Bike Upgrade: Modify or Buy New?

2018 ReTul adjustment: 100 mm stem 
replaced the stock one, bars moved as 
 low as they go, Power Arc saddle.

Despite the ReTul guided refit, my Slice needed further modifications to improve comfort.  This is what I wanted:

• Improve the angle of my wrists on the extensions.
• Raise my forearms to bring my shoulder to wrist angle closer to 90 (my ReTul report says it's 83-88, but it looks >90 to me).

I also wanted Di2.  Not because it sounds sexy or to avoid being accused of "shifting with wires, like a Caveman" as one of my friends put it.  Electronic drivetrains make it possible to shift gears from multiple hand positions and specifically: I find the ability to shift gears from the brake levers to be an enhanced safety feature, similar to STI for road bikes.  This will be helpful on courses that involve prolonged standing climbs but importantly, also while navigating potholes and the stops & starts that are present in every ride.  

At the point my bike would require stripping of virtually all parts to make these changes, I had to consider the merits of rebuilding the Slice versus considering some other bike frame that might be more worthy of all these modifications.  Not to mention that I never liked the Slice's color scheme.   

Ventum.  The blue part of the top tube is 
actually a water reservoir.

Sitero older (left) and newer (right) models.

Coincidentally, my friends at Ironman Hawaii were test riding and buying 2018's featured bike: the Ventum.  Its features include:

• Ease of wrenching, such as break down and rebuild for travel.
• A built in hydration system that looks sleek, improves the aerodynamics of the bike, and is easier to use than an in-frame bladder systems (Specialized Shiv with Fuelselage) or newer behind the seat version (S-works 2019 Shiv disk model).
• Available as a frameset, so I wouldn't get stuck with another set of handlebars / extensions that might limit my comfort.  

I had the opportunity to ride my friends' bike for a test consisting of multiple laps around a 1 mile oval followed by a short standing climb.  Her Ventum Z (size small) was outfitted with Zipp wheels, TriRig Alpha X handle bars, a new Sitero saddle, and was an absolute blast to ride.  It's a slightly heavier bike, which means that it carries its momentum well, and it felt super smooth and stable in the descending sweeping turn of this course.  The bike felt a little odd in the standing climb though, potentially due to the missing weight in the front end that must usually come from the downtube.  If I were an athlete who preferred flat bike courses I may really have given the Ventum some further thought.  But as it was my conclusions came down to:

1. I posted faster speeds for the loop on my Slice with training wheels than on the Ventum with Zipps.
2. The Slice is lighter and climbs well.
3. Keeping the Slice meant avoiding having to research and select a new crank & PM option, since I couldn't easily sell the Slice without including all of its components.
4. Painting the Slice (to fix that I found it ugly) would cost less than buying a new frame, crank, and maybe new power meter.  

Though I'll confess: I went straight home from that test ride and immediately bought the identical saddle; while the earlier Sitero model seemed horrible to me, this new one - and really Ashley's entire bike fit - felt fantastic.

Coming next, Adventures in Bike Modification