Shimano upgrade question

David wrote:
In article
, kj
wrote:


I bought my first road bike two summers ago, a GT 5.0 with Shimano Sora
components. I have approximately 2000 miles on it. I did a few
centuries this summer and plan on doing more next season, possibly even
a double-century. I'm contemplating upgrading some parts this winter
and was wondering what the general consensus was on a few questions:

- Generally, how many miles should the Sora components last? I ride in
pretty hilly areas and try to keep the chain and gears clean and lubed.



With regular maintenance, it should last you for many miles to come.
The only concern with Shimano stuff is their STI shifters
malfunctioning after about 16,000 to 20,000 km or so. Not a rule of
thumb, but a gauge as some people have them working past the 20,000km
mark. Recently, both my 99 pair RSX STI brifters kicked the bucket,
the left at 16,000 and the right at 20,000km. The WD-40 trick was used
to eeck out more life before they died. I had another 96 RSX pair on
my travel bike and they both died at around the same mileage, also did
WD-40 trick plus Boeshield T-9 spray for lubrication each year. This
is from riding all season in snow and rain. So you have plenty of life
left on your components.


- Is there a big performance jump from an 8-speed Sora to say the
9-speed Ultegra group?



Absolutely not. How can it be, since you are the bike's powerplant, an
extra gear helps you in no way other than providing a less bigger jump
for the bigger cogs perhaps (30 to 32) instead of 28 to 32.


- Would simply getting a new chain make a noticeable difference? I was
thinking of switching to a SRAM chain with Powerlink for easier
cleaning, especially in the spring when there's a lot of sand on the roads.



Good idea for the new chain.. I think you're due for one anyhow.

In my opinion, I would stick with 8 speed as long as you can, only
replacing the chain as you go along. If you're happy with what you
have now, stick with it. 8 speed stuff, especially the shifters are
harder to find now if you need to replace yours. If you can't find new
8 speed replacement shifters, then you can think about upgrading to 9
speed. And by the time you do that, prices for 9 speed stuff would
probably become more affordable as 10 speed becomes mainstream.





Thanks to all for the replies and advice. It looks like I'll try the
new chain and maybe a new cassette for next season and leave it at that.
I guess with my riding time being cut down so much this time of year
that I was itching to do something bike related :-)