likebike23

Lots of low end love going on here. Yes, they function well for general riding, but I wouldn't count on them for knarly off road riding. To me it has nothing to do with weight savings but more with durability. With that being said, I would definitely ride an Alivio mountain derailleur. It has solid construction and many of the design elements to make it survive off road. For road riding Tiagara stuff is just fine, no need to drop the cash on DA. Of course there will be some who want top end stuff, but it is possible to get most of the benefits without all of the cost.

Sixty Fiver

I promised myself that I would replace the newer Acera on my old Trek mountain bike and did my best to kill it... when I sold the bike it was still there.

wphamilton

A good way to throw away money, generally speaking, is to spend as much as you can afford on something without questioning what you get for it. That's why we see these threads.

One other thing I haven't seen mentioned, so maybe it's just my perception or maybe it only applies to the small range that I've worked on, but here it is: it seems to me that as you go up the hierarchy the equipment is easier to adjust, easier to work on. I have a theory, that this is a large factor in bike shop attitudes towards the lower end components, more trouble to work on.

Kimmo

Well, yeah. Look at the obvious differences between the best stuff and the cheap stuff and see where in the lineup most of that kicks in.

Something that hasn't been mentioned is the lower mid-range stuff these days is miles ahead of what it used to be; mostly in function but also in durability to some extent.

Notice how the wheel factories are putting enough tension in the wheels these days? Next they'll be adjusting the hubs right, putting us out of a gig.

eja_ bottecchia

No, the reason we see these threads exist is because there is a sub-set of people who: A. Are compelled to tell others how to spend their money and B. Have a visceral reaction to other people outspending them.

As long as it is their own money that they are spending, who gives a rat's furry bum how they spend it?

I will say it again, buy the best that you can afford, enjoy it as much as you can and the heck with what others may think.

wphamilton

Maybe I just give people the benefit of the doubt but I don't see that here. OP asked in a straightforward manner, without any judgment I think, what would he gain by upgrading his Acera level components.

You know, I think the problem is the way that's phrased. It's a little ambiguous. I'll bet that what you really mean is buy what you want, up to the most you can afford. Which makes sense. But saying "buy the best you can afford" sounds more like, don't settle for anything less than the best that you can afford. Personally, I can afford just about any bike I want but to buy a top end bike just because I can afford it, for me that would be stupid. I don't need an $8,000 bike. That's why I object to that advice, if that's what you really mean after all.

eja_ bottecchia

@wphamilton, that may not have been what the OP asked, but it certainly is what some of the answers are getting at.

Do I really "need" my Colnago C59? It all depends on your definition of "need." I am not a racer, so I guess that I don't really need a racing bike. But the grin on my face every time that I jump on my Colnago (or any of my other bikes) makes it more than a worthwhile investment on my happiness index. In that sense yes, I needed it. And although some people will argue that it is not about the bike I will submit that a great part of the fun of riding, at least for me, is THE bike.

i honestly don't care what bike people ride or what bits people hang on their ride. Live and let live.

What I do resent is the prevalent attitude in so many posts that if you seek the very best that you can afford you are an elitist, a snob, a fool or all three of them. I am neither of those things and I will continue to buy the best that I can afford regardless of what others may think.

OK, off my soapbox and on to my bike for a morning ride.

Peace out and ride safely.

SwampDude

Your advice is appropriate, but remember that many of us find discussions like this one both interesting and informative.

I've been cycling for decades and I've never worn out a major component except for cassettes. I've changed out chain rings and derailleurs to satisfy a special need, but never because of wear. Still, I've wondered what I was missing by not using top-end components. Now I know I haven't missed much. Thanks.

Bingo Blingo

I have found the higher quality items are slightly more durable, more modern, work better, and usually increase my desire to go on a ride. Of these, the fact that a better component will follow newer standards is probably the most important factor. This means the replacement five years down the road will be easier and the tools, etc. will be more future-proof.

On the other hand expensive items are more expense to replace when they fail. When making a purchase decision, I double the cost of a component (assuming it will fail) and ask myself if that larger amount is too great a cost to bear. If not, I probably will go with the better component.

gsa103

One major thing I noticed. The top tier components use better components for adjusters. Phillips head screws (prone to stripping) are replaced by metric allen bolts. Things like that. Brake adjust on Sora is a stupid rubber O-ring that gets old and cracks. 105 its a plastic knurled knob. Ultegra is a metal knob.

Functionality wise, these don't really matter. After a couple of years of hard use and regular tune-ups, you notice the differences.

