stronz
Posts:447
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| 08/19/2015 09:51 AM |
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I have a litespeed vortex ca 2004-5 which for about 8 years was my go t0 road bike. Then I got a GIANT carbon everything TCR PRO top of the line bla bla bla. The GIANT is an enormously capable ride and its got campy super record and hyperon wheels. Really comfy, super light and fast. Like it a lot.
I took a look at my vortex last week and noticed the rear wheel had somehow popped a spoke broken off at the rim nipple. Can hear the broken piece rolling around in the tire as it spins - these are Mike Garcia rims with DT swiss hubs. around 8 years old. Anyway I will have the spoke fixed (dont trust myself to do it) I threw on my spare rims (campy shamal) and have been riding it fro a couple of days -- The Ti feels so alive compared with the carbon. Problem is other stuff on the bike is starting to fall apart:
The eggbeater quad Ti pedals that were so cool 10 years ago are supremely inadequate now -- I keep popping out and if I dont get into them gently I can actually collapse the cage and have to stop and jimmy them back.
The FD cage fell apart this morning. The bike has campy record vintage 2005. The brakes are Zero Gravity and still work fine.
So I'm thinking of re-tooling the bike with some campy group stuff - cant really decide if I should go 2015 record or chorus for the FD/RD, crankset, cassette and chain (keeping the brakes) or just replace the FD with a vintage record piece and put on some speedplay pedals and let it alone - I'm a little worried other 10 year old stuff I leave on the bike will break soon.
Or just go DA or Ultegra -- problem with that is all my other stuff is Campy and I like having everything from my two bikes relatively interchangeable.
Thoughts?
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ChinookPass
Posts:809
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| 08/19/2015 10:14 AM |
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| Since it's a 2nd bike, it's got to offer something that your other bike does not or else why would you choose to ride it over the giant. So bigger tires? Platform pedals to make it an errand bike? Single speed? |
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stronz
Posts:447
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| 08/19/2015 10:44 AM |
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hmmm interesting. its too dang nice a frame for knocking around. It really is a different bike from the GIANT -- feels much more knife-like and high strung. But I have 25 mm tires on it and sometimes throw slightly knobby treads on for winter and rain.
I do think its a helluva rain bike |
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THE SKINNY
Posts:506
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| 08/19/2015 10:51 AM |
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| how old is the giant? can you get new stuff for it and transfer the old stuff to the vortex? probably to many different type parts sizes but that's usually what i do if i can. |
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| How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. |
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stronz
Posts:447
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| 08/19/2015 11:09 AM |
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did think about transferring the GIANT gear -- its pretty new and would cost a lot (more than I want to spend anyway) to duplicate or improve on. I have super record everything on the giant - not electronic.
Was looking at the chorus level spec and it is reasonably cheap - could do pretty much everything I want for under a grand. It weighs in slightly lighter than ultegra. One other thought I had was to maybe go ultegra electronic on the vortex - just for the novelty. I think that would wear off and I'd just have a heavier ultegra level bike that I may or may not like....I'm thinking Campy chorus |
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stronz
Posts:447
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| 08/19/2015 11:10 AM |
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here's a neat link re groupset weights
http://www.totalcycling.com/en/us/Component-Weights/cc-8.aspx |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 08/19/2015 01:00 PM |
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I'd keep the Cortex mechanical. (Rain.) Yeah, you ill have misbehaving molecules (oxygen and rust) but at least you won't have straying electrons (wet electronics). Chorus. More interchangeability with the Giant.
Ben |
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stronz
Posts:447
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| 08/19/2015 01:54 PM |
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| my cortex will remain mechanical.....(love it!) |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 08/19/2015 02:42 PM |
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The weight differences will be negligible, in terms of performance. And if you choose CHorus, it will largely be the exact same thing as what you have now (could be good or bad, depending on your POV).
Ultegra 10 spd stuff can be had pretty cheaply if you search around. Also, go over the Steep & Cheap and look at the component prices....some pretty cheap stuff and you can cobble some stuff together. (S&C is the new version of Chainlove.com) |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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stronz
Posts:447
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| 08/19/2015 03:59 PM |
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| excellent info guys -- thanks! |
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