jdub1200

Hi everybody! I'm brand new to the board and a noob to road biking as well. I picked up an '07 Allez Triple (for the hills on San Francisco) about a month ago for commuting and general recreational riding and I love it! I've definitely caught the cycling bug and now I'm looking to upgrade - specifically to a 105 group set. Should I just buy the parts and have them installed or should I sell my bike (i picked it up for $599 at my LBS) and get something brand new?

Also, do you guys have any recommendations as to which wheel/tire combo works well for city riding? I liked the look of the Bontrager Race wheel but have read terrible reviews...I'm also considering the '08 Mavic Aksiums but don't know which route to go tire-wise.

Any other upgrade recommendations are also welcome, provided they don't break the bank. Thanks everybody!

boog

Welcome to the forums!

As for your question, I have an '06 Allez Elite triple that I use as my nice day/fast bike. It came stock with a 105 drivetrain that works quite well for me. If I were to change anything, it would be the wheels, especially for commuting. A strong wheelset for dealing with the rigors of commuting on questionable city roads is the best upgrade for any commuting/training bike. The old standby that many forum users ride on is Ultegra hubs laced up to Mavic Open Pro rims, usually of the 32 spoke variety. 36 spokes are over kill unless you are a clydesdale-type big guy.

The ALX-298 wheels that came on my bike have been fine so far. Haven't felt the need to change to anything yet, need to upgrade my commuter first. I will be getting a set of Ultegra/Open Pro's (u/op) when the spring time hits for real and the Allez starts to see some real miles again.

Hope this helps.

boog

knucklesandwich

You are not going to get any bang for the buck selling a Tiagra (I'm guessing) group in favor of a 105 group after 1 month. Ride that drivetrain into the ground. My bike came with Sora, and after about 6K miles, they still work well with little adjustment needed. What I have learned in those 18 months is what I'd like in my next bike, so instead of having frittered cash away on marginal upgrades, I am in a position to buy something very good, new, and relegate the old bike to commuter/rainy day rides.

kudude

you can shift in the drops on tiagra. hang onto it as the 105 upgrade isn't huge. if you really care in a year, buy ultegra, rival, centaur, whatever.

jdub1200

Oh yeah, BTW, the specs on my bike are Sora shifters, Sora FD, Tiagra RD, Sugino Crank, SRAM PG-850 8-speed cassette.

milchad

Well put knuckle. Keep the one you have, and save up for what you would really like to have. When that day comes, you'll have a nice bike and a beater bike. From what I've heard, the '08 Mavic Aksiums are pretty tough wheels for the money. They look plretty slick and if you're considering upgrading wheelsets, that would be a good opton.

merlinextraligh

You've only had the bike a month. Ride it for awhile, at least one full season. Figure out what you like about it and what you don't.

Figure out what kind of riding you like, and what bike will be appropriate for that.

Then, next year, if you still feel the need, buy a new bike, and keep the current one for a beater.

merlinextraligh

milchad, you type faster.

milchad

8 speed cassette? Any idea what year your bike was made?

jdub1200

its an '07 model year. here are the full specs.

https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkM...007&spid=21893

Thats some good advice that I think I'll take. Thanks guys. I'll ride it the way it is for a few more months and if I find I'm really serious, maybe I'll step up to a bigger bike.

On another note, I asked someone at a LBS what tire would be good for city riding/commuting and he said the Krylion Carbons are good...any comments?

humboldt'sroads

You learned in one month what some of us take years to figure out: cycling is really just about making a big purchase every month and always needing a nicer bike - the force is strong in you young jedi.

milchad

I should have looked closer at your original post. When you said 8 speed I thought it might have had some age on it.

jdub1200

On a side note, does anybody have any information on the stock wheels that came with my bike? They're Jalco GX460 and I can't find any info on them, primarily weight. Thanks!

Camilo

Re: the wheels. The Aksiums are nice tough wheels, and if you like the looks I think you'd be well served with them. I have a pair and they have worked well and seem tough.

On the other hand, if they hadn't come with my bike I wouldn't have purchased them. I believe for the same money ~$200 +/- you can either buy wheels that are significantly lighter and just as tough (i.e. the Ultegra/Open Pro type), or wheels that are quite a bit lighter, but maybe not quite as tough (Xero and such).

But the Aksiums do have that Mavic bladed spoke look - believe me I'm not criticizing anyone for buying wheels because of looks. Everyone does it and it is a driving force on wheel design imho. If you really like the look, go for it,the only decision will be where to buy and silver or black.

I agree with the others, don't upgrade the other components on that bike. In fact, there is a good argument that if you want better components and/or wheels, just sell the bike and buy a completely new one. You might be surprised at how close you can get to your original price on Craigslist or Ebay. Probably won't lose as much on the sale as the wheels would cost. Many 105 level bikes come with Aksium wheels or similar. Just figure that into your equation.

Bontrager

How about just riding it????

Geoff326

keep the bike and buy a new one.

bikeM3987

upgrade the bike and buy a new one.

late

Worry about the wheels if they give you trouble. As you do longer rides, you may find yourself thinking about things. Things like saddles, gloves.... I assume you have a helmet? As was said earlier, start saving for the next bike. While you are doing that you could spiff up the bike with a speedo, or go on a training program with a HRM, or just get some nice bike shorts. A nice jersey never hurts.