dirtysaffa

Hi everyone

I've been itching to buy a new bike, but I'm wondering if my budget will really get me enough to make a big enough change

My current setup is a Giant OCR C3. Full carbon. Shimano 105 (with Ultegra front derailleur). 3x10 speed. The bike is about 12 years old. Nothing really wrong with it. Changing gears is not as smooth sometimes, but overall solid. Rim brakes.

I'm eyeing something like the 2020 Canyon Endurace Carbon Fiber Disc brakes - full Shimano 105

The Endurace will probably set me back around $2500 all up. Is it worth spending the money? Will the new ride feel so drastically improved that I won't regret it?

My trade-off is to stick with my road bike and use the cash for a mountain bike for occasional trail rides

D

mpath

"Worth it" is ultimately totally up to you. But if there's really nothing wrong with your current ride, then IMHO, no, not worth it. That being said, it's no surprise there's been a lot of technological progress the past decade, so I'm sure you'll notice and feel the improvements of technology in most quality bikes.

My current bike is from 2010. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, and I'm totally dialed in as far as fit is concerned - still more bike than I'm worthy of. While I drool like anyone else on new eye candy, none of the current new bikes would be "worth it" for me.

holybinch

I was in a similar position.
2009 bike. Very nice ride, Campagn centaur...
I decided to splurge on some wheels instead of getting a new bike, I feel like i'll get more bang for my buck.
Then, obviously, i'll get a new ride next year, but, it's next year

WhyFi

Totally subjective.

If you're going to avail yourself to most or all of the new hotness, I'd say that the sum would be a meaningfully different experience.

The new groupsets will be an improvement, particularly the front shifting, hydro discs and the under-the-bartape cable routing. If you're currently on 23mm tires and you move to good 28s on modern, wider rims, I think that's a very nice improvement, too. If you're willing to try tubeless, that's potentially a nice benefit if you're prone to flats.

Aesthetics? Subjective, but I love the look of modern CF bikes vs 2010-era CF bikes - that alone might be enough to get me out on rides more frequently, but YMMV.

dirtysaffa

I think that's probably it - A nicer bike will motivate me to ride it more. The intangibles is probably where this would make the difference, with some small jumps in performance improvements...

Ogsarg

A couple of things you might enjoy. When I started looking to upgrade from my 09 Roubaix I found that most new compact doubles would get me lower gears than my 3X9 had. That has been really nice for steep climbs. The other thing is disc brakes. I cannot see myself ever having a bike without them unless I move to someplace flat. I feel so much more confident on steep descents. In my case, I also got Di2, which is also great and I have no regrets in buying the new bike.

Hard to say what is important to you but I would suggest seeing if you can ride some modern 105 equipped bikes and see how you like them. If they don't feel much different then you can spend the money on another bike.

AdkMtnMonster

I recently bought an Endurace. Love it. Great bike. I was riding a ‘97 Look carbon with 105 everything, 8-speed cassette. Gotta say, 11 speed Ultegra with hydraulic discs and a modern frame, decent wheels, great tires... I’m faster on this bike. Much faster. Like, much faster. And it’s just an endurance bike. Maybe I should get an Aeroad and set the Earth on fire! If you’re wondering if a new bike will show improvements, it can if the changes are big enough. For me, the difference between 8 and 11 speed has smoothed my cadence. I’m running 52/39 up front, not compact. I have a 50/34 brand new, ready to bolt on, but I’m diggin’ the stuff I’m currently running. If the new ride is a lot different than the old bike, then yeah, it can make a difference. Usually it’s just the meat sack perched on the saddle that makes the difference, but the right bike can drop your jaw.

aaronmcd

A frame is a frame to some extent, a new frame might not make a huge difference in riding. But people buy things cuz they like 'em and appreciate 'em, not cuz it's rational. The drivetrain can be replaced to 2x11 on your bike. Rim brakes are fine and maybe easier to service. But if you want discs, and want a new drivetrain, and maybe new wheels, well, maybe just buy a new bike for all that.

Also people like to hate on weight weenies, and I'm totally NOT a weight weenie, but if it's a lot lighter it can make a big difference in feel and handling (and maybe climb a tiny bit faster also). A nice light stiff bike just feels like you can throw it around all day.

Also look into skipping 2x and going straight to 1x. I just got my first 1x and I love it. It's a bit lower gearing than my Cervelo, but the range is actually better. I don't even notice the supposedly bigger cog jumps. You probably stay in the middle ring 85% of the time anyway, just imaging a broader cassette with the middle ring. Also one less moving part to worry about.

