I ride a 2014 specialized alley sport and would like to know what to upgrade. I know some people are gonna say just get a new bike but I think I would like to start with maybe fitting the bike better to suit me first. I believe I need a shorter stem. I currently have a 110mm stem. Is a 100 mm stem going to make a huge difference or should I go 90mm. I would like to sit more upright. According to everything I've read thus far other upgrades would be the tires. I have flak jackets on there now, is it worth upgrading this? And eventually the wheels?
Also would it be worth while changing out the seat post to carbon fiber. I will change out the seat eventually but haven't found a store that would let me try for 30 days. Any help would be great. Thx in advance.

Go to a bike fit specialist and have her or him tell you what you need. It will be the best money you can spend. Roger

Wheels almost always give you the best bang for the buck when you want to upgrade. These can be expensive so you could always try lighter and more supple tires. Flak Jacket tires are great for not getting flats but can be heavy and dull feeling while riding. I would recommend Compass Chinook Pass if they fit your bike.

Your stem is longer than average, most new bikes come with a 100 mm stem but this isn't a a hard and fast rule. If you want to be more upright look at changing the angle of the stem you have now to something different. Make sure your stem is on top of all available spacers on your steerer tube.

Carbon seat post, not worth it unless your current seatpost is a boat anchor. I would invest in carbon bars and stem before I would invest in a carbon seatpost. Again these are costly upgrades but something you can bring to your next bike if you ever go that route.

Edit: I would think about changing out the square taper FSA crank to something lighter but only when it needs replacing or you can sell what you have. I would actually change the crank before stem and handlebars.

Priority list for upgrades:
1. Comfortable position: a stem that fits better. Prob 2cm shorter to notice a difference. Try flipping it too.
2. Rolling resistance and rotating mass: new tyres

Reference: me being regularly faster over a 21 mile ride on a heavier bike, with lower gearing, but a better fit than a lighter, all round higher end bike that was too stretched out to be comfy for long periods on hoods and in drops, and lots of frame/stem combo experimentation over the years.

You could cut off any excess seatpost if there's lots inside the frame, as long as 10cm is left inside. Cheaper carbon posts aren't much lighter, if at all.

According to Specialized the stem is somehow adjustable. I will have to figure out what they mean by that. I will prob just end up getting fit and spend some money on that. This way I'll know exactly my starting point.

Would a 11 gear upgrade be worth while? I think the rear derailleur and front crank (which I'll prob change out anyway -just havent figured what is a better upgrade) will accept a 11gear shimano 105 or better rear cassette and a new 11 gear chain. It doesn't seem to be that much of an expense. 100 or under. Esp if I change it out myself. What do u think?

Depends on what experience you want to improve on your bike. If it's just a matter of a better fit, I agree with the earlier post that getting yourself fitted by a specialist is the way to go. They'll help you with seat height/positioning which may or may not impact your reach. You can buy a shorter stem or get one with a higher angle (8/15/24/30 degree, etc.) or you just may need to move it up a spacer or two.

If you're looking for a faster ride, thinner tires are the way to go. I went from 32s to 28s on my hybrid, and now I have 23s on my road bike and it's like night and day. You could replace the wheels themselves, but depending on how much you want to spend, you may be talking yourself into a new bike. Definitely look for good sales if that's where you're headed. Do you have clipless pedals? That's another area that makes a big difference.

I agree with others -- seat post and, to a lesser extent handlebars, are the last things I'd spend money to upgrade. Little utility for a lot of money IMHO.

The big money is in the shifters. Upgrading to 11 speed wouldn't be worth it to me.

But would I have to Change the shifters? I thought I would just have to change the cassette and chain.

Think this through.


How would you be able to get the derailer to move between 11 different positions unless the shifter - which controls the movement of the derailer - also have 11 positions?



11 speed stuff is more expensive, wears faster and is more dependent on accurate adjustment. All for 1-2 extra gears.


MIGHT be worth it if it allows you to ditch the front derailer.
Or if wear is forcing you to replace all the relevant parts anyhow.
But there's no way I'd swap a functioning drivetrain solely for the merit of getting 11-speed.

Michaelhinchey, First lesson to learn; not every change is an upgrade.

Changing from 10S to 11S is stupidly expensive requiring shifters, chain cassette, and a new free hub. You can modify your present gearing when needed with a different 10S cassette and perhaps a chain.

Making a bike fit more comfortably is always the number one requirement. Money spent for fitment is often well worth it.

Ask any cyclist what they'd like to improve on their bike and a popular answer is for it to weigh less regardless of how much, or little, it weighs. My experience is that weight cutting is best utilized on wheels and tires. The drawback is that light weight tires have less puncture protection. Unless you're running with the A group of club riders, you're probably fine. Factor in your body weight and even one pound less on the bike itself makes little difference.

Brad

No.

If you have an 11-25 10 speed cassette and replace it with an 11-25 11 speed cassette, your high (fast) and low (slow) gears remain the same. You just get one more increment in-between, which for a serious racer, might have the benefit of disrupting their pedalling cadence less when changing gear. Also, the adjustments are finer and potentially more fiddly.

