comeandtakeit

New to cycling and this forum. I just bought a CAAD 8 Claris (8 spd) as my second road bike. Two questions -

1. Is it worth it to upgrade from Claris to a used Ultegra group being relatively new to cycling? Has about 2-3k miles on the used group

2. Do I have to replace the crankset as well? The person is selling cassette, shifters, front and rear derailleur, and brakes.

Thanks for the help, be sure to be as sarcastic as possible with your criticism!

e_guevara

Welcome to the forums!

Being new to cycling, I doubt you'll be able to see/feel any difference/improvement from Claris to Ultegra. Granted that Ultegra is way higher up the ladder than Claris, but both work in the same way and shifts great when tuned properly. Only difference worth mentioning at your level would be finish (Ultegra looks way nicer), and maybe weight.

Also, Ultegra is 10-speed and Claris is 8-speed. Being new, it may seem nice to have lots more gears at the back, but it's not that simple. The advantage of having more gears at the back is being able to keep the same cadence/effort for changing riding conditions (terrain, wind, pack dynamics).

No you don't have to. It'll work fine, but may* need some tweaking. I'll leave the technicals out for now.


If you're still decided on getting the Ultegra, then go for it. It's your money to spend.

But for me, I suggest that you focus on getting stronger/fitter on the bike first. Learn how to ride effectively and efficiently. When the time comes that you feel that your bike is already holding you bike, then consider upgrading. Until then, happy riding.

Hope this has enlightened you a little.

dsbrantjr

Buying used shifters can be a crap shoot...

RollCNY

As a for what it is worth:

You say this is your second road bike, so you may have an idea of whether you would appreciate having 10 speeds vs 8. With 10, you can get smaller gaps between cogs, so you can more easily optimize cadence, if you like to optimize cadence. If you rarely shift, or don't mind the current gaps in your 8 speed, then it is probably not worth it.

Since this is entirely subjective, I notice the difference between 8 speed and 9 or 10 speed, but don't notice the difference between 9 and 10, if that makes sense. So 9 is my minimum, and actually preferred setup. But again, totally subjective.

Isn't Claris a fairly new product, like just in the last year? If you don't mind the cog increments, but don't like the shifting or braking action, just install new good quality cables. I just built a bike with a new Sora group, took time and effort with good cables, and the bike works flawlessly.

comeandtakeit

Thanks for the responses!

Yes I do believe Claris is new. It replaced the 2300 group from what I read. I will probably hold off and ride what I have until it starts to fail then look into upgrading. I do shift quite a bit and try to keep a steady cadence so having more gears was what I was looking for. Shifting and braking feels fine to me. It is slow on a few gears but that is more than likely just an adjustment issue.

What is the benefit of upgrading the cables?

Wilfred Laurier

good quality cables in good condition
are necessary to get good shifting

shift cables specifically
need housing that resists compression as cable tension changes
because one mm of change in length of housing
will result in a significant movement at the derailleur
and shifting will not be precise

i would go as far as to say
with new shimano parts
that the cables are more important
than the components themselves
when trying to get it set up perfectly

RollCNY

This matches my experience, granted I have a sample size of 1. My new Sora shifts as well as my 2012 Centaur when just cruising down the road. Under load, they are absolutely different, but for general knock around, I have no problem recommending Sora to folks.

bradtx

The Ultegra is my preferred road group, but I can't recommend going out and buying a used partial group when the Claris is working well. It is, right?

There are 8S cassette options, both Shimano and SRAM, that you can use to tailor your bike for a specific route's terrain. I use a 13T-23T 8S cassette for most conditions on my crit bike, for an example.

Brad

fietsbob

Toyota to Lexus, Honda To Accura .. same thing..

jimc101

Depending on the year Ultegra could be 9 (6500) 10 (6600/6700) or 11 (6800) speed, what the OP has been is looking at is key, given the 2-3K on the used group, no reason to believe it couldn't be the 11 speed, as that has been around long enough to have that sort of distance on it, even for a lightly used groupset.

For upgrading from Claris, if the bike has Claris, that would indicate that it's a lower end bike, with the associated frame (the CAAD 8 frame actually look pretty nice), wheels and other components, just sticking a higher end groupset won't make anything else any better. Claris is a new product for 2014, and although low end, is one of the nicest looking entry level groupsets Shimano has put out, would keep it as is, and look to upgrade to a better bike once the CAAD 8 is worn out, rather than changing what is a good groupset to one which may have compatibly issues.

well biked

True. IMO, I think this upgrade would definitely be worthwhile if it's 6700 or 6800 Ultegra. 6700 is one of my favorite groups, and 6800, honestly, is even better.

comeandtakeit

Claris group works great from what I can tell, but I'm not all that savvy so anything to me is great.

From what I read the CAAD8 frame is one of the few entry level frames that is actually worth upgrading with better components, but I can understand someone's reservations with making any sort of investment on what is clearly an "entry level" bike. Either way, I am not expert, which is why I ask.

The Ultegra set was a mix of 6600 and 6700.

well biked

What are the shifters?

comeandtakeit

6700, everything else is 6600

e_guevara

IMO, there's nothing "entry-level" with the CAAD8 - it's a good frame, and better than most entry-level frames from other manufacturers.

I was right about the Ultegra being 10s.

BenVoiles

I have a Quintana Roo, that, except for the tires, every single part is used. I have a combination of Dura-Ace and Ultega, 9-speed with a triple chain ring. I couldn't be happier. I didn't have any trouble sitting it up and I'm not a very experienced mechanic.

howardthedog

don't you need to change your wheel set?
i think your rims should be able to accomodate 10 speed / 11 speed

FrenchFit 

I acquired an Ultegra 11 speed drive train on a newer bike and it's a pita. Needs some tweaking every other ride.

I acquired a Sora 9 speed drive train with a Sugino crank on a NOS bike and it's worked perfectly from day one without adjustments.

i'm sure there is so much greater value to be had in an full Ultegra drive train, but i guess I missed that memo. Oh... it looks nice...