Well first and foremost I stand by my "upgrade" as I love to work/change things on my bikes and I want them to look good... But putting custom decals on my (mtb) fork, or build a set of wheels my self (which is more expansive then buying a complete set) were maybe a bit pointless but those are nothing compared to replacing all the bolts on my XC Hardtail with Ti bolts which are not exactly cheap, don't weight much less and as I got them in silver don't look that much different (and the bike has a dropper and 4 piston brakes up front so the weight doesn't really make a difference) I guess that is my most stupid upgrade...🙈 When it comes to bottle cages I like to buy cheap ones and custom paint them, which is fun, not that expansive and looks nice... ;-)
I'd like to think that every upgrade that I've done to my bike has value. But I am guilty of spending too much money on upgrades when it would be cheaper to buy a new bike with better components overall. That said, I have painted a frame (look good but was a total money pit) and once I replaced a rear derailer because it was severely scratched (but worked fine).
Super-lightweight Rim Tape which was miserable. Returned quickly to my tried-and-true Velox tape but eventually tried the Schwalbe polymer rim liners, which are effective without the adhesive mess.
Last week I just got myself a mint condition preloved bike. It came with: stupid light carbon bottle cage & european made ceramic bb. Did you make this video deliberately after my purchase just to tease me? 😅 Merry Christmas!
Ceramicspeed aero cage that I'm putting on my Trek Emonda ALR build but technically it isn't an upgrade, basically the Trek Emonda ALR is going to be built with an unlimited budget so technically nothing on it be upgrades as it start it's first ride with most of the good stuff even sram red etap axs I looked my bike is getting all you have said but no bottle cages and so they technically not upgrades for me unless bike is already built
Upgrading a bolt not only makes sense but is necessary if the existing ones have snapped or are rusted and corroded or the heads have rounded, not to save weight or look cool. Although, if you're going to replace them then might as well get the lightest and nicest-looking ones you can afford, so long as they're also high quality. And the reason to get Ti fasteners is because they won't rust or corrode, not because they're super light or look cool (although they are light and do look cool). Just make sure to use the proper anti-seize especially if the parts they will be used on are themselves Ti. And, I'd think that the best bike upgrades are wheels, handlebars, stems, seat posts and saddles. Also replace your cables, housing, brake pads and chain when it's time. Common sense stuff.
Regarding bottle cages, I bought a “right handed” bottle cage. I had to try not to laugh when the sales guy suggested it. But the price was reasonable so I bought it. Truth is, I love it. Glad I bought it. Great upgrade!
Custom bike paint jobs are a massive aesthetic statement of the rider. Also makes handling the bike as a stolen item harder too as it is much easier to identify.
@@leonbroekx ha, the only bike I've owned for over 5yrs is an unpainted titanium bike. It's almost 20yrs old. I do have one custom painted bike a may keep indefinitely but I've sold the others I've had painted.
@leonbroekx not really. I've also sold plenty of custom painted bikes that customers didn't keep and I've bought bikes others didn't keep after getting custom paint.
Custom paint: I’m an IT tech and the son of an aerospace engineer, so of course I have a strong mindset that form should always follow function, and if there’s no functional benefit to an upgrade it’s useless. I suspect Alex, being a former bike mechanic, and who has a natural technical bent, has the same mindset. So yeah, custom paint may look cool, but does nothing to enhance the speed or physical ride characteristics of a bike, or make it more useful. But then my having swapped in an Ultegra GS r8000 rear mech instead of just swapping in a longer cage 105 mech just to save 22g when I’m 10kg overweight is even more ridiculous. 🤷🏻♂️
I love my “upgraded” Ti bolts-on all of my bikes. And the carbon bottle cages and the lovely carbon rail saddle. Custom paint is on the horizon. Ceramic bearings are silly.
Etched Top Cap - the one gifted by my nephew etched "Faster....Quicker....More....". Totally don't need it. But when I'm grinding it out and thinking of giving up - that top cap reminds me that the young whippersnapper is not going to get the old dog - yet. Keeps me going. Worth every penny of whatever he paid for it.
I enjoyed the back and forth with Alex and Manon, good way to start the morning with some laughter. I like the idea of name bike stickers. Although not an upgrade it is a way to help us remember each others names. I have several groups I ride with and don't see those same people for weeks or months so it is an easy way to jog the memory. I am good at remembering faces but names tend to allude my memory until I have seen them numerous times!
An upgrade is something that enhances the functionality and/or performance of a thing that it is applied to. In what way a sticker makes a bike riding better? As for carbon bottle cages I find them unreliable. They tend to hold bottles worse than nylon ones or even nylon coated with a rubber-like film, i.e old elite cages which are the best holding cages I and I opted for them in my race bike over carbon ones because I did not want to lose a bottle in the middle of a race. Titanium bolts - we've all been there. For me they are just a pure aesthetic touch, especially the colored ones, if you really want your bike look to be coherent. High-end chain - if we're talking about the lighter ones with perforated links, it's completely not worth the price, because usually there's a ~60 g weight difference over the 'solid' link ones. The only reason I would buy a high-end chain, like an ultegra, is durability. In dry conditions and with proper care and maintenance these chains can serve for over 10 000 km. I've replaced mine at 0.5 mm stretch mark at 9 000 km on the clock and it was a chain used solely in races and race-like group rides. It still usable after another swap. Another pointless upgrade for me are carbon components like seatposts, stems, handlebars. I did not feel any difference in comfort or lightness over aluminium ones. On the contrary, when I swapped a carbon handlebar for a standard 6061 alumiunium one after I snapped it, I genuinely felt better stiffness and dampening, but in all fairness all the carbon components I had where the dirt cheap ones from ali. Maybe a high-end carbon component from a reputable brand can make a noticable difference... I also find that a high-end aluminium components, i.e 7075 can be as good in terms of stifness and dampening as carbon.
Having a pro cyclist sign your bike with a permanent marker, I have a famous pro cyclist's name signed on my top tube, and then I got it sealed so it would not wear off. It means so much to me.
I got a pair of real carbon fiber bottle cages off amazon for less than $20 shipped, no name brand, no name at all. they have been working great for the last year on my road bike.
custom paint - check, name stickers - check, upgrade bolts - check, carbon bottle cages - check, ceramic bearings - already fitted in the top of the range parts so yep, check. Okay so i'm a bit of a weight weenie. So i've also spent out on carbon back plate for the RD, carbon top cap, daft 140g saddle, did you know changing steel rotor bolts for Ti saves 3g per wheel? This extends to my camping gear as well, i probably need treatment!
Love to see Manon and Alex "arguing" about these upgrades 🤗🤗 I personally think rather than your name stuck on your bike, a sticker with a In Case of Emergency (ICE) phone number is better, all our ladies in our Breeze group have one, Merry Christmas everyone xx
I second the bolt upgrade though not for the weight or bling effect. I swear a lot and getting bolts of noncorrosive material would make feel much better. The crappy quality of the stainless bolts is obvious on my bikes.
I'm a sucker for custom bolts. I know they offer no functional benefits, but they make the statement that I've thought about and touched literally every part on the bike. To me, that's worth it.
Lightweight bottle cages and frame name stickers here! I wanted my aero bike to get under 8kg hence the bottlecages and the name stickers look good to me!
Useless Upgrades that I Want (for Christmas): 1. Paintjob designed (and applied) by Manon. Not by Roger. 2. Name Sticker saying "This is Mine" 3. Carbon Bottlecage with matching bottle in LARGE (so i can carry more water and negate the weight saving) Joking aside, I completely agree with the uselessness of so-many so-called upgrades - I ride with the cheapest base model Time Xpresso 2 pedals, and they are already so light - I suspect all the higher tier models in the range offer little to no advantage, as the specifications for the X4, 8, 10 and 12 don't mention how much they weigh - only the Xpro 15 declares it is a few % lighter than mine, but cost a dozen times more!!! Merry Christmas to all at GCN, and I hope Santa delivers everything you think you need!!!
A custom paint is a really great upgrade - provided you do a extraordinary magificient awesome job like Manon on her bike. My bike is a Giant Cadex CFR from the late 90’s converted to a throughout oldschool TT bike with a really low base bar and right extension, on the left side I got only the arm rest (I got the idea when watching the ITT Championships 2013 in Florence/Italy on RUclips, and the bike of Gustav Larsson had this setup with only one extension), the front deraillleur is used with a down tube shifter made from carbon. It already has got an awesome cherry red metallic, just the same colour as red anodized alloy. Therefore I put on every screw and bolt red anodized which is possible and reasonable - the rear derailleur fixing bolt, the chainring bolts, and also the bolts for the brake shoe holder and the brake cable on the brakes, the lens head screws which fix the brake arms on a Oval Concepts TT front wheel brake, and not to forget the pulley wheel srews, which are also hollow drilled to achieve the best possible weight saving, Titanium is far to much for this, and they are just a small fraction lighter than the original steel ones, especially as the oroginal bolts oft he Record 10speed rear derailleur are already hollow drilled. As I still use Campagnolo Carbon square taper cranks, I spent a lot of time to find a pair of those magnificient SRP crank bolts with hexagon head, anodized in red. I even have red anodized titanium bolts for the stem, which seem to be really rare. I got mine from EasyElox years ago, meanwhile they have a minimum order sum of 100 €, and they only offer B2B selling. It just looks great when almost every bolt has the same colour as your bike. About 18 years ago, I even had red anodized Tune Bigfoot square taper cranks, but they turned out tob e rather weak - when I switched to Campagnolo Record alloy cranks, it felt like someone had put a small motor on my bike. Concerning ceramic bearings, there was an interview with someone on GCN month ago, who said that as those ceramic bearings are often hybrid bearings (ceramic balls running on a steel surface), they wear out faster due to the much harder material of the balls. My favourite upgrades are fairings on my chainrings made as a full aero cover from 0.75mm thick plastic, which I paint semi gloss black with Tamiya spray colour (TS 29). I know it will enhance the aerodynamics by just a friction (if any), but together with the Profile Razor Carbon seatpost the bike looks already fast when standing still. For me, the most overrated „upgrade“ is such an Oversized pulley wheel system, I suppose even my chainring fairings offer a higher advantage than that, at least for me, as I tend to use really low cadences, just like Bert Grabsch did. As my bike is so far optimized, I use both: top tier chains (KMC X11 SL) AND top-segment tube-type tyres (now the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport), the tyres in combination with the fastest inner tubes (Vredestein latex).
I find a name sticker on the bike and the HELMET so helps people know each other when biking. It's a great way to help your bike friends actually know your name.
The thing with upgrade bolts is that the anodised colour is never the same. Bolts are gold, cable end is brassy and rest are bronze. That’s before they fade. As for name badges; same as wearing pro kit if you ain’t on the team.
The biggest appeal I see in upgraded bolts and ceramic bearings is maintenance. I hate rust on my bike, so I always swap my bolts for stainless steel. Ceramic bearings are a bit of a price bump from there. But one I wouldn't mind investing in where useful.
I love upgrading bolts! Get that anodized blink for cheap and make you smile! Same with custom paint. Anything that makes you smile and want to ride YOUR bike is worth every penny. I have also had name stickers on my bike, but not in obvious locations. I do this so if someone tries to steal my bike at an event (which has happened), it is easy to lift up the bike, point to the sticker, and say "yeah, that's my bike." I guess the modern version is an AirTag or something, but this has work well enough.
I have a titanium bike and have titanium bottle cages and have changed all the bolts to titanium. There was absolutely no need for this but provided I can still afford to eat, then why not if it makes me happier.
A few years ago, I added two $85, 16 gram bottle cages to my new TCR when I picked it up from the shop. I knew it was unnecessary and crazy. But I thought what the heck, I'm already into it for nearly $4000 anyway. The cages are the "cherry on top". Name stickers just give you a touch more pride of ownership. Better yet - give the bike it's own name. Mine is "Firewater". The one I regret is the $50 Knog bell. Looks great but it's half as loud as the $8 model. It's in my parts box now. All in all, "want" trumps "need" if you have the money. Bike money is fun money.
@stuartfreedman6854: May I suggest the Spurcycle bicycle-bell. Everyone-I-know-that-has-one hasn’t regretted the purchase. Plus the company (or should I say, the factory-workers) that made it are the same workers that made the Centennial bell, so that company *definitely* knows a-thing-or-two about making bicycle-bells. (I saw their original (“original” as-in “the first-one they came-out with”) behind-the-scenes documentary when they first-made that first Spurcycle bicycle-bell).
@@Mavrik-60I get-the-feeling you were only-joking, so I’m-laughing *with* you, but as far-as-I-know, he meant the-[Merriam-Webster-]dictionary-definition [of the word “trump”] “a decisive overriding factor or final resource”.
My favorite go-to upgrade on all my bikes is a colour coordinated Ti 1mm pedal spacer between the pedal body and crank arm. I do enjoy a good pair of bar end plugs and stem cap if applicable.
