I'm looking at buying a cheap 'racing' road bike to get started. I'm looking at the Felt F90 or similar. Right now I ride a fixed gear...a lot...and do some racing (track and messenger style street stuff). I'm looking at the cheap bike because I need to start training on a bike with gears for next season. My question is about upgrading components. I am an extreme newbie to the mechanical aspects of bikes. To what degree are component interchangeable???? The Felt F90 is a decent frame for the money but the components are [censored]...shimano sora and no name cranks and some other less than sora stuff I think. I'd like to gradually upgrade the bike to Campy Centaur, Record or Chorus. As I do this what is the best way to proceed? Say I put campy record brakes on the bike...do I need campy shifter/brake levers...and will the work with the sora deraillers? Can I put a campy cassette on and keep the existing hubs or can i have campy hubs with the existing casette...etc. I'm pretty sure its a little odd to put $800+ worth of components on a bike that costs less than $700 but it seems like the best way to get in the saddle at the moment. Eventually I will be able to afford a really nice frame set and can then move the gruppo to that bike...so i don't really see it as a waste. And I'll get to learn how the bike works as I'm upgrading it. I would really appreciate any advice on this topic. Thanks
Never upgrade to top-of-the-line parts on a cheap frame. Not a wise choice of where to spend your money. What makes the bike, and where you should spend your $$$ are: [a] frame/fork, [b] wheelset, [c] components ... in that order.
If you're limited by funds, maybe instead of a new 05, see if you can find a quality used bike (eBay) or an LBS who just wants to get rid of overstock 04, 03, or even 02. There's nothing wrong with last year's technology. You'll save hundreds.
I'm looking at buying a cheap 'racing' road bike to get started. I'm looking at the Felt F90 or similar. Right now I ride a fixed gear...a lot...and do some racing (track and messenger style street stuff). I'm looking at the cheap bike because I need to start training on a bike with gears for next season. My question is about upgrading components. I am an extreme newbie to the mechanical aspects of bikes. To what degree are component interchangeable???? The Felt F90 is a decent frame for the money but the components are [censored]...shimano sora and no name cranks and some other less than sora stuff I think. I'd like to gradually upgrade the bike to Campy Centaur, Record or Chorus. As I do this what is the best way to proceed? Say I put campy record brakes on the bike...do I need campy shifter/brake levers...and will the work with the sora deraillers? Can I put a campy cassette on and keep the existing hubs or can i have campy hubs with the existing casette...etc. I'm pretty sure its a little odd to put $800+ worth of components on a bike that costs less than $700 but it seems like the best way to get in the saddle at the moment. Eventually I will be able to afford a really nice frame set and can then move the gruppo to that bike...so i don't really see it as a waste. And I'll get to learn how the bike works as I'm upgrading it. I would really appreciate any advice on this topic. Thanks
Fixed
Given the cluelessness, don't even consider it. Buy a bottom of the barel bike to ride till it goes TU,not to upgrade. Just for starters, you cannot randomly intermingle campy and shimano stuff. Check www.gvh bikes.com for a Cdale caad 3,4,5, and a campy kit. Hard to beat for bang for the buck frame that is good enough to hang record or DA on and win races too. Or, as the OP suggest buy used or a year or 2 older on clearance to make the buck go further.
Well my problem is I'm pretty much stuck with needing a small bike 50cm is really to big...48 is what I need. So the clearance stuff and ebay stuff is not so easy to come across. The other problem is I need a geared bike to start training on now. I don't really understand what is so wrong with putting high end components on a cheaper frame. Getting the cheap bike would give me something to ride and slowly upgrading its components is something I could afford to do while still getting time on the bike. Is an upgrade impossible or just taboo? My confussion is mainly with the drive system- front and rear derailleurs, casette, rear hub, brake lever/shifters. Which parts are interchangeable? Are none interchangeable? I don't have 1500$ right now...if I did there wouldn't be an issue. I do have 700 which would put me on the saddle of an entry level complete 'race' bike. Complete is the main idea for me...I don't want to spend 450-700$ on a frame and then wait until I can't put components together to ride the bike. And longterm a 450-700$ frame seams like a waste of money to me because I'll eventually want a much better frame than that to race on.
I don't really understand what is so wrong with putting high end components on a cheaper frame.
It'll cost you a small fortune firstly, and your bike will still be [censored] - despite hanging high-end components on it.
Quoted post said:
Getting the cheap bike would give me something to ride and slowly upgrading its components is something I could afford to do while still getting time on the bike. Is an upgrade impossible or just taboo?
Upgrading is cool, just don't expect to put record or dura-ace on an entry-level frame - that's just silly.
WRT your felt f90 - rather try to get something with 9 speed. Sora is 8-speed and therefore there is NO upgrade path. Get Tiagra at a minimum - then you can replace things as they break or wear out, with 105.
Besides, it is way too expensive to upgrade part by part. The sum of the parts of a bike purchased separately would cost almost 2 * the price of a complete bike with the same components. Try it once. Go to an online store such as performancebike.com and add all the parts of a bike to your shopping cart and look at the total. Compare that to the same bike bought whole and weep at what you see.
Ride the F90, a great deal for the $$$. When you have the money, sell it on Ebay and buy a better, but complete bike.
