I fancy a wee treat for my bike.

[TheFungle]

Otherwise known as the urge to spend money on something I don't really need.

I'm currently riding on a fully Ultrega'd 2010 Merida, so certainly not lacking in decent componentry.

However I'm having the urge to throw some money at it, I quite fancy a set of carbon bars but not sure what benefit I'd get, a new set of wheels would be nice but to see a drastic improvement would cost $$$$s

Perhaps I should just be happy with what I have?

Feel free to turn this into a bike porn want thread

[aspender]

I fulfilled the same need last weekend with one of these:



and one of these:



The seatpost was particularly pleasing at 50% off from Merlin, and is surely about as sexy as a seatpost can get!

[Rocksteadyeddie]

What wheels are you currently using?

Carbon bars will make absolutely no difference whatsoever other than a couple of inches in the middle being slightly nicer to look at. A lot of pros use aluminium bars btw.

[fast westfield]

Carbon stem from Time is nice but cost load's and has little benefit.

Wheels are your best investment for performance gains they are both static mass and rotating mass so a small saving in weight is multiplied as it is rotated. Light aero wheels fitted with light tires down side is the likely-hood of punctures.

[Jimbo.]

Assuming you don't already (apologies if it's not the case!) then how about using the for doing things, rather than buying them? Join a local club and get involved, enter a sportive, enter a TT, get BC membership and a race licence and go racing/TT'ing? Or go on a cycling holiday?
Done some of that myself, and it's the best money I've ever spent "on" a bike!

[TheFungle]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

What wheels are you currently using?

Carbon bars will make absolutely no difference whatsoever other than a couple of inches in the middle being slightly nicer to look at. A lot of pros use aluminium bars btw.

2009 Ultegras so any substantial wheel upgrade would be fair chunk of cash although the Planet X Pro carbon wheelsets do get stonking reviews and appear good value for money.

The bar upgrade would be purely aesthetic

One thing I would like to change is the crankset, Ultegra is no looker and a sexy, spidery carbon crank would no doubt make me significantly faster..

[rhinochopig]

Have a look at some of KCNC's stuff re bars are stems. They're scandium, reasonably priced, and lot lighter than most carbon versions at a fraction of the price.

As other have said though, wheels are the best upgrade.