Upgrading from Very Good to Great - Is it What You Expected?

[PIZZ]

If you have a bike that fits you well just upgrade the wheels. Thats were most of the difference is going to be noticed.

[ColinL]

I would buy great wheels and the ultegra di2 upgrade kit rather than a whole new bike, if you're bound and determined to spend some money.

[vladvm]

I agree i improved the motor first, after 3 years i changed from this

to this

[eippo1]

Nice colnago. I love their old over te top paint jobs. They still do flashy, but it ain't the same as it used to be

[catonec]

nothing says upgrade like campagnolo 11 super record!!!

[chris1548]

I agree that wheels will definitely be the best upgrade. It will also be the one thing you will notice the most. I tend to agree with many people who say that electronic shifting is a solution looking for a problem. I think Chorus, Record, DA, and even Ultegra all do the job way more than adequately. After the wheels, if you still want a bike, then buy a completely different bike for variety -- say a touring bike, a sport bike, or even a commuter. A different ride could be a lot more interesting and offer you more variety than a slightly better version of what you already have.

[Phil85207]

Its all about the motor. Sure its nice to have a great bike and I enjoy mine, but there are times I wish I had my old Felt and the money I paid for the new bike in my pocket. I was on a ride the other day going up a long hill just spinning away and SWISH a guy goes by me on a 40 pound mountain bike. He made me look like I was tied to a stump. Believe me and of course you know it for yourself, Its all about the motor. If you have the money and just want a new bike then get it. There is no way you can justify getting it except that you want it. If thats the case then...

[Digitalfiend]

I have a 2008 Roubaix Expert Compact (all Ultegra) and a 2012 Madone 6.9 SSL. My Roubaix was $2600cdn on sale at the end of the season, regular price around $3500. My Madone was um, as my wife put it, "oh my god you want to spend WHAT on a BIKE" expensive. Is there a 300-400% increase in my performance? Not even close. Is my Madone significantly better than my Roubaix in every way? Absolutely, but the performance per dollar ratio favours the Roubaix.

I shopped around for a bit and ultimately settled on Trek's top end '11 Madone 6.9 with Di2. I went all out because I wanted the equivalent of my tracked prepped car in bicycle form. The Madone is lighter than my Roubaix, much stiffer (especially the BB), seems to transfer power exceptionally well, and climbs and handles better too. I find I can ride my Madone much further than I ever could my Roubaix, even though the latter was supposed to be more of a touring bike.

The real guilty pleasure of my Madone is the Di2 groupo. After riding Di2 for a year, I never want to go back to cable shifting again. My '11 Madone unfortunately had some paint issues and was replaced by a '12, so I was forced to ride my Roubaix for a month in March. I certainly do not miss cable actuated shifting. Until you ride one for a reasonable number of kilometres, you don't know what you're missing out on. Is it absolutely necessary? Definitely not, but it's very, very nice to have.

So to answer your questions OP:

What ultimately made you decide to write the check on the new bike?

I wanted something new and after a hard year at work and due to selling my "track car", I wanted to go all out on a new bike; something I could grow into and really get me enthusiastic about riding longer distances. I wanted internally routed cabling and Di2.

Now that you have it, are you getting your money's worth?

This is a very subjective question. If you were to ask if I feel that I'm getting better performance per dollar spent, I'd begrudgingly have to say 'no'. As others have stated, you quickly reach the point of dimishing returns at a certain price bracket. There is still additional performance, comfort, build quality, or weight reduction to be had but you're going to pay a LOT more for only slight incremental improvements.

If you're seriously looking at a new bike and perhaps, like me, want something that excites you even more than your current bike, I'd suggest looking at something in the $5000-6000 range with Ultegra Di2. I think Roubaixs have improved quite a bit over the past two years, though I'd recommend you check out a Tarmac if you want something different.

So in the end, buying my Madone might not have been the most effective use of my money but I'd do it again (and probably will eventually) in a heartbeat.

[Chesha Neko]

You might notice an improvement with an SL3 or 4 frameset but it will be incremental.

Have you considered slapping some fancy expensive wheels on your current bike?

Good tires and tubes are pretty transformative too, especially with lighter wheels. Veloflex Corsas just transformed the ride quality of my bike (switched from Michelin Krylions).

[JoelS]

I mentioned earlier about my wife's new bike. She's a LOT faster on the new bike. After several rides on routes she's done plenty of times, her average speed is about 1.5mph faster. Lighter wheels, better power transfer, etc. all make a difference. And more comfortable, even though her position on the bike is identical. She also is more confident in the corners. It's a good thing!

I'm getting a fully custom high end bike (not just geometry, but layup/handling too). Should have it in 2 weeks. All I have on hand right now are the wheels (enve 45mm clinchers, alchemy hubs, cx-ray spokes). Going with Record for the groupset. More details to come later.