# What gain is there in upgrading the deraileurs?



## osteomark (Jun 15, 2011)

On my 3 month old 2011 Trek 1.2, I have Tiagra RD on a 9 cog 11-28t and Sora triple FD on 50/39/30t.
What am I gaining by upgrading to 105, Ultegra, or Dura Ace deraileurs?
Can you get a benefit by switching just the RD or the FD?
The FD is slow in switching from mid chain ring to large chainring.
I'm going to switch to the Tiagra STI's from Sora because I'm not a fan of the thumb shifter.
I've only been riding for 6 months seriously. I've dropped 25lbs. I've heard riders say your biggest improvement will come with getting the weight down and keep riding. 
Can you upgrade the Trek 1.2 frame with components to stay competive or do you need the carbon frame? It has a carbon fork and aluminum frame.
Sorry so many questions but I'm wondering if you can improve on an entry level bike with seprate components and not have to pay $1500 to $2000.
I got the Trek for $640 and lightly used Tiagra STI's and Tiagra crank and bottom bearing for $90.
Thanks,
Mark


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

osteomark said:


> On my 3 month old 2011 Trek 1.2, I have Tiagra RD on a 9 cog 11-28t and Sora triple FD on 50/39/30t.
> What am I gaining by upgrading to 105, Ultegra, or Dura Ace deraileurs?
> Can you get a benefit by switching just the RD or the FD?
> The FD is slow in switching from mid chain ring to large chainring.
> ...


I'd probably wait until you can make a bigger upgrade. I do agree on the Sora shifting though. It's not good.


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

A Tiagra or 105 front derailleur will be very inexpensive, especially if you buy it used on ebay or through an online retailer. You might experience better shifting, but I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't.

I rented a Trek 1.2 last summer and rode it 250 miles in about a week. Original Sora triple components - it shifted perfectly in serious mountain passes and long flats and rolling hills.. I'm an experienced cyclist who's used upper end Shimano stuff for years (Ultegra) and now top end Sram (Red). The Sora stuff worked just fine compared to anything I've ever used. My wife had the same set up and never complained once about the front shifting and she has absolutely no "finesse" in shifting so she'd notice it for sure.

Anyway, I don't blame you at all for switching from Sora shifters to Tiagra - the mechanism, as you said, is completely different and many prefer it (my wife, interestingly, preferred the Sora over her own' bike's Tiagra.... I didn't like the thumb shifters but they worked fine).

But, have a pro adjust the FD to make it work as good as possible before you spend any money, even though it's not much. Our Sora FDs worked fine as does my daughter's.

As for the RD, don't even think about replacing it until (a) you jsut want to go with higher end group for whatever reason or (b) it wears out.

But a bike like that - it's a fine bike, don't get me wrong - but just ride it until it falls apart and/or you want to upgrade the whole thing. Don't spend a lot of money on new parts for it, wait and buy a better bike in a couple of years. The shifters, that's ok because it's just a different preferred mechanism. But the other stuff, just wait.


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## flatlander_48 (Nov 16, 2005)

osteomark said:


> Can you upgrade the Trek 1.2 frame with components to stay competive or do you need the carbon frame?


Competitive for what? Are you planning on competing? Age bracket racing?



osteomark said:


> It has a carbon fork and aluminum frame.


Nothing wrong with that. But, I'd say that you really need to be riding for more than a few months in order to really evaluate what you are experiencing and how your bike feels. My experience was that every time I made an improvement (better saddle, better shorts and jerseys, etc.) I was able to go further before something started to hurt. In other words, the bike felt better to ride, even though it didn't change much. Also, fit is very important; makes a BIG difference.



osteomark said:


> Sorry so many questions but I'm wondering if you can improve on an entry level bike with seprate components and not have to pay $1500 to $2000.
> I got the Trek for $640 and lightly used Tiagra STI's and Tiagra crank and bottom bearing for $90.
> Thanks,
> Mark


In many cases, manufacturers will use the same frame in a model grouping of maybe 3 or 4 bikes. The difference is the level of components hung on it. The thing is, you could buy the low end model and over time, upgrade the various parts. However, remember that you have the buying power of ONE and the manufacturer buys thousands at a time. Item for item, you can't match those prices.


