Upgrades

check here to see if anything suitable

http://www.carbonbikemanufacture.com/

I mean the 'shoe', the thing that holds the pads, and the pads. This:>

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-ultegra-brake-shoes-6700/rp-p...

Go with the Fulcrum R3s, you won't regret it, and you can easily swap the freehub for Campag when you win the lottery

A friend of mine " upgraded " his new carbon bike with new wheels,seat ,seatpost,stem,handlebars,chain,cassette and crankset.He could have bought the higher spec model for half of what he spent on it !

My two best upgrades were a set of Mavic Aksiums to replace the awful Chinese wheels it came with (so bad the hubs actually felt graunchy from new) and replacing the bottom of the range FSA crankset and square taper bottom bracket with 105 cranks and outboard bottom bracket.

Both well, well within your budget and hugely better than the originals . MrPrice means the bit that holds the pad, not the caliper itself. Once fitted you can just slide out worn pads out and slip new ones in without having to readjust them. Btw, if your calipers are cheapy Tektros, you'll get a big improvement from replacing them with Shimano I know I did! Just bare in mind that if your bike is designed for mudguards, you may need long-drop calipers.

Pair of Fulcrum Racing 3s and you'll feel like you have a new bike! Stiff, light, reactive. Hunt on Ebay, you can find them around the £200 mark in perfect condition.

Next step, replace the standard brake pads with Ultegra pads in an alloy carrier. That will enormously improve braking. Should cost about £20.

Next, replace the crankset, it's the heaviest part of the groupset, if you go for a 105 or up with outboard bearing cups you'll feel the difference. The old 6600 Ultegra series are good value now, about £65ish on Ebay new.

You can gradually replace the whole groupset with second hand Ultegra 10s, wont break the bank.

Meh, if you've got 500 quid to be spent I'd be looking at getting a whole new bike second hand. Reckon you could get something like a carbon fibre Planet X or Ribble, with a 105 groupset. Problem with your Felt is that for serious riding, pretty much everything could do with being upgraded. Over the course of the next 18 months you'll spend more on random components than yo would have on a new, higher specced bike.
So, second hand. There's such bargains to be found.

If you can push your budget to £550ish, you can get an 11 speed 105 5800 groupset...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-105-5800-11-speed-groupset/rp...

...and a pair of Campagnolo Zondas:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/campagnolo-zonda-clincher-wheelset/

Shouldn't need to change anything there until it wears out. Finishing kit can be replaced as and when you can afford it, then start saving for a better frameset.

Then start the process all over again...

Sram do a 9spd 12-26 cassette that could be a happy medium if you don't need the 11... and just about most standard short cage rear gears will do up to 27(campag) or 28(sram /shimano) by adjusting the gear hight screw... you can even manage a 30t by swapping the screw around with some shimano gears

I've got the same machine.

First changes for me were the saddle and bar tape as I disliked the originals immediately. Also replaced the cassette (and chain) with an 11-27 as where I live is decidedly lumpy.

After an 'off' I replaced the rims (Mavic CXP22), tyres (Michelin Pro4) and the brake calipers (Sora).
(The original calipers are Tektro, I believe).

I might at some point upgrade the wheels further, but don't think I'd bother with a groupset upgrade (and if I did, I'd look at Tiagra for the best value).

Yeah, it never actually ends, there is always something else to fix...

In your shoes I'd be getting some new wheels, Fulcrum Racing 3s probably (although there are some interesting options in the 'best upgrades' article on here too). A big benefit of wheels versus groupset upgrades is that it is easy to move them on to your next bike. And don't forget decent tyres too, they make a big difference.

If there are some obvious cheapskate components in your existing group set then you may have some change for rectifying that. Brake callipers are a common area where some brands try to save money.

This will be one of several thousand opinions, so let me be the first. The first thing you should attack are your wheels and tyres, one of the biggest gains on performance, followed by the brake calipers (105 or Ultegra and Swiss Stop pads), next would be (in order: rear derailleur, brifters and cables (I consider this to be one item), and while you are doing the brifters, treat your self to some nice bar tape). This is a "free" chance to make sure the bars are the right size for you, them the front derailuer, and finally the groupset if you need to. Good shoes and pedals can also help, and fit in anywhere. This list should be overridden with the immediate replacement of anything that is causing you current distress.