I just went from 28mm wired Marathons to 32mm folding Vittoria Hyper Vogayers. Guess which are faster? Width isn't everything.

Thank you. That makes complete sense to me. And the reason I wanted to change is to be able to climb hills better. Guess I'll be out practicing more is all.
Is it also the same from a 9 gear to an 11gear?

I ride 700x23c now so that is a plus. Some say the flak Jacket is a less grippy tire but I think for now I will keep them until I can just make them soley my indoor trainer tire. As far as the wheels, I will look for sales on Craigslist and if I find a pair worthwhile maybe I will pull the trigger.
My first upgrade was going to be clipless pedals but was look at the spds by shimano for both platform and clipless and it seems the platform on all of them have lackluster gripping spikes. I would like to buy some clip in shoes and thsee type of pedals will allow for the progression into full time clipping in although I would want to have platform for those quick rides to the store as well. The model numbers were a580 and t780.
I am setting up an app now to get fitted for my bike. I went out riding this weekend and now I def need some help because my hands are going numb while riding. They are prob simple adjustments but I want a professionals opinion.

Thank you for your comments.

Thank you Brad. I will take this under advisement. I have a 9 speed now not 10 but I get your point. I didn't know I would need new shifters. I thought a new 11 gear cassette and chain would work since my front crank can take an 11 speed. I thought the front gear shifter were dummmy shifters as in it didn't know which gear I was in. So guess I will not change these out until they were out.
I am def gonna get fit sometime soon. Thx again.

I honestly didn't know the shifters needed to know which gear I was in. Just thought that pushing them left or right depending on what shifter i was pushing makes the (front/rear)derailleur move to the next gear. This a steep learning curve for me and that is why I always take to these forums to learn more before going out and spending worthless money on my first/second bike. Thank you for your valuable input.

walk into a bike shop see if the stem change matters by Trying it!

sometimes it's just shopping therapy feel better spending money? go for it.

Bling is pretty..

shops have 'take off' saddles , they came in the box with new bikes, bike buyer wanted another saddle.

so Take Offs cost less .... they may be potentially tested and swapped.. (keep receipts)



./.

Pretty much - for example if you had the Shimano Sora 9 speed cs50 12t-25t cassette, and replaced it with the Shimano 105 11 speed cs5800 12t-25t cassette, the extra cogs you gain are a 16t and an 18t - right in the middle!

What it sounds like you need is a 9 speed cassette with a 28t or 30t largest cog if you want a couple easier gears for climbing.

Additionally, your wheels might not fit an 11 speed cassette - the freehub (that the cassette slots onto) might not be wide enough.

For what it's worth, I think 9 speed is the sweet spot - fine enough increments in gear change, with still a 'definite' feel when shifting gear.

Tyres and fit.

That is exactly what I need. I have Shimano HG-50, 9-speed, 12-25t on there now. I will look into getting something with more teeth on the big ring to eliminate having to change out everything. Thx

I started off with Shimano PD-M324's. They were platform w/ SPD clips on one side. They had a little more spikey-ness. They were great. I've seen a lighter, newer model at REI, but can't find the newer model number. Over time, I found I preferred double-sides SPD pedals because I don't have to search for the clip-side. You may want to look into casual around-town SPD shoes to start with. Not the fancy SIDIs, but something easy to slip on and ride with. I started with the Shimano Click'r CT71. What I liked is that it's a cinch-strap as opposed to laces. I hate riding with laces -- they always got caught in my gears. I've worn them in enough that they're easy to walk around in.

Your comment about numb hands is interesting. Do you wear bike gloves? If not, that's a good investment. They also sell gel bar tape. You may want to think about that.

I did wear gloves the first time i rode and it seemed to be worse. I Think I may have my seat to high and some of my weight is too far forward and causing the numbness. That is why I am going to get fitted and see if they can eliminate the numbness. I'm hoping of course. I may try some new gloves that fit properly when I get fitted properly of course. Thx for your input about shoes.

I pulled the trigger on these
Shimano Unisex PD-T420.thx again

This question has pretty much been answered, and OP seems to get it, that upgrading from 9 to 11 speed, while possible, isn't cheap. Here is a short wiki article about the history of Shimano road groups. I have posted it before because it gives the history of road groups, and when they were introduced. Useful to see because Dura Ace is what the pros use, Ultegra and 105 are enthusiast level groupsets (amateur racers and serious enthusiasts), Tiagra and Sora are consumer grade groupsets, and Claris is entry level. Because of trickle down technology, today's entry level was enthusiast level technology 5 to 10 years ago, and pro level technology 20 years ago.

So you have a bike with 9 speed shifters, which is actually pretty decent. The pros were still using 9 speed as recently as 2002, and 10 speed didn't trickle down to 105 level until 2007. And we didn't have 11 speed 105 until 2014!.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimano