Originally Posted by
bautieri
Greetings folks
I have been debating the merits of upgrading my current steed vs moving on to a better ride. First the bikes I have been drooling over.
1: Specialized Allez Elite
2: Trek 2.3
3: Specialized Rubiax (if I can find a deal on a leftover somewhere)
Alternatively I have been pondering a 29er mountain bike but that's off in left field.
Then again I could put a reasonable amount on money back into the ride I have in an effort to make it roll a bit nicer. I'm comfortable with the frame geometry and happy with it's moderate sex appeal. I'm thinking new BB, crank, front der, brifters, and a set of deep V's. The problem with this is that I am having a hard time convincing myself that putting a large sum on money into a bicycle that was never all that expensive to start with (about 600 purchased as a leftover) and building it up into low end road bike frame with high end bling. Kind of like that $300 Geo you see at the mall with the $5,000 stereo.
So do I spend the cash to upgrade the current ride into something that may be very well better than a more expensive ride (only heavier), do I trade in Evil Red on one of the three cycles listed above, or do I round out my stable by keeping Ms. Evil as is and buying the 29er? Decisions decisions
Bau
Okay, first a reality check, the deep V's you will probably need anyway, especially considering the number of bikes with low spoke count wheels, including all three you mention above. If the current bike fits well, then a few small upgrades can be a good and relatively inexpensive way of getting a better bicycle, that you already know fits. You can also often chip away at upgrades, replace the BB and crank one month, the Front Der. another month, the brifters another time, the wheels separately at still other times, when you can get the cash together. Spending a large amount on a new bicycle, especially if you need to use credit, with the current US economy is not advisable.