Upgrading Your Bike: How to Choose the Right Parts

Upgrading Your Bike: Where Should You Spend Your Money?

You've had your bike for a while. You love your bike. But perhaps you're starting to think you'd like a little bit more from it.

So, it's time for an upgrade.

But what upgrades actually make sense? Which ones will you notice? And, most importantly, which ones give you the best bang for your buck?

The answer depends enormously on what kind of cyclist you are. A commuter trying to get to work every morning has very different priorities to a cyclocross racer trying to find another few seconds per lap.

But there are definitely some upgrades where a relatively small amount of money can completely change how a bike feels.

And there are others where, frankly, you can keep your money.

Tyres. Tyres. Tyres.

If you're going to change one thing on your bike, this is probably where I'd start.

Whether you're looking for pure performance or simply want to make sure you get to work and back without standing beside the road fixing a puncture, good tyres can completely transform a bicycle.

They're your contact with the road, trail or mud. They affect grip, comfort, rolling resistance, confidence and, depending on the tyre, puncture protection.

And bikes don't always come with particularly exciting tyres from the factory.

For commuters

A lot of our customers use their bikes for commuting, and their priorities are pretty straightforward:

Get me there. Get me home. Preferably without a puncture.

For those riders, we're big fans of the various Schwalbe Marathon options, particularly the Marathon Plus.

They're not the tyres I'd put on a race bike, but that's completely missing the point. For somebody who wants a dependable everyday tyre and would rather not be repairing punctures on a wet Tuesday morning, something like a Marathon Plus can be a fantastic upgrade.

For road riders and racers

At the other end of the spectrum, changing from a fairly basic original-equipment tyre to a high-performance road tyre can make a surprisingly noticeable difference.

Something like a Continental Grand Prix 5000, for example, can improve the way the bike rolls, grips and feels without changing a single expensive component elsewhere on the bike.

People can spend an extraordinary amount of money chasing tiny gains with components and gadgets.

Before doing that, have a look at what's actually touching the road.

For the money you're spending, a really good set of tyres can give you more noticeable performance than an awful lot of shiny upgrades.

And then there's cyclocross...

Cyclocross takes tyres to another level altogether.

Here, tyre choice isn't simply about buying a "better tyre". It's about having the right tyre for the conditions.

Mud? Grass? Hardpack? Sand? Fast and dry? Absolutely horrendous?

That's why we're big fans of Challenge tyres.

Going from a fairly basic, stiff cyclocross tyre to a lovely supple handmade Challenge tyre is one of those upgrades where you can immediately understand what you've paid for. The way the casing moves, the grip available at lower pressures and the way the tyre interacts with the ground can completely change the feel of the bike.

And then you can start having fun choosing tread patterns for different conditions.

Welcome to the rabbit hole.

Bar tape: a small upgrade you'll touch every ride

This is another one where a relatively small amount of money can make a big difference.

Your hands spend an awful lot of time on the handlebars, so why put up with uncomfortable, slippery or worn-out tape?

Better bar tape can improve grip, comfort and vibration damping, as well as making an older bike look fresh again.

One of our favourites is Supacaz Super Sticky Kush.

There are different options and thicknesses depending on what you're doing, and it has that lovely slightly tacky feel that gives you confidence on the bars.

And, equally importantly...

It looks cool.

There are loads of colours and accent combinations, so you can go full matchy-matchy with your frame, pedals, bottles or whatever else you've decided needs to be coordinated that week.

And the little anodised metal bar-end plugs are a particularly nice finishing touch.

Performance? Yes.

Comfort? Yes.

Making your bike look fabulous?

Also yes.

Chains: sometimes an upgrade can just be fun

Not every upgrade has to be justified by a graph showing how many watts you're saving.

Sometimes you just want your bike to look nice.

Obviously, the important thing with any replacement chain is that it's compatible with your drivetrain, and different chains can behave slightly differently with different systems.

But companies such as KMC also offer chains in all sorts of finishes and colours.

Gold chain?

Why not?

Black?

Lovely.

Something that complements the colours already on the bike?

Even better.

Will it suddenly make you significantly faster?

Probably not.

Will you look at your bike afterwards and think, that looks brilliant?

Possibly — and that's allowed too.

Mountain bike? Change your grips

If you're riding a mountain bike, grips are another cheap upgrade that can make a surprising difference.

Hands come in different sizes. People have different preferences. Some riders like something thin and direct; others prefer a chunkier grip with more cushioning.

There are different compounds, textures, diameters, shapes and colours available.

They're relatively inexpensive, they're easy to personalise and they're one of the main contact points between you and the bicycle.

If the grips that came with your bike aren't particularly comfortable, don't assume you just have to live with them.

The completely unnecessary upgrade that everybody loves

A fancy headset top cap.

Does it make your bike faster?

No.

Does it make your bike lighter in any meaningful way?

No.

Does anybody actually need one?

Absolutely not.

Do kids love choosing one with a picture, message or ridiculous design on it?

Absolutely.

And I rather like them too.

Bikes are supposed to be fun. There's nothing wrong with an upgrade whose only purpose is to make you smile when you look down at it.

The sensible upgrade: stop carrying everything on your back

If you use your bike for commuting, shopping, touring or simply getting around, one of the best upgrades might have absolutely nothing to do with speed.

Fit a rear rack and some panniers.

You don't necessarily need to cycle around with a heavy backpack pressed against you, particularly in summer.

Put the weight on the bike.

Shopping, work clothes, laptop, lunch, waterproofs — let the bicycle carry them.

You'll probably arrive more comfortable, less sweaty and wondering why you didn't fit panniers years ago.

Obviously, if you're lining up for a road race on Sunday morning, perhaps leave them at home.

And one upgrade you probably don't need...

Aero bottles.

And aero bottle cages.

Come on.

Unless you're genuinely competing in an event where you're chasing every aerodynamic watt and somebody has a very convincing reason why you need them...

You probably don't.

Buy some nice tyres instead.

Upgrade the bike you've already got

There's a tendency in cycling to think that wanting something better automatically means needing a new bicycle.

It really doesn't.

A bike you already enjoy can often be made more comfortable, more reliable, faster, better suited to what you actually use it for, or simply more personal with a few carefully chosen changes.

And that's the important bit: upgrade for you.

The commuter doesn't need the same things as the racer.

The mountain biker doesn't need the same things as the roadie.

And the eleven-year-old who desperately wants a gold chain and a top cap with something ridiculous written on it may have different priorities altogether.

Choose the things that will actually improve your riding.

And if you're not sure what will give you the biggest improvement for your budget, have a chat with The Friendly Bike Mechanic.

Sometimes the best upgrade isn't the most expensive one.

Have a nice ride.