ioerror

I want to upgrade Specialized Allez 56 - 2018 model road bike from Claris to 105 Groupset. The bike is similar to allez on specialized web page going for $1000.

After doing some research I reazlied the wheels will also need to be changed in addition to components.

Can you guys guide me the best course of action to get this going? I went though shimano's component site but it is a little overwhelming.

I don't mind spending time on this since this is my spare bike and want to learn in process. Also if I buy a new 105 bike it will cost about $1600 and selling the claris will not net me a lot. Also, any thoughts on if I should go with the upgrade or just sell and buy a new one?

Iride01 

For me, when I built a bike up from a frame and fork that needed everything, it was not only whether I could get all the components cheaper than a already built bike, but whether I could do all that was necessary to install them and not have to pay another which would also drive the costs up.

Having to get bars, saddle, stem, brakes and most everything else, I just barely came in at what a new bike will have cost me with the same stuff on it. If I'd gone the new bike route, then it probably will have been 3 to 5 pounds lighter if that's meaningful to how you ride.

I did all new stuff. I didn't like the idea of buying used. In my head it just seemed prices for used considering they were already worn didn't jive.

ioerror

That does make a lot of sense Iride01.

Maybe I'll just keep this bike for my son and buy a new one. Thanks!

icemilkcoffee 

What exactly are you hoping to gain by updating to 105?
Anyways to answer your question- your wheel may already have the 11 speed compatible freehub on there if the bike is a 2018 model. Take the cassette off and see if there is a spacer behind the freehub.
In the event that there is no spacer behind the cassette, and this is a narrower 8-10 speed freehub, you still might not have to change wheels. You can run a 11-34t mtb cassette which has the dished in back side. You can also have your road 11 speed machined on the back side to make it dished in. Or you can just omit the smallest cog out of your 11s cassette to make it thinner (obviously you would only have 10 speeds now).

ioerror

To tell you the truth I won't gain much. But eversince I got a 11 speed gravel bike, I don't use the 8 speed at all. I'll take a look at the wheel as you suggested. If the current wheel can't support the 11 speed, I'll just scrap the idea to upgrade. Thanks!

Crankycrank

Used bikes are at a premium now so probably no better time to sell yours. With a new bike, the one you've chosen will probably end up being close to the same end cost to you after selling your old bike. You will also have parts that are about 3 tiers better and will all work together as well as having (probably) a better frame and everything will have a warranty if something breaks. If you're not experienced building a bike from parts you pick yourself it can be a real headache if some of the parts don't work perfectly with your frame or the other parts. A no brainer to me is to buy a new bike. You do get the experience/satisfaction of building your own bike but this doesn't sound like the best project for that.

ioerror

I am so glad to have joined this forum. Awesome advise from all of you.

I will see what I'll get for the 8speed and buy a new 11 speed bike. Thanks a bunch!

Hondo6

I'd guess that the existing Shimano Claris hub is 8-10 speed and is not 11-speed capable.

I'm fairly sure that the 2018 Claris and Sora groupsets are still current. The current listing on Shimano's US website says that the Sora 3000 freehub is "8/9/10 speed" (it doesn't say anything about the 3500, but I'd guess the same about it as well). It doesn't list the speeds supported by the current Claris freehub. The current Tiagra freehub (next higher level than Sora) is explicitly listed as being "10/11 speed".

https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/compo.../free-hub.html.

I'd have a hard time believing that the Claris freehub is 11-speed capable if the next higher (Sora) isn't. Not saying that isn't possible, but I'd have to see something to convince me of that.

icemilkcoffee 

The Claris and Sora groupsets are indeed 8 and 9 speeds. But most recently manufactured wheels are 8-11 speed compatible, even on the cheaper bikes. When you run 8-10 speed cassettes, you add a spacer behind the cassette.

jonathanf2

Depends on the quality of the current frame? If you're getting an all-around upgrade with the new 105 bike including frame, I'd go that route. That way you'll have a solid bike from the start and later on you'll have an easier upgrade path to Ultegra or Dura-Ace 11 speed components without having TO get a whole new groupset or wheels.

ClydeClydeson

There is a tiny bit to be gained by upgrading to 11sp, but not much.

You might notice a real difference, though, if you just upgrade the wheels. The stock wheels that come on 'price point' bikes generally have less than perfect bearing surfaces. Simply changing to a set of better wheels with superior hubs is the first step. Then get some nicer tires, lighter or higher tpi (thread count) tires will roll smoother and faster.

Also a teardown, clean and relube will make sure everything is working optimally.

Hondo6

That's only true if the freehub on the newer wheel in question is an 11-speed freehub. Not all are. Plenty of 8/9/10 speed wheels are still being sold new.

A roughly 1.8mm spacer is required on an 11-speed freehub because the 11-speed freehub is approximately 1.8mm longer than the older 8/9/10 speed freehub. That's because an 11-speed road cassette is also that much longer, and thus won't fit on the 8/9/10 speed freehub. (I've read - and you've noted above - that a Shimano 11-speed mountain cassette will fit on an older 8/9/10 speed freehub because the largest sprocket is dished.)

This image may help clarify what I'm saying above. The image is dated and is of a DT240, but I believe the info contained in it is still correct.

https://bikerumor.com/wp-content/upl...m2-600x425.gif

You also might want to take another look at the Shimano link I posed previously. There, Shimano explicitly states that the Sora FH-RS300 is "8/9/10 speed". That pretty strongly implies it uses the shorter 8/9/10 speed freehub - and I'd guess the OPs Claris freehub does as well. In contrast, even though Tiagra is a 10 speed group, in the same link Shimano explicitly says the Tiagra FH-RS400 is "10/11 speed" - e.g., it uses the longer 11 speed freehub. An 11-speed road cassette will thus fit on that hub, even though it's from a 10-speed groupset.

The OP said his bike has a Claris groupset. If that included Claris hubs, he may need a new rear hub - or may not, depending on the freehub on his current rear wheel. I'd guess he will if the hubs are Shimano Claris; but I could be wrong. If they're hubs of a different brand, it could go either way.

Personally, I'd pull the existing cassette and measure the existing freehub's length to be sure. If it measures about 35mm, that means it's almost certainly an 8/9/10 speed freehub. If it measures just short of 37mm, it's an 11 speed. Presence or absence of a spacer behind the current cassette will also be an indicator, but I'd still measure to be sure. On my oldest bike (7 speed Hyperglide cassette on 7 speed freehub), either a 1mm or 2mm spacer was needed even though the freehub and cassette speeds supposedly matched.

Lazyass

One problem may be getting your hands on a new bike with all the shortages. You have a nice frameset that isn't old. A 105 group doesn't cost much. You can get a new group and wheels that are nicer than a stock bike for less than $1000.

I'm upgrading my '07 Raleigh RX 1.0 CX bike. I decided to go with SRAM and pieced together a Rival group that costs about the same as 105. I'm ordering a very nice 1495G wheelset with Sapim Dlight spokes from Bicycle Wheel Warehouse that costs $375.

For the Rival group, cassette, chain and wheels the total is about $775. If you need cranks that'll add some but you can keep it all under a grand if you shop smart and you'll probably end up with a better bike than you would buy new for much more money.