Cost Conundrum, from a beginner.

Hi all,

So, I'm pretty new to cycling (started last Nov after 10 years as a runner; diagnosed with arthritis at 24 I decided it was time to chose a new sport) but I really, really love it. I bought a used 2007 Specialized Dolce, barely ridden, off craiglist about a year ago for ~$400 and have since put roughly 3k miles on it. Unfortunately, the Sora shifters (amongst other parts) have begun to wear out, or so my LBS tells me, and I'm in the difficult place of deciding whether I want to 1. upgrade the shifters to something nicer (in which case I'd have to decide whether to stick with 9-speeds or move to 10, and then also replace the cassette and other stuff), 2. sell the bike and find another, probably used, bike with nicer components (I'm thinking probably Shimano 105 of Campy Veloce? They seem like the sweet spot in terms of durability and price), or 3. keep the bike, buy another (with the money I do not have) and use one as a commuter and the other as a training/racing/what-have-you creature.

People keep telling me to hold on to the Dolce frame, and it's true, I really like it. At first it seemed way too big (I'm 5'2'' and it's a 51 cm frame with 700 cc wheels) but as I've matured as a cyclist I think it fits me perfectly. I might have trouble parting with it. My concern is that I'm going to outgrow it too quickly to justify spending $500+ upgrading it, when that money could go toward something that I wouldn't outgrow for at least a little while.

Any advice would be wonderful. Thanks in advance.

If you're going to be upgrading the shifters, I'd go ahead and go 10 speed... You can probably keep your same derailleurs, need a new chain & back cassette.

9 speed 105 shifters are still expensive.


You can keep an eye on craigslist or ebay - lots of people buy new bikes and sell off the shifters because that's not what they want or sell their shifters when they get better.

You should be able to find shifters for a more reasonable price.

(If you pm me Ive got a set of ultegra 10 speed triple shifters new in box that I've been meaning to sell)

If you know someone that can do the mechanic work for you, it's not expensive - but otherwise, check with the bike shop to see what they'd charge if you bought the parts vs. if you buy them from them (the labor charges are probably less if you buy the parts from them because they're making a bit more money off you... )


Or... if your bike is rideable and you can wait... Keep watching craigslist, sometimes a deal on a complete bike with good components comes along... a couple of times I've found people bikes on craigslist with complete 9 speed 105 components for like $250-300. If it happens to fit you great, if it doesn't - take the components & put it on your bike and sell the other frame. I've found complete 105 10 speed bikes for about $500 a couple of times...