Today we are on the topic of mixing and matching parts again…

I’m looking at upgrading several components of my Trek 1.5 I recently purchased a Ultegra rear deraileur to replace the Tiagra unit there now. I’d like to upgrade the shifters from the Sora units there now to either 105 or Ultegra units. My main question is whether it’s ok to mix and match components from the different families? I’m thinking about going with 105 components due to their reliability and relatively low cost. Thanks ahead of time for your answers.

-Mixing Mike

Hi Mike,

You should have no problem mixing and matching these components. As long as everything is either Shimano 9speed or Shimano 10speed, you’re fine. Until recently, it was hard to find a bike that had all the parts from one group, like Shimano 105. Typically you would see a bike with an Ultegra rear derailleur, maybe 105 cranks or shifters, and then Tiagra parts everywhere else.

(Then it would be called an “Ultegra bike” to make it sound better, but that’s another story…)

The one thing you do not want to do is mix and match Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo together. I consider these manufacturers separate families. You could call Sora, 105, Ultegra, etc. cousins, as they’re all part of the Shimano family and they play well together.

The only exception I’ve seen is with a few of the top end components new for 2009. For example, the Shimano Dura Ace 7900 shifters and derailleurs won’t mate to earlier versions.

But like I said, the general rule is that all levels of Shimano will work together. A bike with an Ultegra rear derailleur and everything else 105 would make for a great riding bike. All you’re really giving up to the more expensive components is weight (and at the same time, you’re probably gaining durability.)

Earlier I wrote an article about the best ways to upgrade your road bike, and it sparked this question…

I was interested in your “Upgrade a Road Bike” column, as I am on one of the bikes mentioned, a Trek 2.1. Will upgrading the tires really make a noticeable difference? I’ve gotten about four flats as of late after about 1200 miles on the stock Bontrager tires and getting really frustrated, so better tires are appealing. But should I notice a big improvement in the ride, speed, etc? Looking at Continental 4000s… Thanks,
Tired Tim

Hi Tim,

Yes indeed, upgrading tires makes a huge difference. I’m not sure if you thought I was playing a practical joke on you, but I assure you, I speak the truth.

Going from a stock tire to a pro-level tire will offer many benefits. First, there is a big difference in road feel and ride quality. The good tires use fancy rubber compounds that yield a supple tire, making for a smooth “riding on air” feeling.

Second, the biggest improvement – cornering. Due to the amazing traction offered by the quality rubber, cornering is much more stable and therefore can be done much faster on good tires.

Speed in a straight line on a smooth, dry road will be virtually the same, but who rides on perfectly straight, perfectly smooth roads?

However, since the tire will be a little lighter, there could be a slight improvement in speed.

(*As for flat tires, I don’t consider those in a comparison unless you’re switching to a heavy-duty tire designed specifically for flat protection. The reason is, given the same conditions and riding style, any performance tire will be as susceptible to flats as any other.)

Any way you look at it, the upgraded tires are worth it.

I haven’t ridden the latest version of the low-end Bontrager tires, but the ones I rode in the past don’t even come close to nicer tires. Going from those to any brand of mid- to high-end tire is like night and day!

For $100, there’s no better investment than good tires and tubes. You’d get more improvements by going to tubular or tubeless wheels and compatible tires, of course, but that upgrade will cost you as much as (or more than) the Trek 2.1 cost you!

So my personal favorite upgrade is switching to Michelin Pro3 Race tires and Michelin latex tubes. Purchased on eBay, the cost is about $100. (Not that there’s anything wrong with a Continental 4000s, I’ve just been happy with Michelin.)

Did you just buy your first mountain bike so you can get into XC racing?

Chances are you bought something like the Trek 6700, Giant XTC 1, Cannondale F4, or Specialized Rockhopper Expert. These are roughly $1100-1300 bikes, which is not cheap, but you still might want to upgrade some parts and add accessories to decrease the weight and improve the performance.

Here is what I would do to make your bike race-ready without spending too much money:

Day of Purchase

The first upgrade you need to make is going to clipless pedals. You should do this immediately, because it’s a huge performance upgrade!

Most bikes in this price range either have flat pedals, no pedals at all, or maybe the basic Shimano SPD pedals. (If they do come with a pedal like the Shimano M520, you can use that to start, but be prepared to upgrade eventually, as these pedals don’t always work well.)

If the bike comes without clipless pedals, I would recommend looking at nicer pedals from Shimano, Time, and Crank Brothers. Popular models are the Shimano M770, Time ATAC XS Carbon, Crank Bros Eggbeater SL, and Crank Bros Candy SL.

