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@Bearlegged
Your thoughts please...
I need to replace the running gear on my bike. The STIs are worn out and sloppy, the cassette and chain are due a change, and the chainrings are over 10 years old, so as a minimum I’ll be looking to replace those bits. Budget-wise, I don’t really want to spend more than £300ish.
The bike’s a Bob Jackson Audax, currently running 8spd Sora (shifters/12-23 cassette) with 9/10spd compatible mechs (Ultegra r/Tiagra f) and an old MTB chainset (46/36/24 rings). This gives me nice close ratios and plenty of low gear options. Wheels are Open Pros on 105 hubs (8-10spd).
The low gears are pretty vital as (1) I live in Sheffield where there a very few flat routes, and (2) I’m pulling Master Landslide in a child trailer and he’s not showing any signs of getting any lighter.
I never really feel the need for any more gears at the top end.
My options seem to be as follows:
1) I’ve been given a 9spd Ultegra triple chainset, Octalink bottom bracket and 9spd cassette. This would mean getting a new chain, and some 9spd shifters. Pro seems to be this will be relatively cheap, cons include losing a gear at the bottom of my range, and quandaries over which shifters to go for (2300/Sora, or try to find some NOS or similar from one of the higher ranges).
2) Buy a whole new 10spd Shimano gruppo, probably either Tiagra or 105 (though the latter would be stretching my budget a bit). Pros: Ooh, shiny and new! Upgrade to 10 spd (with what looks like a decent degree of future-proofing), outboard bearings. Cons: Higher cost, not the most beautiful of components.
3) Get a second-hand 10spd Chorus gruppo from a friend. I’d previously been put off switching to Campag by the need to replace my wheels as well, but he’ll sell me those too (Open Pros again). Pros: Classic aesthetics, not too pricey. Cons: Chainset is a non-matching Centaur triple in gunmetal grey (rather than the polished silver of the rest of the group), square taper BB, I’ve never ridden Campag before (but ride on the hoods a lot, and like the thumbshift button on Sora, so doubt that’ll be much of an issue).
Will modern Tiagra be better than what I’m used too? Are outboard bearings really that much better? Any thing else I should consider?