wraith

I've searched the topic but didn't find anything I thought was conclusive. I have a Specialized Allez Sport with basically Tiagra components and a Specialized crankset. I love the feel of the frame, have noticed some decent deals on the 105 components that I think might be worth the money. I have no intentions of ever selling this bike, but may purchase another, lighter, more "bling" next year if my riding progresses like I hope. The Allez would then be my second bike.

My ultimate objectives in the upgrade is reliablity on functionality. My motor is still a work in progress, so I could care less of weight savings.

Would the $300 for the 105 front der., 105 shifters, 105 crankset, and 105 brakes be worth it in your opinions?

Thanks in advance!
JOE

ivan_yulaev

No. It's simply not worth the money.

The best thing you can do is learn to tune the shifters yourself. Well-tuned sora will outshift out-of-tune DA.

wraith

Oops, forgot to add this. Everything is tuned and works fine with the exception of the brakes. It doesn't shift as smoothly as I would like all of the time, but I expect that and it's not due to being out of tune. I'm comparing this to the XT components I had on my MTB.

Stubacca

One of my bikes has full 105, and my wife has an '04 Allez Sport. There's really not much difference between the two setups.

Are you having problems with the current setup? If so, spend some time to properly adjust the derailleurs before spending money on upgrades. In my opinion, it's definitely not worth the $300. You probably won't notice a difference in shift quality, and will only save a relatively small amount of weight. I'd upgrade if you were replacing broken components, but don't see the point in upgrading one level for the sake of upgrading.

The first place I'd consider spending $300 is on a new wheelset - may good things have been said about the wheels from www.oddsandendos.com.

operator

I'd forego the purchase unless one of your components are broken. You won't notice a difference really. Save that for accessories/new bike.

Stubacca

Replace the brake pads with kool-stop pads - you'll be amazed by the difference. Probably worth replacing the whole pad holder with a cartridge system while you're at it (much easier to replace the pads in future).

Is the drivetrain a triple? Have you checked that the chain length is correct? In my experience, even when everything shifts fine, there can be room for improvement by adjusting everything from the beginning - release the cable, set the limit screws, set the cable tension.

You really won't see much in the way of gains by upgrading to 105 - certainly not $300 worth.

wraith

Thanks, quick responses! Thanks for the tips. It appears the general consesus is no. I think I'll take this advice and save my money!

Wheels, huh? I don't think the Alex 400's are that bad. Would I see a marked improvement or anything that would be worth the extra scratch spent on wheels?

Stubacca

AT-400s aren't bad wheels, but they're not good wheels . I've never weighed them, but they don't seem like the lightest wheels on the block. The set on my wife's bike don't particularly like staying in true either, they're not very stiff, and the hubs are a bit on the average side. I'm not game to ride them around the block! (I'm 220lbs, and I don't think they'd hold up long!)

Marked improvement? Maybe not, but I think you would notice the difference, a lot more than with the 105 stuff . If you're having no problems with them, just hang on to your money and put it towards a new bike later on. If you really want to get something new on your bike, a set of wheels from oddsandendos.com is where I'd start.

wraith

Stubacca, wheels may be what the doctor ordered! I've been pleased with what I've seen offered from oddandendos.

Is upgrade fever curable? Why do I have this uncontrollable desire to change things on my bike? Why won't it go away?

khackney

I'm doing almost exactly what's been recommended here. I've got a set of Mike Garcia's wheels due in about 10 days. My bike has Alex A-Class AKX wheels. Not really light and I've had the rear rebuilt once because of spokes breaking.

I have also ordered an Ultegra setup along with a compact Ritchey crank to replace the stock Truvativ triple. My aim is to decrease the overall weight of the bike but most importantly to reduce the rotating weight. If I only gain a little on the climbs, it will be the difference in being in the middle of the group or bringing up the rear. We ride a LOT of hills around here so lighter wheels make marked differences. The OddsandEndos wheels will be at least 1 pound lighter than the current set. One of my riding group just upgraded bikes to one that was lighter with Bontrager Xlite wheels. He picked up enough that everyone noticed how much stronger he seems to ride. This is an overnight change. The changes I'm making should take over 3 pounds off my bike. That's going from 21lbs w/o pedals to 18 or less. Not bad.

The Tiagra group coming off my bike will probably end up on a cross bike project.