New Frame or New Bike?
A friend of mine owns a Giant OCR 3, but wants to upgrade to something a little lighter. However, she still wants to stay in the performance class and, yes, not spend a lot of money. She was thinking about just replacing the frame with something lighter, and she asked my opinion on this, but I don't know much about the process. Any advice for her?
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In my experience, it is usually more expensive to build up a frameset than to buy a complete bike. Although your friend may intend to reuse her old parts on her new frame, inevitably certain parts will not transfer and she will have to spend some money on replacement parts. The bottom bracket,cranks and the front derailleur, for example, may not transfer. Drive train and brake systems may be worn, the rims and tires may be worn, and the bearings systems may be due for an overhaul.
As part of her decision making process, she should select the frame she wants to buy, take her old bike into a shop and pay an experienced mechanic to work out the parts switch on paper with dollar amounts before she makes her purchase.
Also consider that bike weight can often be lowered by up grading the frame, but things like the wheelset, seatpost, saddle choice and other components can also have a significant impact on overall weight. Again, sitting down with an experienced person in a shop working as a consultant may be worth the added expense.
Jennifer is right. It does cost more to build a bike then to bike the “boxed” bike. But if you’re clear on the specific upgrades you want on the bike it could be worth it. I upgraded this year from my Giant OCRW to the new Avail Advanced, and what an amazing difference. I love it. It’s lighter weight and the ride quality it is much better. The new carbon lay up creates a stiffer bike but the comfort is not sacrificed. The bike is right under you when you step on the pedals. Also, the new Avail Advanced has a shorter top tube which made the bike fit better.
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