Should I upgrade parts or just buy complete second-hand bike?

[SvenH]

I bought a Titan Switch Comp a few months ago with aluminium frame and entry level Shimano components. Recently did my first gravel race and realised I'll have to do a few upgrades, even if just for general comfort in the next 100 km+ outing. The bike held up pretty well but on a few of the more hairy sections I just felt ill-equipped, noting that the bike isn't designed for all-out gravel.

Upgrades starting with 

* Easier gears (currently 2x11 with largest ring at the back 28T)

* Mechnical disk to hydraulic disk 

Question is, is just a better idea to sell the bike and buy a more suited second-hand complete bike, or go the upgrade route? 

Wouldn't want to spend more than R40 k on a new bike. 

Cheers 

 

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by SvenH

[Chadvdw67]

Buy another bike, it is always the correct answer....

[Fred van Vlaanderen]

1 hour ago, SvenH said:

I bought a Titan Switch Comp a few months ago with aluminium frame and entry level Shimano components. Recently did my first gravel race and realised I'll have to do a few upgrades, even if just for general comfort in the next 100 km+ outing. The bike held up pretty well but on a few of the more hairy sections I just felt ill-equipped, noting that the bike isn't designed for all-out gravel.

Upgrades starting with 

* Easier gears (currently 2x11 with largest ring at the back 28T)

* Mechnical disk to hydraulic disk 

Question is, is just a better idea to sell the bike and buy a more suited second-hand complete bike, or go the upgrade route? 

Wouldn't want to spend more than R40 k on a new bike. 

Cheers 

 

 

Can you perhaps unpack a little as to how you felt the bike was ill-equipped and why you are considering those two upgrades? Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be nice to have anyway, but where exactly did your current set-up fall short? 

[Danger Dassie]

Given what you've mentioned and the pricing, worth it to go for the carbon version of the Switch with a decent wheelset. 

[Mamil]

I don't think it's possible to not have a hairy time of things on a gravel bike. This is why people put forks on them and widest tires possible etc ... They are by definition sketchy as soon as the gravel gets loose or rocky or washed out or corrugated, gravel bikes show their true colours and they're nasty.

Dont get me wrong, I love mine but it can be an absolute brute to ride.

Don't let this stop you upgrading though. Mechanical discs are apparently way inferior to hydraulics in the feathering Dept or Soni read. Get biggest tyres frame will handle....

[M L]

4 hours ago, SvenH said:

I bought a Titan Switch Comp a few months ago with aluminium frame and entry level Shimano components. Recently did my first gravel race and realised I'll have to do a few upgrades, even if just for general comfort in the next 100 km+ outing. The bike held up pretty well but on a few of the more hairy sections I just felt ill-equipped, noting that the bike isn't designed for all-out gravel.

Upgrades starting with 

* Easier gears (currently 2x11 with largest ring at the back 28T)

* Mechnical disk to hydraulic disk 

Question is, is just a better idea to sell the bike and buy a more suited second-hand complete bike, or go the upgrade route? 

Wouldn't want to spend more than R40 k on a new bike. 

Cheers 

 

 

If you have R40k in mind then there really is no sense in trying to upgrade the alu Titan - you’ll have to upgrade pretty much everything to even come close to a R40k bike. 

My advice is to sell it and buy something second hand. 

Edited June 6, 2022 by M L

[bullet77]

There's a Giant Revolt in the classifieds R35k. 

[Ispeed_V]

Niner BSB 9 RDO - Carbon, Mint | Bike Hub

[MORNE]

I think people are confused between what a gravel bike, a CX bike and a monstercross bike is. Although ‘gravel bike’ has become a blanket name i think they differ as much as road vs tt vs track bikes or XC vs trail vs enduro bikes. Those are still mountain bikes or road bikes, but vastly different in many ways. With that in mind…

A gravel bike imo is basically a endurance style road bike that can take slightly wider offroad wheels. Still probably looks like a road bike. A cx is something even more racey…they are easily identified by the way the top tube and seat tube usually join…made that way so you can chuck it over your shoulder and run in a cx race.
A monstercross bike is something closer to a drop bar/ steeper geo mtb and big tyres…the last one being the most comfy in my opinion. Its not a race bike. Its imo the trail bike of the mtb world.

I have a monstercross bike as well as a ‘gravel bike’ in the garage. They are not the same kind of bike even though they look similar. The gravel bike is lighter, would probably pass for a lax’d road bike with some 28mm slicks on it. It only takes a 40mm tire - barely. It is alot more compact. It has relatively narrow road like bars and wouldnt look wierd with a road group on it.

if you like the relative comfort a fat tire’d rigid mtb offers, but want the ability to cruise at much higher speeds…then you are looking for a monstercross type bike imo. Something that can take a 50c - 2.3” mtb tyre without trouble so you can run low pressures. Something more upright for all day comfort. Steel helps. But thats subjective.

2c
 

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by MORNE

[Jewbacca]

1 hour ago, MORNE said:

I think people are confused between what a gravel bike, a CX bike and a monstercross bike is. Although ‘gravel bike’ has become a blanket name i think they differ as much as road vs tt vs track bikes or XC vs trail vs enduro bikes. Those are still mountain bikes or road bikes, but vastly different in many ways. With that in mind…

A gravel bike imo is basically a endurance style road bike that can take slightly wider offroad wheels. Still probably looks like a road bike. A cx is something even more racey…they are easily identified by the way the top tube and seat tube usually join…made that way so you can chuck it over your shoulder and run in a cx race.
A monstercross bike is something closer to a drop bar/ steeper geo mtb and big tyres…the last one being the most comfy in my opinion. Its not a race bike. Its imo the trail bike of the mtb world.

