- Right let's take a look at some of the best upgrades
you can do for your bike and your kit
for under 100 pounds, more or less.
There's so many ways and these things
make a huge difference to your riding and your bike.
So, let's get into it.
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Okay first up, is kinda like your control points,
it's your grips, your saddle and your pedals,
even things like this, hand guards.
These items can make such a huge difference to your riding,
just changing your grips makes your bike feel,
literally completely different.
Think about pedals for instance,
you could be riding flat pedals, moving over to clips,
for under 100 pounds is a huge difference to your riding,
and can transform the way you think about
how you're gonna go out on your bike.
So really think about these contact points
and what they could do.
And it's all for under 100 quid.
Not bad.
For instance, your grips or your saddle,
can totally transform your comfort on the bike,
I mean, something like the saddle,
this is the thing that is a very technical bit of kit
and I think it's something that you really gotta get right
and when you get it right, it really does feel brilliant.
So definitely think about your saddle, the comfort side,
but also the type of saddle you need for your body type.
Grips are the same, if you've got big hands,
did you know that grips come in different thicknesses?
Yes, a new thing but you can get all sorts of shapes
and sizes that are gonna fit you
and improve the comfort on the bike.
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Tire inserts, now this is a relatively new thing,
but we're always suggesting tires as a great upgrade,
but this can really make a huge difference
to how many times you get punctures,
or how your tire performs.
Like I said, these tire inserts do lots of things,
they cushion the impact and of course,
they protect the rim itself.
This one is the ARD system from Nukeproof.
Really like this, it's incredibly light.
This comes in at 49.99 for both wheels.
It's definitely a great version of the product.
But you can go cheaper than that,
there's systems like this, the Rimpact.
This is quite a lot cheaper actually,
it's 36.99.
It's pretty cool, it's a new brand out there
but definitely worth looking into.
But then you've got the tried and tested Cushcore.
Now this is kinda like the pro level of all tire insert,
but you're looking at something like 160 pounds
for both wheels on this one,
so that's a lot of cash to spend out.
But you can do it for under 100.
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Next up is frame protection.
We do our own version of this,
it's really cool, 27.99.
It's got these cut out sections,
that protect parts of your bike.
And obviously this frame protection is important
'cause you wanna keep your bike looking nice
but also if you're thinking about selling it on afterwards
you can just take that stuff off and it looks pristine.
There's also Invisiframe.
Now this stuffs really cool, it's a bit more expensive,
just over 70 pounds but you can buy specific sets
that exactly fit your bike and cover the whole frame.
So frame protection, definitely something to think about
and well within that 100 pound budget.
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Okay next up, we're talking gloves.
Now this is something can get really overlooked,
but it makes a massive difference
if you get a glove that fits you
and you're comfortable with.
Obviously it protects your hands.
It means you can grip much easier.
But also it'll increase your confidence.
You'll be amazed, how much difference it makes
when you suddenly find the right glove on your bar.
And think about it, when you crash and your hand goes down
you've got that added protection,
so don't look, overlook the humble glove
'cause it's definitely something
that can upgrade your riding life.
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Okay the helmet.
Now this is where I am gonna cheat on our video.
This is the one place where I think,
price doesn't really matter.
The helmet's gotta fit.
That's so important you've got a really good fit
and it fits your head, like a glove.
Now you've got to think about it,
there's something like the Trabec.
That's more of a square shaped helmet,
like Steve and Blake both like that
'cause they've got more square head.
Very nice looking helmet.
Or you got something like the Tectal Race here,
this is what I use, it fits me perfectly
it really is an amazing fit.
It's so important to have your helmet fit right
and protect your head.
And if you're thinking about going over your budget
then this is the place where you do it.
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Now for under 100 pounds, you wouldn't necessarily think
you can transform your suspension,
but you can with some clever little widgets.
So let's take a look at these.
Now these volume spacers,
these are really clever little gizmo.
These guys and these are the Rockshox tokens,
that come in at about 13 pound.
Going the air chamber in your shock,
basically take up space and make your fork,
much more progressive.
So for such a tiny little gadget,
it make a big difference to your fork.
Well worth a thought.
What about changing the air spring?
Like the Debonair from RockShoxs,
that can change the traveler on your forks.
It's about 42 pound for that upgrade
but it's a really great way
of really making that fork work better for you,
without replacing that whole thing.
Amazin.
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Okay this is really cool actually.
Changing your shifters can really change
the performance of your gears.
It's not necessarily down to the derailleurs
because the shifter can be upgraded
and you'll get a crisper feel,
you can get even more shifts per push
and it just feels great.
So really think about the shifters,
that could be a great upgrade for you.
Obviously you gotta get the numbers right,
so you've got 11 speed on your bike,
you need an 11 speed shifter.
So make sure you get that right,
but well within the bracket of between 50 to 100 pound
you've got a lot of option for like a cheap upgrade
or getting up to the best XTR version,
if you're talking Shimano.
So shifters.
Think about that, it could really make a difference
to how it feels when you're on the trail.
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Knee pads.
This is something you should definitely be thinking about.
Makes a big difference to your confidence out on the trail,
you know, when you've got a knee pad on and it fits well,
and you've chose the right one,
and you can get one for under 100 pound, no problem.
You can definitely have really good comfort,
it's keeping your knee warm but it's also protected,
so you feel strong out on the trail,
and I tell you what, with a good knee pad on,
you'll be trying things
you wouldn't of thought of doing before.
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Okay next up it's a delicate subject,
'cause it's about protecting your delicates,
you know, like your undercarriage.
'Cause when you're out on the trail
and you've sat down for a long time,
you're grinding up those climbs.
It can get a bit uncomfortable on the saddle,
so one way to solve that, for well under 100 pound,
is get yourself some bib shorts.
Now I know lycra is not necessarily,
popular in mountain biking,
but you can wear these under your riding shorts
and no one would know,
and then you've go this protection giving you more comfort,
you'll be able to ride for longer.
This is a no-brainer upgrade,
and nobody needs to know.
It's just between me and you.
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I saved the best till last.
This was my favorite upgrade in my riding career by far.
A new set of handle bars.
Look at those.
Sam Hill ones.
Nice.
Now think about the bar.
You can change so much in your riding,
you can change the rise height, the rake,
the width of course,
you can narrow those bars down if it suits you
and you really enjoy that.
I like a wide 800 mil bar myself.
But the bars really can make a huge difference
and transform the way your bike feels.
So definitely think about this upgrade.
And I hope you think about
some of those other upgrades we've talked about.
Remember that you can win 100 pound
in Chain Reaction Cycles on the Dirt Shed Show
by sending us your hacks and your bodges.
And you could be spending 100 pound or less
on some of these upgrades yourself.
So have a think about that.
Thanks for joining us on the video.
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and good luck with your upgrading.