photonick

My trek 1500 came for some reason with 105 shifters, Ultegra RD, Ultegra Cranks and then a Tiagra FD (the bike was supposed to be all 105). So in the end I think its a pretty damn sweet deal even though the cranks are Octa-Link. Anyway I've been thinking about upgrading that FD to an Ultegra triple, I'm curious if you guys think its worth it and also about how much do those run.

operator

100% waste of money. One of the lowest value, ineffective upgrades on a bike is replacing the front derailleur. Especially if it's already working properly.

photonick

So I won't notice much improvement in shifting, the FD has always been kinda sticky and misses shifts sometimes, and i've had it checked to proper adjustment.

Al1943

What kind of crankset do you have, double, triple? What size rings? Is it a 10-speed bike, 9-speed, or what? Front derailleurs are designed to match the crankset and chain width. Changing to Ultegra may make your shifting performance worse.

Al

CastIron

Even a Tiagra FD shouldn't be "kinda sticky and misses shifts sometimes" when properly adjusted.

Psimet2001 

Some lower end FDs have kind of flexy cages that can lead to poor shifting performance.

That said I have never really met a triple that I would say shifted well.

I couldn't say an Ultegra triple would be a vast improvement, but it's a fairly inexpensive way to buy a "nicer" part for your bike.

Who knows....if it comes complete with placebo effect then it's definitely worth it

operator

This is an adjustment/cable issue not whether it says '105' or 'ultegra' on the sideplat.e

photonick

I think its more the fact that its a triple, i was just curious if I would see a vast improvement.

You know whats better than a placebo effect from the world Ultegra...the placebo effect from some new shirts from urban outfitters. I think I'll pass.

Amen

+1, But do it anyways...... It will make zero difference except for the fact that you will now have an ultegra fd.

Trek is blowing out all of the old 9 speed stuff and throwing them on the 1500. I bought one for $850 back in October and it was all 105, and the last one, but the owner of the LBS mentioned that a lot of those bikes come with a 105 ultegra mix. Its kind of the luck of the draw.

ovrrdrive

Never underestimate the placebo effect...

Even though it wouldn't make that big of a diffreence I'd upgrade it anyway. That way you won't be embarrassed to whip out your FD at parties.

Treefox

If it's an Octalink Ultegra crank, is it a 9-speed bike?

In that case the Tiagra FD would be the best brand-new FD you could easily get. A '10-speed' FD will be slightly narrower than a '9-speed' one, thus a '10-speed' FD (viz. a new Ultegra or 105 one) would rub quite a lot.

Though if you can find an NOS 9-speed-era 105, Ultegra, or DA FD, then there's a debate to be had. I bet you could find one easily on eBay with a little patience.

cyccommute 

Absolutely. Additionally, the Tiagra is a much better derailer for triples than the Ultegra. The distance between the plates is larger on a Tiagra which means you can run a wider range of gears on the rear without rubbing the chain on the front derailer. Further, the outer plate on the Tiagra is narrower (less sculpted) then the Ultegra. This means that you get less rub in higher gears without having to over adjust the outer limit screw...and risk throwing a chain off to the outside. This is one of those rare cases where cheaper really is better.

Keep the Tiagra and clean it up. As operator says, it's an adjustment issue.

iamtim

There are other reasons to upgrade besides value and effectiveness. Peace of mind, for instance. I have an Ultegra RD and a 105 RD; I'm probably going to upgrade the FD to Ultegra just because it bugs me that they don't match.

Petty? Sure. OCP? Most likely. Waste of money? No, because it will make me happy, and I'm the guy that rides the bike.

kill.cactus

Supposed to come with 105 and instead it came with Ultegra cranks and RD? lucky!

edit - yeah it'd be a waste of time and money to replace the FD unless you're pro-level competitive or something.

Wait till it wears out

edit - that'll also allow you to see if you can tell a difference between the two components

cjbruin

I did this exact same upgrade on my wife's bike (also a Trek 1500) a couple of years ago. The Tiagra FD that came on the bike consistently had shifting problems despite multiple adjustments by multiple mechanics. In the end, I spent $30 and installed an Ultegra FD and it has worked perfectly. Perhaps the original Tiagra had a defect or was damaged at the shop.

It was definitely not a waste of money.