Upgrade from 2x7 to 2x10 speed

[Archeress]

I have been the beneficiary of a friends misfortune. About a year ago she had a very slow speed accident that caused her to break her neck. Fortunately she survived without any major paralysis, but has difficulty with her hands both in sensation and slightly limited movement. However, she found that she had difficulty shifting gears on her road bike with its 105 brifters as she could not tell which lever she was using. She decided to convert to flat bars as the shifting was going to be easier and I became the proud owner of a pair of 105 brifters and a tiagra rear mech (for a contribution towards her bikes rebuild).

I only have a single road bike, a Carrera Zelos, which many of you probably would not want to upgrade or consider worth upgrading, but as I'm a student I have little money to purchase an equivalent bike coming with 105/tiagra kit.

A little more backstory... when purchasing the bike, the brifters that were fitted rattled so Halfords replaced the brifters with 2x8 speed so an upgrade was always on the cards and I had the bits to rebuild the back wheel with about a year ago. After my exam next week, I shall be visiting with one of my club members to rebuild the back wheel as he has all the kit (literally the complete Park Tools catalog), so the upgrade will start. After the back wheel has been rebuilt, I have all the tools and most of the knowledge I need to do the rest.

I have the cables and bar tape, a 10 speed cassette, 10 speed chain and just ordered a FSA square taper 10speed chainset, is there anything missing from any knowledgable peeps regarding this project? Will I have to get a replacement front mech or will it work okay with the new brifters?

Certainly going to be among the best equipped Carrera once it's finished!

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[raleighnut]

I have been the beneficiary of a friends misfortune. About a year ago she had a very slow speed accident that caused her to break her neck. Fortunately she survived without any major paralysis, but has difficulty with her hands both in sensation and slightly limited movement. However, she found that she had difficulty shifting gears on her road bike with its 105 brifters as she could not tell which lever she was using. She decided to convert to flat bars as the shifting was going to be easier and I became the proud owner of a pair of 105 brifters and a tiagra rear mech (for a contribution towards her bikes rebuild).

I only have a single road bike, a Carrera Zelos, which many of you probably would not want to upgrade or consider worth upgrading, but as I'm a student I have little money to purchase an equivalent bike coming with 105/tiagra kit.

A little more backstory... when purchasing the bike, the brifters that were fitted rattled so Halfords replaced the brifters with 2x8 speed so an upgrade was always on the cards and I had the bits to rebuild the back wheel with about a year ago. After my exam next week, I shall be visiting with one of my club members to rebuild the back wheel as he has all the kit (literally the complete Park Tools catalog), so the upgrade will start. After the back wheel has been rebuilt, I have all the tools and most of the knowledge I need to do the rest.

I have the cables and bar tape, a 10 speed cassette, 10 speed chain and just ordered a FSA square taper 10speed chainset, is there anything missing from any knowledgable peeps regarding this project? Will I have to get a replacement front mech or will it work okay with the new brifters?

Certainly going to be among the best equipped Carrera once it's finished!

Hugs
Archeress x

Should be good to go.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I have been the beneficiary of a friends misfortune. About a year ago she had a very slow speed accident that caused her to break her neck. Fortunately she survived without any major paralysis, but has difficulty with her hands both in sensation and slightly limited movement. However, she found that she had difficulty shifting gears on her road bike with its 105 brifters as she could not tell which lever she was using. She decided to convert to flat bars as the shifting was going to be easier and I became the proud owner of a pair of 105 brifters and a tiagra rear mech (for a contribution towards her bikes rebuild).

I only have a single road bike, a Carrera Zelos, which many of you probably would not want to upgrade or consider worth upgrading, but as I'm a student I have little money to purchase an equivalent bike coming with 105/tiagra kit.

A little more backstory... when purchasing the bike, the brifters that were fitted rattled so Halfords replaced the brifters with 2x8 speed so an upgrade was always on the cards and I had the bits to rebuild the back wheel with about a year ago. After my exam next week, I shall be visiting with one of my club members to rebuild the back wheel as he has all the kit (literally the complete Park Tools catalog), so the upgrade will start. After the back wheel has been rebuilt, I have all the tools and most of the knowledge I need to do the rest.

