Hello

I'm looking to upgrade components on my 2011 Trek FX 7.3 disc. I'm still using the original components (below) except for the front derailleur which I swapped like-for-like. I have done approximately 1000 miles in 18 months and definitely need to change the drive train as next year I'm planning rides that will take me nearer to 3000 miles over the year so I'll need to swap for components that can hack this extra mileage.

I'm really happy with my mechanical discs and don't want the faff of maintenance of hydraulics so I have no intention of changing the brakes at all. If I can keep the current brake levers and shifters then all the better as I'd prefer to spend my money on better derailleur set ups but, if I need to change shifters and levers for compatibility, then so be it - but I don't want to change the brakes as I know my way around them and I don't want to escalate the cost. My budget is £200-£250.

Thanks in advance

Current setup

Shifters Shimano EF60, 8-speed trigger
Front derailleur Shimano M191
Rear derailleur Shimano Deore
Crank Shimano M361, 48/38/28 w/chainguard
Cassette SRAM PG-830 11-32, 8 speed
Brakeset Shimano M416 mechanical disc brakes w/Shimano EF60 levers

What don't you like about the derailleurs? Is it a gearing issue where you need higher or lower gearing or a performance issue?

I'm not sure of your riding conditions but 1000 miles should barely be break-in mileage. Are you sure you really need to change anything? Unless you need a wider or narrower gear range or insist on going to 9 or 10-speed, the components you list should be good for FAR more than the 4000 miles you project by the end of next year. At most, a new chain may be warranted to avoid excessive wear on the cassette but that should be all.

As an example, I get well over 25,000 miles on a crank and chainring set and other report much more than that. Derailleurs should last at least that long also. Keep everything reasonably clean and lubed and you should have no problems for a long time.

The cassette and chain ring have worn quite excessively and the chain is beginning to slip. I want to change everything that may need changing this year at the beginning rather than have a problem in the middle of a ride. I'm planning on riding from John O'Groats to Lands End over 10 days or so in May which, in my current condition, is going to require a lot of training and as I'm doing it on my own, I need to learn how to maintain the bike in case things go wrong while I'm out and about. I don't learn these things particularly easily as I'm not technically minded so having the time to find my way around and put things together from scratch is of enormous benefit to me.

To be honest - I haven't had a problem with the derailleurs apart from the front got a kink in it from what I guess would be a stone chipping up or something like that. I'll need to change them at some point so thought I'd have a crack now while I'm changing the other bits. This is the first time that I've changed components en mass. I had an impression that there was always something better, quicker and longer lasting than what comes on the bike when new and was looking to investigate this.

About the worst thing the current set up could be accused of is a gear range that isn't to the rider's liking. A different cassette and chain would cure that. (But this has been mentioned before). Not yet mentioned are the wheels and tires. Here the rider will feel a MUCH greater amount of rolling performance change. Although the loss of some "robustness" is a danger. Narrower/lighter rims, fewer spokes (be careful here..) and tires with lighter side walls and/or a narrower profile all help the responsiveness feel quicken up.

Getting more gears (from 8 to 9 or 10 cassette cogs) won't effect the measurable efficiency or the nimbleness of the bike. At the most more cogs would offer a gear ratio selection with slightly closer steps.

The biggest method of changing the basic nature of the efficiency of the bike is to change the rider/bike relationship. Flat bars reduce the ability for the rider to apply their strength, whatever level it is, and cause more wind drag with a more upright body. But whether the rider is up to the task of loading their upper body more is yet to be known. Andy.

Unless you ride in very harsh conditions all the time and do no cleaning or lubrication, this may just be a cable adjustment issue. As I said, 1000 miles is nothing in the life of most components.

Ahhha, the UK "Transcontinental" ride. Good! I certainly agree that knowing how to maintain and adjust your bike is a worthy effort but that doesn't mean replacing things wholesale.

Yes, for enough money you can change anything for "better", lighter and with more snob appeal. However, the components you list are decent quality and should last a long time. As to "quicker", that's up to you.

I can't imagine Shimano parts being toast with this low mileage................ I have thousands and thousands of miles on mine, without issue.

Keep 'em clean and lubed is all they need.

Might be better served by installing better tires..........

Now, if you' re looking for more options in the gearing ----- I can understand that..............

Only 1000 miles and the chain/cassette wear is enough to be skipping? That's not much miles for this amount of wear. Unless the conditions and lack of care were extreme. Unless the rider is using only a few cassette cogs most all the time, like the high gear ones. Which since they are the cogs with the least teeth are the cogs that wear the fastest.

Perhaps in the rider's training attention and effort to increase his cadence is in order. But since no information about this speculation has been offered this is only my experience from 40 years of servicing others talking and not any actual knowledge of this rider. Andy.

I think that I understand - not to be glib but you want to buy your bicycle a Christmas present.

What's your tool box look like? If you have the commonly needed tools like a GOOD cable cutter, I'd suggest buying yourself a derailleur hanger alignment gauge. Derailleur hangers are easily tweaked which will cause your shifting to so strange things. The more rear gears you have the more closely spaced they are and, consequently, more picky about having perfect alignment. Being able to check and align your own hanger can be handy.

It's an 8-speed so it shouldn't be too touchy.

Thanks for all of the responses.

I'm relatively new to touring and came into it on the back of occasional, fair weather rides and commuting 7 miles about 3 times a week so my fitness hasn't been the greatest and some people may consider me a 'bike hater' when they see how little care I have put into looking after all of my previous bikes. I have always loved the freedom of having a bike but never much cared for the maintenance until now. Starting again with the components is linked to the changing of my attitude. If I can do this for little cost then great but as Retro Grouch put it - I want to buy my bike a nice present by way of an apology and to show my intention to treat it better.

