Handelfan

Hello All. I don't post a lot, but I do spend a lot of time reading here. Lots of good stuff.

I have been riding for a year now with 2000+ base miles, and I am thinking about trying out racing next year. I've seen a lot of advice about training and group rides, etc...but I have an equipment question.

I ride a 2009 Caad9 6, and everything on it is basically stock - Tiagra group, and Shimano r500 wheels. After some conversations with my wife, it seems I can convince her to let me spend some money, about a grand, to upgrade some things - perhaps as a Christmas present. I just have to get her a fancy Canon camera with a zoom lens at some point.....it's only fair, I suppose.

Anyhow, my thoughts were to upgrade the group to all 105 black (my LBS gave me 1000 exactly as a quote for everything installed, including brakes), or to get a new wheelset. The Tiagra has worked fine for my current riding, but I have hardly put it through race-like situations. The Shimano wheels are very heavy - like double what a good race set would weigh.

Which would be the better upgrade - group or wheels? Or, would a few specific components and wheels be my best choice?

You guys are the gurus.

mike868y

Tiagra and r500 are fine for racing. I'd spend the money on a coach or a powermeter and some books.

dmb2786

experience is the best teacher. race and find out.

johnybutts

Use the money to find more time to ride. FWIW, I race on R500 wheels sometimes, and have raced on tiagra before as well - #1 determinant of how well you'll do in a race is how well you've prepared your physiology.

rkwaki

Wheels for two reasons:
1. IMHO the best bang for the buck upgrade
2. If you are going to race you should always have a spare set of wheels should you flat/wreck

Homebrew01

Don't drop a lot of money on anything until you decide to stick with it. The improvement curve will initially come from fitness & experience gains.

echappist

if it has to be one of the two: wheels trump groups.

if we can add other options, i concur with the suggestion of a powermeter, especially since you want to race

botto 

this.

carpediemracing 

I think Tiagra is 9s? If so, you may want to do 10s (I think you need shifters, rear der, cassette, chain). Chainrings should be fine, ditto cranks.

If you have change, get nice tires first (not light ones - my current favorite are the Krylions for racing/training clinchers), and decent tubes (cheap tubes can be pretty heavy). If you have more change, get a second set of wheels. If not don't sweat it. One of my best races in 2009 was on my "heavy and unaero" training wheels - I forgot the race wheels and the spare race wheels in the garage.

Although I agree with the power meter, that may be a lot to bite off at once. You can do well with a HR monitor for $100ish. Cyclocomputer (if it has HRM great). Do that or go whole hog and get the PM.

If you have $300ish I'd get a helmet cam. You can analyze a lot by reviewing footage. And your memory, you'll learn quickly, usually is a mutation of reality.

If you spend your money before you start racing you'll have cognitive dissonance on your side. You'll be more apt to "like" racing.

Remember a license costs about $60 for the year. Races cost $15-35, give or take. Do group rides, do mid-week training races, and have a lot of fun.

cdr

mollusk

I'd say get a good helmet first. Helmets that are strong enough and yet have decent enough air flow to cool you down are not cheap. In the winter it doesn't matter that much but in the summer it certainly does.

Next get some shorts/bibs that work for you. You will need a minimum of two pairs. What brands/models work is highly variable between riders, so don't ask me what will be best for you. I have some very cheap shorts that I can ride all day and some $100+ shorts that will chaff me badly on a 30 mile ride unless I use a lot of chamois creme. The "bottom" line is that you can't train if your ass is all torn up.

Then spend the rest of the money taking your wife out to dinner, buy her flowers, etc. You will probably need to put in a bigger time commitment for training that a 2000 mile per year level. That can cause friction in the relationship. Let her know that you really appreciate her for giving you this time.

ericm979

This.

Plenty of divorices in my racing club. It's not because people are fooling around on the side. We don't have time for that; we're busy training.

carpediemracing 

Or hopefully you married someone that understands passion.

Due to some stuff going on, I started thinking that it'd be bad form to go to CA for my winter training camp trip (1.5-2 weeks in SoCal). Also figured it'd be bad form to buy a second frame. Etc. I used up a lot of favors (in my opinion) to get some other stuff done.

Her: "So are you planning on going to California this winter?"
Me: "I didn't think I should."
Her: "Well, I think it's still doable. You should go. I tried to work around that trip."

Me: "So I was thinking that maybe I wouldn't order that second (custom) frame."
Her: "Why not? Don't you need a spare?"
Me: "I wasn't sure how useful it'd be if I'm racing less."
Her: "It's not like you're going to outgrow it. You should get it."

