Upgrading my bike

How old is your bike? What components does it currently have? What do think or want to upgrade?

What year is your bike? I bought an Allez Elite this year... I say modify. So far I have upgraded to RS80 wheels (feels like a new bike), 105 pedals, and an Ultegra 6700 cassette. Over the winter I'm going to find a cheap steel frame to swap all the Tiagra components and heavy FSA crank onto so I can go full Ultegra on the Allez.

I thought about carbon for a long time but opted for the Allez just incase I got cold feet about cycling... But I love every minute and the Allez is just way to beautiful to ditch for carbon, so I'm sticking with it.

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Pictured with stock wheels.

It is a 2011 Allez elite. I have Keo classic pedals on it. Was considering the wheels to be the main place to upgrade. I just seem to go backwards when the gradient increases. I also really like the way the bike feels.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that model a 9 speed with a 12-25 in the back? That's a +10kg bike... That's a lot of weight to be pushing up a hill with a 25 in the back.

Some lighter wheels and a bigger back gear will do wonders on the climbs. I shaved almost 850 grams switching to the RS80 wheels... and my new 12-30 cassette makes the hills in BC much easier.

It's very likely that the new RS80 wheels contributed only in a small way to making hills easier for you as that 850g difference is only a small percentage of the overall bike/rider weight. But that doesn't mean that changing wheels was a bad idea

Thank you for the advice and comments. I have decided to work hard in the gym over the winter and loose some weight that way. If I reach my target then I treat myself to a carbon frame. If I don't then I don't then I don't deserve the awesome Tarmac SL4 comp I have my eyes on.

Tarmac SL4... That's sexy. You should just buy it regardless of your goal.

This is an unknown brand bike..
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Riding with me for three years

Where is that picture taken?

The biggest difference in performance is not the bike weight, but the rider weight. Why waste the cash when you could shed off 5pounds.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by alienator

It's very likely that the new RS80 wheels contributed only in a small way to making hills easier for you as that 850g difference is only a small percentage of the overall bike/rider weight. But that doesn't mean that changing wheels was a bad idea

Hello everyone,

I know that the changing the weight of wheels makes much more difference than the weight of overall bike. According to my opinion 850g difference makes a big difference.

On the other hand, the weight is not the only factor. Another factor is the stiffness. So if you replace flexible wheels with the rigid wheels, your performance will be much better.

I would agree with upgrading wheels I myself have RS80C24 wheels and they made a huge difference as spin up realky well and are also more comfortable on rougher roads

In the words of the great Eddy Merckx, "Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades"

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by ericlow10

Thank you for the advice and comments. I have decided to work hard in the gym over the winter and loose some weight that way. If I reach my target then I treat myself to a carbon frame. If I don't then I don't then I don't deserve the awesome Tarmac SL4 comp I have my eyes on.

The place to start shedding weight isn't the gym, but the dining table. Let's say you're one cupcake's worth of calories over your "allowed" daily intake, at a mid-intensity workout, that can take one hour to burn through - and then you're still only back to square one for that particular day.

And if by gym you mean weights - not cardio - you'll find it even harder to achieve your goal.

Now, don't get me wrong. Plenty of good things can come from a bit of weight training. And cardio can sure help with weight loss. But you've gotta realise the relative importance of the things you can do. And getting your diet under control tops that list by a big margin.

In the words of the great Eddy Merckx, "Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades"

Eddy was correct! Still, nothing wrong with a new set of lighter wheels or a new bike.

"Plenty of good things can come from a bit of weight training."

Hey, those hot, toned chicks wearing next to nothing at the gym ain't going to leer at themselves!

I've always been somewhat puzzled by the bike weight obsession that afflicts so many riders, where milligrams assume out sized importance, while the weight of the rider seems to be beside the point, and that means kilograms. Exercise,especially aerobic, is important, but coupled with portion control the combination is unbeatable.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by hyperliterate
I've always been somewhat puzzled by the bike weight obsession that afflicts so many riders, where milligrams assume out sized importance, while the weight of the rider seems to be beside the point, and that means kilograms. Exercise,especially aerobic, is important, but coupled with portion control the combination is unbeatable.

Thing is, humans as measuring devices suck at registering absolute values, but can be surprisingly sensitive when it comes to detecting changes.
So a lighter bike, particulary with lighter wheels, can bring a huge change to the feel of the bike.
And with that can come a huge change in the enjoyment of the rider - even if doesn't amount to shaving any important number of minutes off from the favourite ride.

"Thing is, humans as measuring devices suck at registering absolute values, but can be surprisingly sensitive when it comes to detecting changes."

In some cases, changes of less than 2% are detectable.

"So a lighter bike, particulary with lighter wheels, can bring a huge change to the feel of the bike."

Truth.

"And with that can come a huge change in the enjoyment of the rider - even if doesn't amount to shaving any important number of minutes off from the favourite ride."

Exactly!

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB
"Thing is, humans as measuring devices suck at registering absolute values, but can be surprisingly sensitive when it comes to detecting changes."

In some cases, changes of less than 2% are detectable.

"So a lighter bike, particulary with lighter wheels, can bring a huge change to the feel of the bike."

Truth.

"And with that can come a huge change in the enjoyment of the rider - even if doesn't amount to shaving any important number of minutes off from the favourite ride."

Exactly!

And sometimes, purely to trip up any further attempts at repeatable and comparable science, the rider wearing the bigger smile - or the ride causing the biggest smile - will have the rider going at it HARDER, thus riding FASTER than what mere science and numbers would suggest...