Oh dear oh dear - I did the bike name sticker thing , Flandria do some really nice ones (felt less intimidating turning up to first duathlon too). Gold Titanium bolts too and carbon cages (Ali express) . I also have factory chameleon paint too (dk blue/purple - on my velobuild chinese frame you could choose any colour way) . i once tried a bling kmc gold chain, snapped it, so back to 105 again. Token ceramic crank bearing too (no idea if better but no squeaks/creaks). Di2 105 too which i dont “need” either. i still love my custom peoples groupset superbike though.
I think having a meaningful passage on your top tube is a lovely upgrade. I have a custom made sticker on my bike that says, "Full Effort is Full Victory." Can't tell you how many times I've looked down and read that during challenging moments on rides and had it get my head back on straight. 😊
Custom paint is great for some people. I truly believe that one of the things you need to love about a bike is how it looks. If you dont have a bike that you love how it looks, chances are you wont look at it and it make you want to ride. You should be able to look at your bike and want to go ride it. Cycling is all about the love of bikes. You gotta love your bike. But, again, not everyone is like this. But i think it should be considered.
Color bolts, custom paint fancy bottle cages . People do it to make bikes looks pretty. It is aesthetic upgrade not technical. I do change all my bottle cage bolts to match color of the frame or components. it cost $5 for 4 bolts. make me smile and to ride more. Totally worth it.
Bolts: i personally love Wolftooth Components as a company. I bought a red color kit for my bike. I think that this too, falls into "the way your bike looks" kind of thing with custom paint.
I get longer Ti bolts for crank arms so as to engage all of the threads, i feel the standard bolts are too short. As many have said, they don't rust either (but use anti seize/coppa slip with Ti). Name sticker has my blood group on it, which could help, and save time, if I needed medical attention, they also help to remember names in group rides! It might even help if your bike is stolen... Waxing chains should make them last ages, so why not get a good chain? No probs in custom painting, why not if it's time for a respray anyway? Bikes get tatty with use so a refresh is good. We used to get our steel frames repainted every few years. Oh, the fun trying to get fresh 753 stickers! All of these upgrades are pretty harmless anyway, if they help you enjoy your bike then go for it!
I have a number of Ali carbon bottle cages that cost less than a plastic cage and has never lost a bottle. They look great, work incredibly, are light, are cheap, and I've had several for over a decade and never had a failure. Completely worth while
Customized your bike for me is good upgrade but its expensive. The main thing is, if this custom paint make you cycle more and make you happy then its a good decision.
You guys will hate me. I have super expensive sworks carbon bottle cages, custom paint, full titanium bolt kit , gold chain,ceramic bearings,and custom name sticker . I know I’m a goose but I like it .😂
I have upgraded all my bolts to Titanium oil slick bolts snd s few anodized blue bolts to match my Brooks C17 custom bolts. Cheap easy upgrade to make the bike look different.
As Manon says "its' a bolt, it's a bolt" That's what I think of paint - never notice it on walls or bikes. But marginal upgrades for speed for those of us who are older ... and wanting to offset the relentless yearly loss of speed and strength ..... hell yea
Guilty of changing bolts 😄 I know it’s a bit nerdy but hear me out. When you go for a short ride and a key effort like a KOM or TT you probably go without any bottlecages. So why stick with the cylinder head screws? I know it’s a very marginal gain but why not consider lighter and more aero rubber plugs? Don’t underestimate the psychological advantage of knowing you perfected just about everything in preparation. As a low budget solution just take some pan head screws with a shorter thread.
I think that light bottle cages make sense, if you have 2 or 3 of them on your bike, some super light ones can save more than 50 grams each compared to something average.
Although we saw them for a tantalizing second with the ceramic bearings section, over-sized pulley wheels are ridiculously expensive for the 2W you might save. On the other hand, custom paint is glorious as we live in a world where far too many bikes are matte black. I have two Italian steel bikes that were custom built and painted (and my name is actually painted on each one, no stickers) and riding them is looking rolling through the streets on a piece of art. Manon rules!
I get twice the wear out of a top tier chain than out of a mid tier chain. So I end up spending the same amount on chains over time by purchasing the top tier chain and having it last 2x as long. The advantage is less messing around changing chains.
Plus it looks better. Something not to be overlooked. Who cares if it is faster or not, as long as it looks good and complements the look of your bike.
I'm on Team Manon for the custom paint. Had a mid 2000 road bike and during covid gave it a nice custom paint job. In some cases it can be expensive but its usually cheaper than getting a whole new bike just for a fresh look.
When I tried to adjust the front derailler on my bike after changing out the BB, I found that the adjustment screws had rusted out so severely that I couldn't turn them with any screwdriver. I rode over to the local hardware store to swap them out for stainless bolts. So changing bolts to stainless isn't a useless upgrade if you're swapping out carbon-steel bolts.
Upgrading your bolts can be practical. Case in point, WB cage bolts. Many OE hex drive bolts are made from a soft Al alloy and don't have a deep head. They can be easily rounded by the hex drive tool, especially ones with a ball end. This situation is made worse when sugar/electrolytes in your water runs into the threads. Solution, use Ti bolts; even better, ones with Torx drive. In wet winter rides, road salt can also cause problems with bolts in other locations. Don't want to worry about drilling into a bolt and using an extractor on a CF frame! Once you decide this is a concern, color choice of replacements is a bonus.
I bought my first roadie (since I was a teenager in the 1970s) in 2013. It is a second-hand Wilier Izoard and it sparked a way of life for me. 36,000km later and I am still riding it -albeit it is now a second/winter bike. It is now showing its age with quite a few chips in the paintwork, so I am looking to treat it to a new paint job next year. Will it make me go faster/further? Probably not, but it will make me happier.
I bought anodized stem spacers for my track bike to match my hubs. Still looking for a matching seat clamp. The wheelset was a functional upgrade, but matching other components to it is purely aesthetic. (The matching bottle cage was at least something I needed anyways, and cost hardly anything more than a basic cage).
Lightweight bottle cages are actually worse if you are racing. Especially in Dutch crits over bricked city streets and speedbumps, you want secure solid cages. The lighter cage is not going to win you the race anyway. But loosing the bottle might hurt your performance, or distract you from racing.
My bike was misplaced once. I live in a low crime neighborhood so it was found and taken in, but since I had nothing to identify me as the owner on it they tired finding me by calling the distributor but since it was used they wouldn't have found me anyways. So name sticker would have saved me a lot of trouble.
Flandria name decals: thief deterrent and double locking resolver at work. If a bolt falls out (I am looking at my old bike shop) I have been known to replace it with a titanium bolt.
Carbon Bottle cages - In my experience they're simply not as good as their non-carbon counterparts. I used to run them and they were too smooth and literally had no 'grab' onto the bottle. Bolt Upgrade - Absolutely. On my winter bike, all of my bolts have been replaced with coloured Titanium bolts and I'm slowly doing the same with my newer race bike. Custom Paint - I'd argue that for the most part, it isn't an upgrade, but more of an outlet of expressing your personality.
