Your single best bike upgrade?
Discussion
What's the single thing you've changed on your bike that you feel has been the best investment? Doesn't have to be performance, can be comfort, styling.... Whatever! Just state what it is, how much it cost and why you feel it's the best.
For me it's probably my recent acquisition of a Selle SMP Stratos saddle. It cost £127 (rrp £195) and has made longer rides infinitely more comfortable. It hasn't made me faster, but even after 4+ hours in the saddle I get no more nether region numbness and I get around 10% the amount of chafing.... If that! It's been a revelation on longer rides. Over the first 10 miles of a ride it's possibly less comfortable but as the miles wear on it really comes into its own.
Failing that....Probably my RS80 wheels!
Over to you
For me it's probably my recent acquisition of a Selle SMP Stratos saddle. It cost £127 (rrp £195) and has made longer rides infinitely more comfortable. It hasn't made me faster, but even after 4+ hours in the saddle I get no more nether region numbness and I get around 10% the amount of chafing.... If that! It's been a revelation on longer rides. Over the first 10 miles of a ride it's possibly less comfortable but as the miles wear on it really comes into its own.
Failing that....Probably my RS80 wheels!
Over to you
E65Ross said:
That's not a bike upgrade jimbo.... That's a person upgrade 
An "upgrade" to the fat lump on top without which the bicycle cannot function. Well, that's my justification and I'm sticking to it 
If i had to pick a part, cranks: moving from 34/50 to 39/52 spared me the chasm between chainrings, and meant I had a useable inner-ring!
Technically the very best upgrade I have made, in terms of equipment, has to be wheels: Rolf Prima ARES 4. Far better wheels than I am a rider and they make a massive difference to the feel and responsiveness of the bike.
I am with you on the Selle SMP saddles too - I have them on both bikes I am using just now and on the turbo trainer bike and will be putting one on the winter bike too. The shape of the Pro really suits me and is more comfortable than any other saddle I have tried so far.
I have held off on a computer for years now, but I have taken the plunge just today by downloading and using Cyclemeter onto my iPhone. I also ordered a Mio Velo heart rate monitor device to connect to it. Once that arrives, I will be able to see if the intervals I have been doing are really significant, or if I have been kidding myself!
I really wouldn't be surprised if that leads to power measuring devices and all sorts before too long, but I will try to resist.
However, the very, very, very best upgrade I am making to my bike is to make its rider lighter (not saying by how much as it is work in progress still). It is still definitely easier, in my case, to take a kg off the rider than anything else. Should be done on that by the end of August...
I am with you on the Selle SMP saddles too - I have them on both bikes I am using just now and on the turbo trainer bike and will be putting one on the winter bike too. The shape of the Pro really suits me and is more comfortable than any other saddle I have tried so far.
I have held off on a computer for years now, but I have taken the plunge just today by downloading and using Cyclemeter onto my iPhone. I also ordered a Mio Velo heart rate monitor device to connect to it. Once that arrives, I will be able to see if the intervals I have been doing are really significant, or if I have been kidding myself!
I really wouldn't be surprised if that leads to power measuring devices and all sorts before too long, but I will try to resist.
However, the very, very, very best upgrade I am making to my bike is to make its rider lighter (not saying by how much as it is work in progress still). It is still definitely easier, in my case, to take a kg off the rider than anything else. Should be done on that by the end of August...
Steve vRS said:
All the new bikes I'm looking at have standard or semi-compact chainrings which scare me. This demonstrates I am not worthy of a new bike 
Steve
I'm really enjoying riding a compact chainset at the moment, personally its my "best upgrade". my cadence has (unsurprisingly) increased and I feel like I am sustaining a higher average speed for longer periods over undulating terrain now and I am far from spinning out 50:11 on the flat! It could be as a result of many other things but I do think that a higher cadence is one major factor. Its easier on my knees and I can stay in the big ring on some climbs which would have had me on the inner ring in the past. Steve
In short, dont stress about it and buy the shiny thing...
) and mudguards on my commuter.pablo said:
Steve vRS said:
All the new bikes I'm looking at have standard or semi-compact chainrings which scare me. This demonstrates I am not worthy of a new bike
Steve
I'm really enjoying riding a compact chainset at the moment, personally its my "best upgrade". my cadence has (unsurprisingly) increased and I feel like I am sustaining a higher average speed for longer periods over undulating terrain now and I am far from spinning out 50:11 on the flat! It could be as a result of many other things but I do think that a higher cadence is one major factor. Its easier on my knees and I can stay in the big ring on some climbs which would have had me on the inner ring in the past. Steve
In short, dont stress about it and buy the shiny thing...
Steve
MTB: Sram XX1 groupset
Roadbike: A proper bikefit.
The XX1 was expensive when I bought it and I thought that I was possibly being a bit stupid spending that much on a groupset but it's been worth every penny. It's lighter, looks better, shifts better and doesn't have any problems with the front mech :-)
The bikefit was something I wasn't entirely convinced about but apart from the minor changes that were made, I got some fantastic advice off the guy who carried out the fit about various other things cycling related. Well worth the money.
Roadbike: A proper bikefit.
The XX1 was expensive when I bought it and I thought that I was possibly being a bit stupid spending that much on a groupset but it's been worth every penny. It's lighter, looks better, shifts better and doesn't have any problems with the front mech :-)
The bikefit was something I wasn't entirely convinced about but apart from the minor changes that were made, I got some fantastic advice off the guy who carried out the fit about various other things cycling related. Well worth the money.
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