How much of a difference is going from shimano claris to ultegra gear set?

[HLaB]

I’m not talking about tyres only here, the actual wheels do make a difference. Rotating weight matters ! However for your average joe , no need to spend a lot. Nice set of handbuilt wheels coming in at £300 or so will serve you well compared to manufacturer supplied. Better still see what can be had second hand. Anyway it’s all about what you wish or want to spend.

Yes and no but you probably know that If its a stop start or hilly route the rolling weight matters but once a wheel is rolling it doesn't matter but aero does, hence heavier deep sections/discs. Where that switch kicks in speed wise is debatable too . The OP might need to factor that in.

The simplest most effective upgrade is the position of the rider (but you've got to be comfortable )
Then the wheels (aero/weight/cost balance for me)
A tyre change may help too (depending what you have in the first place)

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

It's like my Mum put you up to this to deter me from getting a new bike So what's a good reason to get a 3k bike? Or even a 1.5k bike?

That's because your mum knows best. Mums always do. They've been around longer and have seen it all before. When I was a youngster I used to think I knew best. As I got older I began to realise that most of the time my mum had been right all along about all sorts of things we had a difference of opinion over.
You, on the other hand, haven't been around nearly so long. You're probably thinking "if I can achieve x amount on this relatively cheap bike, an expensive bike is going to be way better" The reality is it's going to make very little difference. It's the engine that makes a car go, not the bodywork, same applies to bikes.

 

[oreo_muncher]

That's because your mum knows best. Mums always do. They've been around longer and have seen it all before. When I was a youngster I used to think I knew best. As I got older I began to realise that most of the time my mum had been right all along about all sorts of things we had a difference of opinion over.
You, on the other hand, haven't been around nearly so long. You're probably thinking "if I can achieve x amount on this relatively cheap bike, an expensive bike is going to be way better" The reality is it's going to make very little difference. It's the engine that makes a car go, not the bodywork, same applies to bikes.

Found it the other way around as I got older realised most 'adults' don't know what they're talking about and are as lost in this world as me. (in generic terms, not that I'm saying you don't know about the bike stuff, but about the mum comment)

 

[PaulSB]

Yes I have read your story about the female climber I don't think I'm at a point yet where my bike limits me. I don't cycle as much as i did before, probably losing my abilities now.

If you want to reach this point you will, if you prefer a different approach to cycling that's cool.

Each to their own.

 

[Gunk]

I recently upgraded my Lad’s road bike from 9 speed Sora to 10 Speed 6600 Ultegra, it was worth it, lighter, two extra gears and it looks stunning especially in polished silver.

 

[PaulSB]

That's because your mum knows best. Mums always do. They've been around longer and have seen it all before. When I was a youngster I used to think I knew best. As I got older I began to realise that most of the time my mum had been right all along about all sorts of things we had a difference of opinion over.
You, on the other hand, haven't been around nearly so long. You're probably thinking "if I can achieve x amount on this relatively cheap bike, an expensive bike is going to be way better" The reality is it's going to make very little difference. It's the engine that makes a car go, not the bodywork, same applies to bikes.

I've tried to avoid challenging this but in my view you are simply wrong. My personal experience as a cyclist proves it to me and my observation of friends and club mates confirms this.

Put a good engine on a bike and he/she will perform to a level. Improve the bike and the wheels and immediately the power the rider puts out will translate in to improved performance.

This is true across many vastly differing types of vehicle - boats, yachts, cars, trucks. If it wasn't true nothing would have changed since the penny farthing or the model T Ford.

 

[Blue Hills]

I don't know anything about modern ultegra stuff but I have a 9 speed rear ultegra rear mech that came on a 2002 bike I bought in 2004.
Folks who know me from the rides I lead will know it from my blue dale.
Well used as that bike was my main bike - definitely for miles.
I bashed it into my spokes once on that bike and took some out.
It's still going on a new build (a £30 ridgeback base) and had some new jockey wheels a while ago.
It is a wonderful thing to look at and is strong.
I wouldn't say it's light at all but I don't care.
I bought a second hand one a while ago as a back-up.
So Ultegra - why not - but 9 speed

 

[Blue Hills]

I recently upgraded my Lad’s road bike from 9 speed Sora to 10 Speed 6600 Ultegra, it was worth it, lighter, two extra gears and it looks stunning especially in polished silver.

2 extra gears?
lighter? how much?

 

[PaulSB]

Found it the other way around as I got older realised most 'adults' don't know what they're talking about and are as lost in this world as me. (in generic terms, not that I'm saying you don't know about the bike stuff, but about the mum comment)

This certainly used to be true but I like to think there are many from my generation, child of the 60s, who remain open minded and ready to accept and discuss new ideas.

The gulf between my generation and my parents is deep and wide.

 

[Blue Hills]

That's because your mum knows best. Mums always do.

You're Italian skipdiver?

 

[Drago]

There are plenty of reasons why one might buy a £3k bike. The number one is sheer pleasure and there is no better reason for buying one.