What we know as road bikes are really just racing bikes, actual road bikes would be better suited to wider tyres, additional mounting points for extra storage and space for mudguards to be fitted. A high geared gravel bike is more of a road bike than a racing bike.
@@bonbonflippers4298 A touring bike is the Swiss-Army-Knife of bicycles. If you don't have the inclination to maintain a stable of bespoke bicycle types, a touring bike gives you quite a big world of cycling opportunities.
Light bottle cages (I use elite vico carbon) and titanium/aluminium bolts are the cheapest ways to save weight (once you are in the Ultegra, carbon frame category). Custom paint does not give you performance but makes you like your bike more. Ceramic bearings have no advantage over steel bearings. Friction depends primarily on seals and the lubricant. Better seals = more friction, but muuuuch less friction if it keeps the bearings clean inside. Ceramic bearings are much less robust to shocks. Just use high quality 2rs bearings.
hihgher end chains might actually be a good upgrade. For example supposedly XX1 chains typically last over than twice as long as a GX chain before wearing out so that helps offset the cost of the higher end chain. I have not actually tried an XX1 chain yet but I probably will once I wear out the current chain on my mtb.
Speaking as someone who busts up chains 1-2x a year it's not a part you want forever on your bike. The side plates can snap randomly when aged and rusted, especially if you are doing something like waxing which only protects the rollers. Just replace your chain, they all shift and ride the same.
@@veganpotterthevegan if you had ever had the leg strength to break bike parts you would feel the same way. You may have had the lungs to be an unpaid amateur, but you never had the legs.
I'm relatively new to the cycling world, but I've seen this play out with the motorcycling community. Bolt kits which will drop 250 grams from a 190 kg bike, same with other lightweight parts. Might (maybe) make a difference if you're a pro level rider, but otherwise it's just bling. And there's nothing wrong with bling for bling's sake, but let's not fool ourselves that it has anything to do with performance.
I think a lot of people get hung up on the meaning of "upgrade". It can be for simple satisfaction. If/when I ever get around to repainting my frame (for fun), I'm going to also fit it with a black/gold chain. Just for bling. When that chain wears out I'll almost certainly return to the low-tier SRAM chains I customarily run.
I still ride an 8 speed bike and had the older Non-internal gear cables and I bought new internal cable routing levers (Claris) because of the slight bit of aerodynamics.
I kind of want titanium bolts. Not for the weight reduction but for the corrosion resistance. I ride all winter and the rust on the inside of steel bolts annoys me.
I can see the point to name or custom stickers if they're also for frame protection (or to hide a little bit of paint damage from a stone chip etc) but it's not something I would personally do as an "upgrade". I do have alloy bottle cages on my bike, the only reason I'm thinking about changing them at some point is the paint rubbing off them and on to my bottles, although the bottles will probably end up mouldy before I replace the cages!
IMO bottle cages need to suit the bike and function well. I only use plastic cages now because I feel they look neater than metal on modern bikes. Weight isn’t a huge concern because we are talking around 50 to 150 grams difference.
Manon: I'm with you on custom paint jobs. Especially when you do the work, it can be an artistic and creative expression. And of course you need a name sticker. After all, artists sign their work.
You can also look at other things than just performance. Custom paint is something you can really enjoy, which is worth a lot too. Similarly, I saw a video of a pro mechanic who changed all relevant bolts to T25, which sound super convenient to me.
I did full kogel bearings on my bike and it was an awesome upgrade I didn’t go all out for that big over sized rear pulley. Saving watts makes a difference 👍👍👍👍
What's the worst upgrade you've ever done? ⚙
Well first and foremost I stand by my "upgrade" as I love to work/change things on my bikes and I want them to look good... But putting custom decals on my (mtb) fork, or build a set of wheels my self (which is more expansive then buying a complete set) were maybe a bit pointless but those are nothing compared to replacing all the bolts on my XC Hardtail with Ti bolts which are not exactly cheap, don't weight much less and as I got them in silver don't look that much different (and the bike has a dropper and 4 piston brakes up front so the weight doesn't really make a difference) I guess that is my most stupid upgrade...🙈 When it comes to bottle cages I like to buy cheap ones and custom paint them, which is fun, not that expansive and looks nice... ;-)
I'd like to think that every upgrade that I've done to my bike has value. But I am guilty of spending too much money on upgrades when it would be cheaper to buy a new bike with better components overall. That said, I have painted a frame (look good but was a total money pit) and once I replaced a rear derailer because it was severely scratched (but worked fine).
Super-lightweight Rim Tape which was miserable. Returned quickly to my tried-and-true Velox tape but eventually tried the Schwalbe polymer rim liners, which are effective without the adhesive mess.
Last week I just got myself a mint condition preloved bike. It came with: stupid light carbon bottle cage & european made ceramic bb.
Did you make this video deliberately after my purchase just to tease me? 😅
Merry Christmas!
Ceramicspeed aero cage that I'm putting on my Trek Emonda ALR build but technically it isn't an upgrade, basically the Trek Emonda ALR is going to be built with an unlimited budget so technically nothing on it be upgrades as it start it's first ride with most of the good stuff even sram red etap axs
I looked my bike is getting all you have said but no bottle cages and so they technically not upgrades for me unless bike is already built
Upgrading a bolt not only makes sense but is necessary if the existing ones have snapped or are rusted and corroded or the heads have rounded, not to save weight or look cool. Although, if you're going to replace them then might as well get the lightest and nicest-looking ones you can afford, so long as they're also high quality. And the reason to get Ti fasteners is because they won't rust or corrode, not because they're super light or look cool (although they are light and do look cool). Just make sure to use the proper anti-seize especially if the parts they will be used on are themselves Ti.
And, I'd think that the best bike upgrades are wheels, handlebars, stems, seat posts and saddles. Also replace your cables, housing, brake pads and chain when it's time. Common sense stuff.
As a non-racer I want my bike to look nice. It’s not about weight it’s about coordinating the aesthetics.
A good looking bike is a fast bike 🙌
🤣🤣@@gcntech
But is it anodised?
Exactly! My upgrades are visual!
Manon’s facial expressions are the most worthwhile upgrade I could ever imagine; absolutely priceless.
Cool. Didn't know about bolt upgrades. Ordering blue ones now.
Custom painting your bike is like getting a new bike. I’m gonna do mine this winter and am really excited about it
Best useless upgrade was a bright stem cap written "ride it like you stole it". Reading that always gives me 10w more
Yes to the stem cap upgrade! Cheers.
Mine is like a name badge sticker that says "Hello! I ride for beer."
