[bluebug32]

My road bike came with Sora components. Is it worth it to slowly upgrade to 105s or will there be much of a noticable difference? I found some older 105 shifters on the buy/ sell forum and I'm wondering if the upgrade (of just the shifters at this point) would make a noticeable enough difference?

 

[EricMcFlow]

Sell the whole bike and get one that comes with 105. Its going to be cheaper in the long run.

 

[chicodude]

My road bike came with Sora components. Is it worth it to slowly upgrade to 105s or will there be much of a noticable difference? I found some older 105 shifters on the buy/ sell forum and I'm wondering if the upgrade (of just the shifters at this point) would make a noticeable enough difference?

Ride what'ca got till it breaks.

 

[splat]

Ride what'ca got till it breaks.

If it works don'e mess with it , when it starts giving you problems Upgrade.

 

[JRogers]

Ride what'ca got till it breaks.

Whatever. Do you guys buy like Trek 820s or something and just upgrade when all the cheap crap breaks?

Sora isn't terrible but the shifters are cheese in my opinion. I hate them. If you can get a good deal on some 105, I'd go for it and keep the Sora as spares.

 

[LordOpie]

Ride what'ca got till it breaks.

In addition to that... do you like the FRAME?!?! Is it the right size? Is it comfortable? Does it absorb enough noise?

If so, regardless of what frame it is, feel free to upgrade to Record/Dura-Ace... ya know, if that's what you want.

Thing about Sora is, isn't it 8-speed? If so, you're looking at a complete drive-train upgrade. Cassette, shifters, derailuers.

If you were to upgrade anyone component now and see an improvement, I'd guess that'd be the rear derail.

To answer your question in general, yeah, 105 is good stuff. But don't bother until stuff starts breaking.

I'm guessing you're liking pavemetn then? Cool.

 

[bluebug32]

Thanks for your input everyone. You're right; if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I've been very happy with the bike. And yes, Opie, I'm really digging the pavement (well, right now, it's actually more like digging my trainer).

 

[The Toninator]

When considering ‘new’ upgrades I’d check out Sora to Ultegra.

 

[JRB]

105 shifters are on par with 105s in my opinion. Dura Ace is much nicer, but pricey. I think shifters are the best upgrade, but like Opie said, Sora is 8 spd. I think the rear is the last thing to switch, but that's just me. It's been so long since I rode anything less than 105 on the roadie, I don't recall what a bad once feels like anyway.

 

[rooftest]

When considering ‘new’ upgrades I’d check out Sora to Ultegra.

I agree. In mountain talk - why would you upgrade from Deore to LX instead of going for XT?

 

[julytitan]

I would have to agree with Opie. If you like the frame and you like the way it rides, then stick with the frame and upgrade as stuff falls apart to your hearts desire. I would have to say that I disagree with loco though. The rear derail is the first place to start. You can get away with replacing the rear derail without replacing anything else. If you start elsewhere, you are going to have to do all of it at once. Going to something like a 105 or Ultegra is going to be an instant noticable change. This is coming from a shop mechanic.
Good luck with it, hope all goes well.

 

[JRB]

<snip> I would have to say that I disagree with loco though. The rear derail is the first place to start. You can get away with replacing the rear derail without replacing anything else. If you start elsewhere, you are going to have to do all of it at once. Going to something like a 105 or Ultegra is going to be an instant noticable change. This is coming from a shop mechanic.
Good luck with it, hope all goes well.

It may be a big jump from Sora to 105, but it's certainly not a huge jump to go to Ultegra from 105 on rear derailleurs. Yes - they look far better, but like Ultegra to Dura Ace, they are just a little lighter. I don't think they shift much differently. I do think that the Dura Ace front der on my cross bike is way more crisp than my Ultegra. The heavier plates seem to help. I still don't think the rear makes a huge difference. That is coming from a consumer who is not trying to sell anything, just trying to help. Also, Dura Ace shifters are far superior to 105 or Ultegra.

I would say that going Deore to LX is more like Tiagra to 105. I would compare Sora to Acera X.

edit - in changing from Sora, you will have to change the drive train, but not with any other upgrades.

