Hi. I have a trek 1.2 with sora groupset and was looking for any advice re upgrades. Are serious upgrades worth it with this frame? Cheers
Upgrades
- Thread starter sydneylion
- Start date
A basic fit session at your dealer. And if that leads you to a pedal and saddle upgrade, then go for it. When the tires wear out, consider upgrading these.
Really, I'm not a fan of gratuitous upgrading, but I believe in the little touches that make the bike yours and improve your riding experience.
Really, I'm not a fan of gratuitous upgrading, but I believe in the little touches that make the bike yours and improve your riding experience.
Tires are probably gonna make a big difference with less $$.
If you upgrade the groupset that would be cool too, by getting someting 2x10 that has enough gears for everything, climbs, flat roads etc. But that might be more expensive then getting a new bike with the groupset allready on it.
If you upgrade the groupset that would be cool too, by getting someting 2x10 that has enough gears for everything, climbs, flat roads etc. But that might be more expensive then getting a new bike with the groupset allready on it.
Bontrager saddles are total ass hatchets, at least for me. And I can ride almost any other brand of saddle. But if you're comfortable on yours, I wouldn't change it.
Tires might be worthwhile. You can buy a pair of Bontrager R2 folding bead tires for under $100 if you're a Trek guy. They're slightly better than the wire bead tires common on entry level Trek bikes.
Wheels that are better than your "Bontrager Approved" rims are a more expensive upgrade. Without knowing more about you, your riding style, and what your cycling goals are, it's hard to say whether it'll be worth spending that kind of money.
I wouldn't spend more money upgrading your drive train. Going from 9 speed Sora to a 10 speed group wouldn't be worth it, IMO. You'd start at around $400 or so, and that's for Tiagra. The price goes up for 105, and way up for Ultegra. About the same progression for Apex>Rival>Force if you go SRAM. If you don't like those thumb buttons to go to a higher gear on old Sora, you can probably find a pair of 9 speed Microshift brifters for around $100. You can reach the small upshift lever on those from your drop bars. The only reason that I would think about going to 10 speed is, if the Sora rear derailleur limits the size of your granny cog on the cassette, and you're having a hard time getting up whatever hills you encounter, then it might be something worth considering. On the other hand, if you're breezing up hills, you might try a cassette with a smaller granny cog for fewer gaps between gears in your mid range. 9 speed cassettes are pretty cheap, and both SRAM and microshift will fit a Shimano hub.
The 100 series Treks are solid entry-level aluminum frames. It's something you should be able to keep as a back-up or bad weather ride if you decide to buy a more expensive bike down the road.
Tires might be worthwhile. You can buy a pair of Bontrager R2 folding bead tires for under $100 if you're a Trek guy. They're slightly better than the wire bead tires common on entry level Trek bikes.
Wheels that are better than your "Bontrager Approved" rims are a more expensive upgrade. Without knowing more about you, your riding style, and what your cycling goals are, it's hard to say whether it'll be worth spending that kind of money.
I wouldn't spend more money upgrading your drive train. Going from 9 speed Sora to a 10 speed group wouldn't be worth it, IMO. You'd start at around $400 or so, and that's for Tiagra. The price goes up for 105, and way up for Ultegra. About the same progression for Apex>Rival>Force if you go SRAM. If you don't like those thumb buttons to go to a higher gear on old Sora, you can probably find a pair of 9 speed Microshift brifters for around $100. You can reach the small upshift lever on those from your drop bars. The only reason that I would think about going to 10 speed is, if the Sora rear derailleur limits the size of your granny cog on the cassette, and you're having a hard time getting up whatever hills you encounter, then it might be something worth considering. On the other hand, if you're breezing up hills, you might try a cassette with a smaller granny cog for fewer gaps between gears in your mid range. 9 speed cassettes are pretty cheap, and both SRAM and microshift will fit a Shimano hub.
The 100 series Treks are solid entry-level aluminum frames. It's something you should be able to keep as a back-up or bad weather ride if you decide to buy a more expensive bike down the road.
Thanks for everyone's input. New tyres sound like an easy first step. Are vittoria zaffiro any good. What do I look for in a good tyre?
Quote: Originally Posted by sydneylion .
Thanks for everyone's input.
New tyres sound like an easy first step.
Are vittoria zaffiro any good.
What do I look for in a good tyre?
They don't get very good user feedback, in what I've seen of posts about them. Schwalbe Luganos are about the same price. I had a pair on a GT aluminum bike, and they lasted about 4,000 miles. I'm a comparative lightweight at 6'2" and 165 lbs, though.