Bah Humbug

Usually these questions are about replacing a bike after a year or two. There are many meaningful upgrades in the past 12 years that make for a different and generally better riding experience. What they won't do is make you meaningfully faster, but you'll probably enjoy the ride more.

Now, the trick is evaluating that against a mountain bike. My usual thought is that adding a new capability is better than improving an existing capability, but that would depend on how much you want to mtb.

PoorInRichfield

In my opinion, I think you'll be surprised at how much nicer the new Canyon (and hence the new Shimano 105) is than your current bike. I currently own a 2020 Trek Domane SL7 Disc and have asked myself many times, "Should I just have stayed with my perfectly fine 1999 Trek 5200?" The answer from another part of my brain is always a resounding, "NOooOoOooOoo!!!" (And I'm very financially conservative.) My 5200 was a lot like your Giant when I sold it... Ultegra STI, great shape, all carbon. However, the refinements made over the past few years in road bikes have made them much nicer to ride, they shift better, they brake better (if you get discs), they're more aero, and usually stiffer in all the right places.

Let this GCN video speak to how well the new 105 works:
I say "Go for it!" For $2,500, you're not investing a huge amount. If you were talking about an $8k bike, that would be a different discussion. Heck, if your Giant is in good shape, give it a good cleaning and sell it to recoup a little of your cost.

DrIsotope

There's no need to justify N+1. Having two bikes is literally twice as good as having one bike.

(though if it were me I'd be looking for more of an all-rounder than the Endurace)

PoorInRichfield

I think one should really ride a 1x before committing to it. It'd be a safer path to go with a 2x and then remove parts as an experiment to try 1x than it would be to start with a 1x and wish you had more gears. On my mountain bike, I can deal with the 1x since speed and cadence isn't really of concern to me when riding off road, but on my road and gravel bikes I still prefer 2x. Different strokes for different folks.

Dean V

Only you can answer your question.
Some people would happily pay $2,500 for wheels, a watch, handbag etc and to them it is "worth it".
Many others would find the idea outrageous.

HiYoSilver

Maybe look for a different riding bike for the upgrade. I upgraded from a Giant touring bike to a Trek Tri bike. One is for slower steep hill rides the other uses a compact double and is so much nicer for road rides if not excessive hills and is much much easier to ride.

The other alternative would be to get an E-bike. Let us know what you decide, and have fun

dieselgoat

I bought a Trek 5200 brand new in 2006. Full Ultegra, carbon, nice bike. I had always wondered about how the "newer stuff" performed compared to the 5200. In 2018 I bought a Domane SL6, front and rear Isospeed. I put a set of Aeolus Pro 3 carbon wheels on it. I've had for 2 years now, and while I like the bike, IMO, it has made me appreciate my 5200 that much more. The Domane is snappier for sure, but my 5200 is a very good riding, shifting bike. I think I may have been expecting too much from the Domane. I'm not saying I'm disappointed with it, but if I had to sell one of them, it would be the Domane.

swag72

When I upgraded from my Specialised Roubaix to a Domane SLR7 - I somehow expected a big increase in speed. It didn't happen and I remember feeling really disappointed on my first ride out that although I loved the new bike, it didn't make me faster. Now, a few months later (Not that I've been out for 51 days as we're on lockdown) I still don't necessarily do better on Strava segments. which confirms to me that it's more about the rider than the bike.

dirtysaffa

Hey everybody

So I’m reporting back on my decision. I decided to go for it and buy a bike and picked it up this morning and just went for 20 mile ride.

I was able to score a smoking deal on a Pinarello Gan RS Carbon Fiber (their slightly more comfy endurance frame) for $2,500.

The difference was massive and I’m really happy I went for it.

Major improvements were:

From 105 to Ultegra Di2
From old aluminum wheels to Dura Ace 9100 carbon wheels
From old Selle Italia Trans Am to fizik Arione saddle with carbon rails

The Di2 is honestly amazing. I used both manual and synchro shifting (where you only need to use one shifter and it automatically changes the front and rear derailleurs for you) as you go up or down

what was particularly awesome is by holding in the shifter it just keeps shifting up or down for as long as you hold it in.

It was a big jump in performance and definitely felt worth it.

GlennR

this

blakcloud

Congratulations on your new ride.

HiYoSilver

The Fizik saddle is great. I've had mine for over 5 years and never regretted it.

Looks like a very nice ride.

Which wheelset? 24? 40? 60?

rjhammett

I ride fairly high end vintage steel road bikes (20 of them) with the exception of my 2008 Look 585 carbon bike. It weighs about 4-5 pounds lighter than my other bikes. It is nice going up the hills but overall it is no better than my 20-40 year old steel bikes. Getting a new bike isn't necessarily an upgrade at least for me.