Stick with the old or buy new? Help please!

[run26miles]

I was just surfing to buy a new road bike because I was told that I was at a disadvantage on 650's out here in Colorado. But them I read some threads on here that convinced me otherwise. I think I'll just upgrade my derailleurs and wheels. I have a 12 year old Trek 5200 that has Shimano Ultegra front and back derailleurs and Bonatrager race lite wheels. I'm mostly riding hills (mountains) at distances of 25 - 50 miles sometimes 100. Any recommendations for wheels? Do I have to change the shifters if I get new derailleurs?

I've been looking at the Specialized Amira Expert 44cm with 700's but it just doesn't look right, that small frame with the 700's. The proportion looks off. Does that make any sense?

One more question. I have a triple now, which is great for the hills here, would a compact be better?

 

[64Paramount]

Ultegra's are pretty good equipment, what is it about them that you don't like?

Actually, let me back up....what is it about your bike that you don't like? I mean, beyond what someone may have told you about needing something better, is it not performing the way you want it to?

 

[swampy1970]

Although the geometry of your bike may be a little different from the cervelos, they have a nice write up about why 650c wheels may or may not make sense on a small bike - it all depends on your situation.

http://www.cervelo.com/en_us/bikes/2010/RS/geometry/

Explanation for the 650c wheel solution on the XS size: A smaller frame means the front wheel moves closer to the rider’s feet, causing toe-overlap. While inconvenient at walking pace, this issue disappears at normal riding speeds as the actual steering angles become very small. There are four ways to deal with this:

1. Accept toe overlap, after all it is not a problem if the rider is aware of it at low speeds, and it does not occur at higher speeds.
2. Use 650c wheels, which allow us to move the wheel closer but thanks to its smaller diameter it will never touch the rider’s toes.
3. Leave the front wheel far out front, but then the weight distribution will not be balanced.
4. Mess up the rider position by moving the rider forward instead of the wheel and handlebar rearward. But a changed position will not be comfortable, and the weight distribution will again be compromised.

Compromised weight distribution and therefore handling make options 3 and 4 unacceptable, leaving options 1 & 2. If you are a racer and neutral support is important, or you want commonality of parts with other 700c bikes, then option 1 is the best solution. We offer this on most of our road bikes. Option 2 is a great solution if you are concerned about toe overlap, never need neutral support and carry a spare for yourself (since your riding partners will likely have only 700c spare tubes, although even those work in a pinch, just fold them in – no problem).

 

[run26miles]

well . . . the front derailleur is hard to shift up to the big chain ring, so I really have to push it hard to the left 2 or 3 times before the chain jumps up to the big chain ring. And I just had it tuned up. I rode a cannondale with dura ace and it shifted so much easier. I have heard (in bike shops) that the new technology for the ultegra is much better than my 12 year old derailleurs.

As far as the carbon fiber frame, I love it. It fits me well.

 

[64Paramount]

Originally Posted by run26miles .

well . . . the front derailleur is hard to shift up to the big chain ring, so I really have to push it hard to the left 2 or 3 times before the chain jumps up to the big chain ring. And I just had it tuned up. I rode a cannondale with dura ace and it shifted so much easier. I have heard (in bike shops) that the new technology for the ultegra is much better than my 12 year old derailleurs.

As far as the carbon fiber frame, I love it. It fits me well.

It sounds like your front derailleur is not adjusted correctly to me.....

But, there isn't anything wrong with wanting to get newer style equipment if that's what you really want. It's not going to make you go any faster, but if it improves the enjoyment you get out of riding your bike, then it is worth it if you have the money to spend. It's not always about need...sometimes it's just about want. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif

But, if the only thing bugging you about your bike is that front derailleur not wanting to make the jump to the big chain ring.....then I say save your money and just get that issue fixed.

 

[alfeng]

Originally Posted by run26miles .

I was just surfing to buy a new road bike because I was told that I was at a disadvantage on 650's out here in Colorado. But them I read some threads on here that convinced me otherwise. I think I'll just upgrade my derailleurs and wheels. I have a 12 year old Trek 5200 that has Shimano Ultegra front and back derailleurs and Bonatrager race lite wheels. I'm mostly riding hills (mountains) at distances of 25 - 50 miles sometimes 100. Any recommendations for wheels? Do I have to change the shifters if I get new derailleurs?

I've been looking at the Specialized Amira Expert 44cm with 700's but it just doesn't look right, that small frame with the 700's. The proportion looks off. Does that make any sense?

One more question. I have a triple now, which is great for the hills here, would a compact be better?

FWIW. IMO, if you are taller than 5'1", then you can-and-should probably be riding a bike with 700c wheels ...


If you are shorter than 5'0", then you are probably better off with a bike which has 650c wheels ...


If you are BETWEEN 5'0" and 5'1" then your height is in a grey area where you may be able to adjust a bike which has a 700c frame so that you can ride it comfortably BUT your current aesthetic sensibilities are a valid reason to preclude choosing to ride a bike with 700c wheels ...

• I think that ALL Specialized frames look a little off, BTW.

REGARDLESS, you may want to consider that if you have two wheels of different size which are built to the same standards with hubs of equal quality, then the smaller wheel will need to rotate more to cover the same distance, and the smaller wheel's hub will necessarily encounter more friction ([COLOR= #808080]no matter how little[/COLOR]) than the larger wheel's hub.
　
Also, there are many times more tire choices for 700c rims than for 650 rims -- THAT may-or-may-not be a consideration to factor in to any possible purchase in the near-or-distant future.


Compact crankset vs. Triple crankset?

• My less-than-24hr impression while on the outskirts of Ft. Collins a long time ago was that it was pretty flat -- I could be wrong, of course, because I was in an area bounded by an agricultural (!?!) field ... it was a very long time ago.

If you currently USE-OR-NEED all of the gear combinations which are on your current bike, then an off-the-peg bike with a Compact Double will not have a low enough gear ratio.

If you are thinking about a buying a bike with Compact Double simply because you have been having trouble shifting onto the outer channring then, as 64Paramount has noted, you should simply address the particular issue ...

FYI. As far as your Shimano Ultegra front derailleur, about 10+ years ago, I had TWO Ultegra 6500 front derailleurs which were fine with downtube shifters but which were almost impossible to shift using the Ultegra 6500 (integrated) STI shifters -- Shimano replaced them under warranty even though I probably had them for more than a year, and the only subsequent difficulty with shifting was due to the same "dwell" which retards the rear shifting.

• With the replacement front derailleurs I still experienced dodgy shifting at times; but subsequently, [COLOR= #0000ff]ALL of the shifting problems (front & rear) which I experienced with my Shimano derailleurs were eliminated by mating the Shimano drivetrains with Campagnolo shifters.[/COLOR]

 

[nuliajuk]

I'm finding the 700c vs 650c debate interesting because about a month ago I was researching travel bikes such as the Bike Friday and Aernimal. The Bike Friday owners didn't see the very tiny wheels on their machines as liabilities at all. In fact, one claimed he could draft much better in group rides because the small diameter put him closer to the back wheel in front of him. (I'm not sure I'd like to ride one here with the potholes we get.)
Any performance disadvantage from 650c is probably a minor one, and they may even be faster on climbs. Lower availability of tires and tubes would be the main issue, but they're becoming more common.
As to whether you should get a new bike.... of course you should /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif. And fix up your old one as well. You can never have too many bikes. (We're all enablers here, if you haven't already guessed.)