Hi all,

First post in the forum. Thanks in advance for your help.

I hadn't ridden a road bike in a long, long time (~15 years) and suddenly got the itch again. My dad had an old hand-me-down in his garage that he shipped up to me. I'm not a classic or vintage bike-o-phile; I just figured why buy a new bike when this one is sitting there unused. Anyway, although I'm sure the technology has improved, this bike was new right around when I stopped riding, so it's what I remember as "modern."

By trying to decipher the serial number, it seems to be a 1993 Cannondale R900. The parts all seem to be original installed Shimano 105 -- except the shifters, which were broken on shipping, and which I replaced with the cheapest STI the mechanic recommended, Shimano ST-2300. After a tune-up, my un-expert opinion is that it rides great. Although I read that some people complain about comfort with these older aluminum frames, I don't do long rides -- at least not yet, since I'm not in shape -- and I've been thrilled with the ride.

The only issue I've run into is the gear set. I grew up riding in flat Florida, but I'm now in hilly NJ/NY. The hills are very fun to ride, but the other people I've been out with have newer bikes with lighter gears, and they can spin much faster than me on the climbs. The bike currently has a 39/53t crankset and 8-speed 12-21t cassette. I asked the mechanic at my local store about changing the cassette, and his first reply was "Buy a new bike." (Is that what they always say?) According to him, "with these old bikes, you're locked in to the installed components."

I did a little of my own research, and it seemed that I could upgrade front & rear derailleurs, cassette, and shifters to move into the more contemporary world of 10-speeds up to 27t or 28t (thinking Shimano 105 or Tiagra). However, buying all these components individually starts to add up; I started wondering whether it was better just to buy a whole new groupset.

So, to pose my questions: Was I right, based on my research, that I could upgrade the individual components? Will they all fit? Is it better to buy the whole new groupset? Is it even worth putting these new components on an old frame? Remember, I'm not doing a rebuild for aesthetic reasons; I just want something I can ride. It still seems cheaper to upgrade the parts than to buy a new bike. However, I'm not sure how long I'll get good use out of the frame.

Thanks again, and looking forward to your thoughts