I’m riding a 2003 QR Kilo, 49cm frame with 650’s. It fits me perfectly. I’ve recently been to a FIST certified fitter and gotten my positions really dialed in.
I’m starting to get a little faster and would like to possibly upgrade. Any opinions on upgrading my Kilo since it fits so well. Upgrade to include, (installing Dura-Ace 10 components, FSA compact crank, Carbon seat post, Vison Base Bar with Carbon Pro Clip On). I have 404’s for racing.
Does that make any sense to anyone, rather than spend probably an additional 2K for a carbon fiber frame with Dura-Ace compnents? Would the carbon frame, maybe a QR Lucero with Dura-Ace make my that much faster on a 1/2 or Ironman? Would the “ride” be that much better?
I asked P3/P3C owners similiar questions in a post a few days ago. General consensus there is no real difference in speed, some found either bike more comfy. The only thing left was the coolness factor.
If your bike fits and it’s comfortable then why upgrade, unless just for the satisfaction of spending your money for something just for you.
I’ve thought about the same thing regarding my five year old P2K and the new P2C. Fortunately my wife will remind me of the difference between “want” and “need”.
New toys are nice but it’s really the engine that needs more work if it’s just about speed.
You are already on a fast bike with fast wheels. A carbon seat post helps dampen vibration from the aluminum frame, but outside of that, the Kilo is underated because it is not expensive. Its plenty fast. You will not see significant time differences by spending more money on a more expensive frame. However, sometimes a fancy new Ti or Carbon bike motivates people to ride more frequently. Which leads to more training hours and ultimately can make them faster.
One benefit to upgrading to a new, expensive bike is that you will no longer wonder what people on expensive bikes are thinking as you pass them while riding on a $1,500 bike.
I vote for the component upgrades. Regarding the Vision basebar, consider the version (Pro?) with the steep drop as an alternative to the flat bar. My Dual came with the flat basebar, and it puts you in the beach cruiser position any time you use it. Way too upright for sprinting or cornering for my taste.
You will not gain any speed by upgrading any of the things you mentioned. Maybe a disc might gain you a few seconds, but even that is probably not worth the money if you are already riding 404s. The only possible advantage might be a very slight improvement in weight and a reduction in drivetrain friction. I’m convinced that a lot of the improvement people see in their riding with new bikes has more to do with the fact that they have a new, smooth drivetrain than any alleged aero or weight advantages.
I am always amazed at how much faster I feel when I replace the chain/cassette and go out riding again. Sometimes we let them become so gummed up that they really create a lot of friction.
If you are really itching to spend money I would do it on something that might complement your training/racing—like a powermeter—or something that might help in other ways—like PowerCranks. Neither of those two items will turn you into Superman by themselves, and frankly just training more than you do will help more than anything. Unless you are already training at 20-25 hours a week.