What upgrades for a road bike newbie...
Discussion
Hi,
I bought this bike last year as an intro into cycling, wanted something cheap and cheerful to see if I like and enjoy the sport without spending a fortune.
This is the spec according to halfords website:
Exact Frame Size: 58cm
Frame Material: Aluminium
Frame-: Lightweight 6061 aluminium frame
Front Brake: Tektro alloy calliper brake
Front Mech: Shimano FD-A050
Gear Shifters: Shimano ST-2300
Number of Gears: 16
Rear Brake: Tektro alloy calliper brake
Rear Mech: Shimano RD-2300
Tyre size: 23c
Tyres: Kenda road tyre
Wheel Size: 700c
Chainset: Shimano FCA050 52/39 / Prowheel
Forks: Hi-Tensile Straight Blade
Stem: Alloy
Approximate Weight (KG): 11.7
Cassette: 12-26T
Geometry: Compact
So now I'm looking at making the experience better without having to fork out for a new bike, as I'm still getting to grips with the whole cycling malark.
So what upgrades would you recommend for me to make without spending a complete fortune? So far I'm thinking SPD-SL pedals and maybe some better rubber?
Cheers Jay
I bought this bike last year as an intro into cycling, wanted something cheap and cheerful to see if I like and enjoy the sport without spending a fortune.
This is the spec according to halfords website:
Exact Frame Size: 58cm
Frame Material: Aluminium
Frame-: Lightweight 6061 aluminium frame
Front Brake: Tektro alloy calliper brake
Front Mech: Shimano FD-A050
Gear Shifters: Shimano ST-2300
Number of Gears: 16
Rear Brake: Tektro alloy calliper brake
Rear Mech: Shimano RD-2300
Tyre size: 23c
Tyres: Kenda road tyre
Wheel Size: 700c
Chainset: Shimano FCA050 52/39 / Prowheel
Forks: Hi-Tensile Straight Blade
Stem: Alloy
Approximate Weight (KG): 11.7
Cassette: 12-26T
Geometry: Compact
So now I'm looking at making the experience better without having to fork out for a new bike, as I'm still getting to grips with the whole cycling malark.
So what upgrades would you recommend for me to make without spending a complete fortune? So far I'm thinking SPD-SL pedals and maybe some better rubber?
Cheers Jay
Wheels will always be the biggest single (or most noticeable) upgrade you can make, you will probably be able to bag some better and lighter wheels on eBay if you keep your eye open
Without wishing to insult you (please don't take this the wrong way), I would save for a while and 'upgrade' the bike to a better frameset that you can build on in the future. You could easily get carried away with upgrading the groupset, finishing kit, wheels, forks etc etc. I would suggest getting some SPD pedals, seeing if you can get some cheapish lighter wheels and then getting as many miles in over the next 6 months as you can. If you get 'bitten' you can justify an upgrade of the bike, if you decide that you enjoy being an occasional/weekend rider then what you have is probably more than adequate.
If you decide to upgrade the bike on a budget you could do it by buying the frame and components separately then building it up yourself. I did this with an MTB a couple of years ago, it is very rewarding to ride something you know nobody else has, and you can take your time to make sure the spec is exactly what you want!
Without wishing to insult you (please don't take this the wrong way), I would save for a while and 'upgrade' the bike to a better frameset that you can build on in the future. You could easily get carried away with upgrading the groupset, finishing kit, wheels, forks etc etc. I would suggest getting some SPD pedals, seeing if you can get some cheapish lighter wheels and then getting as many miles in over the next 6 months as you can. If you get 'bitten' you can justify an upgrade of the bike, if you decide that you enjoy being an occasional/weekend rider then what you have is probably more than adequate.
If you decide to upgrade the bike on a budget you could do it by buying the frame and components separately then building it up yourself. I did this with an MTB a couple of years ago, it is very rewarding to ride something you know nobody else has, and you can take your time to make sure the spec is exactly what you want!
depends on how you are preapred to spend really. £40 on a pair of continental ultra race tyres would be a sound investment, £25 on a tiagra rear mech would also help make shifting a little more precise too. You could have a look for a set of second hand wheels too, £50 should get something like Fulcrum 7s or Shimano RS20s that would really transform the ride.
Actually thinking about it, your best upgrades - if you don't have it already - would be some decent cycling specific clothing: good bib-shorts / longs; merino top; waterproof jacket, overshoes, decent gloves.