Tires aren't that expensive in the grand scheme of things. I prefer folding beads to wire beads. Although it can vary from brand to brand, I find folding bead tires easier to mount than wire beads, if you have to repair a flat on the road. You can even stuff one in an empty water bottle, stick it in one of your cages, and have a spare tire in addition to spare tubes, if you shred a tire on a ride and the tear is too big to safely boot. Really decent tires, like Conti GP 4000s, start around $70 each. Same price range for Michelin Pro 4.
Thanks for everyone's input.
New tyres sound like an easy first step.
Are vittoria zaffiro any good.
What do I look for in a good tyre?
They don't get very good user feedback, in what I've seen of posts about them. Schwalbe Luganos are about the same price. I had a pair on a GT aluminum bike, and they lasted about 4,000 miles. I'm a comparative lightweight at 6'2" and 165 lbs, though.
Tires aren't that expensive in the grand scheme of things. I prefer folding beads to wire beads. Although it can vary from brand to brand, I find folding bead tires easier to mount than wire beads, if you have to repair a flat on the road. You can even stuff one in an empty water bottle, stick it in one of your cages, and have a spare tire in addition to spare tubes, if you shred a tire on a ride and the tear is too big to safely boot. Really decent tires, like Conti GP 4000s, start around $70 each. Same price range for Michelin Pro 4.
You might want to consider the Maxxis Re-Fuse tire. It's robust, has good grip, and seem to roll pretty well. It's a training tire, so it's not as supple as a racing tire, but that also means it's not as expensive as a racing tire. They can be had for as little as $18/tire (Jenson USA) and perhaps cheaper on eBay. I've used them in Arizona where potholed roads, broken glass, cactus needles, goatheads, and many other pointy sharp things make life for a tires a living hell, and I had zero problems.
Quote: Originally Posted by mpre53 .
. Really decent tires, like Conti GP 4000s, start around $70 each. Same price range for Michelin Pro 4.
Have you seen the new GP4000s II ???
Yes... they made a second version... in colors too! (Just in the side though as the centre is still the black chili stuff)
Btw... GP4000s's, 50euro for a pair in this website: But its in Germany and I dont know how much shipping costs:
http://www.bike-discount.de/
Continental GP4000s II :
http://www.conti-online.com/www/bicycle_de_en/10_racetyres/GrandPrix4000SII.html
. Really decent tires, like Conti GP 4000s, start around $70 each. Same price range for Michelin Pro 4.
Have you seen the new GP4000s II ???
Btw... GP4000s's, 50euro for a pair in this website: But its in Germany and I dont know how much shipping costs:
http://www.bike-discount.de/
Continental GP4000s II :
http://www.conti-online.com/www/bicycle_de_en/10_racetyres/GrandPrix4000SII.html
Using a simple method called "currency conversion", it's dead simple to discover that 50€ is $68.43 at current exchange rates. Given that shipping costs and shipping times from Germany will very likely be more than those in the US, it's difficult to see any benefit.
Quote: Originally Posted by alienator .
Using a simple method called "currency conversion", it's dead simple to discover that 50€ is $68.43 at current exchange rates. Given that shipping costs and shipping times from Germany will very likely be more than those in the US, it's difficult to see any benefit.
$69 for a pair instead of $140. I dont think that they will charge $70 to ship these "Continentals" - "Inter-continental"!!!
Ha! I made a funny...
Using a simple method called "currency conversion", it's dead simple to discover that 50€ is $68.43 at current exchange rates. Given that shipping costs and shipping times from Germany will very likely be more than those in the US, it's difficult to see any benefit.
$69 for a pair instead of $140. I dont think that they will charge $70 to ship these "Continentals" - "Inter-continental"!!!
Ha! I made a funny...
Quote: Originally Posted by Volnix .
Have you seen the new GP4000s II ???
Yes... they made a second version... in colors too! (Just in the side though as the centre is still the black chili stuff)
Btw... GP4000s's, 50euro for a pair in this website: But its in Germany and I dont know how much shipping costs:
http://www.bike-discount.de/
Continental GP4000s II :
http://www.conti-online.com/www/bicycle_de_en/10_racetyres/GrandPrix4000SII.html
All colors... and... oh yes... they "float"
Have you seen the new GP4000s II ???
Btw... GP4000s's, 50euro for a pair in this website: But its in Germany and I dont know how much shipping costs:
http://www.bike-discount.de/
Continental GP4000s II :
http://www.conti-online.com/www/bicycle_de_en/10_racetyres/GrandPrix4000SII.html
All colors... and... oh yes... they "float"
Quote: Originally Posted by sydneylion .
I have a trek 1.2 with sora groupset and was looking for any advice re upgrades.
