Sora upgrade

I recently upgrade from Sora to Ultegra. I started off by replacing the STI leavers, casette, rear derauleur and chain. I bought a "Ultegra upgrade kit" from www.excelsports.com.

I assumed it would be compatible with the front crank etc. but was wrong. Sora is 8 speed and Ultegra (and so is Tiagra) is 9 speed. The 9 speed chain is thinner and therefore I had to upgrade the crank and front derauleur as well. The 9 speed crank does not fit on the bottom bracket and I had to upgrade that as well.

I'm not sure about the rear hub since I had a Ultegra hub at the back. Basically I had to upgrade everyting but the brake calipers and the front hub.

Hope this helps...

jaco sounds right on the money. the question now..."is the frame worth the expense of the upgrade vs. the price of a new bike?"

Depends on what frame and how much money one has to spend. In my case I had a decent frame that was still new with a good saddle, handlebars, stem and headset.

If it's a full Sora ride, then it is surely low-end/entry level. You will not realize much of a better ride simply with high end components, the frame will still be the same and that's where much of the upgrade comes from. I'd sell the bike to a mate (or keep it for a foul weather ride) and then get a full ultegra level bike. There are lots of good deals and you should be able to get a quality aluminum frame and carbon fork.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by capwater
If it's a full Sora ride, then it is surely low-end/entry level. You will not realize much of a better ride simply with high end components, the frame will still be the same and that's where much of the upgrade comes from.

That's just not true. Both Lemond and Cdale among others stuck sora on frames that are worthy of much better parts.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Jaco


I assumed it would be compatible with the front crank etc. but was wrong. Sora is 8 speed and Ultegra (and so is Tiagra) is 9 speed. The 9 speed chain is thinner and therefore I had to upgrade the crank and front derauleur as well.

Wel actually , you did not have to do that. The RD was not a requirement either.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by boudreaux
That's just not true. Both Lemond and Cdale among others stuck sora on frames that are worthy of much better parts.

I concur, Specialized has the same frame from the bottom of the line sora eqipped Allez to the 105 equipped Elite.

Better question is what is it that you do? Are you wanting to race, or just look cool? If the frame fits right and you are comfortable, it may be worth your while to upgrade if you are actually running into performance issues, such as sloppy shifting, or wheels that are bouncing out of true, or brakes that wont stop you... even after a good tune up. If you only ride 10-50 miles a week, it might not even be financially justified. However, bang for the buck... a simple sora/tiagra upgrade to 105 would be likely the most cost effective upgrade. 105 has silver and black, so would likely be a cosmetic fit. 105 is under 50g difference vs Ultegra, with the majority of the difference being in the freaking cassette.

Nonetheless, for casual/recreational rider, I think price for performance, the reliability factor increases substantially. As for hubs.. I would not even think about them. Purchasing the hubs and rims and spokes and having someone build it would likely not really be worth it. I would just avoid purchasing the hubs and go buy a Ultegra/105 laced to open pros and they would likely be less than $200. They are durable and not excessively heavy for a everyday wheelset. Price for performance, upgrading wheels is the way you want to go. So... in a nutshell, if you went 105 upgrade and get a new set of wheels, you would have a substantially more reliable, "faster", and updated bike for around $500. (Assuming no new headset, bottom bracket, hubs and you could do the work yourself).

Boudreaux and BlahBlah, I suppose what Capwater should have said was that there's a considerable chance the frame in question isn't worth the upgrade. Makers like Lemond, Specialized, and Cannondale sell Sora bikes with solid frames; lots of other popular makers, like Fuji and Raleigh, spec some pretty primitive frames with Sora.

You both may well be right, but it's a point worth looking into. What is the frame we're talking about here, anyways?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by funknuggets
...in a nutshell, if you went 105 upgrade and get a new set of wheels, you would have a substantially more reliable, "faster", and updated bike for around $500. (Assuming no new headset, bottom bracket, hubs and you could do the work yourself).

Funknuggets, I concur -- I stated in a previous thread that I thought 105 was an often overlooked groupset choice, and you made some good additional points. For many rec riders, enthusiasts, and even occasional racers, 105 provides a good balance of reliability, gram savings, solid performance, and low cost.

It's a compromise/alternative to Ultegra that's worth consideration -- particularly if you're thinking of expaning beyond Sora.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by lokstah
Boudreaux and BlahBlah, I suppose what Capwater should have said was that there's a considerable chance the frame in question isn't worth the upgrade. Makers like Lemond, Specialized, and Cannondale sell Sora bikes with solid frames; lots of other popular makers, like Fuji and Raleigh, spec some pretty primitive frames with Sora.

You both may well be right, but it's a point worth looking into. What is the frame we're talking about here, anyways?

It's the generalization that blows. And, with few exeptions a person asking this kind of question,most likely not being a do it yourselfer,would probably be ahead to sell the old one and buy new.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by boudreaux
It's the generalization that blows. And, with few exeptions a person asking this kind of question,most likely not being a do it yourselfer,would probably be ahead to sell the old one and buy new.

True enough. Well, I wonder what we can learn about this guy's situation.

How about it, Jond? What's the bike you're on? And what level of project were you thinking of undertaking?

OK smart guys, I'm just a dumbass redneck who doesn't know anything about bikes. I'll grant y'all that some nice frames may come with Sora, but the MAJORITY (at least what you'll see in a LBS) that do are in the 500 - 600 USD range. Nuff said.

Now here's a point to ponder: why do they make Sora shifters so different? It's not an 8 speed thing. You would think that from a manufacturing economy of scale you could make an even cheaper version of Tiagra shifter than retool a new process to build a functionally different shifter.

I agree with lokstah, the 105 group for the rec rider is perfectly fine. I have a full 105 tri bike that is great. Now it sure doesn't compare to my DA Klein Q Pro Carbon, but there's also a few dollars difference!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by capwater
OK smart guys, I'm just a dumbass redneck who doesn't know anything about bikes. I'll grant y'all that some nice frames may come with Sora, but the MAJORITY (at least what you'll see in a LBS) that do are in the 500 - 600 USD range. Nuff said.

Just more duma$$ redneck talk. Why not just drop the generalizing and peddle away?

Thanks for all the replies, for the record the bike in question is an Avanti Monza (a New Zealand/Australian brand) and I'm into group rides and masters racing. After reading the replies and talking with those who know I will be saving up my $$AUS and upgrading to a higher spec bike... anybody for a good condition pre loved entry level roadbike????

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by capwater
OK smart guys, I'm just a dumbass redneck who doesn't know anything about bikes. I'll grant y'all that some nice frames may come with Sora, but the MAJORITY (at least what you'll see in a LBS) that do are in the 500 - 600 USD range. Nuff said.

The only reason they're in the $500-$600 price range is because they have Sora not because of the frame. Two examples: Cannondale R400 Sora/tiagra, R500 Tiagra/105...same frame (CAAD4). Specialized Allez Sora, through the Allez Elite 105...Same fram (A1 aluminum)

So in some instances it may be worth upgrading to an extent. In the past one could buy a CAAD4 frame with Dura Ace stuff, but does that mean it's not worth upgrading to any extent now?