I have the cables and bar tape, a 10 speed cassette, 10 speed chain and just ordered a FSA square taper 10speed chainset, is there anything missing from any knowledgable peeps regarding this project? Will I have to get a replacement front mech or will it work okay with the new brifters?

Certainly going to be among the best equipped Carrera once it's finished!

Hugs
Archeress x

Make sure you have a decent torque wrench, and you know how much torque each bit needs.

 

[Archeress]

Make sure you have a decent torque wrench, and you know how much torque each bit needs.

Thank you x

 

[cyberknight]

does the original back wheel have a cassette or freewheel ?

I have a feeling that the zelos came with a freewheel in which case you will need a new wheel . also you would need to check the spacing on the rear drop outs , 7 speed could be 126 mm whereas 8 speed + are 130 mm

 

[bigjim]

Make sure you have a decent torque wrench, and you know how much torque each bit needs.

Interesting comment. I don't own a torque wrench and have never used one on the many bikes I have built. I understand the need on a carbon bike though.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Interesting comment. I don't own a torque wrench and have never used one on the many bikes I have built. I understand the need on a carbon bike though.

I do a lot of servicing on all sorts of bikes, friends and colleagues included. I've lost count of the amount of times, various bolts have been over tightened, and it's taken a lot of effort to get them off, without causing damage. It's very difficult to gauge torque, by feel alone, and a right pain in the arris if things have been over tightened. It can be much more serious on a CF bike, but it's a pain on any bike.

 

[Archeress]

does the original back wheel have a cassette or freewheel ?
View attachment 348659

I have a feeling that the zelos came with a freewheel in which case you will need a new wheel . also you would need to check the spacing on the rear drop outs , 7 speed could be 126 mm whereas 8 speed + are 130 mm

Thank you, although I mentioned that I was rebuilding the rear wheel. I have a new Sora hub and one of my club members is going to teach me the bewitching art of wheel building.

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[TheDoctor]

Should all be good to go, although the original chainset may have worked. I'm running an 8 speed Sora chainset in an otherwise 10 speed 105 setup.

 

[Archeress]

Well I finished the taught element of my Masters last Wednesday with an exam and the last piece of submittable work, so the bike rebuild began! So the before photo, pretty much a standard Carrera Zelos, still with original bar tape even!

On the first day I stripped it all the way back to almost bare frame and it was stored in the shed this way until I had rebuilt the back wheel. The drive side crank caused some problems removing it, the screw holding the crank on was seized up. I slid a tube over my socket wrench, still no dice. I sprayed with release aid and still it would not move. I next laid the bike on the side and filled the crank well up with release aid and then had some lunch but it would not shift. So I wheeled the bike round to the local bike shop to enlist some help. In the end it took 3 of us, one to hold the bike, I was countering force using my foot on the non drive side crank and then one of the cycle mechs stood on the crank and the wrench (positioned at 9:15) and then jumped up and down. This finally released the screw.

The next day, I set about removing the freewheel from the rear wheel and dismantling the rear wheel. Then it was out with the new hub and spokes and I sat cross legged on the living room floor with Sheldon Browns website for reference relacing the rear wheel. The next day it was over to see my club secretary who has the entire Park Tools catalog to tension and true the wheel. It took 2 attempts to get it right. The first attempt resulted in a wheel that was round and true, but all the non drive spokes were slack, the drive side tight, so we slackened off all the nipples and started again. This time the tensions came up even and the wheel was beautifully true and round. In all it only took a couple of hours from starting tensioning to having a finished wheel. The photo below was pre tensioning.

After a bit of shopping at Waitrose and once I was home again I started bolting bits on again. First the wheels and a new set of brake pads for the front, then the new chainset and the derailleur. Finally I fitted the new levers before putting the bike away in the shed again. This morning I was up early, eager to get the bike finished. I fitted the new Jagwire rear brake cable first before putting the bike in the stand as the cable is external along the top tupe, where I clamp the bike. Then it was up in the stand again and fitting the remaining cables and the chain before tuning the gears with the help of my fiance to turn the pedals for me. Finally it was on with the bar tape and setting up the magnets for the speed and cadence sensor and the bike is good to go. First ride will hopefully be tomorrow.

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[Cycleops]

What a lovely interesting story. So Cinderella got to go to the 10 speed ball after all!
Thanks.