Ugrades

[rivers]

I won't go Di2 because I don't want to rely on charging the batteries. Seems to me that just turning the crank should charge the batteries.

Also if you upgrade, r8000 or 9100 is a nice upgrade.

I have Ultegra on my TT bike, and to be honest, I can't tell the difference between shifting or breaking between them. Hell, even my tiagra equipped bike shifts just as well. So I see no point in upgrading to a more expensive mechanical groupset. So if I upgrade, it will be to DI2.

 

[Oldhippy]

I upgrade as parts wear out. I always buy the best I can afford.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I upgrade as parts wear out. I always buy the best I can afford.

Careful the bike might upgrade you

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I build my bikes up from a frame. So they don’t get upgraded as I build them with the parts I want from the off. As parts wear out I replace them.

 

[PaulSB]

I just read up on cracks in aluminum frames. Didn't realize it was inevitable. I stay away from carbon frames for that very reason. I guess with aluminum it is visible where carbon is likely not. My bike is a 2018 so I got some time hopefully. Maybe with new alloys it will last longer.

It isn't inevitable a bike frame will crack regardless of what it's built from. Steel, aluminum, carbon, titanium, all can develop a fault but in the main a frame will last a lifetime.

Wherever you read this it's offering nonsense.

 

[Grant Fondo]

I went XT upgrade on my 1995 Cannondale M500... but kind of miss the 'gripshifters' ... too 90s man i think

 

[cougie uk]

It isn't inevitable a bike frame will crack regardless of what it's built from. Steel, aluminum, carbon, titanium, all can develop a fault but in the main a frame will last a lifetime.

Wherever you read this it's offering nonsense.

Yep. My winter bike is aluminium and that's 10 years old. My carbon summer bike is 8 years old or so. I'm sure there's thousands older than that out there.

You don't need to worry about a 2018 frame.

 

[Gunk]

I build my bikes up from a frame. So they don’t get upgraded as I build them with the parts I want from the off. As parts wear out I replace them.

most of my bikes are custom built and most are rolling projects, I’m always swapping and changing, as stuff comes up on eBay. Most now have 10 speed Ultegra 6600 which is a lovely groupset, especially the SL version. Two bikes have Campagnolo and the mountain bikes both have XTR.

 

[Cycling_Samurai]

It isn't inevitable a bike frame will crack regardless of what it's built from. Steel, aluminum, carbon, titanium, all can develop a fault but in the main a frame will last a lifetime.

Wherever you read this it's offering nonsense.

I'm hoping so. I really am not interested in having to replace the bike because of a crack. Particularly 100% aluminum frames will crack with age. However the Cannondale aluminum frames are alloys.

 

[Cycling_Samurai]

I suppose my most 'upgraded'* bike is the fixed. It's on its fifth or possibly sixth frame. I have no idea how many different wheels it's had. The oldest components are the cranks, dating back to the 1980s (SR old Campag pattern).

*A term mostly misused, when replaced is meant.

Actually a replacement can be an upgrade but a replacement could just be the newer of the same part.

 

[HLaB]

I bought a new frame a few years back and the plan was to transfer all my existing Ultegra groupset I'd got second hand (the 36/52t chainring was new though) from the old frame to the new frame. The Ultegra upgrade was a result of need to replace worn out 105 parts and I saw no need to upgrade. However, I was offered a 2nd hand Dura Ace groupset by the mechanic and he also offered his build time so I took him up on it. The only things I ended up transferring in the end were the wheels and handlebar

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Particularly 100% aluminum frames will crack with age. However the Cannondale aluminum frames are alloys.

All aluminium structures will fatique crack eventually if the loadings are right. You will not find pure aluminium in any bicycle part, nor in anything much else for that matter. Pure aluminium is a pretty poor material, very soft and weak. It is almost always alloyed to modify it's characteristics, and is very rarely ever used pure.
The only differences you will find in engineering aluminium alloys is slight variations in the proportion of the various alloying agents.
It's much the same with steel tube alloys. If you compare Reynolds 501 with 531, 501 is referred to as a cro-moly alloy, and 531 as a mang-moly alloy. However 501 also contains manganese, just in a lower proportion.

 

[nickyboy]

Got Ultegra on one bike, 105 on the other. Can't tell them apart in terms of functionality. Will probably change the Ultegra to 105 when it wears out

Tyres are a different matter. Without doubt the cheapest, most effective upgrade (in that it lets you go quicker for same effort) you can do. Changing from shonky tyres to better ones can give you a free 10 watts. Would cost you zillions to get same impact via components

 

[Gunk]

Tyres are a different matter. Without doubt the cheapest, most effective upgrade (in that it lets you go quicker for same effort) you can do. Changing from shonky tyres to better ones can give you a free 10 watts.

Completely agree, a decent set of tyres transforms the bike. Better upgrade than changing the wheelset.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Got Ultegra on one bike, 105 on the other. Can't tell them apart in terms of functionality. Will probably change the Ultegra to 105 when it wears out

Tyres are a different matter. Without doubt the cheapest, most effective upgrade (in that it lets you go quicker for same effort) you can do. Changing from shonky tyres to better ones can give you a free 10 watts. Would cost you zillions to get same impact via components

Plus that’s for one tyre. Easily save 20 watts of effort with two decent tyres. That equates to going about 1 mph faster for same effort.