Component upgrade decision

[River-rider]

I own a Merida 903 full Tiagra. The frame is quite decent with carbon fork. Been toying with the idea to upgrade some components. The question is what will give me the best bang for my buck. Seems to be wheels and BB/crankset. What wheels? or what cranset? Got about R5000 to throw to this project.

[JPW#]

Let me tell you its a crazy question hehe, which would get crazy answers.

5k will only get you a nice complete groupset.  105

Buying parts piece piece is very non cost effective.

Nice mavic or 105 wheels ur looking at 1.7 -2.5 k.

Thats my 2 cents.

 

[bikemonster]

I don't know Merida's frame hierarchy, so this may or may not be a good suggestion...

 

 

 

Do you *really* like your present frame? Do you smile lovingly at it? Are you 100% comfortable? If you answered "yes" to these questions, then blow your entire budget on a wheel upgrade. Keep the old wheels to put back on the bike when you sell it in a year or two.

 

 

 

If you didn't answer "yes", then save your money. Literally. Open a special "slush fund" account and squirrel money away towards a new bike.

 

 

 

And to satisfy your urge to spend your way to speed, buy some nice fast tyres. Conti Attack/Force or GP4000's would be my recommendation.

[Weight Weenie]

Monster has a point, I know as well, you have to love the frame as upgrades are expensive in comparison with OEM parts ?

[David Marshall]

I have the 904 with the 105 groupset and I am very happy with it (07 year).  Point is I bought it second hand for around the cost of an upgrade.  I have ridden with a Tiagra groupset in the past and can't say that I can fault it on performance - you only notice the difference when it is time to sell!

[River-rider]

Thanks for the advice guys. Seem the best option is to go for some wheels. Can always put the old ones back when I've squirelled enough buck for a decent bike  thats weighs a bit less than the 10+kg's of the Merida

[Oltremo]

1 of my bikes is a Merida 905 - Ultegra gruppo, nothing wrong with it.... great bike. Couple of years ago I had an Avalanche and also did piece upgrades...the problem is they are not cost effective, you don't get your money back.

My advice is to save the 5k, try and make 2k on the Merida, pick up a 105 gruppo Raleigh.

 

You will be much happier

[Edge_Design]

1 of my bikes is a Merida 905 - Ultegra gruppo' date=' nothing wrong with it.... great bike. Couple of years ago I had an Avalanche and also did piece upgrades...the problem is they are not cost effective, you don't get your money back.

My advice is to save the 5k, try and make 2k on the Merida, pick up a 105 gruppo Raleigh.

 

You will be much happier

[/quote']

 

I don't think the 105 is going to give you any real benefit over Tiagra and the frame would be virtually identical so you're not gaining a huge amount by doing this (IMO)...

 

My vote would go for either upgrading wheels and tyres or hang around on the hub for a while and every now and then you can pick up some awesome bargains and for R5k you might end up with a 105 groupset and some good wheels (I could get you a good condition used 10 speed 105 groupset and a brand new set of 1700g wheels for under R5k quite easily)! If you upgrade the groupset, remember you'll always get something back by selling the Tiagra so that might get you some carbon goodies as well just for fun.

 

Upgrading the groupset is the best thing you can do for resale value though as people don't really adjust their prices for wheels and carbon goodies (not by enough to make it worth it).