I have not used all of the gears on the cassette equally, preferring the middle to high cogs, and I definitely favour the high gear on the chain ring. I'm on 700c wheels with Continental Tour Ride tyres. I have limited upper body strength but I prefer a flat bar as it helps me to keep my back straight. A mountain bike accident a couple of years ago left me with a broken neck which, although healed nicely, means I need to pay more attention to my posture in all aspects of life. Drop bars are too much to change as I have found a very comfortable riding position and can go all day without any problems.

I definitely need to change cassette and chain ring and, if a new chain will help with maintenance, then that too but are there any simple visual checks I can do with the derailleurs to check that they are ok before I buy more? I'll take everything apart and give them a clean when I replace the cassette and ring and decide then if I'm going to change them.

Seriously - thanks for all of your responses so far. I had no idea that I'd get to this point with more questions than I had already asked but that is the nature of these forums I guess.

My Trek Valencia (2010) was set up similarly. I never liked the EF50 combo brake/shift levers so bought separate levers for it. I also disliked the rear cassette spacing so changed that to a 12-23 cassette. I only have to tackle smaller hills so went single chainring up front with no front derailleur. Going 700x28 tires definitely made longer distances more enjoyable--seemed less like pedalling a barge. Even going Shimano SPD pedals made a difference. Love this bike even though I have a faster flat bar road bike.

Chain skipping or false shifting could also be a sticky link in the chain.

You probably shouldn't go for higher or fewer gears if you are getting set for a long tour.

You may just need to renew the drive train , chain and cassette , with fresh parts,

clean and re-grease the bearings,
not so much an Upgrade like to the fancy nickel plating , but that is an Option.

12-34t cassette, still 8 speed,maybe substitute a 24t for the 28t for hillier gears.

Chances are something like a 12/13-23/25 cassette may be more useful to you with a bit more utilization of the middle ring?
The main thing is to have a low enough gear for your worst situation.
Spinning out on your highest gear on rare occasion is really small potatoes. Save your energy for the uphill portions.

12-34t? 24t? 28t? 12/13-23/25 cassette.

I am too newb to understand this?

12 = the number of teeth on the smallest cog.
The other number = the number of teeth on the biggest cog. A smaller number, like 24, means the steps between gears will be closer. A bigger number, like 34, means you'll have an easier hill climb gear. Which is better for you is a question that only you can answer.

Brilliant - thanks again.

As this is my only bike it needs to fit all occasions so I'm going to have a look at the 12/13-24/25 8 speeds

Thank you all for your help. I have definitely learned something today

Your first error might be assuming that you definitely need to change these things. Why are you so sure that they need changing? You might need to step back on your trouble shooting. First of all, do you know how to adjust your cable tension and otherwise tune up your derailleurs? You should tune up your derailleurs before you start changing stuff. You might need to change out your chain. Do you know how to check for chain wear? If it is really worn, you might need to change out the cassette but unlikely the chain rings. Be sure to keep your chain clean and lubed. It should last more than 1000 miles.

Park Tool website has good instructions on adjusting your derailleurs. It will also show you how to check for chain wear.

OK, a little clarification on cassette terminology is in order. Bill Kapun's writing of a 12/13-24/25 cassette means the smallest cog is either a 12 OR a 13 tooth and the largest cog is either a 24 OR a 25 tooth.

So a 12x25 cassette would have a 12T smallest and a 25T largest cog. The number and tooth count of the ones in between would depend on the total number of cogs in the cassette. In your case the total number would be 8 and a 12x25 cassette would most likely be made up as: 12,13,15,17,19,21,23,25

I've done visual checks on the back of the chain slipping. A few of the teeth on both the cassette and the chain ring have worn considerably to the point of being sharp. Others are well on their way. I obviously need to change the way I use my gears but I can't do without the ones I am having trouble with.

Thanks - I got it. I was going to take this into a shop and talk about it based on this choice to shoot it out further

teeth on a cog or chainring will all wear at roughly the same rate
the sharp ones you see come like that from the factory to aid shifting
these are called gates

look closely at adjacent teeth to the sharp ones
and you will see pins on the chainrings and three dimensional sides on the cogs
these are called ramps

also
generally speaking
chains are the first component to begin wearing
and when they wear the distance between the pins increases
then the worn chain causes more wear on the cogs

the chainrings
especially the larger ones
take much longer to wear than cogs

Note what Laurier said.

I would adjust your cable tension and check for chain wear and tight links in the chain and report back. Simple instructions to check chain wear:

The standard way to measure chain wear is with a ruler or steel tape measure. This can be done without removing the chain from the bicycle. The normal technique is to measure a one-foot length, placing an inch mark of the ruler at the side of one link pin, then looking at the corresponding link pin 12 complete links away. On a new, unworn chain, this link pin will also line up exactly with an inch mark. With a worn chain, the link pin will be past the inch mark. [For accurate measurement, the chain should be held under some tension -- either on the bicycle, or hanging. Also, use a metal ruler or tape measure. Wood, plastic and cloth all can expand or shrink.-- John Allen]This gives a direct measurement of the wear to the chain, and an indirect measurement of the wear to the sprockets. first, let's look at how to do this with a ruler that measures in inches.

• If the link pin is less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.
• If the link pin is 1/16" past the mark, you should replace the chain, but the sprockets are probably undamaged.
• If the link pin is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.
• If the link pin is past the 1/8" mark, a new chain will almost certainly skip on the worn sprockets, especially the smaller ones.

https://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

Cheers. I'll check this out before I do anything else