albireo13

I have been using my Felt F75x for a few years now. I do only road biking, no cyclocross. It's a nice bike but, I want something more efficient and appropriate for road biking .. and faster on the roads.

F75X - Felt Bicycles


At first I was planning on shopping for a new road bike. I'm a casual, recreational biker .. not hardcore ... so I am thinking something midrange, or high entry-level. Budget ~$1500 or so.

Talking with a biking friend, he suggested that if I like the bike just upgrade components instead of getting another bike ... new wheels with skinny tires, new gear set, upgrade deraileurs, etc.

Any opinions out there on which way to go?
Bike models to consider?

Thx,
Rob

mcours2006

First off, if you got the cash it's never a bad idea to get a new bike. But your current bike isn't really lack for anything. You could just put some better rolling tires on that, like perhaps 28mm GP4000's, it ought to be just as fast as any new bike you'll purchase for $1500. You could invest in a new set of wheels and put those 28's on that, and that way you have the versatility of going on trails as well as roads.

For $1500 you'd be looking at an aluminum bike with carbon fork and 5800 11-speed. Lots of choices out there. CAAD 12 105 would be a good bet in that price range, but by no means the only one.

Like I said, if you've got cash burning a hole in your pocket, go for it.

Elvo

Always choose the option that involves spending more money

Danny01

I'd say ditch the old bike, get a new one.

For 1,500 you can get a carbon bike with 105. The Giant TCR Adv 2 is a popular one. You can easily find one from a bike shop for $1,500. Performance bike also has a Kestrel Rt-1000 for that price if you want a more relaxed geo. There are many carbon+105 options out there for that kind of cash.

albireo13

I am kind of tight for cash ... paying off credit cards.
A new bike would be fun but, I might have to sell off this one to help pay for it.

Going back and forth on this one.

goenrdoug

random thoughts on the matter:

it's not really the right time of year to sell a cross bike (at least not if you want to get top dollar for it.)

That being said, I'd vote for shopping around for a road bike on craigslist, be patient (it's not like you haven't GOT a bike..) and then pull the trigger when something with 11speed 105 or Ultegra comes along in one of the right models for you.

Then you can look at selling the Felt late this summer (or just sell it for whatever you get for it if you don't want to mess around and try to eek out the extra $100-$200 you might/could get selling it at the exact right time...)

I'd work on researching the models you want to look for. You know your size, so if you can figure out that you want to keep an eye out for a particular list of models, you can bookmark a craigslist search and just check that sucker daily for prime candidates...

albireo13

Yeah, I'm not in a rush. I figure it will take all Spring to find the right bike but, I want to start my research now.
I just want something before the Summer riding season gets here.
This weekend I plan to visit a LBS.

lsberrios1 

What size bike are you looking for? I've got a few teammates getting rid of their old TCR Pros and SL and they might Suit your needs.

Oracle7775

This is good advice. If only I ever had the patience to follow it.

Jiggle

Since you're just a recreational rider, keep your Felt and focus on riding more if you want to be faster. A new road bike won't make you faster. Well, maybe 1% faster on the hills if you lose 2 lbs. Maybe.

rm -rf

If you replaced this bike with a road bike, even a $3000 one, you'd need a stop watch to measure the speed increase.

I posted this in another thread:A road bike in your price range might be a pound or two lighter. But a 20 oz small water bottle weighs 1.3 pounds. I can't tell the difference when climbing with 2 full bottles or 2 empties.

Efficiency
I'd work on the Felt, and put off a new bike until later.

Tires -- Continental GP4000S in 25c. These are very low rolling resistance, with decent puncture protection, very good grip in turns, and long life. They will be faster and very comfortable on rough chip-seal roads, since the flexible sidewalls really soak up the bumps. Add some reasonably lightweight tubes. Run at appropriate pressures: try 85-90 psi front and 100-105 rear to start.

Riding position -- I have shallow drop bars, similar to these FSA Omega bars. Those are a few grams heavier than more expensive bars, and very affordable. I have the bars set a little higher, so it's very easy to ride in the drops. I'll ride probably 60% hoods, 35% drops, and 5% tops near the stem. Getting just a little more aero in the drops will boost your speed, and the different hand positions are helpful on long day rides.

Wheels -- new wheels won't help that much. On my previous road bike, the original wheels got rim cracks at the spoke holes after 15,000 miles, so I replaced them with a more expensive, much lighter set. I went from about 2000 grams to 1550 grams, a pound lighter. The difference was fairly subtle, mostly showing up as a quicker steering response. It seemed faster, but I think that was an effect of slightly faster acceleration and quick response. (light wheel faster acceleration means it decelerates faster too, making the net effect pretty small.)

Drivetrain -- it's not worth upgrading the 105 components. Years ago, my rear derailleur had worn pivots after a lot of riding, so the shifts started getting sloppy and noisy. Tuning the derailleur didn't help. A new rear derailleur fixed it.
Your 46-36 chainrings could be swapped to 50-34 rings, typical for a road bike. But only if you have fairly long or steep hills, otherwise the 46-36 is fine.

And,
Saddle -- if your saddle doesn't work well on long rides, try a bunch of different styles. Some bike stores allow returns or have demo saddles to try.
Brake pads -- some Koolstop pads will likely help your braking, with good modulation and strong stopping force.
Bar tape -- new tape is nice to have.
Shift cables -- new cables and housing every few years, depending on how many miles a year.

Fit -- work on your bike fit. This will help for long ride comfort and for aero efficiency.

...
In the future, you'll have a better idea of what you want in a new bike. Maybe by then, the electronic shifting will be affordable, and there will be other improvements. I ride rolling hills, and the fast shifts with Di2, both front and back, are really nice.

With your current bike fit settled, you can find a new bike that works for you.

albireo13

rm-rf,

Thanks for tips. I know the tires are an issue. Maybe I upgrade the tires and double-check my fit.
As for riding position, I have lower back problems and hunched positions kill me over a long ride. I may play with a more upright posture.
The saddle for sure I will look into.

VegasTriker

One of the simplest and cheapest options for raising your position is a stem riser. Many shops sell the Delta brand for around $20 and you can get Chinese clones for under $10 postpaid.
Delta Threadless Bicycle Handlebar Stem Riser 1 1 8 034 Black Bike Adjuster Part | eBay

gsindela

Came across these bikes via another thread. Great bikes, even better deals!... Maybe appropriate for the OP:

https://adrenalinebikes.com/store.cf...ategoryID=6612