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upgrading

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  • 19-06-2006 4:39pm
    #1
    MonkMuffet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 109 ✭✭


    hi all.
    my bike is a 12/13 year old Tomassini racer. I'm quite attached to it so instead of buying a new bike i'd like to upgrade my beauty with newer equipment. at them moment it has shimano exage (if anyone remembers that!)brakes and group set (not sure of the definition of this but thats what its got). i'm a bit sick of the old-style gear stick on the frame that i have, and would like to try somthing more up-to-date. also the brakes are banjaxed. the wheels are old n plain. ive been outta cycling for about 9/10 years, before which i used to do a good bit. i really want to get back into it though and i think this would be a step towards doing that...
    havent really thought of a budget yet...but i suppose €400/€500 would be aeound what id be looking to spend.
    so, if anynoe has any ideas, please let me know.
    any advice is much appreciated.

    #thanks.;)


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    #2
    BeardyGit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,946 ✭✭✭BeardyGit


    Buy a pretty decent racer new, scavenge all the parts from it and then sell the brand new frame. I did the reverse recently by buying a bike for the frame and putting all the new components on my old frame to sell on again.

    Might be worth looking into. Just bear in mind things like B/B shell sizes and brake mounts might have changed dimensions etc. You could look over on the Sheldon Browne pages for info:

    http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/index.html#articles


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    #3
    MonkMuffet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 109 ✭✭MonkMuffet


    thank you sir ;)


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    #4
    BeardyGit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,946 ✭✭✭BeardyGit


    You're welcome. Fair play to you for sticking with the kit you like too instead of just following the flock.


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    #5
    milod
    Closed Accounts Posts: 757 ✭✭✭milod


    Gil_Dub wrote:
    Buy a pretty decent racer new, scavenge all the parts from it and then sell the brand new frame. I did the reverse recently by buying a bike for the frame and putting all the new components on my old frame to sell on again.

    That's not a bad idea - I've seen some Giant bikes with pretty good kit on them for the money, e.g. Shimane Deore derailleur etc...


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    #6
    MonkMuffet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 109 ✭✭MonkMuffet


    lads....ive been looking around some i the sites, but its pretty hard to tell which parts are for racers as opposed to the other types of bikes. to me it looks like mountain bikes and those hybrid ones are the most catered for. Any tips as to how i could recognise racer parts? or is experience the only way to know?
    any help much appreciated...;)


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    #7
    MonkMuffet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 109 ✭✭MonkMuffet


    i'm trying to find a good book which can help with racer maintenance and maybe building a bike...anyone got any recommendations?
    much appreciated if you do.;)


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    #8
    Tackleberry
    Closed Accounts Posts: 253 ✭✭Tackleberry


    You could just save yourself the hassle and buy my bike!!

    Have a quick goo at http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054945849

    Thanks,

    Tack


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    #9
    MonkMuffet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 109 ✭✭MonkMuffet


    looks like a sweet bike, but the hassle of building up my bike myslelf is something i think i'm going to enjoy.
    thanks anyway;)


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    #10
    Cassiel
    Closed Accounts Posts: 346 ✭✭Cassiel


    Reckon just keep firing questions here. Shimano groupsets, brake parts, levers etc. are 105 ( good quality), Ultegra (mid-level spec) and Dura-Ace (top stuff). Shimano do stuff below 105 again but it's basic stuff - does the job though. You can buy decent wheels off the shelf, example is Mavic. Buying parts can be pricey, you could go with the previous suggestion of buying a bike and stripping the parts. Can get good deals later in the year as '06 bikes need to be shifted to make room for '07 models. Example where I got lucky a couple of years ago with a clearance bike which had the 'old' 9-speed Dura-ace groupset, had €900 knocked off the retail and the cost of purchasing the individual parts would have far exceeded what I paid for the bike - tis an option worthy of consideration. Handy paperback manual is 'Richards' Bicycle repair manual' tons of pictures, the copy I had though did not cover the new cartridge bearings that are used in everthing now - no more cups and cones! SJS cycles (UK) on the web have like new old stock of stuff that might hard to get but useful like threaded headsets and the like.


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    #11
    MonkMuffet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 109 ✭✭MonkMuffet


    useful good info there, thanks Cassiel ;)


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    #12
    Tackleberry
    Closed Accounts Posts: 253 ✭✭Tackleberry


    Hey Monk thats no probs, no harm in asking!!

    Good luck with the build, I've just finshed mine and I'm delighted, completed it today, here's a pic

    http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g222/tackleberry_photos/DSC01173.jpg

    Went out for a short test spin this evening and its rocket fast, very light...sorry didn't mean to rant but I'm delighted- here's hoping you'll be just as thrilled with yours!!


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    #13
    MonkMuffet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 109 ✭✭MonkMuffet


    thats a slick looking bike Tackleberryit has to be said.
    i hope so too man...it will be a while before it happens.....im looking forward to starting the revamp but i dont want to dive in without knowing what im gettting and how to install the parts etc.

    thanks for the help man.;)


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