiagras they replaced. I was prepared for there to be little or no improvement, but the first time I used them I nearly went over the bars.0
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I think they're Tektro brakes, so will look at 105 calipers - if I can get a set cheap then I'm all for that. Any recommendations on brake pads to go with?
I do like the summer and winter wheels idea, but am starting to think in terms of summer and winter bikes instead.
Point taken in other regards though, thanks.0 -
Good man ...tenohfive wrote:but am starting to think in terms of summer and winter bikes instead.
Don't forget though - you need one extra that can be used for both ...
Or slightly more seriously - think about what happens when you're running late - go to get your winter/wet bike out, it's raining and you've got a flat tyre - what do you do?
Fix the puncture? change the tube? or swap the wheel with a spare ... it's far quicker to swap the wheel...0 -
tenohfive wrote:I think they're Tektro brakes, so will look at 105 calipers - if I can get a set cheap then I'm all for that. Any recommendations on brake pads to go with?
I do like the summer and winter wheels idea, but am starting to think in terms of summer and winter bikes instead.
Point taken in other regards though, thanks.
If you get 5800 calipers stick with the brake blocks they come with.0 -
I've ordered some second hand 105 calipers but they'll be coming without the brake blocks, so any recommendations welcome.0
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Probably the most common recommendation for brake blocks are Kool Stop salmon, closely followed by SwissStop green. Personally I find that the SwissStops slightly better.0
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Mr Evil wrote:Probably the most common recommendation for brake blocks are Kool Stop salmon, closely followed by SwissStop green. Personally I find that the SwissStops slightly better.
SwissStop Blue is where it's at.Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
Sun - Cervelo R3
Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX0 -
Might regret it but ended up ordering some Clarks blocks on a CRC deal. If they're crap I've only spend £4 (with some free gear cables.)0
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No one mentioned tires? Some tires are faster than others. Crank length. Some theorists recon that there is a gain to be had there (and you get to upgrade your whole crank at the same time).0
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pbassred wrote:No one mentioned tires?
I didn't realise tyres would make much of a difference ........ until a couple of weeks ago when I ditched the stock Vittaros and stuck on some hardshell gators as an attempt to get home without puncturing on 1.5mm bits of glass that are "somewhere" on my pitch black puddle fested route
Hadent got a PR in ages on strava since the winter .... 1st day on the gatorskins, 1 x pr .... next day, 2 more.
In my mind these tires are heavier and bigger and should slow me down .... get they have more grip, roll faster and have dramatically improved my ride, they even feel more cushioned through the potholes.
so yes .. tyres !0 -
fat daddy wrote:pbassred wrote:No one mentioned tires?
I didn't realise tyres would make much of a difference ........ until a couple of weeks ago when I ditched the stock Vittaros and stuck on some hardshell gators as an attempt to get home without puncturing on 1.5mm bits of glass that are "somewhere" on my pitch black puddle fested route
Hadent got a PR in ages on strava since the winter .... 1st day on the gatorskins, 1 x pr .... next day, 2 more.
In my mind these tires are heavier and bigger and should slow me down .... get they have more grip, roll faster and have dramatically improved my ride, they even feel more cushioned through the potholes.
so yes .. tyres !
So hardshell gator tyres as a performance option....really :?WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
Find me on Strava0 -
More trust = willingness to push on = PRdrlodge wrote:fat daddy wrote:pbassred wrote:No one mentioned tires?
I didn't realise tyres would make much of a difference ........ until a couple of weeks ago when I ditched the stock Vittaros and stuck on some hardshell gators as an attempt to get home without puncturing on 1.5mm bits of glass that are "somewhere" on my pitch black puddle fested route
Hadent got a PR in ages on strava since the winter .... 1st day on the gatorskins, 1 x pr .... next day, 2 more.
In my mind these tires are heavier and bigger and should slow me down .... get they have more grip, roll faster and have dramatically improved my ride, they even feel more cushioned through the potholes.
so yes .. tyres !
So hardshell gator tyres as a performance option....really :?0 -
In the words of the great Mr Spock, that is illogical!
They are really aweful on rolling resistance tests, and most people don't find them that grippy either.Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
drlodge wrote:
So hardshell gator tyres as a performance option....really :?
No .... where did I say performance tyre ??? I even said I expected them to be slower and heavier
They are a 32c commuter winter tyre designed to be ridden with a 10kg pannier on the back, at night time, across potholed roads with glass and debris hidden in puddles, yet have enough umph that you can still enjoy the SCR scene
But, despite the above they have massive more grip, less rolling resistance, more cushioning and far better puncture resistance ... than the stock vittarios that came with the bike
So yes tyres make a difference, I probably would have gone with a faster tyre but they don't come in 32c and riding fast on Bristol city roads carrying a load, 32c is a crap lot quicker than 25s on my road bike0 -
Clip on shoes and a cycling bib as well as a bike fitting are for me the best upgrades.0
