r3v0

i am new to this forum and biking. The thing that got my interested in bikes was college. I depend on a bike more than ever now.


My situation is that i am low on budget but want a good decent competitive road bike.

I am currently riding on a GMC Denali "road" bike. I have the read the forums and found that this looks like a road bike but lacks the performance.

So i am wondering, is the bike worth upgrading? I was planing on putting in some mid-high end shimano products on it. mainly the de-railers.

I don't think it'll cost to much, but what are the estimates and even if i do upgrade it, is it comparable to other road bikes?

rav

If your budget is not very high, you should probably look at good used bikes on CL or ebay, upgrading the denali would be a waste IMHO, maybe you can sell it and recoup some money...

msheron

Yeah..........sell it off to a college friend and then look to Craigslist for a bike with better components. May have to add some cash to that......well, you will, but in return you can get a decent used road bike for around $400-$500 and at times even cheaper.

timmhaan

i believe the frame is decent, although heavy. there is a thread somewhere around here created by a guy who has been riding one for a few months now. I'll see if i can find it...

[edit] here it is: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ghlight=denail it's a long read, but it'll give you an objective view on your bike.

spiderbike

I heard GMC is coming out with TT bike...is this true, if so I can't wait to try it out!!!

shakeNbake

Great thread. Just disregard the poop slinging.

I agree with the general sentiment. It does its job for a $150 bike, but I won't suggest upgrading it.

shakeNbake

Well KIND OF:

https://teamroadmeister.podomatic.com/

merlinextraligh

Save your money. Do not put any money into that bike, unless there is something that is broken or just doesn't fit you. Otherwise, save your money, and get a decent used bike in the $400 range when you can afford it. In the meantime ride the Denali and enjoy it.

barba

There wouldn't be much point putting money into upgrades for the Dinali. It is not a certainty that newer derailleurs would improve performance (or even work properly).

Alasdair

Before you sink money in to new derailuers and shifters and such, update the bottom bracket with a sealed cartridge bb(~$30). I had to rebuild the cup and cone bb on my Denali at least 6 times in my 1900 miles on it. I also popped spokes like dry spaghetti (got good a replacing them, though).

I have passed my Denali on, but I think of it rather fondly.

Patriot

Please don't try to upgrade a GMC Denali.

Those bikes are great for people who want/need a really cheap bike for running around campus or nearby store in town, etc. It is in no way meant for serious riding, and is definitely not worth upgrading with high qiality components. I had a cheaper Mongoose Wally World MTB, and it was fun to bum around the neighborhood and local trails, but not for serious MTB'ing.

I would highly recommend buying a good used bike from your LBS, or even Craigslist. Another option is get one from BikesDirect, or even an Ibex bike. They are less expensive road bikes, but much better quality than the GMC.

One thing I like about the cheaper Ibex bikes, is they come with eyelets. This is nice, because they are light and fast enough to keep up on most general group rides, but also can have a rack attached for commuting or running around town.

www.bikesdirect.com

www.ibexbikes.com

pathdoc

Don't waste your money. Buy a used bike.

Eatadonut

+1. Every time you find something you're willing to replace on that GMC, put that money in a jar. Soon, you'll have enough money to buy something used from the 80's or 90's that will blow the doors off what you're riding now.

wrote4luck

Craig's list is the budget shopper's best friend. I've bought both of my road bikes off of CL. I got a $1500 Giant TCR pretty much new for $600, and an old Gitane road bike for $40. I put about $50 into upgrading the Gitane, and I feel it is just as fast and solid as my TCR.

redfooj

The reason you shouldnt upgrade is not just because the denali isnt "worth it"... but upgrading the drivetrain alone is an EXPENSIVE process.

you can have a nice, brand-name older bike, and to convert to a new drive train would still be uneconomical

dirtyphotons

also, if the shifters on the denali get damaged or wear out you might consider making it a singlespeed. the man in my signature has a wonderful site about them.

due to the vertical dropouts (i think, not sure) you'll need to find a "magic gear." here's an explanation:

https://www.63xc.com/toddp/halflink.htm

and a calculator:

https://eehouse.org/fixin/formfmu.php

r3v0

Im stuck here,

I have decided to sell my GMC Denali for as much money as i can and buy a better bike.

however, i can't decided which bike should i get. Trek, Fuji, Gaint, quite expensive.

is there such thing as a Generic bike brand?

will it be possible for me to get a road bike equip with Shimano 105 parts for $200-300?

barba

You will not find a 105 level bike for that price on the new market. Even used, you would have to get lucky for 105 (at least STI era 105). You could look for a nice vintage bike for that price range, however. It will be a nicer ride than the Dinali.

Patriot

This is actually why I go through the mental process of determining what upgrades I want to make to my existing bikes using new components. I ask myself what is best, and add up all the price tags.

In the end, I always end up building a whole new bike with the latest stuff for almost the same amount of money.

It also adds another rig to my stable.

wrote4luck

I saw an amazing looking De Rosa with nice Columbus tubing equipped with full Dura Ace and Rolf Vectors for $450 at a swap meet a couple of weeks ago, so it's all about keeping your eyes out and most of all, waiting. If you wait a while, the right deal WILL come along, even for $150-200. I passed up a CAAD3 Saeco cannondale with Ultegra off CL last month for $200 because it wasn't my size.

oilman_15106

+1 You will have spent a couple of hunderd $ and when your done the bike will still be worth $150.

r3v0

how do suntour parts compare to Shimano and the current parts on the Denali?

pathdoc

I had my Bob Jackson listed briefly for $300 locally, it's full Ultegra. Didn't get a single real bite. I decided to keep it.

r3v0

if you are still selling it, i'll consider buying it. have any pictures? where are u located? Do you do shipping?

NO SCAM



BTW,
are mountain de-raileurs as fast as road de-raileurs? are they cheaper?

blickblocks

If you're not doing any racing, a used Sora or Tiagra equipped bike should be just fine. I picked up a 2004 Nishiki with Sora for $225. For the price I think it was a great deal, and I'm sure you could find something similar or better. You're not going to find used with 105 in that price range, unless it's really old with downtube shifters (which are not good for commuting, you need STI).