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Post by tp0tter on Aug 10, 2016 23:36:49 GMT
Hi all,
Ive had my T3 for two, maybe three, years now and for that time it's remained completely stock (bar clipless pedals). I joined here looking for advice on upgrades etc. that I could possibly make to it now that I've had it for a while, so any advice you might have will be gratefully received.
Cheers, Thomas.
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Post by Rocket on Aug 10, 2016 23:48:22 GMT
What does it not do that you would like to make it do? What is your typical use? What are your abilities? What don't you like about it?
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Post by tp0tter on Aug 11, 2016 0:11:46 GMT
Well I believe that everything has a useful - or maybe rather peak - life to whatever extent. Maybe it's a matter of perception but I certainly think I've seen a performance decrease in the time that I've had it, so I was hoping to garner any views from other owners on what they've done and whether they think it's necessary.
I've recently started using it to commute ~10 miles to and from my job 3 or 4 times a week and it seems that the tyres have a lot more resistance than I have been used to , so I bought a pair of Conti Ultra Sport II's in 25c to replace the 23c B'Twin FRC's that came with the bike, so when they arrive I hope they'll maybe make a small difference.
One thing that I've been entertaining ever since I bought the bike is a wheel upgrade, but I've nevre quite had the conviction (or cash before now) to pull the trigger on that one.
Cheers for your help
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Post by Rocket on Aug 11, 2016 8:07:13 GMT
I forgot to ask - do you have a red T3 with Sora and carbon fork or a white T3 with microSHIFT and steel fork? If you have a white one then I believe the biggest single upgrade you can make to it will be to change the steel fork for a carbon one. Makes it so much more comfortable to ride. Anyway here is a run down on my white T3 along with my thoughts. Red T3 forks 600g lighter and comfort. Filters out a lot more vibration. Groupset 105 5800 11 speed with 53/39. I'm under 70Kg and fairly powerful so can get away with it. Superb shifting and no messing with a triple to setup. Braking not much different. Better choice of ratios. I use 11-28 for hills and 12-25 on flats to give really close ratios. 600g lighter. Bar tape was changed with groupset to some SRAM variant. Comfy and hard wearing. Saddle. A very personal thing. Currently a Charge Scoop. Pedals. I wear SPD-SL shoes so originally used PD-R540 but I wore them out on the platform so moved to PD-R550 which have a stainless plate on the platform and do not wear out. If you walk a lot then consider SPD shoes and pedals otherwise go for SPD-SL as they are more supportive on long rides with efforts. Wheels were changed as a necessity as the Btwin will not last for ever due to cheap bearings. Some change just for looks however. I've tried RS11 which are still quite heavy but lasted a lot longer, Planet X AL30 which are 500g lighter but needed cartridge bearings replacing very often and now have a set of Superstar Components Elite Icon 30 which are 600g lighter and simply superb. Beware of buying wheels with only a 10 speed hub as they will need changing again should you wish to fit an 11 speed groupset. RS010 are a cheap and safe bet if a little on the heavy side. Tyres. I used the FRC until they wore out then switched to Continental GP4000sII for the next 25,000 miles. I don't use any other tyres. A pair of these will save 300g are more comfortable and have less rolling resistance for free speed. I have stayed with 23mm as my weight means I can run these at 95 PSI for comfort yet still avoid pinch flats. So the only original parts of my bike are the frame, stem, bars and seat post - but it's the same bike currently weighs under 9 Kg in size 57 with no pedals. Hope this shows you what can be done and more to the point why I did it.
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Post by phred1812 on Aug 11, 2016 8:57:44 GMT
Here is a pic of my Red 'Un. Its now used as my winter/wet weather bike, hence the Crud mudguards. It was bought January 2013 and turned out to be one of the best purchases I ever made. I am older and a less committed rider than the rocket man and admit that cosmetic attraction sometimes overules common sense and value for money in my case. Upgrading the bike has now stalled although I may put a pair of Fulcrum 7 wheels back on to replace the Shimano 501's which are rugged but a bit heavier. Upgrades include: Sram PG850 11-28 cassette KMC X8 -99 silver chain Sora 3 ring crankset Tiagra calipers with Swissstop pads Selle Italia C2 saddle Ultegra 6600 derailleur Deda 100mm red stem with carbon spacers The seat post and handlebars are original as are the Shimano 2300 shifters although I fitted Phat Wrap bar tape with gel inserts and I currently use PDM520 pedals to go with mtb shoes which are better in bad conditions than lightweight shoes. At some point I will upgrade the drive chain on my other bike and will transfer the Shimano 105 compact set to the Triban. Wecome to the club.
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