Hello! I have a passed down Giant Defy 2 (third owner). It has been my main bike for the past 3/4 years and I’ve done multiple 70.3 races. This bike has been “fitted” as a tri bike. I’m currently waiting for the Canyon Speedmax CF 8 to get back in stock to pull the trigger. The Canyon will be my primary triathlon bike for the foreseeable future and I’d like to keep the Defy but switch it back to be a “road” bike.
While the bike frame is in an excellent condition, the components are showing their age. For example, the brake calipers still work 😅 , but it’s a hassle to the remove the wheels without deflating the tires because the calipers get stuck and don’t fully open easily. Once I get the Canyon I will have to get a new cassette for my trainer (9 → 11) and that will probably make my Defy incompatible with the trainer.
So I was wondering if it would make sense to upgrade all the components from the Tiagra to a new 105 group set. Here’s the list of components I came up with:
Am I missing something? Do I need to worry about compatibility of my frame? I haven’t looked for deals yet but considering Black Friday is around the corner, I might be able to find good deals soon. What I like about this plan is that I don’t need to buy everything at once (although I’m aware most components - with the exception of the break calipers - need be installed at the same time).
A bunch of years ago I upgraded a sub-sora Giant Defy 3 (2009) to Tiagra 2 x 10 (current-gen). Everything went fine, it was a straightforward component upgrade. Your stuff listed should all work fine.
Solid plan except you’re gonna need a chain too. Also, you could probably use your 9 speed cranks but might as well get a new crank to match everything.
On the other hand with everyone saying rim brake bikes are obsolete, and because you called them rim “breaksâ€will the laws of physics permit rim calipers to actually actuate after January 1, 2023? Is anyone worried about getting stopped?
because you called them rim “breaksâ€will the laws of physics permit rim calipers to actually actuate after January 1, 2023? Is anyone worried about getting stopped?
Hahaha That’s the non-native English speaker in me!
Solid plan except you’re gonna need a chain too. Also, you could probably use your 9 speed cranks but might as well get a new crank to match everything.
On the other hand with everyone saying rim brake bikes are obsolete, and because you called them rim “breaksâ€will the laws of physics permit rim calipers to actually actuate after January 1, 2023? Is anyone worried about getting stopped?
Off topic, but I’m convinced rim brakes are excellent for road bikes, both for carbon and alloy braking surfaces. Both work very well, with the alloy being slightly better in wet/messy conditions.
For TT bikes though, I think disc brakes are more important. With all that weight pushed up over the front wheel, the front brake needs to do a lot more work, as the rear brake sucks with all that weight taken off of it (skids). Also, I find the higher speeds I reach on a TT bike solo compared to the roadie also mean I need more braking power. (I’ve been surprised that I ‘run out of gears’ on flats and slight downhills on my TT bike vs my road bike - was planning to upgrade the crank from my TT bike to whatever I use on my road bike, and to my surprise, I find they’re exactly the same front-ring tooth setup. So I’m just going a lot faster on the TT bike, which makes it feel like I’m undergeared.)
Is this the 11sp cassette that will fit on a 9/10 speed freehub? If not, you’ll need to look around for one that will.
Merlin cycles used to do full groupsets for quite a bit cheaper than piecing it out by part. Will include everything you need including the already mentioned missing chain and cables. Don’t forget new handlebar tape either.
The shimano 105 and ultegra 11-34 will fit on a 9/10 speed hub.
Need the long cage derailleur to work with that.
And the R7000 shifters are cheaper at merlin.
That’s great! I couldn’t find the 105 R7000 derailleur with the long cage on Shimano’s website, only small and medium. Based on the specs the medium covers 11-28T to 11-34T so I should be good with that. right?
Two questions about the crankset:
Which one should I get: 50x34t, 52x36t, 53x39t? My current crankset is 50x34.
What about the length? Current length is 175mm, but I was fitted for 165mm on a tri-bike.
The shimano 105 and ultegra 11-34 will fit on a 9/10 speed hub.
Need the long cage derailleur to work with that.
And the R7000 shifters are cheaper at merlin.
That’s great! I couldn’t find the 105 R7000 derailleur with the long cage on Shimano’s website, only small and medium. Based on the specs the medium covers 11-28T to 11-34T so I should be good with that. right?
Two questions about the crankset:
Which one should I get: 50x34t, 52x36t, 53x39t? My current crankset is 50x34.
What about the length? Current length is 175mm, but I was fitted for 165mm on a tri-bike.
Thank you!
Yes, the medium…the longer of the two that are available. I should have been more specific
Crank length and chain ring size are personal:
I would get the chainring size that gives you the most flexibility in gearing. For me that’s a 50x34.
If you are under 72 inches tall, I would consider the 165mm. If you are under 64 inches, I would consider something smaller for a tri bike. You should go with what your fitter recommends (as long as it’s not bigger than 170)