I have a monstercross bike as well as a ‘gravel bike’ in the garage. They are not the same kind of bike even though they look similar. The gravel bike is lighter, would probably pass for a lax’d road bike with some 28mm slicks on it. It only takes a 40mm tire - barely. It is alot more compact. It has relatively narrow road like bars and wouldnt look wierd with a road group on it.

if you like the relative comfort a fat tire’d rigid mtb offers, but want the ability to cruise at much higher speeds…then you are looking for a monstercross type bike imo. Something that can take a 50c - 2.3” mtb tyre without trouble so you can run low pressures. Something more upright for all day comfort. Steel helps. But thats subjective.

2c
 

 

I think it's evolved way beyond this....

Most gravel bikes these days take huge tires and have multiple mounting points. This way they are more sellable and more versatile. 

Race unbound gravel on the 700x40c carbon wheels one weekend and go bikeback on 650bx2.1 tourers fully loaded 3 weeks later on the same bike.

Most standard market CX bikes are also starting to accept much bigger rubber to make them more versatile. Gone are the days where gravel bikes squeeze a 40c tire in the back and CX bikes take 35c if you're lucky.

A monster cross bike would be a bike built across genres? An MTB frame with bodge parts and hacked to fit. It's Frankenstein's Monster. MTB frame with road bits and weird angles and a short head tube that looks silly with drop bars....

Curve build Gravel bikes with 640mm c2c flared bars (or wider I think) and take 700x2.1 MTB tires but are built around 'gravel' geo.

It then starts blurring lines like how long the chain stays are so you don't bang your heels on panniers etc.... 

As I said, I think it's evolved way beyond having 24 bikes with subtle nuances. Most bikes these days in this genre tend to be more versatile than ever allowing the rider to choose how they want to use the bike when. 

Obviously the pro/top racers have purpose built Crux's and other pure bred race bikes, but one cannot look at market extremes to determine the market. 

[SvenH]

On 6/7/2022 at 9:23 AM, MORNE said:

I think people are confused between what a gravel bike, a CX bike and a monstercross bike is. Although ‘gravel bike’ has become a blanket name i think they differ as much as road vs tt vs track bikes or XC vs trail vs enduro bikes. Those are still mountain bikes or road bikes, but vastly different in many ways. With that in mind…

A gravel bike imo is basically a endurance style road bike that can take slightly wider offroad wheels. Still probably looks like a road bike. A cx is something even more racey…they are easily identified by the way the top tube and seat tube usually join…made that way so you can chuck it over your shoulder and run in a cx race.
A monstercross bike is something closer to a drop bar/ steeper geo mtb and big tyres…the last one being the most comfy in my opinion. Its not a race bike. Its imo the trail bike of the mtb world.

I have a monstercross bike as well as a ‘gravel bike’ in the garage. They are not the same kind of bike even though they look similar. The gravel bike is lighter, would probably pass for a lax’d road bike with some 28mm slicks on it. It only takes a 40mm tire - barely. It is alot more compact. It has relatively narrow road like bars and wouldnt look wierd with a road group on it.

if you like the relative comfort a fat tire’d rigid mtb offers, but want the ability to cruise at much higher speeds…then you are looking for a monstercross type bike imo. Something that can take a 50c - 2.3” mtb tyre without trouble so you can run low pressures. Something more upright for all day comfort. Steel helps. But thats subjective.

2c
 

 

Thanks for this, Morne. Super helpful. 

[ACE Cycles]

On 6/6/2022 at 5:02 PM, SvenH said:

I bought a Titan Switch Comp a few months ago with aluminium frame and entry level Shimano components. Recently did my first gravel race and realised I'll have to do a few upgrades, even if just for general comfort in the next 100 km+ outing. The bike held up pretty well but on a few of the more hairy sections I just felt ill-equipped, noting that the bike isn't designed for all-out gravel.

Upgrades starting with 

* Easier gears (currently 2x11 with largest ring at the back 28T)

* Mechnical disk to hydraulic disk 

Question is, is just a better idea to sell the bike and buy a more suited second-hand complete bike, or go the upgrade route? 

Wouldn't want to spend more than R40 k on a new bike. 

Cheers 

 

 

It will probably work out cheaper to sell your current bike and buy one that already ticks all of the boxes for you. I had the carbon Switch with 2x11 and mechanical brakes and I loved it, I found it very capable. I thought that I'd need hydraulic brakes, but after riding it I was happy with the braking performance. I also liked the 2x11, great range. 

Three components worth upgrading, perhaps before making any big decisions.

1) Lekker tyres, as wide as the frame allows

2) A saddle that loves your ass, like a Specialized Power saddle

3) Wide flare, shallow drop handlebars with thick bar tape, double wrapped

 

I ended up selling my Switch after building myself a monster cross bike and falling in love with it 🤣

[NotSoBigBen]

Wrong thread 

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by NotSoBigBen

[dasilvarsa]

On 6/6/2022 at 5:02 PM, SvenH said:

I bought a Titan Switch Comp a few months ago with aluminium frame and entry level Shimano components. Recently did my first gravel race and realised I'll have to do a few upgrades, even if just for general comfort in the next 100 km+ outing. The bike held up pretty well but on a few of the more hairy sections I just felt ill-equipped, noting that the bike isn't designed for all-out gravel.

Upgrades starting with 

* Easier gears (currently 2x11 with largest ring at the back 28T)

* Mechnical disk to hydraulic disk 

Question is, is just a better idea to sell the bike and buy a more suited second-hand complete bike, or go the upgrade route? 

Wouldn't want to spend more than R40 k on a new bike. 

Cheers 

 

 

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