My hack: patience. I’ve never paid full price for bicycle components. The markup in cycling is huge and discounts on stuff more than a year old are well worth it. Do your research and bid your time for sales and your money goes so much further.
Fully agree on two points: - Saddle will improve comfort and there is no question on th epoint - Wheels, wheels and wheels. When I changed my aluminium to carbon from Zipp, ride was so much improved, I couldn't believe it.
I’m a firm believer in upgrading rotating components. They offer a 2 for 1 benefit. In addition to potential weight savings, it’s less mass you have to spin with your legs. Tires, tubes, wheels, chain, cassette, crankset et cet. It takes energy to spin all that mass. Even lighter shoes. Also, perhaps the cheapest thing you can do, is clean your drivetrain
Great post! Bar tape is a big one for me. Be comfortable on the hands and a great saddle too. I think the upgrade that pays the biggest bang for the buck is spending more time riding zone two and less on parts.. Upgrade the rider's skills, knowledge, favorite routes, confidence to handle situations, riding in challenging but collaborative groups, and all like that (and some well-fitting riding clothing too!). BUT when you're upgrading bicycle parts, this post is hard to beat. For me, I almost got into the parts upgrade 'new shiny-object' trap without having the best riding habits, so I'd rather recommend someone invest in their prioritizing time in their riding skills than new parts for the sake of being pseudo competitive on lively rides.
One of my favorite "upgrades" is free... Angling my brake hoods inwards. For decades, I always had the brake hoods aligned straight forward, but upon angling them inwards, my hands are wrists have thanked me.
I did this by crashing my bike, and while the rest of my body was hating me, my wrists loved the difference it made.... now if only I could turn them both perfectly equally..... 😂
RideNow TPU tubes disapointed me as 2 from 4 leaked air at the plastic tube / valve core. I prefere the Cyclami tubes with the metall valvetube because they keep the tyre pressure much better than RideNow. Latex tube give you a much smoother ride than TPU but pumping them up before each ride is a mess.
@@sportbootjo i had the same problem with ridenow tubes at the tour de tucson - 3 tubes were shit and leaked from where the valve connected to the tube. i figured i just got a hold of a bad lot. maybe a brand change is warranted. glad i saw your comment.
Upgrades should be done in this order. 1: Better tires, and tubeless if your wheels allow. $150 2: Clipless pedals and shoes. $150 3: Better saddle and better shorts.$300 4: don’t bother with expensive bars - if yours are the right width leave them alone… don’t spend more than $100 5: better wheels start around $500 - the more you spend the bigger the bragging rights but they won’t be significantly better… (I don’t really notice the difference between my enve ($2000) or my elites from Amazon ($430)… ) Don’t bother with Ceramic bearings Oversized pulley wheels Power meters After these upgrades your bike will feel significantly better.
I wouldn't even place a powermeter as an upgrade, but many peoples do. I would think of it as a tool that is needed when you want to actually train to race, ride faster or make some achievement for yourself. Training on HR proves nowhere near results as power meter does. Tried it, proved it with numbers. However I know many people that have power meters and make non use of them different than talking about their power when riding in group which is just ridicolous. Also I like your list, but the things stated in this video are also great, as again I tested them all. Cheers :D
@@dropbarani use HR and eyes for situational awareness and it is more more than enough if you dont have power meter. It doesn't hurt to use it though. I ride with two groups, 1 is that i do the pacing, the other group does not even give me chance to look at my power as i am too concentrated to not get dropped.
Honestly, i am glad that the bike companies skimp on things like tires. Tires is a personal preference that i would likely change out anyways. My preferred brand is Challenge, and most bikes dont come specced with that.....
Wider tyres can be a good upgrade for a road bike if you have sufficient clearance. My bike came with cheap 23mm tyres but 28mm are much comfier. I can't go any wider as I have rim brakes.
As a non racer, I downgraded some parts for better repairability. Fixing a major mechanical myself within a day or two, is such an improvement to my training times.
