Need to upgrade from Triban 300

[veeshy]

Hi All

Cycling newbie here so go easy

I have a Triban 300 in white i purchased from Decathlon about 6 years ago and never really used it.

I've since taken to cycling, and wanted to upgrade if possible to cater for the following:

- Carbon forks (more comfy ride)
- Comfy Saddle
- Shimano gear set
- Better tyres
- Disc Brakes

Was considering a Triban 500 : https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-rc-500-disc-road-bike-black-sora-id_8554410.html#v2734580

Wanted to know what your thoughts were and if there is a better bike out there for the money that I ought to be considering.

TIA

 

[Cycleops]

By all means get the better tyres and the saddle but beyond that not really worth it and disc brakes will need a frame with associated fittings.

If you talking about vfm you won’t find better than a Triban other than a drastically reduced sale item but you’ll be lucky to find much in the current climate as the run on bicycles continues.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hi and @veeshy

The Tribans have long been considered great value for money and if I had the space I suspect one would be finding its way into my collection. For what it's worth, here are my thoughts:

• The carbon fork will make the bike lighter but I'd question whether it will be more comfortable in the straight-blade style shown.
• Saddles are incredibly personal so it's difficult to recommend one. You don't say what you have in mind so I'll just mention that contrary to most peoples' expectation, lots of padding is not actually a good thing except on short rides. Having the right shape for you makes more of a difference.
• Shimano components generally work well so are worth having.
• Since comfort is a focus, a change of tyres would make a difference. If I remember right, the Tribans of a few years ago came with 25mm tyres. The Triban RC500 comes with 28mm according to the blurb, which should be more comfortable. If your current bike has sufficient clearance you could try some 28mm tyres on it.
• My experience of cable disc brakes is limited to a few hire bikes. From that I'd say they work well, but didn't grab me as being a lot better than a decent rim brake. Where they stand out is being less affected riding in the wet or in mud which is good if you ride in inclement weather a lot. They weigh more than rim brakes so would negate any weight saving from the carbon fork.

As already alluded to above, the difficulty will be whether you can find one of the new Tribans. From your link I see that at the time of writing they only have small or extra small in stock. Great if that happens to be your size but it could be a bit of a wait for one otherwise.

 

[confusedcyclist]

There is not going to be a world of difference of feel between 25mm and 28mm tyres, but if you're changing your tyres anyway and you have the clearance, go for it!

My thoughts, since the frame is hardly used, it's got plenty of life in it. If you can take on the work why not upgrade your existing bike with:

A saddle that suits you.
Quality rim calliper compatible with your levers,
Quality tyres, theres loads to choose from, but which one will depend on your priorities see https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/

My old Giant came with Tektro callipers which were naff, and the 105 spec were night and day better. Not an expensive upgrade, paried with some decent brake shoes, they would give disc brakes a run for their money. If you don't do loads of winter/wet riding, you can live without disc brakes.

If you feel like splashing out, get a pair of hand built wheels and upgrade the entire drivetrain, with the latest shimano Tiagra or 105. You'll likely need a new rear wheel hub to accommodate a larger cassette if your old bike wasn't a 11 speed. Hey presto, new bike!

 

[veeshy]

Thanks for your feedback.

I probably needed to reword some of my original post to make it clearer, I wanted to upgrade the bike by purchasing a new one, and the reason for that are the points I called out.

Decathlon have some new stock coming in soon so keen to nail down a good choice for when the time is right, but just not sure if my expectations will be met by choosing a 520.

 

[Cycleops]

If you feel like splashing out, get a pair of hand built wheels and upgrade the entire drivetrain, with the latest shimano Tiagra or 105. You'll likely need a new rear wheel hub at accommodate the larger cassette. Hey presto, new bike!

The only problem being it will still be a budget Triban in essence so you’ll struggle to get back you money when it comes to selling.

The upside for you currently is that you’ll be able to sell your bike for a good price but then you might find it difficult to get a replacement, so swings and roundabouts.

 

[dhd.evans]

Hi All

Cycling newbie here so go easy

I have a Triban 300 in white i purchased from Decathlon about 6 years ago and never really used it.

I've since taken to cycling, and wanted to upgrade if possible to cater for the following:

- Carbon forks (more comfy ride)
- Comfy Saddle
- Shimano gear set
- Better tyres
- Disc Brakes

Was considering a Triban 500 : https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-rc-500-disc-road-bike-black-sora-id_8554410.html#v2734580

Wanted to know what your thoughts were and if there is a better bike out there for the money that I ought to be considering.

TIA

I moved from a Triban 3 which had a mixture of Tiagra and Sora components to a B'Twin Ultra 700 AF which was fully equipped with Shimano 105. B'Twin are absolutely exceptional value for money.

IMO, and this is based purely on how many components i wasted on my Triban 3, i would never go in at entry level components again. I was rough with the original Microshift kit and it was completely wasted within a year or so. The Sora kit didn't last much longer either. Tiagra just about made the grade and then i went for the full bike upgrade to a 105-equipped bike.

I might pay a little bit more for Ultegra if i was feeling flush, but I am a grippit Scotsman so if 105 works well for me i'm not going to splash out.

In summary: I back B'Twin bikes to the hilt, but i'd maybe put a little more cash in for the 105 version of the 500 (aptly named the 520).

Also, have you seen this beauty? Eesh. I might have to take a wee loan soon...

 

[confusedcyclist]

@Cycleops Yes that's a fair point, but a new bike depreciates rapidly too, so which ever way you go in this case, you hemorrhage money. If OP wants to keep costs down, my advice just get a comfortable saddle, and some decent brakes, replace the tyres when the existing ones are worn.

 

[HLaB]

Hi All

Cycling newbie here so go easy

I have a Triban 300 in white i purchased from Decathlon about 6 years ago and never really used it.

I've since taken to cycling, and wanted to upgrade if possible to cater for the following:

- Carbon forks (more comfy ride)
- Comfy Saddle
- Shimano gear set
- Better tyres
- Disc Brakes

Was considering a Triban 500 : https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-rc-500-disc-road-bike-black-sora-id_8554410.html#v2734580

Wanted to know what your thoughts were and if there is a better bike out there for the money that I ought to be considering.

TIA

I've the older Triban 500 which has a similar fork/frame but with caliper brakes and microshift. A very comfy bike and I'm definitely a fan of it for the money, go go for it