The right clothing will make pedalling more pleasant, and keep you going out on the bike. Once the bug has truly bitten then, a new bike will beckon, and even better, the road miles will give a better idea of what you want.
The right clothing will make pedalling more pleasant, and keep you going out on the bike. Once the bug has truly bitten then, a new bike will beckon, and even better, the road miles will give a better idea of what you want.
Pedals make a lot of sense, especially as you can easily move them on to the next bike when you do upgrade (just keep the current ones to put back on when you come to sell it).
Having said that, before you go for SPD-SLs, it's worth just asking yourself what sort of cycling you're most likely to do, and also how much time you might spend off the bike whilst wearing the shoes.
I use SPDs (not SLs) on all my bikes. Whilst they're supposedly for mountain bikes, there's no reason not to use them on road bikes (unless you're planning on racing at a level where it might make a difference), and they're easier to clip in and out with, and much, much easier to walk in, as the cleats are recessed on the shoe, rather than sticking down below it.
Having said that, before you go for SPD-SLs, it's worth just asking yourself what sort of cycling you're most likely to do, and also how much time you might spend off the bike whilst wearing the shoes.
I use SPDs (not SLs) on all my bikes. Whilst they're supposedly for mountain bikes, there's no reason not to use them on road bikes (unless you're planning on racing at a level where it might make a difference), and they're easier to clip in and out with, and much, much easier to walk in, as the cleats are recessed on the shoe, rather than sticking down below it.
I can't see the image but by the spec I'm guessing it's a Virtuoso.
I have one on my fleet and all I've done is put on 540SPD-SL pedals and changed the tyres.
The standard Kenda tyres is dreadful, I put on Schwalbe Luganos costing £12 each following advice on here.
Don't upgrade anything else, enjoying the cycling and if/when you want to upgrade sell the bike and buy a new one.
I recently got a Virago which is a far nicer ride, my Virtuoso may get sold in the summer.
I have one on my fleet and all I've done is put on 540SPD-SL pedals and changed the tyres.
The standard Kenda tyres is dreadful, I put on Schwalbe Luganos costing £12 each following advice on here.
Don't upgrade anything else, enjoying the cycling and if/when you want to upgrade sell the bike and buy a new one.
I recently got a Virago which is a far nicer ride, my Virtuoso may get sold in the summer.
I disagree with those suggesting SPDs simply as SPD SLs are better for road biking and no point buying mtb kit for a road bike - if you had the SPDs already that would be different. I use SPD SLs on my road bikes in the summer but SPDs in the winter with touring pedals simply as I have them and some decent winter mtb boots. SPD SLs are a lot better in use and R540s are v cheap.
Other than that look at wheels and tyres as you can use them when you upgrade to a new bike but don't worry about the rest unless there's something really causing annoyance? Saddle OK?
Other than that look at wheels and tyres as you can use them when you upgrade to a new bike but don't worry about the rest unless there's something really causing annoyance? Saddle OK?
mudshark said:
I disagree with those suggesting SPDs simply as SPD SLs are better for road biking and no point buying mtb kit for a road bike - if you had the SPDs already that would be different. I use SPD SLs on my road bikes in the summer but SPDs in the winter with touring pedals simply as I have them and some decent winter mtb boots. SPD SLs are a lot better in use and R540s are v cheap.
Other than that look at wheels and tyres as you can use them when you upgrade to a new bike but don't worry about the rest unless there's something really causing annoyance? Saddle OK?
mtb SPDs are better for off the bike as htey have a recessed cleat and some people like to go for a wander on foot when they have reached a destination like a town or beach, walking around in SPD-SLs is a non starter so means you pretty much have to stay on the bike.Other than that look at wheels and tyres as you can use them when you upgrade to a new bike but don't worry about the rest unless there's something really causing annoyance? Saddle OK?
mudshark said:
I disagree with those suggesting SPDs simply as SPD SLs are better for road biking and no point buying mtb kit for a road bike - if you had the SPDs already that would be different. I use SPD SLs on my road bikes in the summer but SPDs in the winter with touring pedals simply as I have them and some decent winter mtb boots. SPD SLs are a lot better in use and R540s are v cheap.
You missed the bit where I said "depending on what sort of riding you're doing".The vast majority of my road bike miles are done commuting into Central London on a route with 81 sets of traffic lights, and from the number of people I see struggling with getting SL cleats into the pedals, I certainly wouldn't want to be using them on that route.
I'm sure they're the best option for riding longer distances with very few stops, but that's why I asked the OP what sort of riding he was planning on doing.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff