upgrading an old road bike

Component upgrades seldom make economic sense. You can spend a ton of money upgrading a bike like this and, in the end, what you'll have is old bike that has some new parts.

andy8190 said:

i have an older model schwinn traveler. im not sure about the year bc it was given to me for free from a friends parent. it is a 12 speed. im wanting to start doing some riding again and want to do some triathlon races so i wanna upgrade the bike with some newer parts to get it to run better. i also wanna add some aero bars. i dont wanna spend much money and wanna keep the frame as much as possible. does anyone have any ideas i can use and about what im looking at in cost?

Today's drivetrains are 9 and 10 speed. A new groupset will start at at least $200 (I'm talking bottom of the barrel here) but considerably more if you want something of decent quality. On top of that you will need new wheels, so look to spend another $150. Most shops will charge $75-100 to install everything, plus new tape, new rubber and you are probably pushing $400-500 to upgrade a 20+ year old frame. Chances are the rear spacing of the old frame won't accomodate the 130 mm hubs that are used today without some serious stretching. My advice. Get the bike tuned up, maybe install some new rims and tires and enjoy it. If you really enjoy riding again, start looking at newer bikes. I've gone the upgrade-the-old-frame route myself and wound up with a big hole in the wallet and a slow bike....
😎

I am in your same situation, I obtained a unknwon year Miyata twelve-hundred as a commuter bike, and the only 'upgrades' i am doing to the bike is ;

new tires
new seat
new brake pads
computer
possibly new pedals..

gonna cost me maybe $150..

the rest stays the same, it works fine.. all i needed to do was tune the derailers and lube the chain and it cruises just fine..

like was said before, you can spend thousands on JUST components and end up with a heavy frame, when you could have spent the same amount on a new frame AND components.

bler said:

new tires
new seat
new brake pads
computer
possibly new pedals..

Throw in the aero bars and the usual tune up items (cables and possibly a chain/cogs) and you're there. Note that the big ticket items like the seat, computer, and aero bars are readily transferable to a new bike once the addiction truly takes hold.

If you want to be competitive in the triathlons you're attending I would suggest you go ahead and spend the money on a new bike with all the new components you want on it.

Don't keep your old frame - it's not worth it. It's bound to weigh twice as much as the cheapest frames avalible today and quite simply you won't enjoy your ride.

For where you are, there is no reason to get a new bike. Have your bike tuned up in a shop (overhauling the hubs / bottom bracket, checking cables, truing the wheels, cleaning the braking services, maybe new brake pads, and maybe new tires), get some areo bars. Then do some riding and see how you like it.

Assuming you have a bike that fits and is in working order, your physical fitness, handling skills, and ability to ride in a group matter far (far!) more than the age or weight of your bike.

And old steel bikes are pretty cool, too.

haha yah, i grew up riding mountain bikes around mt. diablo.. i then moved onto streetbikes(motocrcyles) and now onto road bikes 😉 yah, funny how much you can throw around a 20lb bike compared to a 350lb streetbike 😉

always keepin it on two wheels... the addiction has been there my whole life *GRIN*

artmichalek said:

Throw in the aero bars and the usual tune up items (cables and possibly a chain/cogs) and you're there. Note that the big ticket items like the seat, computer, and aero bars are readily transferable to a new bike once the addiction truly takes hold.