Upgrade to road bike ??
 

Hello friends !


Iam riding a Cannondale Quick 1 2019 . Its fitness-flatbar bike and its close to road bike --> 105 groupset 50/34 , 11 casette , 30mm profile wheels.


Should i spend 500Euros to upgrade the wheels to improve speed?


Or i should buy a new road bike ?? All round geometry.


i do 2 good years with lots of kms and elevation. My priority is to buy a lightweight bike for uphills , but i dont know what makes a bike for climbing? Maybe i can accept something close to it cause its too expensive!!!


Iam 172 cm / 79 inseam / Arm lenght 177 (bigger than height)


Iam looking for new or used , Can you suggest online shops that send to Europe ( Iam from Greece) ??


Bike industry becames so improper at 2022 and i dont know what to choose. ( I can spend from 1k to 4k )


Thx in advance !!

Are you willing and able to spend time in the more aerodynamic position a drop bar road bike offers? This requires more core strength and possibly giving up some comfort. If so, it would help you speed up.

Wheels are nice, but the increase in speed will be tiny. If you want them and you can afford them, fine, but don't expect some huge amount of time taken off your routes.

Wheels are a great way to bring new life to a bike you like.

I did this with a road bike with good rims but the hubs were having issues.

did some research on building wheels and decided to give it a shot.

ended up reusing the rims (mavic open pros), got some Bitex hubs (love the design) and double butted spokes. Also got a used truing stand which really helped to dial things in.

the bike rides much nicer now. Hard to explain but it’s faster, less crunchy on the rear, more comfy (placaebo effect or the butted spokes?) and brakes work better due to the wheels being tried. Overall it feels like a higher end bike

I read somewhere that bike companies often skimp on wheels as the buying public doesn’t pay as much attention to them. Every notice how often the hubs, spokes and rims are not specified on new bikes? This is one way they save on costs going oem.

So IF you like the bike, upgrading the wheels can be a great way to get more performance. You might get more performance than you would get for a bike out of your price range at a fraction of the cost.

most good lbs can make you a set of wheels.

check out jobst brandts classic book on wheel building.

UrbanKnight I would like to try that position for sure. If my body doesnt complain , i ll became a road biker guy :D

So wheels are not worth it at my case.

I go downhill with my friend ( he has colnago V2 + bora 33's wheels) and i need to pedalling many times to keep in straight line with him , while he doesnt pedalling .

I was impreesed with that and think its because the wheels only.

Wheels will make your wallet lighter which could make you faster, but otherwise all things being relatively equal, new wheels will not make you faster. Of course if your hubs are shot and you are riding knobby tires a new set up will be more efficient and you will be faster. The assumption here is you currently have a decent or acceptable hub/rim/tire set up.

A properly set up road bike offers more hand positions than a flat bar bike, so you can change positions on longer rides. Don't get sucked into bike shop nonsense by getting a road bike where the saddle is 3 or 4 inches higher than the handlebar. Don't know how old you are but a position like that will be uncomfortable for someone like me who is no longer young. A position where the handlebar is equal to or say 1 inch lower than the saddle works well for me.

Good luck in your hunt.

I'm sure wheels contribute to your friend's speed, but I bet plenty of it is due to position and technique. An aerodynamic tuck, keeping the knees in, keeping the cranks level, keeping a stable front wheel, keeping proper weight balance, etc.

As urbanknight noted, wheels are important, but the rider and the position make a bigger difference.
I wouldn't buy wheels for a bike you're not really wanting to keep...
As fior what bike - that's always a difficult thing to decide on the internet. A lot depends on you, your physiology, your capabilities and your expectations.
If you want to do it right, educate yourself, there's a lot to read - but be discerning...
Recommendations based on what someone 'likes' are only good if you're their sibling twin.
Ride lots of bikes, if you can. Bike looks are important -you want to 'like' it- but try not to let it be the major deciding factor. Comfort and 'feel' are important.
The best bike is the one which 'disappears' under you when you're riding. That, of course, is dependent greatly on the rider giving the proper inputs while riding.
Don't go 'small' in size, don't go big, go 'just right'. Harder to decide than one expects......
as for 'position', that needs to be evaluated and based on the type of riding you wish to do, and are able to do.
... it's easy to get more 'aero' on most road bikes - you just bend your elbows a bit more...
a key thing to remember is to NOT buy a road bike and expect it to suit and seat you like a city bike - otherwise, why buy a road bike ???
it's easy to get more 'aero' on most road bikes - you just bend your elbows a bit more...
The right bike is the one which has you wanting to get out and ride at any opportunity.
Save your wheel money for THAT bike. And don't forget good tires - not always the most expensive...
Ride On
Yuri