Just being honest. Also reminds me why I'm grinding up a hill.
White sugar skull on read cap - love it + red stem bolts
Manon is the best upgrade this channel has ever had. Priceless.
Regarding bottle cages, I bought a “right handed” bottle cage. I had to try not to laugh when the sales guy suggested it. But the price was reasonable so I bought it. Truth is, I love it. Glad I bought it. Great upgrade!
Sounds like you bought a side-entry cage.
Ngl good bolts on a cheaper bike is a good upgrade. Especially if you got some off brand bike, the low quality bolts on them tend to strip easily.
Custom bike paint jobs are a massive aesthetic statement of the rider. Also makes handling the bike as a stolen item harder too as it is much easier to identify.
And when you custom paint it you commit to the bike for longer. Which makes is less expensive.
@@leonbroekx ha, the only bike I've owned for over 5yrs is an unpainted titanium bike. It's almost 20yrs old. I do have one custom painted bike a may keep indefinitely but I've sold the others I've had painted.
@@veganpotterthevegan you are a special one
@leonbroekx not really. I've also sold plenty of custom painted bikes that customers didn't keep and I've bought bikes others didn't keep after getting custom paint.
Custom paint: I’m an IT tech and the son of an aerospace engineer, so of course I have a strong mindset that form should always follow function, and if there’s no functional benefit to an upgrade it’s useless. I suspect Alex, being a former bike mechanic, and who has a natural technical bent, has the same mindset. So yeah, custom paint may look cool, but does nothing to enhance the speed or physical ride characteristics of a bike, or make it more useful. But then my having swapped in an Ultegra GS r8000 rear mech instead of just swapping in a longer cage 105 mech just to save 22g when I’m 10kg overweight is even more ridiculous. 🤷🏻♂️
I love my “upgraded” Ti bolts-on all of my bikes. And the carbon bottle cages and the lovely carbon rail saddle. Custom paint is on the horizon. Ceramic bearings are silly.
Etched Top Cap - the one gifted by my nephew etched "Faster....Quicker....More....". Totally don't need it. But when I'm grinding it out and thinking of giving up - that top cap reminds me that the young whippersnapper is not going to get the old dog - yet. Keeps me going. Worth every penny of whatever he paid for it.
I enjoyed the back and forth with Alex and Manon, good way to start the morning with some laughter. I like the idea of name bike stickers. Although not an upgrade it is a way to help us remember each others names. I have several groups I ride with and don't see those same people for weeks or months so it is an easy way to jog the memory. I am good at remembering faces but names tend to allude my memory until I have seen them numerous times!
An upgrade is something that enhances the functionality and/or performance of a thing that it is applied to. In what way a sticker makes a bike riding better?
As for carbon bottle cages I find them unreliable. They tend to hold bottles worse than nylon ones or even nylon coated with a rubber-like film, i.e old elite cages which are the best holding cages I and I opted for them in my race bike over carbon ones because I did not want to lose a bottle in the middle of a race.
Titanium bolts - we've all been there. For me they are just a pure aesthetic touch, especially the colored ones, if you really want your bike look to be coherent.
High-end chain - if we're talking about the lighter ones with perforated links, it's completely not worth the price, because usually there's a ~60 g weight difference over the 'solid' link ones. The only reason I would buy a high-end chain, like an ultegra, is durability. In dry conditions and with proper care and maintenance these chains can serve for over 10 000 km. I've replaced mine at 0.5 mm stretch mark at 9 000 km on the clock and it was a chain used solely in races and race-like group rides. It still usable after another swap.
Another pointless upgrade for me are carbon components like seatposts, stems, handlebars. I did not feel any difference in comfort or lightness over aluminium ones. On the contrary, when I swapped a carbon handlebar for a standard 6061 alumiunium one after I snapped it, I genuinely felt better stiffness and dampening, but in all fairness all the carbon components I had where the dirt cheap ones from ali. Maybe a high-end carbon component from a reputable brand can make a noticable difference... I also find that a high-end aluminium components, i.e 7075 can be as good in terms of stifness and dampening as carbon.
I’m in Manon’s camp, but a bike painted by her adds cachet, she could get more when she sells it!
Having a pro cyclist sign your bike with a permanent marker, I have a famous pro cyclist's name signed on my top tube, and then I got it sealed so it would not wear off. It means so much to me.
That’s a super cool upgrade 👍
What did you seal it with
I have a signed bike, that the pro cyclist rode in the UCI World Championship Race…….
That’ll cost you 0.2 watts
Let the air density drop 0.23% the aero gains will cover loss of the wattage
I've done a few rides with lots (hundreds) of riders, like the look and ID factor of name stickers.
I think name stickers are nice when you’re riding in a new group & getting to know people’s names.
Upgrading bolts are a good idea if you like to service or adjust your bike, corroded crap bolt seize up rust can cause problems in a service.
I got a pair of real carbon fiber bottle cages off amazon for less than $20 shipped, no name brand, no name at all. they have been working great for the last year on my road bike.
Name stickers on frames. Include your blood group. "Jim Lee-Pevenhull B+".
Upgradeing the bolds is a easy and cheap way of customising your bike.
colored hubs look great but are difficult to instal.
Go fidlock for bottle cages imho expensive but at least functional
custom paint - check, name stickers - check, upgrade bolts - check, carbon bottle cages - check, ceramic bearings - already fitted in the top of the range parts so yep, check. Okay so i'm a bit of a weight weenie. So i've also spent out on carbon back plate for the RD, carbon top cap, daft 140g saddle, did you know changing steel rotor bolts for Ti saves 3g per wheel? This extends to my camping gear as well, i probably need treatment!
Love to see Manon and Alex "arguing" about these upgrades 🤗🤗 I personally think rather than your name stuck on your bike, a sticker with a In Case of Emergency (ICE) phone number is better, all our ladies in our Breeze group have one, Merry Christmas everyone xx
Custom chameleon paint with titanium bolts. Then Manon gets her custom paint and Andre gets his titanium bolts, and they are still matchy matchy!
I second the bolt upgrade though not for the weight or bling effect. I swear a lot and getting bolts of noncorrosive material would make feel much better. The crappy quality of the stainless bolts is obvious on my bikes.
I'm a sucker for custom bolts. I know they offer no functional benefits, but they make the statement that I've thought about and touched literally every part on the bike. To me, that's worth it.
Lightweight bottle cages and frame name stickers here! I wanted my aero bike to get under 8kg hence the bottlecages and the name stickers look good to me!
Best bottle cages...Supacaz aluminum bottle cages. 18 grams, under US$30, look great, and they actually work.