Some components like cassettes and chains the differences are very marginal. If you really want to see differences Shimano Tech Docs has exploded views of most components so you can really see where the differences are.

gsa103

Honestly, the best way to tell is go to a shop demo day, and demo a bike with better components. That's the only way to tell if you'll notice a difference. Everyone rides a bike differently, some people notice, others don't. Its also worth demo'ing a bike with the lower end at the same time, so you can tell if its newer components or actually the higher grade.

A friend and I swapped mountain bikes on a ride once, he had Acera or Altus, mine was Deore (with XT RD). He was astounded by how much better mine shifted. There wasn't any real difference in functionality, both shifted just fine. The Deore shifters were more crisp and shifted instantly even under full load, Altus/Acera didn't.

fietsbob

the stuff in between lowest and highest may be sufficient, VW vs Porsche Carrerra


Yes there is a good amount of 'keeping up with the Joneses' in bike clubs ..

Kimmo

This can be paraphrased as, 'life is too short to ride a crap bike'.

Some folks appreciate every detail, and can feel each subtle contribution to the symphony.

Others don't understand gearheads, and don't even notice if their bars point left by 3° or their drivetrain's worn out... I can understand these folks perceiving concern with quality as status-driven wank.

Then there's the fact we're talking about a bit of kit that becomes part of your body, and can be fancy enough to hang on the wall as art, for a relatively accessible price. Some will inevitably go nuts.

MRT2

Good discussion. OP isn't unhappy with the shifting of his Acera shifters and derailleurs, so should probably not replace them.

When people ask me, I usually advise to look for Alivio level components on hybrids/mountain bikes, Sora on road bikes, but that Acera, or even current Altus components should be fine if they have to stick to a budget. I would advise people to stay away from Tourney, not so much because it is bad, but rather because these days, You only find Tourney on the cheapest bikes.

i am with others who say they have never worn out a shifter or derailleur.

eja_ bottecchia

I agree 100% with everything that you have written.

On a different note, I just finished a 50 mile ride with my 1989 Bottecchia. As much as I love my carbon bikes there is just "something" about steel. But that is fodder for another thread.

achoo

Ahem.

Why buy the "best that you can afford"?

I can afford DuraAce or Campy Record. I usually ride around on 105.

RoyIII

Were I to switch, 105 is what I'd get. As is, I have Chorus on one bike, and Campy mixtures on others. Never thought Record was worth the money. My favorite shifters are Centaur. Just go with what you like; what suits you.

eja_ bottecchia

Good for you achoo--you are a shining example of good old thriftiness, common sense and assorted other virtues too numerous to list here.

I am sure that you will have your reward in Bike Heaven.

I am also certain that you are taking all that money that you are saving by riding 105 and are building a financial empire....

achoo

What was that you said? Something about a subset of people compelled to tell others how to spend their money, I do believe....

eja_ bottecchia

Good night achoo.

Duane Behrens

Perhaps it's just me, but I found that the Ultegra RD seemed to stay in adjustment longer thank the 105 did. No messing after setting it up - just lots of long rides. YMMV.

lopek77

Opposite experience on trekking components. Cheap Tourney Altus and Acera didn't need adjustment before I replaced it. Higher models - Alivio, Deore and LX needs adjustment every few hundred - thousands miles, which is around every week or two during summer season. It's not a big deal to adjust, but it's an additional thing that takes away from riding time.

reddog3

Once a derailleur is set- it's set. Until some wear occurs in the mechanism itself (and that is really rare) it won't change. It's all the other fiddly bits between the DR and your fingertips. No doubt one was set up better from end-to-end, and did not suffer as much from "seating" in. You could have a DA setup that worsened much quicker than a Tiagra because the initial setup wasn't optimum.

tromper

Maybe even....Dare I say it...add "Grease" to the hubs vs. just thinking the word "Grease" at them (very hard).

Kimmo

I know what you mean... my Tarmac is such a weapon; light as hell, stiff as buggery yet mushy soft, and looks like absolute porn.

But somehow, it just doesn't have any of the soul a metal bike can have... I think the fact it came out of a mould kills that.

My ally bike though, the frame is one molecule. That's pretty cool. And all the work somebody put into smoothing the welds, plus all the fettling I've done to it that just wouldn't, couldn't, happen on a carbon frame...

And when it comes to steel, there's the glory of lugs. (Even though almost any optimum steel frame would be TIGed 853... if you're gonna skip the lugs, it should be ally or ti IMO... unless fillet brazing.)

Your Bottecchia is a fine example.

Although there's probably a comparable amount of labour involved in making a composite frame to building a metal one, I'd say it's a different kind of work; the sort that can be performed after a day's training rather than a great deal more... kind of like following a recipe compared to painting a picture.