You will also need special shoes to go with the clipless pedals. Take a look at models from Shimano, Sidi, Northwave, Specialized, Bontrager, Diadora, and Pearl Izumi. (Consider some more cycling clothing while you’re at it.)

Next, look at the saddle. There’s a chance you’ll like the saddle that comes on the bike. If so, great.

You won’t be doing too many long rides where you sit the whole time (unlike on a road bike,) so the saddle won’t be as big of a deal. But if you hate the saddle, switch it! I’m a big fan of Fizik and WTB saddles for mountain bike use.

After A Few Rides

After a few rides, consider getting some new rubber. AKA, grips and tires.

If the stock grips are comfy, go ahead and stick with them. But if they suck (as a lot of grips do,) upgrade them. I think the Oury grips and ESI grips are good, but also try out the Ergon grips if you have had any hand discomfort with regular grips.

Next, tires. Even if you got decent tires on your bike, mountain bike racing calls for more than one pair of tires. That’s because you need at least two sets of tires – one for dry conditions and one for wet, muddy conditions.

Some tires I like include the IRC Serac XC, Maxxis Crossmark, Maxxis Monorail, Hutchinson Python, and Kenda Nevegal. But there are many tires out there, and you need the ones that match your typical riding conditions. (Someone in the Arizona desert needs different tires than someone riding technical East Coast singletrack.)

Ask the local bike shop or your fellow racers for tire recommendations for your area.

New Wheels, Go Tubeless

As you start thinking about new tires, also think about going tubeless. Switching to tubeless tires is a huge performance upgrade! (First priority for performance is clipless pedals and shoes, but a close second is tubeless tires.)

There are two ways to accomplish this – buy UST wheels, or use a Stan’s NoTubes conversion kit.

On a budget:

If you’re on a budget, go for the Stans NoTubes conversion, which will convert your existing wheels and tires to tubeless for just about $55.

Also, if your standard wheels are good quality and you don’t want to spend $650 on new ones, the Stan’s conversion kit is for you.

With a little work, you’ll turn your regular wheels into a sweet set of tubeless wheels! It is so worth it! (It takes some work though, so don’t expect it to be easy.)

If you can afford new wheels:

If you have the money, spring for some new wheels. These are typically called UST tubeless wheels, and two popular options are Mavic Crossmax SL and Stan’s Olympic Disc wheels.

Both wheelsets are fairly expensive (around $650-900,) but they are lightweight and don’t require fussing around to get them working without tubes.

Important Components to Upgrade

Here are some good ideas if you still have more money than you know what to do with:

Brakes

Your brakes get a lot of use when mountain biking! These days, bikes in this price range come equipped with decent hydraulic disc brakes. These should work great for years to come, so don’t be in a hurry to upgrade.

On the other hand, if you have V-brakes, I’d swap those out ASAP. Disc brakes work so much better, especially in wet conditions, so it’s worth the investment.

But let’s say you have some basic hydraulic discs like the Avid Juicy 3 or Shimano Deore. They’re alright, but if you want better performance (nicer levers, better modulation, more power, etc.), you can upgrade your brakes because they are so important.

A popular option is the Avid Juicy Ultimate, but there are also nice brakes from Shimano XTR, Hayes, Hope, and Magura.

Suspension fork

Another expensive upgrade, a nice fork could cost more than your wheels. (I feel wheels are much more important, and brakes a little more important than this upgrade, but a good fork is nice to have.)

The real key is to have a fork with a lockout. These days, virtually every fork is going to have a lockout, so your current fork is probably fine.

But you can save some serious weight and get a better feel with a nicer fork. The RockShox SID and Fox F100 forks are popular options.

The Drivetrain

A good drivetrain is essential to performance, but a basic drivetrain consisting of Shimano Deore and/or SLX parts (or SRAM X.7 or X.9 components) should deliver solid performance. (If your drivetrain isn’t performing well, consider adjusting it properly or working on your shifting technique.)

Considering the likelihood of damaging derailleurs while riding, I would just wait and replace them when necessary. (If you must upgrade, I’d stick with Shimano XT, as XTR is super expensive.)

As for the rest of the drivetrain, just replace it as necessary. When they need replacement, a good chain and cassette will improve performance and save weight. Your bike probably came with a cheap, heavy cassette. (That’s the #1 priority for upgrading if you upgrade anything in the drivetrain.)

Just remember that you’ll go through at least a couple chains each year, and the cassette will need changed every so often.

Other Bicycle Components

If you’ve made it this far, your bike is probably very nice. There’s not much left to upgrade, but here are a couple ideas:

To save weight, consider a carbon seatpost. You could also choose a carbon handlebar to save more weight and possibly increase your comfort.

But the seatpost, stem, and handlebar are probably the last parts I’d upgrade.

Final Thoughts on Upgrading Components

Upgrading components can be fun and exciting, but buying purely on emotion will burn through your money real fast. You should first upgrade the parts that will give you the most bang for your buck, and then move on to the other parts. And don’t forget that many parts will wear out and need replaced, so you want to have some money saved for that!

In any case, it’s your bike, so have fun with it!

So you just picked up a new road bike to take advantage of the beautiful sunny weather. It’s a great bike that cost about $1200-1400. That got you some pretty good parts, like a full Shimano 105 drivetrain and a decent wheelset.

Some bikes that fall into this category are: Trek 2.1, Giant Defy 1, Specialized Allez Sport, and Cannondale CAAD9 5. These bikes all fall into the price range, although each one has slightly different parts.

Despite it being a new bike, you probably want to upgrade some components now or in the near future. Here is how I would do it:

Day of Purchase

The same day you purchase your bike, you should make a few changes or upgrades.

First, make sure you’re getting a comfortable saddle. Some shops have loaners that you can borrow for test rides so you know which one works for you, before plunking down $100+ for one that looks neat but is totally uncomfortable. (The Selle Italia Flite, Fizik Arione, and Fizik Aliante are popular choices, but what matters is getting the one that fits your behind.)

Next, you most certainly want clipless pedals and shoes. Going to a clipless pedal system (instead of platform pedals) will totally transform your riding experience for the better. This could cost anywhere from $100-450 or even more, but it’s worth it.

I’d also get some bike-specific clothing at this point, if you don’t have any yet.

The First, Most Important Upgrade

If you have some extra money and you’re just itching to get some new bike parts, there is one upgrade you can make that will make more of a difference than all others combined.

And that upgrade is new wheels and tires. Lighter, stiffer, smoother, and/or more aerodynamic wheels will noticeably increase your performance and make the bike more fun to ride.

Some of the nicer wheelsets include Mavic Ksyrium SL, Williams s19, Williams s30, Neuvation R28, Reynolds Solitude, Shimano Dura-Ace, and Zipp 404. The Williams and Neuvation wheels are great values at $300-500, with other high-end wheels costing $800 or more.

To go with the new wheels, you definitely want new tires. Heck, even if you can’t afford new wheels, getting new tires will still make a huge difference in your bike’s ride.

I’m a fan of Michelin tires – I love the Krylion Carbon as well as the Pro 3 Race. Other popular tires are the Continental Grand Prix 4000, Vittoria Open Corsa, and Hutchinson Fusion. These top-of-the-line tires will cost about $35-65 each.

(If you’re low on cash, a tire upgrade is going to make a huge difference and is definitely the most bang for your buck.)

Upgrading Other Bike Parts

Once you have upgraded the wheels and tires, your bike should feel great. If so, you’re all set. But if you want to keep going, here are some more ideas…

If the bike came with carbon seatpost, great. If not, get a carbon seatpost. That will add comfort and save some weight at the same time.

You could also go to a carbon handlebar for more comfort for your hands and arms. It’s not super important, but if you have any sort of hand discomfort, an anatomically shaped carbon bar could help.

The other parts to consider are brakes. Most brakes on bikes in this price range are cheap, no-name brakes without a lot of stopping power. If your brakes work alright, but lack a little stopping power, the first upgrade is actually new brake pads.

Sometimes the small switch to high-quality brake pads will make a huge difference in stopping power.

Now, if the brakes are bad enough that they don’t work well at all, it’s time to replace them! Maybe you ride in hilly areas and your brakes feel weak and spongy on the downhills. New brakes, perhaps Shimano 105 or SRAM Rival, will give you greater safety and confidence, since you know the brakes will stop you if necessary.

Upgrading the Drivetrain

The natural instinct is to upgrade the bike’s drivetrain, so you might be wondering why it’s so far down the list. But believe it or not, your Shimano 105 drivetrain is going to work nearly as well as Dura Ace.* It might not be quite as stiff or shiny, but it’s close enough.

What you’re really paying for with the upgrades is weight savings, and there are much better places to save weight on bikes in this price range.

* If you have shifting issues, most likely the drivetrain needs adjusted. If it is setup properly, it should shift flawlessly. (Also, a double chainring setup will shift much better than a triple, so keep that in mind if your triple setup is a little rough.)