Are serious upgrades worth it with this frame?
FWIW. I think that most people do not appreciate that the frame on less expensive bikes being sold by the major bicycle brands are the beneficiaries of the engineering which produced prior, high-zoot frames AND it is the mass production & less expensive components which often makes them the comparative bargain that the bike was when it was purchased ... granted, the welds MAY NOT be quite as elegant as on a hand made, $3000+ frame & the more pedestrian frame may weigh a few ounces more, but I think that most of those more modest bikes are certainly worthy of being upgraded ...
The ONLY disadvantage or obvious (?) caveat, IMO, of upgrading a bike which originally comes with a SORA group (or, almost any group) is that if you were to die (!?!) & the bike was sold in a garage sale by a less knowledgeable family member then it may subsequently be sold for less than it might otherwise be worth ...
BUT, just as the pedals & saddle can be easily moved to another bike if a person chooses, so too can any-and-all component upgrades be removed & typically moved to a different frame in the future OR sold on eBay ... seatposts are often an exception to a component being suitable for migration to a new frame due to varying seat tube diameters.
With that in mind, beyond different tires & tubes, I would recommend that EVERYONE who is thinking up an upgrade to a Shimano Sora group to EITHER a better Shimano component OR (ack!!) a SRAM group simply consider replacing their Shimano Sora shifters with a set of CAMPAGNOLO shifters, first ... why pay more?
FYI. A part of the deficiency in the shifting with less expensive Shimano road groups in less than ideal conditions is due to the comparatively indifferent ramping-and-pinning of 105-and-below Chainrings ... so, simply changing shifters may-or-may-not yield the sought after improvement.
Of course, the other deficiency in shifting which ALL non-electronic Shimano shifters currently are subject to is the well documented "dwell" which was engineered into the design (and, can be engineered OUT of the design).
While I haven't looked, recently, I believe that you can still buy a NOS pair of Campagnolo shifters for under $130, 24/7 on eBay ... a lightly used pair of 10-speed Chorus shifters may cost less. Some other models may cost less-or-more.
Campagnolo shifters will mate with almost ANY drivetrain!
Despite what some small-minded people would like to think, Campagnolo shifters not only work well with Shimano derailleurs, but they work better, particularly when the drivetrain is under a load (as when riding uphill).
I have a trek 1.2 with sora groupset and was looking for any advice re upgrades.
Are serious upgrades worth it with this frame?
FWIW. I think that most people do not appreciate that the frame on less expensive bikes being sold by the major bicycle brands are the beneficiaries of the engineering which produced prior, high-zoot frames AND it is the mass production & less expensive components which often makes them the comparative bargain that the bike was when it was purchased ... granted, the welds MAY NOT be quite as elegant as on a hand made, $3000+ frame & the more pedestrian frame may weigh a few ounces more, but I think that most of those more modest bikes are certainly worthy of being upgraded ...
The ONLY disadvantage or obvious (?) caveat, IMO, of upgrading a bike which originally comes with a SORA group (or, almost any group) is that if you were to die (!?!) & the bike was sold in a garage sale by a less knowledgeable family member then it may subsequently be sold for less than it might otherwise be worth ...
BUT, just as the pedals & saddle can be easily moved to another bike if a person chooses, so too can any-and-all component upgrades be removed & typically moved to a different frame in the future OR sold on eBay ... seatposts are often an exception to a component being suitable for migration to a new frame due to varying seat tube diameters.
With that in mind, beyond different tires & tubes, I would recommend that EVERYONE who is thinking up an upgrade to a Shimano Sora group to EITHER a better Shimano component OR (ack!!) a SRAM group simply consider replacing their Shimano Sora shifters with a set of CAMPAGNOLO shifters, first ... why pay more?
FYI. A part of the deficiency in the shifting with less expensive Shimano road groups in less than ideal conditions is due to the comparatively indifferent ramping-and-pinning of 105-and-below Chainrings ... so, simply changing shifters may-or-may-not yield the sought after improvement.
Of course, the other deficiency in shifting which ALL non-electronic Shimano shifters currently are subject to is the well documented "dwell" which was engineered into the design (and, can be engineered OUT of the design).
While I haven't looked, recently, I believe that you can still buy a NOS pair of Campagnolo shifters for under $130, 24/7 on eBay ... a lightly used pair of 10-speed Chorus shifters may cost less. Some other models may cost less-or-more.
Campagnolo shifters will mate with almost ANY drivetrain!
Despite what some small-minded people would like to think, Campagnolo shifters not only work well with Shimano derailleurs, but they work better, particularly when the drivetrain is under a load (as when riding uphill).
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