I own a Felt Z5 full 105 with full carbon fork rolling on 2005 ksyrium elites

I will be dropping $2300 give or take $100

I am very undecided as to what to upgrade first. My endstate is a better performing bike with good parts that i can throw on a better frame later.

I was thinking wheels (ala FC 404 Tubs or Enve 3.4s on RJ45s)

Or, groupset (ala Sram Red minus brakes)

Or, full all-out cockpit (ala full ENVE or full ZIPP as in Bars, stem, seatpost, and a saddle)

Very undecided.

PS: is also own a beautiful 2001 Cervelo prodigy

I would upgrade both the drivetrain (I am a big SRAM fan) and the wheels for that kind of money.

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I'm guessing most on here will tell you to upgrade the wheels, but I'd recommend getting a Power Meter, and crank based at that. That's if you want to become a faster rider. I ride with plenty of cat 1/2 riders and can tell you it's not the bike that makes one faster. If you were to get a quark you'd still have plenty left over to either upgrade the rest of the components to something like Red or find a nice used lighter weight wheelset. Whatever you do I'd suggest shopping through the classifieds here and other sites and ebay. You can get quite a bit with your budget if you shop wisely.

The difference in speed between Lance Armstrong and me is not just due to PEDs and Power Meter.

+1 for power meter. I know a guy with a $800 bike and $3000 SRM power meter. He's also the fastest rider I know.

Sounds good,

How do the hub-type power meters differ from cranks?
It would be cool to be able to use on both bikes.
also
I dont even know what size BB this bike is, i know it has 105 hollowtech 2 cranks but i only see quarq's for bb30

If you want to geek out on your bike, you could go with a power meter. I like your idea of the 3.4 build a bit more though. It would add some aerodynamic prowess, and it would make you stoked to ride your bike again. That would be a HUGE upgrade from the Mavics you are currently on.

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As a guy with both (i) SRM power meters on both of my road bikes, (iii) FSA plasma and Zipp cockpits, (iii) SRAM Red on both bikes and (iv) a set of Enve 6.7s (and a set of 3.4s that will follow in the next couple months), I would answer your question like this:

If you just want to enjoy your bike, be a little more comfortable, have it "feel" a little nicer, spend the money on cockpit and components. You won't get any speed increase, but you just might enjoy your bike a little more.

If you want to buy "free" speed, just be able to slap something on your bike and immediately go faster, spend the money on wheels. Consider 6.7s if your riding is all-around, or go with the 3.4s if you're always in the mountains or very light and concerned with crosswinds (though the 6.7s handle crosswinds better than old-style 45mm rims).

If you're looking for the most bang-for-your-buck AND are willing to train in something of a structured manner and listen to what the power meter tells you (there's nothing wrong if that's not for you - maybe you just want to hop on the bike and ride and you're not a racer, etc), then go with the power meter.

The nice thing about the power meter is that the fitness it will help you achieve will translate to any bike that you ride... aero/non-aero bike/frame... light/heavy bike... road/mountain/TT... you name it.

A recreational cyclist who rides along at 200W or so could, with a power meter and some intelligent training, get to 250W in fairly short order. There simply is no combination of equipment or wheels that can do the same.

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R5 VWD | 2008 SRAM Red | Rotor 3D+ SRM | Zipp 101s/Enve 3.4s
S5 Team | 2012 SRAM Red | Rotor 3D+ SRM | Enve 6.7s
P3C | Zipp Vuka Aero/R2C | Omega | FSA SRM | Zipp 808/Super 9 Disc
T1 | Scatto | Rolf Prima FX58

Everything on that bike is fairly low end... ie all the parts suit each other. If you buy some top end parts this will no longer be the case and it will be sort of a mishmash... with a cheapish frame at the center of it all. Do you know what the frame/fork weighs?

The PM probably makes the most sense... that is if you even want and will use a PM. If not, it would be a waste of money.

^that would be my LAST train of thought

1000 $ for carbon tubular (Williams,Boyd....)
1300 $ for handlebar,stem,fork,saddle,seatpost (like new ultimate handlebar,enve fork,extralite or enve stem,saddle Selle italia SLR,kcnc seatpost )

The best way to spend $2300 is undoubtedly a PM.

But, you have to actually use it properly to get any value at all.

I would split the $2300 between a moderate wheel upgrade and groupset parts.

Example: Dura Ace C24 clinchers and whatever is left on upgrade parts for the groupset

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Could he not get a set of 3.4's build with a powertap hub? Or would that be too much of a compromise?

+1 on an SRM. You will be able to transport that to another bike when it is time. If you buy a used, wired SRM, you will also be able to buy a nice set of little-used deep carbon race wheels from some Tri-guy for that money. It is usually cheaper to buy frame and group set together.

Yeah I guess this is doable. I have never really been a fan of Powertaps though. They seem to be quite a bit more finicky than the SRM and the flange spacing isn't ideal either which makes it hard to build them up to be very stiff.

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