Useless Upgrades that I Want (for Christmas):
1. Paintjob designed (and applied) by Manon. Not by Roger.
2. Name Sticker saying "This is Mine"
3. Carbon Bottlecage with matching bottle in LARGE (so i can carry more water and negate the weight saving)
Joking aside, I completely agree with the uselessness of so-many so-called upgrades - I ride with the cheapest base model Time Xpresso 2 pedals, and they are already so light - I suspect all the higher tier models in the range offer little to no advantage, as the specifications for the X4, 8, 10 and 12 don't mention how much they weigh - only the Xpro 15 declares it is a few % lighter than mine, but cost a dozen times more!!!
Merry Christmas to all at GCN, and I hope Santa delivers everything you think you need!!!
A custom paint is a really great upgrade - provided you do a extraordinary magificient awesome job like Manon on her bike. My bike is a Giant Cadex CFR from the late 90’s converted to a throughout oldschool TT bike with a really low base bar and right extension, on the left side I got only the arm rest (I got the idea when watching the ITT Championships 2013 in Florence/Italy on RUclips, and the bike of Gustav Larsson had this setup with only one extension), the front deraillleur is used with a down tube shifter made from carbon. It already has got an awesome cherry red metallic, just the same colour as red anodized alloy. Therefore I put on every screw and bolt red anodized which is possible and reasonable - the rear derailleur fixing bolt, the chainring bolts, and also the bolts for the brake shoe holder and the brake cable on the brakes, the lens head screws which fix the brake arms on a Oval Concepts TT front wheel brake, and not to forget the pulley wheel srews, which are also hollow drilled to achieve the best possible weight saving, Titanium is far to much for this, and they are just a small fraction lighter than the original steel ones, especially as the oroginal bolts oft he Record 10speed rear derailleur are already hollow drilled. As I still use Campagnolo Carbon square taper cranks, I spent a lot of time to find a pair of those magnificient SRP crank bolts with hexagon head, anodized in red. I even have red anodized titanium bolts for the stem, which seem to be really rare. I got mine from EasyElox years ago, meanwhile they have a minimum order sum of 100 €, and they only offer B2B selling. It just looks great when almost every bolt has the same colour as your bike. About 18 years ago, I even had red anodized Tune Bigfoot square taper cranks, but they turned out tob e rather weak - when I switched to Campagnolo Record alloy cranks, it felt like someone had put a small motor on my bike.
Concerning ceramic bearings, there was an interview with someone on GCN month ago, who said that as those ceramic bearings are often hybrid bearings (ceramic balls running on a steel surface), they wear out faster due to the much harder material of the balls.
My favourite upgrades are fairings on my chainrings made as a full aero cover from 0.75mm thick plastic, which I paint semi gloss black with Tamiya spray colour (TS 29). I know it will enhance the aerodynamics by just a friction (if any), but together with the Profile Razor Carbon seatpost the bike looks already fast when standing still.
For me, the most overrated „upgrade“ is such an Oversized pulley wheel system, I suppose even my chainring fairings offer a higher advantage than that, at least for me, as I tend to use really low cadences, just like Bert Grabsch did.
As my bike is so far optimized, I use both: top tier chains (KMC X11 SL) AND top-segment tube-type tyres (now the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport), the tyres in combination with the fastest inner tubes (Vredestein latex).
I find a name sticker on the bike and the HELMET so helps people know each other when biking. It's a great way to help your bike friends actually know your name.
The thing with upgrade bolts is that the anodised colour is never the same. Bolts are gold, cable end is brassy and rest are bronze. That’s before they fade.
As for name badges; same as wearing pro kit if you ain’t on the team.
The biggest appeal I see in upgraded bolts and ceramic bearings is maintenance. I hate rust on my bike, so I always swap my bolts for stainless steel.
Ceramic bearings are a bit of a price bump from there. But one I wouldn't mind investing in where useful.
I love upgrading bolts! Get that anodized blink for cheap and make you smile! Same with custom paint. Anything that makes you smile and want to ride YOUR bike is worth every penny. I have also had name stickers on my bike, but not in obvious locations. I do this so if someone tries to steal my bike at an event (which has happened), it is easy to lift up the bike, point to the sticker, and say "yeah, that's my bike." I guess the modern version is an AirTag or something, but this has work well enough.
I have a titanium bike and have titanium bottle cages and have changed all the bolts to titanium. There was absolutely no need for this but provided I can still afford to eat, then why not if it makes me happier.
Weigh the bolts, 99% of the time their stainless but anodized
On my Ti bike, Ti seat post, Ti Quick release skewers
That is actually a good thing: accessories, bolts and frames all the same material so no galvanic corrosion from dissimilar materials
A few years ago, I added two $85, 16 gram bottle cages to my new TCR when I picked it up from the shop. I knew it was unnecessary and crazy. But I thought what the heck, I'm already into it for nearly $4000 anyway. The cages are the "cherry on top". Name stickers just give you a touch more pride of ownership. Better yet - give the bike it's own name. Mine is "Firewater". The one I regret is the $50 Knog bell. Looks great but it's half as loud as the $8 model. It's in my parts box now. All in all, "want" trumps "need" if you have the money. Bike money is fun money.
@@Mavrik-60 LOL Trump is to blame for just about EVERYTHING!
@stuartfreedman6854:
May I suggest the Spurcycle bicycle-bell. Everyone-I-know-that-has-one hasn’t regretted the purchase.
Plus the company (or should I say, the factory-workers) that made it are the same workers that made the Centennial bell, so that company *definitely* knows a-thing-or-two about making bicycle-bells. (I saw their original (“original” as-in “the first-one they came-out with”) behind-the-scenes documentary when they first-made that first Spurcycle bicycle-bell).
@@Mavrik-60I get-the-feeling you were only-joking, so I’m-laughing *with* you, but as far-as-I-know, he meant the-[Merriam-Webster-]dictionary-definition [of the word “trump”] “a decisive overriding factor or final resource”.
My favorite go-to upgrade on all my bikes is a colour coordinated Ti 1mm pedal spacer between the pedal body and crank arm.
I do enjoy a good pair of bar end plugs and stem cap if applicable.
Oh dear oh dear - I did the bike name sticker thing , Flandria do some really nice ones (felt less intimidating turning up to first duathlon too). Gold Titanium bolts too and carbon cages (Ali express) . I also have factory chameleon paint too (dk blue/purple - on my velobuild chinese frame you could choose any colour way) . i once tried a bling kmc gold chain, snapped it, so back to 105 again. Token ceramic crank bearing too (no idea if better but no squeaks/creaks). Di2 105 too which i dont “need” either. i still love my custom peoples groupset superbike though.
