Originally Posted by stapfam
A 2 year old OCR 3 is not a bad bike and I would only suggest upgrading as parts wear out. Rear cassette and Changers gone naff- Then upgrade them but not until they are past their best. All 3 rings on the crankset gone and the Bottom Bracket- then upgrade the crankset.
Only problem is that to upgrade just as a matter of course will cost you money and will not make you a better rider. Now if you are talking about wheels- then a lighter stiffer pair will bring performance- Same with a narrower tyre of a beter quality. Other than that- Save your money till you have enough for a newer and better bike with the upgrades you want already fitted.
I agree with Stapfam. The only people who get to make fun of my equipment are those who can pass me or outclimb me. And those are usually only people who have been riding long enough to realize that bling-bling shifters do not make you fast. In fact, I often spank my riding buddies on my single speed commuter.
Wheels, on the other hand, are part of the speed equation and are certainly where I would spend my first money on an OCR 3. That being said, the OCR 3 is a very nice bike. We have one that we share around our group and we call it the missionary bike because it is the one we use to spread the cycling gospel to newbies.
Enjoy the bike for what it is, and if you must spend, get some faster wheels.