Upgrade or Scrap??

fishtastico

I've had my Claud Butler Roubaix triple for about two years now, and I feel it's time to maybe improve it a bit, but I'm also aware that it's not exactly a top-of-the-line job.
I know new wheels/gears/saddle will be expensive, so I was wondering if I'd be better off just getting a new, possibly better bike for the cost. My budget would be roughly €500. Hopefully less.
I was also toying with the idea of getting a fixie, but I'm not sure about that one at all.
I'd appreciate any and all help given

blorg

You are unlikely to get better for €500... you would get a fixie for that price though.

ashleey

stem, seat post, saddle and wheels with new tyres and tubes. That could easily cost 500 euro and you would still feel short changed by your sora gear set maybe? Unfortunately for 500 euro you wouldn't get massively better than you already have. I appreciate your quandary as I faced a similar choice. I ended up upgrading components and then bought a new bike anyway. Then I used the upgrade components on a new (ribble) frame to make a bike for my wife as my original frame was threaded when I got the bottom bracket off. Another 300 euro and you could get an upgraded bike for you and try and sell your original maybe?

fishtastico

Yeah, I am wondering whether to save and spend more on a new bike... It's just that I'm wondering if the roubaix frame would let me down in the long run and whether it's worth saving at all

Quigs Snr

Waste of money upgrading that bike and as for getting a better bike for 500.... you would need to get a seriously good secondhand deal, otherwise you would be just buying something the same or worse. Ride the current bike until you can afford a good upgrade I reckon.

fishtastico

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Waste of money upgrading that bike and as for getting a better bike for 500.... you would need to get a seriously good secondhand deal, otherwise you would be just buying something the same or worse. Ride the current bike until you can afford a good upgrade I reckon.

How much do you reckon I'd need to spend for a decent upgrade?

blorg

Personally I would aim for around the £1,000 mark to get an entry-level carbon bike- Planet X / Focus Cayo / Boardman sort of thing.

ROK ON

Or for 1K you could get a Paganini.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

fishtastico

I think I may just save my pennies and get a bike for around 1K then... The next question is, which one...? Chances are I'll order online for the price, so any idea where to get them? Or even cheap Dublin shops?

ashleey

fishtastico wrote: »

I think I may just save my pennies and get a bike for around 1K then... The next question is, which one...? Chances are I'll order online for the price, so any idea where to get them? Or even cheap Dublin shops?

online: www.chainreactioncycles.com/
or: www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ (expensive delivery)
or: www.wiggle.co.uk

aim for at least Tiagra groupset (some might say go 1 higher to 105)

fishtastico

Planet X have a bike with ultegra for £999. What kind of difference do different gears make? I've only had experience with the Sora

ashleey

Tiagra = 9 speed
105 above = 10 speed

Sora has little thumb levers, and others have levers inside the brakes, which means you can change gear while still holding the bars on the drops (ie lower down)

Everything gets lighter and more expensive as you go up the range. Supposedly better materials also. Check out Ribble for the different prices of the groupsets as you go up the range. Unless you are going to get really serious Tiagra is suitable. 105 is nice to have as it is 10 speed. Go for a double or compact double if you go for hills. Most amateurs don't go above Ultegra unless they are seriously rich.

To be honest the current Tiagra 4500 looks as good as the top range and is good value, allowing a greater spend on frame and seatpost etc..Personally I'm really happy with it but some purists would slag me for this.

Quigs Snr

If you think you will stick to cycling, do a few sportives, maybe a race or two a couple of years down the line, I'd start with 105. Thats the generally accepted wisdom anyway, 105 is interchangeable with all higher levels (Ultegra, Dura Ace) and is really just a watered down version made of slightly heavier materials, but is completely race worthy. If you are using it to ride to the shops/commute then Sora, Tiagra are fine. But I thought the point was that you wanted to improve on your Sora equipped machine. Tiagra is certainley a good upgrade on Sora these days, but not enough for me to make the change.

You could get a 105 equipped full carbon FOCUS Cayo on wiggle for 980 euro recently.

Why not take your 500 euro, sell the Claude Butler for 275 - 300 (always a market for low end racers), and then only be a couple of hundred short of a very good bike in that Cayo ?

humbert

For what little it's worth I find it easy enough to reach the sora thumb shifters while holding the drops.

ashleey

You must have really long thumbs!
On a serious note the focus 105 cayo is really good value and their stock will be limited.

NeilMcEoigheann

humbert wrote: »

For what little it's worth I find it easy enough to reach the sora thumb shifters while holding the drops.

me too, its not difficult, but i do have big hands.