The best value update I've made is to sell my top of the range 8kg disc brake bike and to buy a much lighter 6.8, older version second hand rim brake road bike. These were some serious gains on the climbs.
And serious cash to replace those rims. Only time we gotta replace rims on disc bikes is when we break one. But you gotta worry about both. Makes zero sense to me. Besides. A disc brake rim will be lighter than a rim brake one. Most of the extra weight in a disc wheel is in the hub. The rim, which is the furthest rotational point, is lighter. So that being said, once we make hubs lighter, those wheels should be lighter. And eventually, we will brake through the 500 gram range on disc frames. Hydraulic calipers will become lighter, as will the Hydraulic reservoirs. These too, once they are lighter, will mean that Hydraulic and mechanical brake systems will finally be the same weight. Only reason disc is currently heavier is because they are newer technology.
@@diehardbikes My rims cost 700 euro for the pair and weight 1350g (ICAN Aero 40). I'm a 70kg rider doing about 12000km per year. 2 years on and the rims have at least 3 more years to go. I've never ridden rims nor do I personally know anyone from my network of friends that have ridden rim brake bikes for over 15 years to wear the braking track to the ground. It is possible but it will take lots of years of braking. When I had my fancy modern disc brake bike with internal cables, I was paying around 450 - 500 euro per year only for brake maintenance (break pads x4 per year, adjustment/fine tuning 8 times and bleeding once because of brake fluid leak). On the contrary, I've spend 20 euro this year for 1 pair of brake shoes for carbon rim brakes which I changed myself and they didn't require any adjustments. So, in 2 years I would've spend more money on maintaining and servicing regularly the modern disc brake bike than buying a brand new wheelset. Lets keep in mind that bearings need regular service too about once a year. Argue what you want but I've started my cycling journey with disc brakes and had much better experience switching to rim brakes. Life gets much simpler. Disc brakes are just unnecessary fuff on a road bike. You might get some benefits if you're a heavier rider but for me at 70kg disc brakes are just a weight penalty without adding any benefits and complicating my life on the contrary. Disc brakes for mountain and gravel bikes are great because you need the extra stopping power. On road bikes, they're just riskier. I crashed because my wheel locked on a mountainous descend. Overall, road bikes are getting heavier and more complicated. Cycling is suppose to make your life simpler ; not complicate it with unnecessary fuff.
@@diehardbikesMy friend with disc brake bike have to replace his 7 months old wheels because three spokes of his wheels explode midride, causing a costly crash. My rim brake wheels is still in good condition even though it's been 3 years already
The inner tubes from Ridenow are awesome! I use 5000’s 25 cc front and 28 cc in the back, with the tpu from Ridenow I feel the difference right away, and for the price is a bargain
Just bought a full carbon saddle in alliexpress for $23 dollars very confortable, at 89 grams, with great reviews, my pinarello Most was around 260 grams also 3 tubolitos light 2 for the bike one for my spare bag, save 250 grams.
Probably the best upgrade is the perfect saddle. Next would be a nicely fitting pair of shoes. Then, being able to ride 1-2 hours per day and a long ride on the weekend. Last thing I'd change on a bike is the water bottle cage. First thing I'd do when considering a new bike is the frame geometry.
I started cycling 2 years ago and indeed I upgraded my Tarmac SL6 still running on 105 with each one and all of these and even close in the same order lol...sworks handlebar of my correct size massive improvement, aliexpress tpus, once worn changed to pirelli p zeros also mproved significantly the riding experience. The one that didnt totally conviced me was the C38 wheelset apart from the wheels between the tpus handle bar and rubbers and bar tape I spent no more than $375 bucks.
I had to ridenow TPU tubes (from aliexpress), both exploded !! on a bike, one on a climb (thanks that not 10 mins later on a descent...) the other one, during a stop for a coffee !! 22g I won't trust Ridenow or 20-25g TPU tubes... (~40g are ok, i used Tubolito for more than a year without issues)
TPU tube in china is actually 2.5 pound which is just slightly more expensive than butyl tube. I guess it will be cheaper in Europe or USA in few years
Where do you get butyl tubes for under 2.5 pounds? Here in Belgium I can hardly find tubes for less than 4 euros. Maybe 3 if it's a huge 50-pack in OEM packaging
I've had the worst experience with TPU. They are so unreliable. Leaks air overnight. Popped on me twice during a 220mile event. Glad someone else's support vehicle stopped and provided me with a extra butyl tube. No more TPU tubes for me. Had enough.
Surprise no one has thought of a device on the bike to spay nails on the road to four feet that would flatten car tires that come within four feet of your bike as they pass. It's a New Jersey law that cars must give you a 4-ft clearance as a pass you.
Ultra lightweight tubes are the worst upgrade. They cost around 20-30 € and plastic valve will be useless after few months. My Canyon Ultimate CFR came in Jan 22 with Schwalbe lightweight tubes. and after 3-4 months plastic valve tube was worn enough that it starts to loose pressure. So I've switched to the lightest Continental Supersonic tubes with metal valve and, I'm on same tubes since I've put them on. Even for a check how long I can stay on same tubes I'm using old ones when I'm replacing tires And I'm replacing GP5000 after around 5-6k km, so it's at the moment 4th set of tires on one set of tubes :D those 60g more per set, isn't and issue on sub 7kg bike.
I had them for a year until an accident. I like them it made me feel my wheelset costs + 2000 from 500 . Lighter responsive . Some people had bad experience though .
For me... The cheapest upgrade is a cup of coffee. Not only will it get your blood going... But it has the bonus side effects of weight reduction by making you do a nice poo before your ride 😅
25 wats on aero handle bar. Ehe. What a bullshit. Maybe without a rider behind it. This must be a lie. They probably test it in tunel not counting that person behind the bar will generate same drag as with round handlebar...
I got 2 of those ridenow tpu tubes for $4 each. They are on that buy 3 items to get free shipping menu. They also have some different brands for $2. Sometimes they have a 10% off promo too.
My hack: patience.
I’ve never paid full price for bicycle components. The markup in cycling is huge and discounts on stuff more than a year old are well worth it. Do your research and bid your time for sales and your money goes so much further.
Best is bike fit and getting contact points spot-on, either by pro fitter or DIY with trial and error, then ride frequently.
Fully agree on two points:
- Saddle will improve comfort and there is no question on th epoint
- Wheels, wheels and wheels. When I changed my aluminium to carbon from Zipp, ride was so much improved, I couldn't believe it.
I’m a firm believer in upgrading rotating components. They offer a 2 for 1 benefit. In addition to potential weight savings, it’s less mass you have to spin with your legs. Tires, tubes, wheels, chain, cassette, crankset et cet. It takes energy to spin all that mass. Even lighter shoes. Also, perhaps the cheapest thing you can do, is clean your drivetrain
Great post! Bar tape is a big one for me. Be comfortable on the hands and a great saddle too. I think the upgrade that pays the biggest bang for the buck is spending more time riding zone two and less on parts.. Upgrade the rider's skills, knowledge, favorite routes, confidence to handle situations, riding in challenging but collaborative groups, and all like that (and some well-fitting riding clothing too!). BUT when you're upgrading bicycle parts, this post is hard to beat. For me, I almost got into the parts upgrade 'new shiny-object' trap without having the best riding habits, so I'd rather recommend someone invest in their prioritizing time in their riding skills than new parts for the sake of being pseudo competitive on lively rides.
One of my favorite "upgrades" is free... Angling my brake hoods inwards. For decades, I always had the brake hoods aligned straight forward, but upon angling them inwards, my hands are wrists have thanked me.
I just did this as well and was shocked by how much more comfortable it is.
