måndag 6 februari 2017

When I upgraded my Scott Speedster 30 from Tiagra to 105

Scott Speedster S30 105 converted, POC helmet and Haglöfs Corker backpack

One year ago exactly I found a nice price for a Shimano 105 group (60% sale) and decided it was time to upgrade my Scott Speedster from the Tiagra that had gone 7000 km.
So I thought 'how hard could it be' and placed the order. Luckily I had almost all the tools needed to perform this operation.

The stripping of a work horse

Scott Speedster S30, without wheels in repair stand
Scott Speedster S30, without wheels in repair stand

This part went pretty fast. Some parts were quite stuck and needed a little extra work with the help of a rubber hammer on the tool, especially the pedals. As you can see I should have replaced the bar tape ages ago.

Scott Speedster S30, frame and handlebars only
Scott Speedster S30, frame and handlebars only
Totally stripped bike. Only the frame, handlebars and front fork is left. Time to clean it up, really rub away all the dirt that was stuck.
I actually hadn't replaced the chain either during those 7000 km, so the cassette and chain rings were quite married to it at this point.

Build it up again

So, now that all the old stuff was removed it was time to assemble the new components.
The shifters really took some time to figure out and a lot of youtubing, evidently they had changed the design a little and until I found a clip that described how to do it... Well, after I found out how I really felt stupid, it was quite simple in the end. Shimano does not seem to ship assembly instructions with their components, only a paper that a certified mechanic should do the assembly. So when you get stuck, it takes some time to find the correct instructions. This happened mainly for the shifters.

First issue
The front derailleur that was included in the kit was not the type that can be clamped around the tube. So needed to order a replacement. A week went by.

Second issue
Tube cutters (cable housing cutters), really, buy the specially designed tool for this, otherwise.... Well its just easier with the correct tool. Ended up with a cheap one for €5 and they do the job. So much easier then trying to use normal wire cutters.

Third setback
How did I miss this? I went from a 10 speed group to a 11 speed one and didn't think of the cassette fitting the rear wheel. So, when I tried to mount it there was 1.8mm missing on the body. So it was time to upgrade the rear wheel. Sadly I had bought the old wheel just 6 months earlier. But, oh well. Sometimes you just have to pay for your own stupidity.
Placed the order, expected delivery 4 days. But for some reason DHL decided to ship the wheel to Norway and it got stuck in customs there for 5 weeks until they sent it to the correct country. At this point the spring season was starting up and I really wanted my bike ready to be able to cycle to work instead of taking the car every day.

Finally when it arrived I was able to assemble the rear wheel, get the rear derailleur working. Something extra that I recommend is to fit in a barrel adjuster for the front derailleur, otherwise you end up needing tools every time you need to tighten the tension, something that happens with new wires.
Scott Speedster S30, converted to Shimano 105 drive train
Scott Speedster S30, converted to Shimano 105 drive train
I really like how the black Cinelli Mike Giant Handlebar Tape fit the build, and the stylish black chain ring and crank arms.

All in all what I thought would be a weekends work turned out to be 7 weeks with all the delays. But in the end, it was worth it. The feel of the 105 drive train is just so smooth. Even now one year and 2 chains later it is just the best. I promised myself to take better care of this new setup so now I change the chain every 1000 km and cassette every third chain, so cassette replacement is coming up in a month or so.

Useful videos


Cat tax

Thanks for reading, here's a picture of a very tired Prime (10 month kitten).

Until next time: Work to Live, Don’t Live to Work

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