20k on original components?

[In the market]

Shopping for a used road bike to get in to the game and came across one that seems to be a pretty good deal. Felt 55 carbon road bike. Dura-ace shifters, new easton tires and new chain. My only concern is it still has the original components, and has 20k miles on it? Don't want to buy it if I'm going to have to drop $100's in new components shortly after I buy it. Thoughts without seeing or riding it? Asking price was $600 w/ clipless pedals.

 

[alfeng]

FWIW. While someone may think THAT is a good deal, 'I' think that is way too many miles for those shifters ...

• the adage (which you do not have to agree with) is that Campagnolo shifters break in.& Shimano shifters break down (i.e., wear out) ...

Not to mention the rest of the moving parts ...

Basically, you have to decide if you think the FRAME-and-FORK, alone, are worth that much ...

I think not.

 

[oldbobcat]

Alf's right, 20k miles is too far for a pair of Shimano STIs. They should have been converted to Campagnolo 10k miles ago.

Just playing devil's advocate. Actually, one of my customers just clocked 20k miles on her Madone with 105 shifters, and the rear unit feels like it will start hanging up soon. On the other hand, she rides a dirty bike that's hit the deck once or twice and doesn't fix things or get them fixed when they start to go wrong, so I'm not surprised.

If the the cables and shifters feel smooth, and the shifters look clean under the hoods, and there is no external damage or evidence of trauma, I'm inclined to say why not, if the price is right. A high mileage bike that's been well maintained beats one that's been poorly maintained, almost regardless of the mileage. Use your judgement and temper your offer accordingly.

 

[In the market]

Thanks for the input guys. I've been mountain biking for a handful of years, but this will be my first road bike purchase and I'm on a budget. I'm watching youtube videos to learn, but at the moment I don't think I would be able to check the shifters to see if they are clean under the hood like you suggested. One more thing I'm confused about is the teeth on the cassette and chain ring compared to the chain? The ad for the bike has is listed as "50/34 front gears, 24/11 in back." Just want to make sure this guy didn't put the wrong parts on the bike and is now trying to ditch it or anything.

Here is the ad if you can pick up on anything else. Thanks. Really looking forward to riding through Grand Teton National Park!! http://atlanta.craigslist.org/sat/bik/4479236190.html

 

[AyeYo]

Nothing wrong with that gearing combo, but you better have some strong legs or flat roads to climb in 34/24. Cassettes are cheap though. If you don't like the gearing it's a five minute job to install a different cassette.

 

[Froze]

20k is way to many miles for modern components, back in the friction days the stuff would be just breaking in! I have a friction Suntour Superbe group with over 160k miles on it and I still ride it. good luck trying to do that nowadays.

 

[maydog]

Originally Posted by Froze
20k is way to many miles for modern components...

Don't tell that to my poor old set of sora brifters.

20K is too long for drivetrain components (chainrings, chain, cassette, bottom bracket maybe?) - it should be just fine for derailleurs, brakes and brifters. I haven't had a set of STI brifters go south yet.

 

[Froze]

20k on modern stuff is way too much in my opinion too, in the old school days of friction that would have been nothing, not so today.

Originally Posted by maydog

Don't tell that to my poor old set of sora brifters.

20K is too long for drivetrain components (chainrings, chain, cassette, bottom bracket maybe?) - it should be just fine for derailleurs, brakes and brifters. I haven't had a set of STI brifters go south yet.

The word on forums that I frequent is that derailleurs and brifters (I haven't heard this to be true with brakes) of the Dura Ace and Ultegra line tend to be worn out in roughly 20k miles, sure some people get more and some probably get less; the funny thing is people with 105 and Tiagra don't seem to be having the same short life expectancy. All my friends who have Dura Ace and Ultegra have yet come close to the 20k mark so I don't have any personal experience just the forums. It also seems that as Shimano changed their models from 8, 9 to 10 and now 11 (though there is no record of durability on the 11 yet) the life expectancy dropped at each level. Again this has been what has been noted on forums. Not to many people report on the Tiagra and especially the Sora units, but I have heard a few that have had Sora and were enquiring about what level was best to upgrade to.

Also keep in mind that there is no record on how well people with these units take care of their stuff either, it could be in our instant gratification society with no mechanical skills that they simply don't know how to take care of their stuff like the old school people who had to learn not only simple bike maintenance and repair but cars too, todays electronic stuff in cars has kept a lot of people from becoming backyard mechanics and thus lack mechanical skills needed to work on bikes. Just a thought. I guess I'll see first hand because I have 10 speed 105 and will take care of it like I took care of my now vintage bikes.