Bicycle Mechanics - HELP PLEASE, a new rider wanting to upgrade my trek

I currently ride a 2012 Trek 1.1, I want to upgrade my front derailleur, and my Cassette,
I am also thinking about upgrading my Shifters as well, but maybe that will be furthur down the line,
The bike is currently equipped with Shift Levers are Shimano 2300, Front Derailleur is Shimano 2300, Rear Derailleur is Shimano 2300, Crank is Vuelta Corsa, 50/34 (compact), and the Cassette is Sun Race CSR86 12-25, 8 speed. These are the specs that i pulled from a website.

Please help, any advise is appreciated, Thank You

What do you hope to accomplish with these upgrades?

If the parts function why bother? Its pretty much a new bike. I don't see the need to upgrade a nearly new bike. If you had wanted a nicer class of bike, you should have bought a nicer bike to begin with. This bike looks like a nice entry level road bike. Nothing wrong with it.

Save your pennies and buy a nicer bike down the road rather than going down the upgrade route.

well, everything on the bike is stock parts,
i have found myself riding alot more than i first expected, it seems that the only thing keeping me off the road is the weather.
I hope to participate in an upcoming charity event (25 miles), and hope to do more and go furthur next year.
Theirs also the selfish reasons, like wanting a faster, exhilarating, and more satisfying ride.
Not to mention my front derailleur has trouble getting the chain to the large chainwheel (the larger one, still getting use to the terminology)

*Plus i am interested in seeing or rather feeling the difference.
thank you

The only thing you need to do is get your front derailleur adjusted properly. If you bought your bike at the shop, you may get free adjustments & tuneups for a period of time.

Do you really think changing your front derailleur and cassette will give you a "faster, exhilarating, and more satisfying ride" ?

To go faster, you need to get more fit.

The only thing you need to do is get your front derailleur adjusted properly. If you bought your bike at the shop, you may get free adjustments & tuneups for a period of time.

Do you really think changing your front derailleur and cassette will give you a "faster, exhilarating, and more satisfying ride" ?

To go faster, you need to get more fit.

+1

I got back into cycling in the spring of 2010. The bike I bought had Sora components. It still has the same Sora components today, and I can truly say I get a "faster, exhilarating, and more enjoyable ride" now vs. then for two reasons:
(1) I learned how to adjust my derailleurs so they shift smoothly
(2) All my riding has gotten me more fit (side note: I learned how to pedal in circles, not squares)

well, everything on the bike is stock parts,
i have found myself riding alot more than i first expected, it seems that the only thing keeping me off the road is the weather.
I hope to participate in an upcoming charity event (25 miles), and hope to do more and go furthur next year.
Theirs also the selfish reasons, like wanting a faster, exhilarating, and more satisfying ride.
Not to mention my front derailleur has trouble getting the chain to the large chainwheel (the larger one, still getting use to the terminology)

*Plus i am interested in seeing or rather feeling the difference.
thank you

I agree have the FD adjusted and ask at the shop and make sure your shifting properly. I doubt even a pro would notice a huge difference in front derailleurs.

If you want to go faster your better off finding a riding partner who can coach you improving your riding style liek how to get and stay 'on top' of gears rather than just mashing along.

I will also agree, get the bike adjusted well and start saving for a new ride. You easily spend more upgrading an old bike than you could get a new bike for in the long run. Remember, bicycle companies buy thousands of parts at a time, we buy them one at a time so we do not get nearly the same deal.

I rode a bike with that level of equipment when I got back into cycling. It wasn't long before I thought about starting to upgrade components but listened to the advice of the members here and just socked that money away for a new bike. Eventually bought an Ultegra-equipped bike and turned the old one into my commuter. The Sora components work fine and, while not as smooth as Ultegra, can be adjusted to work cleanly and reliably.

(There's) also the selfish reasons, like wanting a faster, exhilarating, and more satisfying ride. ..Plus i am interested in seeing or rather feeling the difference.

One more here:

Ride more, Ride smarter = go faster.

"Upgrade" bike = spend more money on bike and time off bike, go slower

Making sure your bike fits you properly can also boost both comfort and speed.