Originally Posted by
D-Fuzz
I am currently riding a Giant Defy with rim brakes. I have no complaints about the bike and it fits me well. As my riding and fitness continues to improve, I am spending more and more time in the saddle, which leads to the inevitable thoughts of upgrades. I have read lots about how upgrading the wheels on a bike make a huge improvement and I know that wheels on my Defy are entry level, so that is one angle I am looking at. Nothing crazy, but maybe a $500 set of wheels and keep the stock wheels for winter/training use. Option B is to upgrade the entire bike. My LBS will give me a great deal on a 2016 Roubaix SL4 Sport which puts my into a similar spec'ed bike to my Defy but with a carbon frame versus aluminum. Does one scenario make more sense than the other?
A bike is a combination between a nice toy and a "device" used to increase fitness for various purposes. I think that one should buy the most fancy bike he likes, within his available budget. So, if you like Roubaix, go for it. It looks to be a very good bike and Shimano 105 is meant to last for a long time. Carbon fiber is very nice to ride. However, carbon is sensible and you should get used to thrill at every strange noise made by the bike, since it can indicate a failure in carbon fiber (although in the vast majority of cases, it proves not to be the case).