Upgrading drivetrain?

beans

Hello,

I own a hybrid-style bike that I use for commuting and spins in the evenings and weekends. My front derailleur has recently become useless, and so I was thinking about replacing my drivetrain in it's entirety since I enjoy the bike and would like it kitted out with decent components. I'd put in maybe 90Km commuting during the week, and my pleasure-spins are usually around 10-15Km

Currently have Shimano Sora rear / Altus front mechs. I was thinking about upgrading to full 105 front/rear mechs, new bottom bracket, casette etc. Suppose I'd like to know if people think this is a bad idea, overkill, or something that would benefit me? Any testimonies from 105-users out there? And am i foolish for wanting to do this to a hybrid?

Johnny Jukebox

Consensus seems to be that 105 represents the best price/performance for non racing types. There is a thread on one of the forums on http://www.roadbikereview.com on this right now.

You may find however the cost of an upgrade to 105 is expensive compared to the overall cost of your bike, and it might make more sense to flog what you have and upgrade overall. The cost of 105 to you is much greater than it is to Specialized or LaPierre...

milod

Johnny Jukebox wrote:

The cost of 105 to you is much greater than it is to Specialized or LaPierre...

Any idea roughly how much?! My Sirrus Sport costs about €700, so the 105 gear must be damned expensive!

milod

bedlam wrote:

Cyclesuperstore sell the 105 double for €450 and the triple for €475

Hmmm, that's a lot a cash. Mind you the Sirrus has too many 'king gears anyway - I only ever use the top cog... I think I'll just refurbish me grandad's 10 speed racer... :rolleyes:

beans

Here's a question - would I be crazy to take my Sirrus frame and gradually modify it so that it's kitted out as a road-bike proper? Install drops and whatnot.

Would the long wheelbase of the Sirrus work against it WRT being capable of running as a race-pace bike, even with the drivetrain and headset changed to suit?

Cheers

Johnny Jukebox

beans wrote:

Here's a question - would I be crazy to take my Sirrus frame and gradually modify it so that it's kitted out as a road-bike proper? Install drops and whatnot.

Would the long wheelbase of the Sirrus work against it WRT being capable of running as a race-pace bike, even with the drivetrain and headset changed to suit?

Cheers

Without knowing the geometry of the Sirrus, I'd guess this wouldnt work. Race bikes tend to have aggressive compact geometries where comfort is sacrificed for efficiency and maximum power output. Compare your Sirrus geometries with, say, the Specialized Tarmac on http://www.specialized.com to see what I mean...

beans

The Sirrus and Allez geometries seem quite similar (someone feel free to tell me they're not!) but I think I'll build it with a view to a touring machine rather than a racer per sé.

Albeit a rather quick touring machine...

Back to the drivetrain; I'm between Shimano 105 and Campagnolo Veloce. These seem to be the best options within my budget. Can anyone champion either of these?



Edit - the Allez and Sirrus are in fact quite different dispite first looks. Allez is slightly more compact everywhere as far as I can tell

milod

beans wrote:

I'm between Shimano 105 and Campagnolo Veloce. These seem to be the best options within my budget. Can anyone champion either of these?

I've only heard recommendations for the 105. I'm just back from france where I bought a lot of kit at Decathlon - a 105 rear derailleur was €45 !!!

I've been looking into exactly the same issue with my Sirrus though, and the advice of a mechanic in cycleways was that I should simply go for a road bike and keep the sirrus as a backup/alternative. The bike mechanic's advice is that it's horses for courses. Putting a racing groupset, drop bars etc on a Sirrus is like putting alloys and a spoiler on a Mondeo and expecting Ferrari performance...