Sometimes, Its About the Bike

Outside of actually riding a bike, there are a few other awesome things about cycling - (1) getting a new bike, (2) talking about cycling (while enjoying a few beers) and (3) giving your bike a major upgrade.  Well, our fellow CF cyclist Dave Holbrook, provided the opportunity to do two of those three things.  Dave decided to upgrade the groupset on his bike from a triple crank with a 9 speed cassette to a current state Shimano 105 5800 series 11 speed with a compact crank and a 11x32 cassette.

Shimano 105 11 Speed Groupset

This upgrade will give Dave a nice climbing update with the new 34x32 versus the former 34x27 gearing combination. 

Dave, being the generous fellow he is, also allowed some of his friends to help with the upgrade and last night we were able to get the bike upgraded.  We also included a good nutrition and hydration plan to ensure we wouldn't bonk during the upgrade.

Eric removing the aero bars

Overall, the upgrade went well.

The first task was to remove the aerobars and the bar tape.  Eric jumped on this and we soon had the shifters exposed.

Installing the Bottom Bracket

While Eric tackled the aero bars and bar tape, Dave worked on removing the old bottom bracket. He then installed the new 34/50 double compact crank; replacing the old triple crank.

Sean had the job to remove the Speed Play pedals off the old cranks. As we all know, removing pedals can be a challenge. Fortunately, Sean (with a little help from his friends) was able to remove the pedals from the old crank arms.  After a little cleaning, the pedals were installed on the new crank arms.

Installing the Cables

Next we mounted the brakes so we could start working on the the shifters and cables.  We marked the position of the original shifters and then removed them.  This let us put the new shifters in the same position as the old ones.  From there, Eric and I got the new shifters installed, sized the brake and gear cable housings and routed the cables. Dave was carefully watching to ensure we didn't switch his braking levers to opposite sides.  In the meantime, Dave mounted the rear derailleur to the derailleur hanger.

Eric and Dave removed the old cassette and installed the new 11x32 11 speed cassette.  We then installed the wheels and connected the brake cables to the brakes.  The brake pad alignment and adjustments went smoothly and we adjusted the brake pull "feel" to Dave's preference.

New Compact Crank Installed

Eric and I then installed the chain. Eric and I had a nice debate on which link to brake to shorten the link to the proper overall length (Eric was right).  We used a KMC 11 Speed Missing Link to connect the chain.

We then connected the rear derailleur cable and started the adjustment process.  First, we set the high limit and then the low limit.  The B screw also needed a tweak to get the proper spacing to the cassette.  After a few minutes we had it dialed in nicely.

Unfortunately, the front Derailleur is a band type clamp and we didn't have the correct size so we couldn't finish the installation.

Dave and Eric Installing the New Groupset

Even without the front Derailleur, Dave took a test ride and reported everything was great.  He even "climbed" the driveway in the 32 tooth gear.

Dave and I then finished the bike off with new handlebar tape.  Dave also installed these cool bar plugs that have LEDs for night riding.

Ready For The Chain 

This was a fun night and I think Dave was happy with his upgrade.  We are all looking forward to seeing how the new bike rides when Dave takes it up Beatty Hill.

Congratulations on the upgrade!

Removing The Old Cassete

Eric Adjusting the Rear Deraileur Cable

Waiting for the Left Pedal from Sean

    

The Supervisors - OZ, Sean and Chris

The Wrenches - Dave, Eric and Jim

Dave With His Upgrade