I did this by crashing my bike, and while the rest of my body was hating me, my wrists loved the difference it made.... now if only I could turn them both perfectly equally..... 😂
I was about to do this to my bike, but now its UCI banned, so I cant use it in my local races!
It depends on your handlebar width though. I tried angling my brifter and it ends up uncomfortable for me
@@Clay625I thought you can toe in to a maximum of 10°?
A professional bike fit made a huge difference for me. No component changes but my comfort and therefore my performance were noticeably improved.
Best value?
@@themoodyteam I think so cost £130 but improved my comfort massively
@@lazzaboyman8003 Well cycling can be a real money pit, but £130 for a big improvement in comfort is probably good value 😃
Great video! I value the aliexpress TPU tubes highly, I have them on all my bikes
RideNow TPU tubes disapointed me as 2 from 4 leaked air at the plastic tube / valve core. I prefere the Cyclami tubes with the metall valvetube because they keep the tyre pressure much better than RideNow. Latex tube give you a much smoother ride than TPU but pumping them up before each ride is a mess.
@@sportbootjo i had the same problem with ridenow tubes at the tour de tucson - 3 tubes were shit and leaked from where the valve connected to the tube. i figured i just got a hold of a bad lot. maybe a brand change is warranted. glad i saw your comment.
Upgrades should be done in this order.
1: Better tires, and tubeless if your wheels allow. $150
2: Clipless pedals and shoes. $150
3: Better saddle and better shorts.$300
4: don’t bother with expensive bars - if yours are the right width leave them alone… don’t spend more than $100
5: better wheels start around $500 - the more you spend the bigger the bragging rights but they won’t be significantly better…
(I don’t really notice the difference between my enve ($2000) or my elites from Amazon ($430)… )
Don’t bother with
Ceramic bearings
Oversized pulley wheels
Power meters
After these upgrades your bike will feel significantly better.
I wouldn't even place a powermeter as an upgrade, but many peoples do. I would think of it as a tool that is needed when you want to actually train to race, ride faster or make some achievement for yourself. Training on HR proves nowhere near results as power meter does. Tried it, proved it with numbers. However I know many people that have power meters and make non use of them different than talking about their power when riding in group which is just ridicolous. Also I like your list, but the things stated in this video are also great, as again I tested them all. Cheers :D
@@kkaarrllooss01speaking of riding in groups, power meters are indispensable if you need to pace a group consisting if riders with various strengths
@@dropbarani use HR and eyes for situational awareness and it is more more than enough if you dont have power meter. It doesn't hurt to use it though. I ride with two groups, 1 is that i do the pacing, the other group does not even give me chance to look at my power as i am too concentrated to not get dropped.
Honestly, i am glad that the bike companies skimp on things like tires. Tires is a personal preference that i would likely change out anyways. My preferred brand is Challenge, and most bikes dont come specced with that.....
Big fan of Challenge tyres!
Appreciate the contect, a video made for cyclists rather than GCN advertising!!
Give it time.. eventually they all give in to some perks..
Wider tyres can be a good upgrade for a road bike if you have sufficient clearance. My bike came with cheap 23mm tyres but 28mm are much comfier. I can't go any wider as I have rim brakes.
As a non racer, I downgraded some parts for better repairability. Fixing a major mechanical myself within a day or two, is such an improvement to my training times.
The best value update I've made is to sell my top of the range 8kg disc brake bike and to buy a much lighter 6.8, older version second hand rim brake road bike. These were some serious gains on the climbs.
Lmfao! You hilarious 😂
And serious cash to replace those rims. Only time we gotta replace rims on disc bikes is when we break one. But you gotta worry about both. Makes zero sense to me. Besides. A disc brake rim will be lighter than a rim brake one. Most of the extra weight in a disc wheel is in the hub. The rim, which is the furthest rotational point, is lighter. So that being said, once we make hubs lighter, those wheels should be lighter. And eventually, we will brake through the 500 gram range on disc frames. Hydraulic calipers will become lighter, as will the Hydraulic reservoirs. These too, once they are lighter, will mean that Hydraulic and mechanical brake systems will finally be the same weight. Only reason disc is currently heavier is because they are newer technology.