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## osteomark (Jun 15, 2011)

Competetive meaning age bracket racing. Sorry did not clarify that. Thanks


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## MerlinDS (May 21, 2004)

have you missed a shift in a race to cost you a place and money? I would ride what you have and either upgrade the whole bike or when pieces ware out as needed. remember, 1lb is 453 grams.


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

I gotta chime in to osteomark and say: "Stop it!". Here and in the Trek forum you're asking about pretty much changing the entire drive train. None of the individual changes you're asking about is stupid, but not with that bike. I think you're thinking of: triple-double crankset change; shifters change; 9 to 10 speed cassette and chain change, and possibly derailleurs, and probably cables.

Don't do it. None of those things will make you ride faster or enjoy that bike more. If you really want that different drive train and component group, sell the 1.2 and buy a bike with similar frame geometry at as high a price point as you can afford. Just get a better all around bike when this one wears out and/or you decide you can afford a $1,500 or so bike.

If you really have $3-4-500 of money burning a hole in your pocket and you really want to spend it now to improve your bike, spend $3-$500 on a decent set of light-ish aluminum clincher wheels (Soul, Bicyclewheelwarehouse, Reynolds Solitude, and others). They will improve your enjoyment and ride more than those other components, and will be a more or less permanent upgrade because you can move them over to your next, more expensive bike because they'll probably be better than most stock wheels you get on any sub-$2,000+ bike.


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## Newnan3 (Jul 8, 2011)

I would do what has been said above and have a shop look at it to make sure its working as good as possible. It could be that you have sticky or stretched cables or something that makes it not operate well. 

If youre still itching to spend money after that I'd look into to buying some decent bike shorts so your @ss doesnt hurt on long rides. 

If you continue to ride alot eventually something is gonna require replacing so I would budget for that. And if you really get into racing go nuts on your next bike. But as a newer racer myself I can tell you that no parts will make you faster than putting the miles in.....

Congrats on dropping the 25lbs:thumbsup:


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## .je (Aug 25, 2012)

Old thread!

I have a question like this too, and maybe if it's phrased this way it'll be easy to answer:

The RD (and the FD too) is a 4-bar parallel link that can be improved with smoother movement by material of pivots, in the pulleys, or by reducing weight. It doesn't index, the shifters control that, so any number of discrete positions is achievable. Is that correct?

I have 2300 group. I'd like the paddle shifters too. Can I replace what I've got with 8-speed Tiagra shifters, and they will function like a Tiagra group? They will move the shift cable the same increments?

Further to that question, is it the same with replacing the cassette, chain, shifters, with 9- or even 10- speed Tiagra or 105? Will they drive the 2300 derailleurs?

Intending to upgrade I figured that spending more than $400 or $500 is better done just by upgrading to a new bike, so this quick route might be a good idea.


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## flatlander_48 (Nov 16, 2005)

.je said:


> The RD (and the FD too) is a 4-bar parallel link that can be improved with smoother movement by material of pivots, in the pulleys, or by reducing weight. It doesn't index, the shifters control that, so any number of discrete positions is achievable. Is that correct?


As I am not a Shimano guy, I'll let someone else tackle the other parts...

Anyway, what you say is true. That is how the manufacturers delineate one level of componets from the next: lighter more expensive materials, ball bearings instead of plain bushings, tighter tolerances, more exacting manufacturing techniques, etc. Also, both derailleurs are free to move within their limits of travel. The number of discrete positions within those limits is infinite. However, it isn't necessarily the smoothness of the motion that is the goal. What needs to happen is that the movement is consistent and the tracking of the linkage is the same. Better quality and stronger parts insures the consistency of that motion.

So, what was your point?


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

.je said:


> spending more than $400 or $500 is better done just by upgrading to a new bike


Bingo! Replacing bits here and there adds up fast. Better to get a new bike.


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## Old-Bikes (Sep 16, 2012)

just wait untill you can afford a bike built with FULL Shimano 105 or a breed of 105 and Ultegra. upgrading your bike won't be really cost effective because a fully built bike is cheaper no matter what.
just my two cents.


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