The point about helmet, shorts, etc is valid.

The budget busters, the ones you really think about, are wheels and group stuff. You could probably race for 5-8 years with your front derailleur. Ditto your brakes (except pads). Probably most other things you'll end up changing. It's cheaper to buy a bike than it is to upgrade piecemeal. I bought my third spare drivetrain as part of a package deal - it included the new group, new SRM, new wheels, new frame/fork... it was a bike off eBay, floor/demo model.

Re: helmets. I had a choice this year between racing in a top line Bell or a 3rd tier (?) Specialized helmet. I tried each one, couldn't tell the difference. The Specialized has a better platform for my helmet cam so I raced and rode in that all year. You can get a $80-90 helmet and it'll serve you pretty well. If you start racing seriously you'll join a club and you'll be buying a kit pretty soon.

Re: shorts. A friend gave me some Castelli shorts. I was like "oh, these are nice." Got some catalog in the mail. $250?!?! Okay, they're nice, but holy smokes. Stock Verge shorts are awesome too and this year the team went to Hincapie (excellent shorts).

Cognitive dissonance. Get the bike ready to go. Get the license. Start doing group rides. The helmet will become a point when it gets warmer. Kit stuff happens. Entry fees happen. But if you're already committed with the bike, it's harder to turn back.

cdr

Hida Yanra

+2

what you need is to start racing - everything else can be purchased as it comes up. There will be a lot of things which "need" purchasing (or will seem like it). Save your money for stuff like clothes, entry fees, etc.

botto 

dude. i've met your wife. she's just like SOC's significant other: totally supportive, i.e. unique when it comes to bike widows.

btw - i'm jealous.

caloso

Take that grand and put it in a personal account. You'll fritter it away on bike stuff long before this time next year.

milliron

That bike setup should be just fine for racing.

If I were in your shoes, I'd get a Garmin 500 w/ cadence sensor and HR monitor strap. Then open up an account on Strava.com, upload your rides and setup some segments. Improve your time on those segments.

Matt2.8NJ

If it were me, I'd buy the cheap Powertap on CC, and use it to train very effectively.

Effective training trumps every other piece of equipment combined.

ridethecliche

I think upgrading to 105 from tiagra is a waste of money.

Probably because cdr's SO and soc's SO are besties and hang out when the boys are gone. I remember racing the tuesday nighter and seeing the familiar sight of them walking around the course and chatting while the boys were racing. I think it works out well for everyone that they get along.

TMonk

wheels

EDIT: It would be awesome if you built her up like you were going to make a big bike purchase and then suprised her with an expensive gift/date. Just make sure to save a lil' bit to buy something nice for your bike

srsly tho wheels>group w that budget

tallmantim

+1

A coach will do a lot more for you than equipment ever will.

I'd say coach then race - and then your wife can take some spiffy photos of you racing to post back here on her shiny new DSLR!

Of course schwag is always fun - it just doesn't equate to results directly - especially when starting out. I got some of my best results of the season riding my 14 year old road bike when my other one was broken - and I got the results because the engine was in good form.

tallmantim

Yeah - look at this one:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...r/kennet_x.htm

with this, for $100 more than your current budget you would have a full Ultegra group set and another set of decent wheels - even if you ditched the frame etc. Having a second bike is handy.

Handelfan

Hey, thanks for all the good advice, guys. I'll save the money for now - perfectly happy to do that. I've got plenty of good roads for training out here in the Winter - sounds like that is the best investment. Unless you guys highly recommend the data/power gizmos to augment that training.

Also, thanks for no "hey no0o0ob, it's the rider, not the bike" comments. Right neighborly of you.........

tallmantim

Power meter is highly recommended if you will use it to its potential.

Key advantages:

* Very specific workouts tailored to you and your goals can be done (you can get great results, however the workouts will hurt you)
* You can pace TT efforts while on the bike
* You can clearly measure improvement over time (or if you're going the other way!)
* To help you "peak" at the right time (with Training Peaks/WKO+ software)
* Log all your rides with lots of data

So, if you like hurting yourself in training and are determined to get better a power meter would be good.

As many people say however, buy the "Racing and training with power" book as a first investment (cheap from Amazon) and you can decide from there whether power training is for you.

efficiency

I think a powermeter is great, but I think spending your money on race entry fees is better.

Spiduhman

Unbelieveable!

Must've been Columbus Day ...?

You got great advice, and Messiah season approacheth.

See you out on th' road.