 

[LordOpie]

The rear derail is the first place to start. You can get away with replacing the rear derail without replacing anything else. If you start elsewhere, you are going to have to do all of it at once. Going to something like a 105 or Ultegra is going to be an instant noticable change.

quoted for emphasis.

Sora shifters will run a 105 derail, but not the other way around. Oh sure, you can make it work, but why bother with the headache. Besides, while I think the Sora line is quality stuff overall, the rear derail is crappy.

Beth, the question to ask yourself is: do I want 9-speed or 10? Personally, 9 is more than enough for me, but I think there are compatability issues with 9&10 just like 8&9. As such, decide that before bothering to do anything.

If you want 9, I bet there's much stuff on clearance/closeouts as I think 105 is going strictly 10speed? I suspect 9spd stuff will still be available for several more years through NOS.

 

[sanjuro]

Going for a cheap pair of older shifters is not a bad idea, but keep in mind that shifters are first components to go, right after rear derailleurs. Besides having many tiny parts, they are the most exposed on a crash, right after the rear derailleur.

Having raced a season on 105 shifters, it is a decent step up from Sora. By the end of the season, they started to malfunction, and required a bit of work on my part to make them workable.

Upgrading parts on a road bike should work like this:

rear der: when it breaks
shifters: when they feel like crap
bb: probably every year
crankset: if you think weight is an issue
brakes/fnt der: never

However, I would not attempt an upgrade from 8 speed to 9/10 speed. Frankly a frame which came with Sora components is probably not the best, and you would probably be better off getting a new bike then spend $300 (shifters/cassette/chain/r derailleur) on an upgrade from 8 to 9/10.

 

[jimmydean]

Being new to road bikes since my last one was nearly 15 years ago, can you upgrade an older 7 speed to 8/9? I would like to upgrade my current frame to use STI, but didn't know if it was possible.

I would rather not get rid of my old 4130 frame because I haven't seen a newer bike that rides as nice as this.

 

[The Toninator]

Being new to road bikes since my last one was nearly 15 years ago, can you upgrade an older 7 speed to 8/9? I would like to upgrade my current frame to use STI, but didn't know if it was possible.

I would rather not get rid of my old 4130 frame because I haven't seen a newer bike that rides as nice as this.

if by upgrade you mean replace, then yes. you will probably have to replace the rear wheel also becuase i do not believe a 9speed cassette with will work on a 7speed wheel.

 

[LordOpie]

You may also have to spread the rear drop-outs. Not so much an issue with steel frames.

 

[jimmydean]

You may also have to spread the rear drop-outs. Not so much an issue with steel frames.

I did some reading and it looks like the hub will work, I just have to change the axel and hub spacing on the frame, then re-dish the wheel to fit the spacing. They say you can just pull it apart and shove the wheel in since it's only 4mm difference, but I will spread it proper.

I might just get a new rear wheel depending on the price to rebuild vs. new. I know the wheels that are on it are ok for the period, but I have not yet priced road wheelsets.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Angus]

Right now I am training on a 85' Trek with all original Suntour Cyclone components, and I am enjoying it! The Steel frame is Butter, and I have dialed in the shifting, that even though it's friction its fairly precise, I have been on several groups rides this year already and I haven't felt inferior have less gears or lacking STI.
I am planning on keeping this bike, and keeping the current gen of components on it.....

 

[rooftest]

What ever happened to SunTour, anyway?

I ride a steel/carbon frame, and love it!

 

[sanjuro]

Being new to road bikes since my last one was nearly 15 years ago, can you upgrade an older 7 speed to 8/9? I would like to upgrade my current frame to use STI, but didn't know if it was possible.

I would rather not get rid of my old 4130 frame because I haven't seen a newer bike that rides as nice as this.

You should be able to bend the frame enough to squeeze in a 130mm axle. You could also get a professional frame worker to do it as well, but it is probably not necessary.

BTW, if you like 4130, take a look at a Surly Cross-Check or a Pacer: