for reference:
pic 1: my current bike
pic 2: gearing chart of my current setup
pic 3: gearing chart of the setup im talking about switching to (105 shifters, GRX front derailer/crankset, Tanpan, Deore 11s rear derailer/casette)
pic 4: they bike theyre trying to sell me
pic 5: gearing chart of the bike they’re trying to sell me (claris groupset)
i’d been talking to a tech at my local bike shop entertaining ideas for stuff i could do to this bike, what i can and can’t do, etc. and i went in there yesterday to talk to them about this latest setup id been researching
this one is really great, giving me a significant bump on both the top and bottom end, as well as having a clutch for offroad and i imagine probably definitely shifting better offroad / under load than 90s campagnolo road equipment. as cool and nice as my current setup is, the new setup has a wider range with closer ratios in between, and if it’s anything like the bike i rode today i’m gonna be able to slap through gears with one finger press, also more comfort riding in the hoods and no thumb impingement like my current shifters. its also only gonna cost me about 600 + labor (probably around 1k-1.2k total)
the tech i’d been talking to wasn’t there though, and the guy who was there was one of those people who cares weirdly and was like “this bike is fine don’t touch this bike get a new one heres this you can tour with it offroad, it has better geometry, same cost, whatever, i split around the block approximately 8 miles and 600ft of elevation feeling it out. it felt really nice, the shifting was really smooth and effortless compared to my bike, being able to row through gears going up and down hills with no babying was really satisfying, i could go on, but i’m just talking about how much i liked parts made in the current year. the frame however felt like a bmx bike with drop bars which i’m not really a fan of, and the steering/front end felt light especially under power and going up hills, i can only imagine this problem would be worse with 50lbs of climbing and camping equipment on the bike, though i could definitely do alot to distribute the weight with a handlebar bag and/or front panniers like i can on my current bike.
the new bike would do everything i’m trying to modify my bike to do. but i cant help but prefer the way my frame feels, looks, and is built. additionally, looking online it seems like the 105, GRX, and Deore (dynasys) components are an upgrade compared to the claris gearkit on the new bike, which i would consider an upgrade in feel and ease of use to my current setup. so, it seems and feels to me like id eventually wanna upgrade to grx/deore setup on the new frame anyway.
tl;dr: the question i’m asking is: is buying a whole new frame with supposedly worse parts than what i’m looking at for my current frame worth it? am i missing something and it’s really gonna be that much better touring and/or offroad than my current frame? i guess i’m just not sure what to think about it at the moment.
final note its also an option to get the claris groupset for my bike and save $200 but it kinda seems like only a mild upgrade over the vintage suntour kit, for the application.
by Menetetty
11 Comments
Your rear wheel might not accommodate a modern (11~12) speed cassette. I found this out when I made a similar inquiry about my 2008~ish bike.
Look into it; you may find your answer there.
The best way to do this is switch to friction shifters, a lot of touring bikes had to do friction shifters for a long time so they could mix and match cranks and derailleurs that usually don’t work together for example would be a mountain bike crankset and road cassette and derailleur.
The long chainstays and nice rake of your current fork look so much more comfy for loaded riding than that Specialized. About a decade ago I sold my touring bike which I’d put about 60k miles on and got a Jamis Bosanova, basically a commuter/light tourer. It’s a compromise. More nimble for commuting but a bit squirrely handling when loaded (overloaded?) with groceries or gear.
If the Cannondale brings you pleasure (it’s a beauty), I’d upgrade it and tuck the money you save away for emergencies.
Edit: Also make sure those rims aren’t too worn by the brake pads. If you need to replace the wheels also it might not be worth it.
Genuinely curious: Is there really any advantage to using a Deore RD + Tanpan rather than a GRX RD to run a 11-40T cassette?
I was going to say that the 2x 11-40 plan wouldn’t work, but I looked it up and I guess the M5120 rear derailleur does have long enough of a cage to take up that much slack. Might need the [tanpan](https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/tanpan?variant=18367738757), too.
dang reddit murdered the formatting of my post sorry this is an eyesore yall
Modern geometry and shifting is awesome, but yes, GRX, Deore, and 105 are great group sets as well. But your old bike is so damn cool though! If it’s an option for you, I’d say n+1, and keep your current bike as is.
It might be real trouble to upgrade your current bike, but getting a claris groupset? No way. You want an upgrade! I’m not even happy with my Sora, which is a step up from claris. Damned thing doesn’t stay in tune long.
If you want to upgrade, go for it, but 2k for claris? No way. Giant Revolts with Sora (my bike) are starting at 1350 last I knew.
You’re on the right path but you really don’t need the deore setup. The tanpan can be quite fiddly to keep running consistently (might have the knock off thing I was using to try the setup out but it quite work for me personally).
I’m running a grx 46/30 front (same as what you’re considering) with a grx810 rear mech extended with a wolf tooth derailleur extender thing shifting through a SLX 11-42 cassette (11s 105 shifters). The bike is a Giant TCX that I use for offroad and commuting to work (100% on road with a couple 10-15% climbs thrown in) and ratios are great on road (good mix of speed low end) – more than enough for long distance and steep graveling. Hardly any big jumps in the cassette too.
That’s what they do.
I think if you’re upgrading your current bike, Microshift’s gravel groupsets are worth considering, since modern 105 and GRX are mainly built around hydraulic disc brakes. Other than that, finding a new wheelset to take a cassette should be fairly simple