@@diehardbikes My rims cost 700 euro for the pair and weight 1350g (ICAN Aero 40). I'm a 70kg rider doing about 12000km per year. 2 years on and the rims have at least 3 more years to go. I've never ridden rims nor do I personally know anyone from my network of friends that have ridden rim brake bikes for over 15 years to wear the braking track to the ground. It is possible but it will take lots of years of braking. When I had my fancy modern disc brake bike with internal cables, I was paying around 450 - 500 euro per year only for brake maintenance (break pads x4 per year, adjustment/fine tuning 8 times and bleeding once because of brake fluid leak). On the contrary, I've spend 20 euro this year for 1 pair of brake shoes for carbon rim brakes which I changed myself and they didn't require any adjustments. So, in 2 years I would've spend more money on maintaining and servicing regularly the modern disc brake bike than buying a brand new wheelset. Lets keep in mind that bearings need regular service too about once a year. Argue what you want but I've started my cycling journey with disc brakes and had much better experience switching to rim brakes. Life gets much simpler. Disc brakes are just unnecessary fuff on a road bike. You might get some benefits if you're a heavier rider but for me at 70kg disc brakes are just a weight penalty without adding any benefits and complicating my life on the contrary. Disc brakes for mountain and gravel bikes are great because you need the extra stopping power. On road bikes, they're just riskier. I crashed because my wheel locked on a mountainous descend. Overall, road bikes are getting heavier and more complicated. Cycling is suppose to make your life simpler ; not complicate it with unnecessary fuff.
@@diehardbikesMy friend with disc brake bike have to replace his 7 months old wheels because three spokes of his wheels explode midride, causing a costly crash. My rim brake wheels is still in good condition even though it's been 3 years already
@@diehardbikesare you sure disc brake rims are lighter 😂😂😂
The inner tubes from Ridenow are awesome! I use 5000’s 25 cc front and 28 cc in the back, with the tpu from Ridenow I feel the difference right away, and for the price is a bargain
@@1LeggedAdventures I got the 36g and have not problems since!
Same here. Even ran them all winter with all the sand and road gunk. Somehow no issues
Just bought a full carbon saddle in alliexpress for $23 dollars very confortable, at 89 grams, with great reviews, my pinarello Most was around 260 grams also 3 tubolitos light 2 for the bike one for my spare bag, save 250 grams.
I'm Looking for a saddle. Please share the link 🤤
Probably the best upgrade is the perfect saddle. Next would be a nicely fitting pair of shoes. Then, being able to ride 1-2 hours per day and a long ride on the weekend. Last thing I'd change on a bike is the water bottle cage. First thing I'd do when considering a new bike is the frame geometry.
I started cycling 2 years ago and indeed I upgraded my Tarmac SL6 still running on 105 with each one and all of these and even close in the same order lol...sworks handlebar of my correct size massive improvement, aliexpress tpus, once worn changed to pirelli p zeros also mproved significantly the riding experience.
The one that didnt totally conviced me was the C38 wheelset apart from the wheels between the tpus handle bar and rubbers and bar tape I spent no more than $375 bucks.
I like continental gp5000 with vittoria laytek tubes.. looking forward to trying tpu though
Vittoria latex* tubes.
Great video. Thanks for this.
All good, apart from I wouldn't say a £400 wheelset is budget friendly, haha
I had to ridenow TPU tubes (from aliexpress), both exploded !! on a bike, one on a climb (thanks that not 10 mins later on a descent...) the other one, during a stop for a coffee !! 22g I won't trust Ridenow or 20-25g TPU tubes... (~40g are ok, i used Tubolito for more than a year without issues)
Tubes made such a difference to my bike, still looking for that one saddle though…
Wiggle Prime Doyenne saddle is extremely comfortable and not expensive..