I think having a meaningful passage on your top tube is a lovely upgrade. I have a custom made sticker on my bike that says, "Full Effort is Full Victory." Can't tell you how many times I've looked down and read that during challenging moments on rides and had it get my head back on straight. 😊
I have a yellow sticker on my top tube that says "Cheat to win"
@@Captain_Ron618 🤣🤣🤣
I love name stickers, I put them on my helmets as well, LOVE IT!!! Oh and gold bottle cage bolts to match a gold headset spacer on all black bike.
If your bike’s Titanium then titanium bolts are a great upgrade. Along with Silica’s titanium bottle cages.
Custom paint is great for some people. I truly believe that one of the things you need to love about a bike is how it looks. If you dont have a bike that you love how it looks, chances are you wont look at it and it make you want to ride. You should be able to look at your bike and want to go ride it. Cycling is all about the love of bikes. You gotta love your bike. But, again, not everyone is like this. But i think it should be considered.
Bolt upgrades are a thing. You need to know the bolt thread and bolt head. Toronto bolt does Ti bolts.
Color bolts, custom paint fancy bottle cages . People do it to make bikes looks pretty. It is aesthetic upgrade not technical. I do change all my bottle cage bolts to match color of the frame or components. it cost $5 for 4 bolts. make me smile and to ride more. Totally worth it.
Bolts: i personally love Wolftooth Components as a company. I bought a red color kit for my bike. I think that this too, falls into "the way your bike looks" kind of thing with custom paint.
I get longer Ti bolts for crank arms so as to engage all of the threads, i feel the standard bolts are too short. As many have said, they don't rust either (but use anti seize/coppa slip with Ti).
Name sticker has my blood group on it, which could help, and save time, if I needed medical attention, they also help to remember names in group rides!
It might even help if your bike is stolen...
Waxing chains should make them last ages, so why not get a good chain?
No probs in custom painting, why not if it's time for a respray anyway? Bikes get tatty with use so a refresh is good. We used to get our steel frames repainted every few years. Oh, the fun trying to get fresh 753 stickers!
All of these upgrades are pretty harmless anyway, if they help you enjoy your bike then go for it!
I have a number of Ali carbon bottle cages that cost less than a plastic cage and has never lost a bottle. They look great, work incredibly, are light, are cheap, and I've had several for over a decade and never had a failure. Completely worth while
Not every bottle cage is created equal. Some do a horrible job at holding your bottle. This is especially true for Gravel riding.
Customized your bike for me is good upgrade but its expensive. The main thing is, if this custom paint make you cycle more and make you happy then its a good decision.
You guys will hate me. I have super expensive sworks carbon bottle cages, custom paint, full titanium bolt kit , gold chain,ceramic bearings,and custom name sticker . I know I’m a goose but I like it .😂
Name stickers: as someone who travels a lot with bikes, name stickers are good. Simple. However, not everyone needs this.
I have upgraded all my bolts to Titanium oil slick bolts snd s few anodized blue bolts to match my Brooks C17 custom bolts. Cheap easy upgrade to make the bike look different.
As Manon says "its' a bolt, it's a bolt" That's what I think of paint - never notice it on walls or bikes. But marginal upgrades for speed for those of us who are older ... and wanting to offset the relentless yearly loss of speed and strength ..... hell yea
Guilty of changing bolts 😄 I know it’s a bit nerdy but hear me out. When you go for a short ride and a key effort like a KOM or TT you probably go without any bottlecages. So why stick with the cylinder head screws? I know it’s a very marginal gain but why not consider lighter and more aero rubber plugs? Don’t underestimate the psychological advantage of knowing you perfected just about everything in preparation. As a low budget solution just take some pan head screws with a shorter thread.
I think that light bottle cages make sense, if you have 2 or 3 of them on your bike, some super light ones can save more than 50 grams each compared to something average.
Although we saw them for a tantalizing second with the ceramic bearings section, over-sized pulley wheels are ridiculously expensive for the 2W you might save. On the other hand, custom paint is glorious as we live in a world where far too many bikes are matte black. I have two Italian steel bikes that were custom built and painted (and my name is actually painted on each one, no stickers) and riding them is looking rolling through the streets on a piece of art. Manon rules!
I did not know that name upgrade was a thing. Now i am totally obsessed looking for one next season. Thanks alot
I don't have a name sticker on my bike because when I go to my shed, it's the only one in there.
Custom paint job, probably the best for me. When you look down, and see what you riding. Its gives you a lift.😃👍🎄
I get twice the wear out of a top tier chain than out of a mid tier chain. So I end up spending the same amount on chains over time by purchasing the top tier chain and having it last 2x as long. The advantage is less messing around changing chains.
Plus it looks better. Something not to be overlooked. Who cares if it is faster or not, as long as it looks good and complements the look of your bike.
Agree 💯 %. And it really shines after cleaning.
I'm on Team Manon for the custom paint. Had a mid 2000 road bike and during covid gave it a nice custom paint job. In some cases it can be expensive but its usually cheaper than getting a whole new bike just for a fresh look.
When I tried to adjust the front derailler on my bike after changing out the BB, I found that the adjustment screws had rusted out so severely that I couldn't turn them with any screwdriver. I rode over to the local hardware store to swap them out for stainless bolts. So changing bolts to stainless isn't a useless upgrade if you're swapping out carbon-steel bolts.
Upgrading your bolts can be practical. Case in point, WB cage bolts. Many OE hex drive bolts are made from a soft Al alloy and don't have a deep head. They can be easily rounded by the hex drive tool, especially ones with a ball end. This situation is made worse when sugar/electrolytes in your water runs into the threads. Solution, use Ti bolts; even better, ones with Torx drive. In wet winter rides, road salt can also cause problems with bolts in other locations. Don't want to worry about drilling into a bolt and using an extractor on a CF frame! Once you decide this is a concern, color choice of replacements is a bonus.
@andyknapp212:
I feel like-an-idiot for asking 🥺 but I’m going to ask anyway:
What do you mean by “WB” and “OE” in this particular case?
@@reoencarcelado5904 Water Bottle & Original Equipment
@@andyknapp212 thanks so much 😊.
i appreciate it 🙂.
I had my name painted (in cursive) on my top tube, under clear coat, when I had my race bike frame built. Least cost-effective option available.
I bought my first roadie (since I was a teenager in the 1970s) in 2013. It is a second-hand Wilier Izoard and it sparked a way of life for me. 36,000km later and I am still riding it -albeit it is now a second/winter bike. It is now showing its age with quite a few chips in the paintwork, so I am looking to treat it to a new paint job next year. Will it make me go faster/further? Probably not, but it will make me happier.
And when you're happier you'll probably go that little bit faster! 🤩 Enjoy!
