aslanov

Hey everyone, I'm quite new to cycling compared to many I know. I bought a used Allez E5 about 4 years ago and have only changed the seat thus far. Did my first ride last year, Twin Lights century, and had a blast.

I've started riding a lot more now with the warmer weather, and it feels like this bike needs a clean/tune-up and some upgrades. Looking through all the upgrade options and discerning what is worth the upgrade for now is a little challenging for a newbie.

Apparently I can't post pictures in posts, cos they appear as URLs, but I think my profile has the photos I tried to upload here. The images show the parts of interest. Please let me know if there's a more convenient way for me to include these.

During my time researching, some of the more pressing concerns are:

1) Can i upgrade this cassette to a 10 or 11-speed? or should i just get another 9 speed?
2) If i do upgrade the cassette, do the derailleurs need to be replaced? front and back? what about the chainset?
3) Can I simply replace the brakes alone? maybe an ultegra?
4) Is it worth replacing these old shifters?
5) I don't even know what the BB is, or how to identify it.

I should say, my budget is around $400-500.

I'm not looking to upgrade to a top-tier bike, just parts that will make a noticeable change to the experience of cycling.
I'm currently doing around 40-80 miles a week.

Thanks for any help.

Album: g/user/519200

MRT2

Doing the sort of upgrades you are considering can get expensive quickly for diminishing returns. You don't want to be the guy who spends more than his bike is worth only to realize he really should have just bought another bike.

. It wouldn't surprise me if you needed to replace your chain and maybe cassette, but the rest of the drivetrain should still be quite functional. A 4 year old bike is barely broken in. Would upgrading from 9 to 11 speed be an improvement? No doubt, but it would also be an expensive thing to do as you need new brifters, derailleurs, chain and cassette, plus labor unless you have the skills to do it yourself. As for brakes, I would stick with maybe replacing the pads, which is something you should do every so often anyway. Beyond that, unless you have a specific complaint about the braking performance, you are mostly talking about shaving a few grams off the weight of your bike.

If you really have money burning a hole in your pocket, I would think upgrading wheels and tires would yield the biggest improvement in performance.

aslanov

So to clarify a few things

1) The bike was bought on craigslist 4 years ago, by my best estimate it is from 2012-2013
2) Regarding the brakes, they seem to perform quite poorly, and this was even after a tune-up and replacement of the pads last year. Let's just say, I don't feel confident with the response of the brakes in NYC traffic
3) I used GP 4 season for the last couple of years because of commute needs, and weather. What other wheels and/or tyres would u recommend?

Thanks

Iride01 

I too think that upgrading from 9 to anything more won't be that big a bang for your buck. You might consider it a learning experience though. First off, take your bike in for a good tune up. And ride it for a few hundred more miles. Then you'll at least be comparing a bike that is working correctly to anything else you might compare it too. I find that to keep my bikes shifting perfectly they require about two and occasionally three tuneups a year. So if you haven't kept the DR's adjusted and spokes checked, then it'll make a difference.

One thing you might consider that can, IMO, be a worthwhile upgrade is to simply make sure you have the correct gearing range for what you normally ride. If you never get in the low or high gears, then maybe you can tighten up the range on the back. Or if you generally find you don't have a low enough gear for climbing at a decent cadence without struggling, then you might need to think about a cassette with some bigger cogs or change up the crank set rings.

MRT2

OK then. So the bike is 7 to 8 years old. Even more reason to be wary of putting too much money into it. Repair worn parts, keep the chain nice and clean and lubed, and the wheels true, but beyond that, forget about upgrading the drivetrain. My experience is that 9 speed is surprisingly robust and inexpensive to maintain, as new 9 speed chains and cassettes are pretty cheap. 11 speeds are not.
I am not the guy to make specific wheel recommendations, but I would suggest you find a good wheelbuilder, or maybe someone here can chime in. When the stock wheels on my bike failed, I worked with a local guy to build me some wheels. I got wheels built for durability, not speed, so I am probably the wrong guy to ask. I built some heavy duty touring wheels around Velo Orange Grand Cru Touring hubs and they have been much better than the stock wheels built around Formula Hubs my bike came with.

As for tires, you pay a price for all season use and puncture protection. Lighter more supple tires like the Continental GP 5000 won't be as puncture resistant as an all weather commuter tire, but will give you better performance and lighter weight where it counts.
As for brakes, it is possible that you need to work on setting them up. Again, I can only speak for myself, but the stock brakes on my bike were not great for the first couple of years of owning it, but upgrading both wheels and brake pads (from the black pads that came stock to Kool stop Salmon Pads) was a huge upgrade in performance. I think both things were a factor. Both the more grippy Kool Stops combined with a wheel that stays true and a better braking surface on the rim means that now, I am not white knuckling steep descents. At this point, the only thing that would be a significant upgrade would be to go with hydraulic disc brakes, which is not even an option on my bike, or yours for that matter.

MRT2

I agree. FWIW, the difference in peformance from the old 8 speed up to 9 speed is noticeable. My wife's bike has the old 2200 shifters and frankly, compared my my 9 speed Tiagras, they leave a lot to be desired. But, she is not too particular so there is no point in spending money upgrading her bike, but if those shifters ever give up the ghost, I will probably urge her to at least go up to 9 speed Sora, but probably not up to 11 speed as that would be more money than her bike is worth.

But honestly, 9 speed has been great. I can't say that I agree that you need more than one tuneup per year to keep everything shifting crisply. Sometimes I go 2 years between tuneups and never missed a shift or threw a chain.

Pugs2xLove

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Like the OP, I bought a similar model about 2 weeks ago except mine is a 2013 Specialized Allez Sport with a Sora groupset. The components are in decent condition with newer tires and chain which will be replaced later in the Fall due to usage wear and tear, etc...... I plan on using this bike mainly for road rides so which tire brands will be best suitable. A pair of Bontrager 700X28 came with it but when the time comes, I would like something that is puncture resistant and more suitable for the Fall months. Not worry about speed or weight since this bike won't get too much lighter anyway.