Upgrading components?

[crazycanuck]

Since i have no clue about this, i'm sure you'll all be able to guide me in some sort of direction.

I have a 05 Giant OCR1 with Shimano 105 components and am wondering if it's worth upgrading the brakes etc? Prior to purchasing the bike second hand, I had no idea of the difference in components out there..

I don't want to buy a new road bike as i'm still not fast enough on the one i've got and it can't be more expensive than my lovely (Scott) mtn bike . I'm not a true roadie ya know.

Thoughts?

[KSH]

Well, why do you want to upgrade components? If you upgrade you will go to Ultegra or DuraAce. For Shimano it goes 105's... Ultegra... DuraAce (what most racers use because it's lighter).

Is there something about the 105's that isn't working for you?

Have you priced replacing all of your components? I know for me, to upgrade to a Ultegra compact crank and new cassette (no derailer, brakes, etc)... cost me around $350. (I say around because my friend who is a dealer got me a really nice deal on both. From a LBS, it would have been around $350 for both components.)

How much did you spend on your bike? Is it worth it to spend a good $600 on upgrading your components... and for what result?

The components will not make you faster. Riding more will. Unless the 105's just aren't shifting properly, etc... it's probably not worth it to upgrade.

[Jiffer]

Okay, I know this is an old post, but wanted to reply anyway. My husband's first bike was a used lower end or maybe mid range Cannondale. He slowly changed out all his components over the course of a year or so. All Dura-ace, etc. When all his components were top of the line, he bought a new frame and had all those components taken off the old frame and put on the new. So, he ended up with a super sweet bike without forking out the money for it all at once.

Then he got even more serious about riding, climbing hills in particular and racing and wanted an even better bike for his purposes. That was at the same time I was starting to get the itch to get my own single (we had been riding tandem). So, he bought a completely new bike for himself, the Cannondale SystemSix ... and I got all his "used" top of the line components from his old bike and had them put on a new Cannondale CAAD 8 frame.

So, upgrading equipment a little at a time is a great way to end up with a really nice bike.

[NoNo]

I had asked my friend the same question in May. We were at an MS ride and in the registration area there was a local bike shop with a few top-end bikes. He started talking to the guy, and they both agreed that the only real difference between 105 and Ultegra or Dura Ace is the weight. In their eyes, 105 was a good enough system and unless you were racing and would actually benefit from the minimal weight difference, there really was no point in upgrading. I felt a little better knowing I had a decent setup and that any perceived issues were probably a direct result of me just not being a good enough rider. Why are you concerned about the brakes specifically?

[Andrea]

The shifting is better on the higher-end components, and the braking can be a little stronger (depending on which ones you're talking about).