hiimpaul

I bought a 1999 Jamis Aurora on Craigslist a couple weeks ago with the intent of getting the components upgraded and using as a touring rig. It’s had a lot of miles put on it and the drivetrain, brakes and wheels are all nearing the end of their life(according to LBS). It is totally rideable now.

I’m a general newb when it comes to technical bike knowledge so when I took it into an LBS, I was surprised when they told me how much money/time it would cost to even find the components to be able to put a new drivetrain on it. The current stuff on the bike is Shimano RSX triple components and apparently pretty outdated.

The way LBS explained it is: it’s possible to replace the group set with functioning parts that aren’t Shimano RSX, however doing so would result in compatibility issues (LBS used the phrase “compatibility nightmare”) with how all the parts would interact..

Does anyone have experience with switching out components in a situation like this?

How possible would it be to replace the components with more modern components that are more available in today’s bike parts market?

Ideally I’d like to get this all done over the next month or so in a shop. Is this wishful thinking?

icemilkcoffee 

Can you explain what exactly is wrong with the bike right now? The wheels would only need replacing if the rims' brake tracks are worn through. There are sometimes brake wear indicator lines or dots that tells you how much thickness is left. Used wheels are cheap and plentiful on Craigslist. The brake shoes can be replaced if they are worn. The chain, cassette and chainrings can all be replaced if they are worn. There is typically no need to replace the entire groupset.
It's 'outdated' if you are comparing to a modern groupset with electronic shifting and disc brakes. But otherwise it is a fine groupset with brifters and dual pivot brakes.

hiimpaul

Gears squeak when shifting and don’t always shift when clicked, chain skips in low gears when exerting power, brakes squeak and take too much pulling to brake, and brake pads seem difficult to position parallel to rim.

The wheels need truing. LBS said that pressure cracks may begin to show up in the wheel body

icemilkcoffee 

Typically on an older bike you would flush the old grease out of the brifters and re-lubricate with new lube; replace the cables, replace the chain and cassette. The chain rings may need replacement too - you can visually see chain ring wear (unlike cassette wear- you only know the cassette is worn when the chain skips on the cogs). After you do all these things it should shift fine.

The brake pads should toe in slightly.

The wheels should be trued. The shop will probably do it for $20 a wheel. You can inspect the hub flange to check for cracks that look like this:



If there are any cracks the wheel is done for. If not it could possibly last you another lifetime. I don't think anyone has the crystal ball to predict which hub is going to develop cracks down the line.

KCT1986

How much of an evaluation did the shop really do? Did they try to make any adjustments or did they just give it a quick look?

Also, is it 3x7 or 3x8? Reason is a 8 speed hub is easier to upgrade since it will accept more currently speed options

Are most of the parts also RSX or some other Shimano parts? Most Shimano parts are very serviceable if reasonable quality. RSX is less flashy but a workable groupset.

Agree with the above that some of the normal 'wear' items may need to be replaced but many of the components may just need cleaning and lubing.

Post a lot of detailed pics to your album and we can see what the parts really look like.

Lazyass

Nothing wrong with wanting to upgrade the group. RSX was lower end, I would upgrade myself. Shimano Claris, Sora and Tiagra will all work fine and the cassettes will fit on your rear hub. I personally would just buy a complete Sora R3000 9 speed group. It will all bolt right up to your bike. I've always thought that 9 cogs was the perfect number.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/33403562017...QaArq0EALw_wcB

hiimpaul

They did put it on a stand and shifted through gears and hit the brakes. Based on what I’ve been reading about how it’s possible to throw components on it fairly easily, I’m not taking their word as credible at this point.. I took it into a different shop a few days ago and am interested to see what they say after looking it over.

its 3x8. All shimano RSX group set

KCT1986

Glad you are getting a 2nd opinion.

Shimano RSX 8 speed is fairly compatible with many of Shimano road groupset parts (10 speed and under) and mountain (9 speed and under), with a few exceptions.

Hopefully this shop will give you a full evaluation and a plan to move forward. Not sure what their availability of new parts are right now with the current supply chain issues. If they/you can get it running for now at a satisfactory level, a slow upgrade can be done in the future as parts are available, either new or from the used market.

Let us know what you find out and post any questions. Many members have worked in similar bikes and components.

Kimmo 

I'd start with cables, pads, cassette, chain and wheel truing.

ShannonM

+1 on all that, plus I bet that at least the middle chainring is toast. An RSX triple should be 110/74 or 130/74, so rings are plentiful (well, not really right now, but that's true of everything) and cheap.

And I've never understood the attitude that the 1st shop had. It's really common, but not only is it terrible customer service and mostly untrue, but it's really, really dumb from a business standpoint. Overhauling an 8 speed bike like yours is one of the more profitable things a shop can do. All the parts are stock catalog items with great margins, and the cheap stuff is always the most profitable.

New bikes usually sell at cost, or maybe 5-10% over. The shop I worked at had a few bikes that we lost a buck on every one we sold. High-end parts aren't a hell of a lot better. But the margin on tubes and cables is like 8 - 10 x cost. Bike mechanics get paid in trail mix and take-off bike parts, and jobs like this are always quoted at the hourly rate, so the labor is solid money as well.

But it's the rare small business owner who trains their employees on how to make the smart money. Fixing up your Jamis is the smart money. For both the shop and for you.


--Shannon

70sSanO

Yep, the shop knows what they are talking about.

Is a shop going to spend the time to track down chainrings that will fit your drivetrain and shift well enough? Probably not. Parts are hard to come by and older parts even more so.

I haven’t followed all of the recent changes Shimano has made, but they have moved to asymeyrical pattern 4 bolt cranks. They have changed their FD cable pull for doubles, and brake cable pull.

I work on my own bikes and swap out what I want, but a shop isn’t going to throw on a mis-matched chainring and have you complain, or new shifters and have you say the brakes don’t stop well enough.

If you want to a shop to do an upgrade, they’ll want you to do it all. Unfortunately parts are at a premium so it will cost you.

John