Upgrade parts, or buy another bike

[big-hoof]

Hey there everyone,

New to this whole bike thing so I was looking for some tips. I have a Trek 1500 SLR that I bought 2nd hand a few years ago, the previous owner changed the drop-bars out for flat bars and I wanted to switch it back and make the thing run nicely. It is a bit of a patchwork of stuff with a Ultegra rear derailleur and an SRAM front derailleur. Also the cassette is only a 7 gear ( and is almost completely worn out). Now I am wondering with all of this if it is worth buying drop bars, shifters, new rear rim (the cassette is attached to l so i can't just get a new one without also getting a new rim) OR do I just splash for a better, more modern one with less hiccups. My budget is around 1000 but I would love to spend less than that. Thanks in advance, lemme know if I have posted this in the right place or not. Take care!

[amyannick]

the cassette is attached to l so i can't just get a new one without also getting a new rim

I'm not sure exactly what you mean here. The cassette will be replaceable without getting a new wheel. What model is the rear hub?

[blizzard]

I love the idea of renovating your existing bike but for best bang for buck I would look at a decent second hand bike with 10 or 11 speeds. There are normally a range of Trek alloy bikes with 10 speed 105 / Ultegra on FB MarketPlace for $300-$500.