Home Chat General Chat

Upgrade or new bike?

trisitrisi Posts: 13
Following various pieces of sound advice on this subject, I've decided to upgrade a couple of essential items on my Giro 400, and save up for my 'dream' bike to race with next year.



I have Xenon 9 speed drivetrain which is a little clunky. Can anyone tell me if I can change to ANY 9 speed rear mech to improve rear shifting, or should I stick with Campag? Also, could the cheap ergo shifters be causing clunkiness or is it highly likely to be improved with a decent rear mech? Recommendations welcome...



Finally, I've seen some reasonably priced Aksium wheels on Ebay. Are these a good choice as an upgrade on my original Rigida rims on Miche hubs (which are popping spokes like billio at the moment!)?



Ta!

Comments

  • guv001guv001 Posts: 227
    Askiums are ok wheels a little on the heavy side but for that price whos complaining, they are also quite tough.
  • loonytoonloonytoon Posts: 673
    Trisi...following your appeal on the kettle topic...



    Will you be using both bikes next year?



    If your gonna just use one...



    I mentioned upgrading bits of my second hand bike to my mate which prompted a raised eyebrow and he said the frame will let you down in the end.



    The main trouble with up grading is that by putting good bits on a bad frame there is now gaurantee that those bits will work on a new frame..what happens if you want 10spd on the new bike but have just spent £500 on 9spd mech?



    If you are going to be using the old(upgraded) bike and the new dream machine.. then the maybe some benefit in upgrading parts though as the upgraded bike will only be a training machine then I wouldn't get to carried away as money spent on it could be used to get a better racing bike.



    ...

    I'd go for the though wheels these undoubtably be able to be used on the new frame/bike. and will probably make a difference to current bike as well.









  • trisitrisi Posts: 13
    Thanks, Loonytoon. I'm hoping for a 2 bike strategy next year (trainer and racer), and totally understand about restricting spends on my current bike. I went to a local shop and they quoted me £600 to instal shimano 105 drivetrain, and Askium wheels!!! hardly economical use of my hard earned funds, so I thought I'd stick to £35 on new rear mech and some entry level wheels to replace my goofy set.



    So - can I use any 9 speed mech, or should it be campag? Not sure if there's any difference in the manufacturer's chain width, or something deliberate like that which will eliminate the possibility of mixing kit. The 105 rear mech at £25 is an attractive upgrade option at the moment.



    I've also seen discussion on wheels - Vento Vs. Askium Vs. Fulcrum 5..... any experience with any of these, anyone?
  • loonytoonloonytoon Posts: 673
    I would imagine you can use any rear mech as long its compatable with your shifters. That could just be a setup issue I don't know..





  • guv001guv001 Posts: 227
    Most shops do finance get Campagnolo G/P on one bike and Dura ace on another treat yourself. (If only eh why is everything so damn expensive).
Sign In or Register to comment.