To upgrade or not -...
 

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[Closed] To upgrade or not - you decide

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Road bike question here:

I have a Ribble winter/audax frame with carbon fork. It is built up with Tiagra HT2 cranks, 9 speed tiagra mech, [b]sora front mech and 8 speed cassette, Sora STI's,[/b] carbon post and Fizik saddle, [b]Some bars??, Shimano hubs on Alex rims.
[/b]
It is fine - no issues what so ever with it apart from that i would like new shifters that had both controls on the lever blade rather than a button. Also lighter wheels would be nice as would lighter bars as these are just some that i had in the shed.

So the question is - do i upgrade the parts highlighted in bold or chop in and spend the money and the extra that i would need to spend upgrading on a (new to me) second hand bike that had the desired parts already?

What could i get for £450-500 second hand that was 9 or 10 speed?


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 11:04 am
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bump


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 12:45 pm
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Surely SOMEONE has advice or opinion?


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 4:22 pm
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My opinion, ie, if it were me, that is to say were our positions reversed, in other words what I would do in your place....

Buy some 105 10 speed levers and a 10 speed Tiagra cassette and front and rear derailleur.

Lighter bars? not worth it.
Wheels? Ride em til they die.


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 4:28 pm
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bars are bars. new wheels are nice, but as crikey says, ride em until they die.

shifters are one of the most expensive parts of the groupset, and are prone to breaking so I'd be loathe to go second hand. but for the bike I'd look form some 9 speed tiagra shifters and buy a new cassette. ride it until it wears out then consider a new bike as a whole package when you have a better idea of what you want/need

Edit, just buy a right hand shifter and new cassette!


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 4:32 pm
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tiagra shifters go for £100ish on ebay plus £25 for a cassette 🙁


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 4:39 pm
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i bought a CAAD9 with 105 in good, not great condition for £425 a few months back, after a bit of hunting round.
bars aren't worth spending money on.

You're in the Peak, aren't you? If you're riding it much over the winter, I wouldn't bother with a wheel upgrade.

Personally- if you really [i]must[/i] spend the money- I'd look for a reasonably nice secondhand frame, and use some of your spare helitape on it for protection, least til the weather turns again.


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 4:47 pm
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love the frame though


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 4:54 pm
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Might it not be best to ask for advice on a Road forum?


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 7:24 pm
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seeing as lots on here ride rd too whats the problem??


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 7:38 pm
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can you afford to upgrade it ?
do you have higher priorities ?
racer, trainer, pub bike or what

number of gears would be way down the list for me - proper roadies like small increments but I often end up shifting twice to feel a difference


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 7:48 pm
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its payapl money ergo free 🙂

its for training/sportives


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 7:57 pm
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Dont those European shops do road kit cheaper ?
rosebikes, bikediscount.de etc etc.

I know nothing, repeat, absoluteley nothing about road bikes.
My expert opinion is to upgrade.
You love the frame. Do it.

I can imagine there arent that many [b]HUGE[/b] weight gains to be made with road bikes, once you reach a certain price point.


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 8:10 pm
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For a "winter" bike, I'd run the existing wheels until they self-destruct.


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 8:12 pm
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druidh - brakes?? You were meant to be sorting details out. It is a winter bike in name but has been ridden all year. Like the frame tbh


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 8:18 pm
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I'd change the shifters, having the up/down control in one place is better as you can shift both ways from drops and tops. Might be worth going for 9 speed and cassette/chain.

Whether it will make you faster is another question.

Run your current wheels through the winter and either get them rebuilt or new wheels in the spring 🙂


 
Posted : 02/10/2012 9:14 pm

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