Performance-wise, the best drivetrain upgrade would be shifters. That’s where you really feel the difference. (Since the shifters control the derailleurs, it’s likely that upgrading the derailleurs and not the shifters, everything will still feel the same.)

Weight-wise, upgrading the cassette should give you a pretty good weight savings. Sometimes the cassette will be a super cheap one that weighs a ton, since the casual observer won’t notice it. (As opposed to the rear derailleur, which “screams” its name thanks to the big logo on it.)

But before plunking down money for upgraded parts, be sure you can afford your regular replacement parts! The cassette, chain, and chainrings will wear out from normal use, and they’ll need replaced.

** Another thing to consider is, in this price range, you won’t always get a full Shimano 105 drivetrain. You might see some Tiagra and Sora parts. Tiagra parts are alright, but not as good as 105. Sora parts, well, they are worth upgrading!

Don’t Forget, You’ll Need Replacement Parts

Before spending money willy nilly, be sure you can afford to replace the parts that will wear out.

Drivetrain parts need replaced on occasion. The chain will need replaced 2-3 times per year, the cassette once per year, and chainrings may last 1.5-2 years. (Of course, this varies by mileage and your maintenance schedule.)

Cables and housing should also be replaced periodically. Once per year is more than enough, unless your cables get covered in gunk from wet and muddy rides, or if you see the cable fraying. (If the cables aren’t moving smoothly or if there’s rust or fraying, it needs replaced.)

The handlebar tape will need replaced too. This is a fun upgrade because you can change the color to give your bike a new look.

Lastly, the cleats for your clipless pedals will wear out. Plastic cleats could need replaced as often as once every 3-6 months.

Final Thoughts on Upgrading Components

Upgrading components can be fun and exciting, but buying purely on emotion will burn through your money real fast. You should first upgrade the parts that will give you the most bang for your buck, and then move on to the other parts. And don’t forget that many parts will wear out and need replaced, so you want to have some money saved for that!

In any case, it’s your bike, so have fun with it!

Today let’s look at possible upgrades for a new road bike…

hi there! i’m just new in road biking and my bike has shimano 105 components. can i replace the 105 derailleur with a shimano rd-7900 dura ace? im not satisfied with the 105 rear derailleur. is it compatible or do i need to replace all the components with dura ace? thanks!

-Derailled Dan

Hi Dan,

If you have a newer bike with 10 speed components (i.e. 10 cogs on the rear wheel,) then you can mix-and-match most of the components like you want. The general rule is, “as long as everything is Shimano, you’re fine.” (Don’t mix Campagnolo in there.)

However, there was a slight change the the cable pull ratio on the newest 7900 shifters and derailleurs. That means if you put a 7900 rear derailleur on there, you would also need the matching 7900 shifter. The other parts should be compatible. (Always look at Shimano TechDocs to be 100% sure.)

But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. In my opinion, going from a Shimano 105 to Dura Ace rear derailleur is a waste of money. The Dura Ace will be lighter, but there will be very little performance difference overall (especially if the rest of the bike is 105.)

When setup properly, the 105 rear derailleur should shift flawlessly. These days, Shimano 105 works very well. You may see a very slight improvement in performance with Ultegra, Ultegra SL, or Dura-Ace, but what you’re paying for is the weight savings. You could actually see a decrease in durability with certain upgrades (since they sacrifice strength and durability for weight savings.)

And if you were going solely for weight savings, I’d switch the entire bike from Shimano 105 to SRAM Rival, which is cheaper and lighter than Shimano Ultegra!

So here’s what I would do:

If I were you, I would buy top-of-the-line wheels and tires, and I’d also replace the shifters before replacing the rear derailleur.

And since the shifters are 105, they should be fine. I’d only replace them if you actually had shifting problems once the drivetrain was set up properly. (That’s the key here – even some mechanics don’t get the drivetrain set up properly when you’re paying them to do so.)

Put things in perspective – $300 for a rear derailleur is a lot of money. I can’t see putting a $300 derailleur on a bike unless the bike is $3000 or more, and I don’t know of any bikes spec’d with a 105 group that fall into that category.

So if you want to spend money, spend it on wheels and tires first. Perhaps some Williams System30 wheels and Michelin Pro3 Race tires.

But other than that, I’d just save the money so that you can afford to replace the chain, cassette, and chainrings as they wear out from normal use.

Not that upgrading drivetrain components is a bad thing, but being new to road biking, you might not appreciate the fine details of the high-end components (as I mentioned already, there’s not much difference,) and you wouldn’t get the true feel of Dura Ace when you just mix one DA part into a 105 drivetrain.