I have name stickers on a couple of my bikes, but it is the bike's name...not mine. The bikes like it and think it's a good upgrade.
I bought anodized stem spacers for my track bike to match my hubs. Still looking for a matching seat clamp. The wheelset was a functional upgrade, but matching other components to it is purely aesthetic. (The matching bottle cage was at least something I needed anyways, and cost hardly anything more than a basic cage).
Lightweight bottle cages are actually worse if you are racing. Especially in Dutch crits over bricked city streets and speedbumps, you want secure solid cages. The lighter cage is not going to win you the race anyway. But loosing the bottle might hurt your performance, or distract you from racing.
Agree, weight of a full bottle on a flapping cage is no use at all and then bottle falls out! What a PITA 😂
My city bike has a beautiful hand painted bell. Could I use a cheap one, yes. But I love looking down and seeing those tiny brush strokes.
My bike was misplaced once. I live in a low crime neighborhood so it was found and taken in, but since I had nothing to identify me as the owner on it they tired finding me by calling the distributor but since it was used they wouldn't have found me anyways. So name sticker would have saved me a lot of trouble.
@GeirEivindMork:
Were you-able to get your-bike-back ?
Flandria name decals: thief deterrent and double locking resolver at work.
If a bolt falls out (I am looking at my old bike shop) I have been known to replace it with a titanium bolt.
Carbon Bottle cages - In my experience they're simply not as good as their non-carbon counterparts. I used to run them and they were too smooth and literally had no 'grab' onto the bottle.
Bolt Upgrade - Absolutely. On my winter bike, all of my bolts have been replaced with coloured Titanium bolts and I'm slowly doing the same with my newer race bike.
Custom Paint - I'd argue that for the most part, it isn't an upgrade, but more of an outlet of expressing your personality.
What we know as road bikes are really just racing bikes, actual road bikes would be better suited to wider tyres, additional mounting points for extra storage and space for mudguards to be fitted.
A high geared gravel bike is more of a road bike than a racing bike.
That's funny because you're describing my touring bike with mounts and bags all over it.
@@bonbonflippers4298 A touring bike is the Swiss-Army-Knife of bicycles. If you don't have the inclination to maintain a stable of bespoke bicycle types, a touring bike gives you quite a big world of cycling opportunities.
Light bottle cages (I use elite vico carbon) and titanium/aluminium bolts are the cheapest ways to save weight (once you are in the Ultegra, carbon frame category).
Custom paint does not give you performance but makes you like your bike more.
Ceramic bearings have no advantage over steel bearings. Friction depends primarily on seals and the lubricant. Better seals = more friction, but muuuuch less friction if it keeps the bearings clean inside. Ceramic bearings are much less robust to shocks. Just use high quality 2rs bearings.
Brandon RIGHT!!! I always think about upgrading bolts!!
hihgher end chains might actually be a good upgrade. For example supposedly XX1 chains typically last over than twice as long as a GX chain before wearing out so that helps offset the cost of the higher end chain. I have not actually tried an XX1 chain yet but I probably will once I wear out the current chain on my mtb.
Truth. I have the same XX chain from 2019! Best chain I’ve ever had.
Speaking as someone who busts up chains 1-2x a year it's not a part you want forever on your bike. The side plates can snap randomly when aged and rusted, especially if you are doing something like waxing which only protects the rollers. Just replace your chain, they all shift and ride the same.
@@___Bebo___ ah, more words of dumbdom
@@veganpotterthevegan if you had ever had the leg strength to break bike parts you would feel the same way. You may have had the lungs to be an unpaid amateur, but you never had the legs.
@@veganpotterthevegan Don't tell me you are one of those idiots that waxes his bike chain? You must ride like 20 miles a week if you do that, lul.
I'm relatively new to the cycling world, but I've seen this play out with the motorcycling community. Bolt kits which will drop 250 grams from a 190 kg bike, same with other lightweight parts. Might (maybe) make a difference if you're a pro level rider, but otherwise it's just bling. And there's nothing wrong with bling for bling's sake, but let's not fool ourselves that it has anything to do with performance.
I think a lot of people get hung up on the meaning of "upgrade". It can be for simple satisfaction. If/when I ever get around to repainting my frame (for fun), I'm going to also fit it with a black/gold chain. Just for bling. When that chain wears out I'll almost certainly return to the low-tier SRAM chains I customarily run.
I always stuck to bog standard sram red chain
I still ride an 8 speed bike and had the older Non-internal gear cables and I bought new internal cable routing levers (Claris) because of the slight bit of aerodynamics.
Buying the wheel with the louder hub to show off. You know ow who you are
Titanium Bolts are good upgrade.. they dont strip as easily
I kind of want titanium bolts. Not for the weight reduction but for the corrosion resistance. I ride all winter and the rust on the inside of steel bolts annoys me.
Rim Brakes for the win in 2024❤
Had my new bike custom painted and it looks mint. I've made sure the company that has done it doesn't repeat it on another
It’s probably cheaper to have it custom painted than buying all the equipment to do it yourself.
Nice, powerful lights every time for those dark, dark roads in the Dales..... cheap lights are like throwing money ahead and riding by braille
I can see the point to name or custom stickers if they're also for frame protection (or to hide a little bit of paint damage from a stone chip etc) but it's not something I would personally do as an "upgrade".
I do have alloy bottle cages on my bike, the only reason I'm thinking about changing them at some point is the paint rubbing off them and on to my bottles, although the bottles will probably end up mouldy before I replace the cages!
Upgrading bolts is good for corrosion
I recently went through most of these debates, purchasing my first bike. I went for the best base (frame) the rest wasn’t as important
I love my custom paint job the frame was old and tried so very happy
He’s right about upgrading bolts etc. looking for lightness,strength and durability by not corroding .
I like name stickers. Cheap & I like having the union jack on my bike. Bling chains, more money than sense 😂.
IMO bottle cages need to suit the bike and function well. I only use plastic cages now because I feel they look neater than metal on modern bikes. Weight isn’t a huge concern because we are talking around 50 to 150 grams difference.
As my frame is small, side-entry cages work best for me.
Manon: I'm with you on custom paint jobs. Especially when you do the work, it can be an artistic and creative expression. And of course you need a name sticker. After all, artists sign their work.
You can also look at other things than just performance. Custom paint is something you can really enjoy, which is worth a lot too. Similarly, I saw a video of a pro mechanic who changed all relevant bolts to T25, which sound super convenient to me.
I did full kogel bearings on my bike and it was an awesome upgrade I didn’t go all out for that big over sized rear pulley. Saving watts makes a difference 👍👍👍👍
First off, really enjoy your show..I feel personalization, makes your bike your own.....