Most of those substitutions aren't going to work at all. Campy and Shimano drive systems are designed to be just that, systems. The components in a group all work together, and since the two companies use different cog widths and spacings, you can't put parts from the two together. The brakes might work, but that's about it. You're also not going to get nearly as much of a performance gain as you think by upgrading the components. As far as dollar spent for ounce of weight savings, you're better off spending your money on a better frame.
Most of those substitutions aren't going to work at all. Campy and Shimano drive systems are designed to be just that, systems. The components in a group all work together, and since the two companies use different cog widths and spacings, you can't put parts from the two together. The brakes might work, but that's about it.
There is more than that that is workable,but ya have to know the ins and outs. Otherwise stick owith one or the other.
It'll cost you a small fortune firstly, and your bike will still be [censored] - despite hanging high-end components on it.
Upgrading is cool, just don't expect to put record or dura-ace on an entry-level frame - that's just silly.
WRT your felt f90 - rather try to get something with 9 speed. Sora is 8-speed and therefore there is NO upgrade path. Get Tiagra at a minimum - then you can replace things as they break or wear out, with 105.
I would agree with the makes no sense to put high end components on cheap frame, up to a point. Specifically it makes no sense to put DA on a schwinn continental. However if you buy into a decent quality frame with proper geometry for your body, then it can make a lot of sense.
A middle of the line frame with top of the line wheels/parts is a better ride than a a top of the line frame with middle of the line components. Don't buy piece wise, but buying in small groups can make sense. Especially with judicious and well-researched ebaying. $35 for 177.5mm DA cranks from the last square taper model..
I'd say buy into 105 not tiagra. Just please don't buy it in black...
If you want to end up with a great frame + great components, I don't see ANY reason not to do that gradually, assuming you have the time + knowledge necessary to peacemeal a series of 'good deals' together.
I was just in my LBS and they had a sweet green Gunnar roadie in my size that someone ordered and skipped out on, would have unloaded it for a few hundred, tempting. Getting good deals takes patience and knowledge but it's not a terrible route vs. building a complete bike for a blank slate.
One of the 1st things to 'upgrade' if one is starting w/a cheap bike (to get highest performance/comfort return per buck) would be wheelset/frameset, not nec grouppo or seatpost or headset or reflectors...
If you want to end up with a great frame + great components, I don't see ANY reason not to do that gradually, assuming you have the time + knowledge necessary to peacemeal a series of 'good deals' together.
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Yeah, but ya don't start with a bottom of the barrel built bike and eventually throw everything away, unless you have money to burn. Someome that is clueless about parts compatibility, and building bikes can [censored] away even more.
Yeah, but ya don't start with a bottom of the barrel built bike and eventually throw everything away, unless you have money to burn. Someome that is clueless about parts compatibility, and building bikes can [censored] away even more.
It's really not all that difficult to learn. A little research goes a long way and everyone has to start somewhere. I would think one of the bigger concerns at this point is the impending switch of Ultegra to 10spd. Most wheelsets will accomodate 8 and 9 or 10, but rarely all three. There's an upgrade path from Sora, but you'd have to replace the entire drivetrain. Many manufacturers have several models built on the same frame with different components and therein lies the price difference. Find a comfortable bike for what you can afford, but remember that some upgrades aren't worth the price and some are. If you don't have the time to actually learn anything about it you can just become an arrogant [censored]. That seems to work for some people.
Most wheelsets will accomodate 8 and 9 or 10, but rarely all three. There's an upgrade path from Sora, but you'd have to replace the entire drivetrain. If you don't have the time to actually learn anything about it you can just become an arrogant [censored]. That seems to work for some people.
If it's so easy,why don't you get it right? Your ignorance certainly shows here.A shimano HG hub that takes an 8 speed casette will also take shimano 9 or 10. Same for most if not all other brands. You cannot stick a shimano 8 or 9 speed casette on a shimano 10 speed hub due to the deeper spline pattern on the 10 speed. I won't even bother to comment on the Sora BS.
True, based on the original poster's starting point, he/she doesn't have the know-how not to end up pissing $ away... in that case getting the best bang per buck means getting complete bike used or couple yr old firesale.
boudreaux said:
Yeah, but ya don't start with a bottom of the barrel built bike and eventually throw everything away, unless you have money to burn. Someome that is clueless about parts compatibility, and building bikes can [censored] away even more.
If it's so easy,why don't you get it right? Your ignorance certainly shows here.A shimano HG hub that takes an 8 speed casette will also take shimano 9 or 10. Same for most if not all other brands. You cannot stick a shimano 8 or 9 speed casette on a shimano 10 speed hub due to the deeper spline pattern on the 10 speed. I won't even bother to comment on the Sora BS.
Yep, you're right on this one, but I wouldn't shoot my mouth off when I've done the same thing. Looks like the Dura Ace hub only works withe 10spd because it's aluminum. The steel freehubs accept all.
Yep, you're right on this one, but I wouldn't shoot my mouth off when I've done the same thing. Looks like the Dura Ace hub only works withe 10spd because it's aluminum.
It's not just cuz it's aluminum, the spline pattern is also deeper.