Going narrow does not “close up your cardiovascular system”, that’s the oldest myth in the book and is well overdue for being put to bed.
TPU tube in china is actually 2.5 pound which is just slightly more expensive than butyl tube. I guess it will be cheaper in Europe or USA in few years
Where do you get butyl tubes for under 2.5 pounds? Here in Belgium I can hardly find tubes for less than 4 euros. Maybe 3 if it's a huge 50-pack in OEM packaging
@@hananas2 just aliexpress. I guess the labor cost is high at your place
Scribe Duty alloy wheels - under £400.
The best upgrade I’ve experienced was clipless pedals. They make the ride far more efficient!
the best value for dh bike ?
I've had the worst experience with TPU. They are so unreliable. Leaks air overnight. Popped on me twice during a 220mile event. Glad someone else's support vehicle stopped and provided me with a extra butyl tube. No more TPU tubes for me. Had enough.
Which brand? My grren AliExpress Cyclami's have been great.
That's interesting, I have used them for a year or more, about 2,000kM with no issues at all.
I just subscribed when you mentioned it in the video. 😅 Thanks for pointing it out! 🎉
Bike fit then tires. Done.
Your chin look a lot like MVDP's also your pisition on bike. And with glasses you are almost him.😅
We can confirm the legs are not the same! 😫
Best value is fixing your nutrition & strength training.
Surprise no one has thought of a device on the bike to spay nails on the road to four feet that would flatten car tires that come within four feet of your bike as they pass. It's a New Jersey law that cars must give you a 4-ft clearance as a pass you.
Hey! What bar tape is that? 7:03 ?
double this question
Carbon water bottle cage 😆
😂
Ultra lightweight tubes are the worst upgrade. They cost around 20-30 € and plastic valve will be useless after few months. My Canyon Ultimate CFR came in Jan 22 with Schwalbe lightweight tubes. and after 3-4 months plastic valve tube was worn enough that it starts to loose pressure. So I've switched to the lightest Continental Supersonic tubes with metal valve and, I'm on same tubes since I've put them on. Even for a check how long I can stay on same tubes I'm using old ones when I'm replacing tires And I'm replacing GP5000 after around 5-6k km, so it's at the moment 4th set of tires on one set of tubes :D those 60g more per set, isn't and issue on sub 7kg bike.
Great content better than GCN subscribed too.
Cheers! Welcome to the channel!
What are peoples thoughts on cheap Amazon/AliExpress tpu tubes?
I had them for a year until an accident. I like them it made me feel my wheelset costs + 2000 from 500 . Lighter responsive . Some people had bad experience though .
If you care the least bit about ethics or human rights, you do not buy from either platform, no matter what product!
my brand new carbon fibre bus pass double my speed
For me... The cheapest upgrade is a cup of coffee.
Not only will it get your blood going... But it has the bonus side effects of weight reduction by making you do a nice poo before your ride 😅
one thing is missing here - proper bike fit...
We’ve got just the video for you! 11 Bike Fit Tips To Make You FASTER & More Comfortable On The Bike
ruclips.net/video/EwMHp38Uugs/видео.html
Best value upgrade? A bowl of pasta before the ride.
Genetic=generic??
No, Genetic.
Buy components cheaply online .
Caliper brakes are quite good enough for a road bike. I think it's wrong, that E road bikes all come with ugly discs.
Hunt 😂
25 wats on aero handle bar. Ehe. What a bullshit. Maybe without a rider behind it. This must be a lie. They probably test it in tunel not counting that person behind the bar will generate same drag as with round handlebar...
It’s not from the bar itself, but rather the position that it puts your body in
you sound bored
I got 2 of those ridenow tpu tubes for $4 each. They are on that buy 3 items to get free shipping menu. They also have some different brands for $2. Sometimes they have a 10% off promo too.