Starting a new bike build or buying a new bike?

[kajjot]

Hi,

I currently have an old Carrera Gryphon which needs repairing.
Rear wheel is badly buckled and front hub is broken too.
I'm thinking of buying a Shimano 475/Mavic 317 wheelset for £140 to keep it running as it is my commute bike.
I know these wheels are worth double of my bike but i want to slowly rebuild it.
All components are working but have scratches and dents in them.
I would replace all components to Shimano Deore or above and then replace the frame and forks too.

Would it be worth doing a build this way or should i just sell the bike with no wheels and buy a new one?

 

[RebornBumbler]

Buy the new one so you'll have a bike while rebuilding the old one!

 

[I like Skol]

I just googled your bike and it's a nice looking machine which THIS REVIEW gives a good rating.

In my opinion, if you like the bike then buy the wheels and just keep using/maintaining it, replacing/repairing things as you go along. Don't forget though that it is definitely a hybrid and a road biased one at that (700c wheels, compact chainset and no suspension) so is the reason you have broken both wheels because you are doing stuff that an MTB would be more suitable for?

The wheels you are looking at should be great for your bike. I run the Mavic 317 rims on my hybrid and they are really an MTB rim so very strong and take the abuse that I dish out to them. The M475 hubs are also great, reliable 6-bolt disc specific hubs from Shimano and should last almost forever in an urban environment. Don't worry about spending so much on wheels (it's not that much really compared to many wheelsets!) as it is widely accepted that upgrading wheels has one of the biggest impacts you can make to a bikes performance. In your case it should transform the bike from being a tired old dog that is no fun, into something that feels much livelier and younger. These new wheels should outlast the bike if they are well built in the first place.

If you do want something a bit more MTB'ish and the budget allows it I would still fit the new wheels and keep the Gryphon as the runabout, with a new MTB for the MTB stuff. 2 bikes are always better than 1 and this way you have a bike that you are less worried about locking up in public places and if one of the bikes is ever off the road you still have a spare to use (n+1)

***Important*** I just thought. The M475 rear hub is an MTB hub with a 135mm axle width. You need to check what rear hub you are running at the moment as you may need a road hub (130mm width) although the fact it has discs probably indicates an MTB type hubset is used.

 

[I like Skol]

Oh, and just googled THIS, a wheelset with the M525 hubs (better?) and Swiss DT double butted spokes in black for only £110

EDIT: sorry, that link was for a 26" wheelset. I see now that you need the A317 or TN317 rim