I have a 2015 Specialized Tarmac Pro Race Disc and was looking for upgrades I can put/do to my bike. I originally bought the bike for just under 2k a couple years ago.
I am a competitive rower so biking is more of a cross training where I do weekend rides but would like to get into more competitive rides in the future.
My first thought is some new tires but after that I am pretty lost. The only change in this photo from now is the handlebar tape is black.
by Biggie_Cheese96
4 Comments
Not worth upgrading much to be honest…tyres most recommended are GP5000s.
Best thing you can do with that bike is upgrade the rider…if you really want to throw money at it, get some form of powermeter (pedals for transferring to other bikes) and a head unit to do structured training.
Forget about the look of it. What do u feel is missing?
That’s a nice bike, and it will probably outperform you unless you’re a superb athlete. If you want to throw big money you could upgrade to a sram wireless setup, but I agree with the other comment that a good computer and some sensors (heart rate, power meter, etc) will help you become a more effective cyclist.
First off you should generally park that with your rear wheel.
Tires are already good unless they’re worn. Contis should have two indented dots that are wear indicators on the tire. But yes, good tires are absolutely the best bang for your buck you can spend. I’d stick with the GP5000s in like a 32c or you could look at the Vitoria Corsa Pros…. I’m guessing that size clears on that bike but doublecheck before committing.
Make sure your chain isn’t stretched. Also check brake pad wear and rotor wear. If yer getting new rotors spring for the new gen DuraAce/XTR rotors for the tiniest of [weight] upgrades.
If anything it can be a moment to get a digital micrometer ($25ish) to measure things like that. A chain checker should be under $15 and a torque wrench (like 3-20Nm range-ish is the most useful) I like the Pro (bike *gear*) one, a subsidiary of Shimano, and not the PRO bike *tool* knockoff are in the $100-150 range. Has a better Nm selection than the knockoff not to mention I trust its accuracy more and comes with the most useful bits.
If you need new bar tape I’d recommend Silca’s
If you’re happy with the geo maybe finally commit to cutting that steerer to size.
If you’re happy with the saddle you could see if there’s a carbon railed version. Same with bars, I like carbon bars and would say something from Pro or Ritchey. If you want comfort the Ritchey VentureMax but if you want to try and squeak out a little more watts savings you could look for a more aero bar design from either.
I dunno you really don’t need to do anything other than maintain it. Spend some dough on comfy kits and shoes n shit. If you go 32c maybe see what tubeless is all about but since it’s more cross training than your main jam I say stick with tubes till you maybe fall into gravel or mtb land.