Keche

Hello BF,

I have recently gotten in to the joy of road biking and am currently riding on a very old 1980s Merican Road Bike purchased in London. Surprisingly, the bike comes equipped with some very nice components: has pretty much all Shimano 105 components ie. derailleurs, downtube shifters, crankset, brakes etc. However, judging by the age of these components and from opinions of others, these components don't stack up very well to the modern day version of the 105. Thus, I was intrigued by the fact that I could revitalize this road bike and make it a force on the road =D.

However, being a newbie and new to road biking, I am looking for some guidance on this.
The bike runs at 12 speeds and have a 6 spd cassette on the rear wheel. Judging by modern day standards, the norm would be around 8-10 speeds. I am hoping to scavenge for some great deals on cheap components used or new to replace the derailleurs, upgrade the downtube shifters to STI and stuff like that. However, after talking to the LBS about such changes, they have stated that there might be compatibility issues. For example, changing the cassette the only might make the shifters obsolete and the rear wheel might not be able to accommodate the cassette. Because of this, I am looking to BF for help!

Can you guys offer any advice or tips on how I should go about doing this? Just to note, I have no information regarding the specifications of my bike. This might play a factor.

Thanks!

headset

Hi Keche,

Have you considered selling the Mercian to someone who appreciates it for what it is and use the proceeds for something that's more what you're looking for? In my opinion an original Mercian with the correct 105 group is a fine thing, and modifications to 'upgrade' it will only be a compromise compared to new bike that is designed specifically for an 8-10 speed drive train.

Also, you may find out that no matter how a bike is set up it will never be a 'force on the road', it's the rider that provides that. Speed follows the rider, not the ride.

Best of luck with whatever direction you take.

CardiacKid

Listening to friends about the quality of your bike is the road to perdition. Your lbs is probably right. To "upgrade" to 8 to 10 speed STII, you will have to replace the rear wheel, the shifters, the rear deraileur and possibly the front. The additional gears and the lighter weight will probably increase your speed by about 1%. Old Mercians are very sought after bikes. If it is in nice condition, you could easily sell it for enough to buy a decent new bike. However, I wouldn't do it. I would ride it the way it is and relish in my uniqueness. If you would rather have a new Ford than a 1968 Jaguar XKE, sell it.