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Upgrades

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  • January 14, 2015 at 8:22 pm #23011
    MrPrice

    Evening all. Im new here and would like some thoughts about upgrades. Basically I got into road biking about this time last year and was lucky enough to get a place in Ride London.

    Basically the biking bug bit me, pretty hard too. Being of fairly modest means my machine was selected within a certain price point. I went for a Felt F95, not bad for a first ‘proper’ bike. Now that I’ve been riding it a year and hope to do a couple of sportives as well as some long weekend rides, I’m looking to upgrade. I’d love to buy a new bike but simply can’t afford to spend more than £500ish, at least not for a good few years.

    I like the frame of the Felt but think that the components attached to it could be improved. After doing quite a bit of reading up on Wheelsets I had a short list that included Mavic Ksryium (either Elite or Equipe) or something from the Fulcrum Racing range. I’m pretty sure they would be an improvement on the Alex R500 rims in Felt hubs.

    Whilst looking at wheelsets I started wondering if I should take a look at groupsets too – something like the Shimano 105 set. I then started thinking; triggers broom or mutton dressed as lamb.

    So, the question is (I’ll get there in the end). Should I just plump for a wheelset (I think that’s where I’ll notice the biggest difference) or should I look at the groupset too (not sure how much of a difference that will make).

    Note that I’ll be doing quite a bit of cycling too so will be getting fitter and stronger – I don’t expect component changes to give me benefits without putting work in!

    Any thoughts much appreciated. Hope to be on here reasonably often, I promise not to post such long threads in future!

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  • January 15, 2015 at 6:03 pm #827173
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    RebornBumbler

    I’ve got the same
    I’ve got the same machine.

    First changes for me were the saddle and bar tape as I disliked the originals immediately. Also replaced the cassette (and chain) with an 11-27 as where I live is decidedly lumpy.

    After an ‘off’ I replaced the rims (Mavic CXP22), tyres (Michelin Pro4) and the brake calipers (Sora).
    (The original calipers are Tektro, I believe).

    I might at some point upgrade the wheels further, but don’t think I’d bother with a groupset upgrade (and if I did, I’d look at Tiagra for the best value).

    January 14, 2015 at 9:51 pm #827171
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    MrPrice

    Cheers all, that’s really
    Cheers all, that’s really helpful and is pretty aligned to my thinking of wheels first. I failed to note in my original question that I’ve recently switched from Vittoria Zaffiro slicks to Continental GP 4 Seasons. They seem a step up in quality after a couple of rides.

    The other stuff I’ll be doing is switching the cassette from a Sunrace 9 speed (11-25) to a Shimano HG50 (also 11-25). Chain will be changed too. I’d bought those before I had a thought about the groupset, always amazes me how many shiny things you can see that turn your head a little. The only thing about the cassette ratio is that I find the compact (50/34) with the 11-25 a little tough on bigger climbs. Hoping that an improved wheelset (with lots of training) will make it easier.

    The brake calipers on the stock Felt are unbranded, perhaps I should look there. Don’t really want to upgrade for the sake of it (although it is nice to do that!) but do want a step up in quality.

    Cheers all! And I realise I’ve already broken my promise of not posting loads in my responses. I’ll be doing some research around the forum, I’m already liking it!

    January 14, 2015 at 9:21 pm #827169
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    ChuckB

    Yeah, it never actually ends,
    Yeah, it never actually ends, there is always something else to fix…

    January 14, 2015 at 9:16 pm #827167
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    Nixster

    In your shoes I’d be getting
    In your shoes I’d be getting some new wheels, Fulcrum Racing 3s probably (although there are some interesting options in the ‘best upgrades’ article on here too). A big benefit of wheels versus groupset upgrades is that it is easy to move them on to your next bike. And don’t forget decent tyres too, they make a big difference.

    If there are some obvious cheapskate components in your existing group set then you may have some change for rectifying that. Brake callipers are a common area where some brands try to save money.

    January 14, 2015 at 9:12 pm #827165
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    paulrbarnard

    Sounds reasonable but you
    Sounds reasonable but you missed out the final step which is go back to the wheels and start the process over again B-)

    January 14, 2015 at 9:08 pm #827163
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    ChuckB

    This will be one of several
    This will be one of several thousand opinions, so let me be the first. The first thing you should attack are your wheels and tyres, one of the biggest gains on performance, followed by the brake calipers (105 or Ultegra and Swiss Stop pads), next would be (in order: rear derailleur, brifters and cables (I consider this to be one item), and while you are doing the brifters, treat your self to some nice bar tape). This is a “free” chance to make sure the bars are the right size for you, them the front derailuer, and finally the groupset if you need to. Good shoes and pedals can also help, and fit in anywhere. This list should be overridden with the immediate replacement of anything that is causing you current distress.

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