Components Upgrade- So confused-HELP

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Ok Guys, I am new to this sport and am considering upgrading a 15 year old mercier bike with a new road bike. I have been on this forum for the past two days an am very confused! I am considering buying the Veni Nori from bikes direct.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm

Overall the replys to this bike have been positive. However, I got a few comments "bad components for the money". You should have the 105's at least. As you know, bikes come bundeled with components. So eveything else being equal the Carbon bike has better components then an Alu. (please dont start another tangent here!!!)

I want to buy from Bikes Direct for many reasons. One of which, is that if I compare other options I will become too confused. However, if I try to upgrade my components on the Veni Nori (to the 105 for example) it brings me into a completly different class of Bike (carbon) and my price doubles. I dont want a Carbon bike, at least I think I don't, I just want better components. Or at least you guys have made me believe that I NEED them.

Ok little about my intentions. This will be my first real road bike. I plan to ride for fitness and personal satisfaction. Very soon, I would like to join a bike club and put in some miles at least once a week. So far, my longest ride has been 27 miles in an hour and forty min on an old 12 speed commuter.

I just to want to over think this decision and that is exactly what is happening!!! :confused:

So what is wrong with this bike for the money?

WHat are you looking for in a bike?

What are your goals?

How much do you weigh?

I assume you mean the Vent Noir... If you are a heavy rider, I would actually suggest going to a different bike down the line with more spokes. :)

The bicycle that you have picked is a great bicycle for what you want to do and a great bargain at that price. The Vent Noir has a 105 rear derailleur and Tiagra brifters and front derailleur. All of these compnents work well together and do the job that they are designed for. The rear will shift pretty crisply and the front will shift very well. If you aren't participating in cyclocross, who cares if it takes another half rotation of the cranks to shift between chainrings. You will see a great deal of improvement over your old Mercier. Some folks are always going to suggest upgrading components to race quality, but you simply don't need that for club rides. I recommend that you forget about those who tell you to get upgraded components, and go with the Vent Noir. You can always upgrade the components yourself later if you want.

About the wheels, if you are over 200 Lbs, you might want to look into a wheelset with more spokes, somewhere around 32. I actually rode a bike that had (and still has the original)16 spokes on the front wheel and 20 on the rear wheel when I weighed 220 Lbs. I didn't have any trouble with them at all but I had a great wheelbuilder, me! You could probably get away with those wheels if you are a bit heavy but it might be better to use a higher spoke count wheelset until you lose some weight. You can pick up a 32 spoke count wheelset fairly cheaply and reward yourself with the lighter wheels when you are more fit and lighter yourself.

I am 38 5 10 and a 190 pounds. I guess I am not a small guy. Do you think I will have problems with the wheels at my weight?

Ok Guys, I am new to this sport and am considering upgrading a 15 year old mercier bike with a new road bike. I have been on this forum for the past two days an am very confused! I am considering buying the Veni Nori from bikes direct.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm

Overall the replys to this bike have been positive. However, I got a few comments "bad components for the money". You should have the 105's at least. As you know, bikes come bundeled with components. So eveything else being equal the Carbon bike has better components then an Alu. (please dont start another tangent here!!!)

I want to buy from Bikes Direct for many reasons. One of which, is that if I compare other options I will become too confused. However, if I try to upgrade my components on the Veni Nori (to the 105 for example) it brings me into a completly different class of Bike (carbon) and my price doubles. I dont want a Carbon bike, at least I think I don't, I just want better components. Or at least you guys have made me believe that I NEED them.

Ok little about my intentions. This will be my first real road bike. I plan to ride for fitness and personal satisfaction. Very soon, I would like to join a bike club and put in some miles at least once a week. So far, my longest ride has been 27 miles in an hour and forty min on an old 12 speed commuter.

I just to want to over think this decision and that is exactly what is happening!!! :confused:

So what is wrong with this bike for the money?Do you hate your current bike? Is there anything wrong with it other than its components are dated?

If you are not a mechanical klutz, YOU can upgrade your current bike for under $200US by buying some selected NEW components (Campagnolo shifters, a Shimano rear derailleur, a SunRace freewheel if your rear wheel doesn't use cassettes) off of eBay ...

I am 38 5 10 and a 190 pounds. I guess I am not a small guy. Do you think I will have problems with the wheels at my weight? I wouldn't think that you would have any problems with the wheels at 190 Lbs, especially since you would most likely lose some of it when you begin to ride longer distances more often.

Even though your old bike is upgradeable (is this really a word?), you would still be riding a steel frame which is fine if you want to do it. Just remember though, there is nothing wrong with buying a new, lighter aluminum frame bike if you want it.

For $700 it looks like a damned fine bike. The $1500 MSRP is a little out of line, but if it suits your needs and you can get a good fit I'd say you're a smart shopper. Upgrading always seems to cost more than you'd think and when you're done you're left with just one bike with compatibility issues and a box full of old parts. On the other side, the component level hairsplitters overstate their cause, methinks. Tiagra-105 is a nice mix. Enjoy it. Just be careful with the wheels until you lose another 10-15 lbs.

I've been riding Tiagra-105-Ultegra all summer and you don't hear me complaining.