It's important to understand you will reach a point where a better bike will allow you to ride or perform better. Basically what happens is your abilities are restricted by the bike. In my opinion those who don't agree are flat out wrong. BUT there is no point in using an expensive bike which offers improved performance unless you're pushing yourself in terms of fitness and strength.

You may have missed this earlier. A woman I ride with recently bought the top of the range Trek Emonda. She and I were about equal as climbers. Overnight she began to smash me by 30-60 seconds or more - this is on serious climbs, cat 3 or 4, UK top 💯 s. She's hammering others in the club. We all knew this would happen as everyone could see her potential. The only variable which changed was her bike.

This lady's ability has long been obvious and the Trek has unleashed the potential. No matter how much I spent I'll never get close to her again. Which is fantastic to see.

Quality wheels and tyres will also improve performance and ride. After a quality frame it's the best investment you can make.

I've experienced this myself on my own bikes. On today's ride of 56 miles on my Dolan we only averaged 14.5mph, on my summer bike, Cervelo C3, for the same effort it would have been 16 and if we pushed ourselves 17.5mph.

It must be said winter conditions impact averages etc.

Thats perhaps slightly misleading, as with a sample of one theres a 50/50 likelihood of a correlation of 1.

But lets assume for a moment that the bike has suddenly turbocharged this lass. What attribute is suddenly benefitting her? A pound to a pinch of dog poop says that whatever characreristic is giving her the boost is one that isn't particularly cost dependent, such as fit or positioning.

If it were simply the bikes technical characteristics then we'd all be riding that model and razzing round like stabbed rats, but we don't and we're not. There will he something quite intinsic to that particular bike that suits that rider, something not easily defineable, and it won't be simply a high spec geartrain or light wheels, because if it were that easy we'd all do it.p and all be 20 seconds faster up our favourite hill.

Its the same phenomenon that I have with my Felt. Not an expensive bike and a mediocre drivetrain, but some ingredient makes me fly on it. So much so that I have one KoM and I'm 9th on another, where every single rider ahead of me is either a racer or a coach and I give at least 25 years to all of them. I think its just an equisite fit and feel that allows me to perform in a manner and level that I can't on my other bikes, and that is not an attribute that costs money.

 

[nickyboy]

So you want to do a 28mile (45km) circuit with 1000ft of climbing and you're currently doing it at about 12.5mph and you want to do it at around 15mph

Don't waste your money on new kit. I presume you're young. Providing you don't have some physiological or health issues you can do that on your current bike. It's just a matter of getting a bit fitter. To give you an idea, I'm probably a lot older than you, don't have a particularly fancy bike and I could do that at about 18mph average if I try hard. I'm reasonably fit

So you need to address how to get fitter (assuming no underlying health issues etc), not go on about different groupsets etc. They will make almost zero difference whereas you can probably improve by 6mph just by getting fit

I suggest you time yourself on that route. Then keep trying to improve your time again and again. There's no shortcut to getting fit. But for sure you have loads of room for increasing your speed by doing so

 

[Gunk]

2 extra gears?
lighter? how much?

Don’t ask, but it looks great!

 

[bikingdad90]

@Gunk I’m most intrigued by the positive rise stem and then seemingly negative rise on the handlebars and why you didn’t go for a stem with less rise so the bars are level?

Nice bike though.

 

[PaulSB]

Thats perhaps slightly misleading, as with a sample of one theres a 50/50 likelihood of a correlation of 1.

But lets assume for a moment that the bike has suddenly turbocharged this lass. What attribute is suddenly benefitting her? A pound to a pinch of dog poop says that whatever characreristic is giving her the boost is one that isn't particularly cost dependent, such as fit or positioning.

If it were simply the bikes technical characteristics then we'd all be riding that model and razzing round like stabbed rats, but we don't and we're not. There will he something quite intinsic to that particular bike that suits that rider, something not easily defineable, and it won't be simply a high spec geartrain or light wheels, because if it were that easy we'd all do it.p and all be 20 seconds faster up our favourite hill.

Its the same phenomenon that I have with my Felt. Not an expensive bike and a mediocre drivetrain, but some ingredient makes me fly on it. So much so that I have one KoM and I'm 9th on another, where every single rider ahead of me is either a racer or a coach and I give at least 25 years to all of them. I think its just an equisite fit and feel that allows me to perform in a manner and level that I can't on my other bikes, and that is not an attribute that costs money.

I'm not sure about misleading but do understand where you're coming from. As with your Felt my Cervelo is just perfect for me. Most rides I'm not really aware of the bike and on a good day it's like an extension of my body. So I do agree there is an element of fit, position, feel good factor which is intangible and almost impossible to pinpoint.

However a bike is a machine as is a car, yacht etc. all of which are driven by an engine of some sort. In those examples we have human, petrol and wind powered engined. Builders and designers put huge effort in to improving every aspect of the machine to allow the maximum use of the power to drive the machine forward. The less power the machine absorbs or prevents reaching, in this case the wheels the more is transmitted and used efficiently in terms of pushing the machine forward.

The better and more efficient the design the faster the bike will be This costs money and, yes, there's definitely a premium involved which ends up with the manufacturer!