- Most of us upgrade or at least
dream of upgrading our bikes.
So, replacing individual parts for ones that
perhaps work better, look better, or add new functionality.
But not all upgrades represent good value.
So, when moneys tight, this is
where you think you should invest.
It's time for GCN's, save or spend?
Spend or save?
Save or spend?
Save.
Right, first up, here is a tip from the pros.
Now many world tour teams believe it or not,
actually buy there own components.
And so, they also look to save money.
Therefore, when you have a look at their bikes
you may well find Ultegra cassettes instead of
Dura Ace or SRAM force instead of Red.
So, yeah, there is a weight penalty between the two.
Maybe 60 grammes or so, but that all important
performance is similar.
And then same thing when you look at chains.
Ultegra instead of Dura Ace.
Yeah, there is still a weight penalty
of 12 grammes, and you do lose that low friction
coating that you get with a Dura Ace chain,
but you also save yourself a bunch of cash.
What are we gonna do with it then?
Where are we gonna invest it?
Spend.
Tyres. That's where.
The difference between a run of the mill tyre
and a great tyre is absolutely massive.
Genuinely tangible performance benefits.
Now a good tyre is likely to be lighter,
so it will probably feel a bit more lively
when you're accelerating or when you're climbing.
But we're really talking about rolling existence here.
Great tyres roll much, much faster.
We're talking upwards of ten watts here.
Per wheel.
And, if you're going to upgrade this area,
you might as well try a wider tyre, as well.
Definitely a bit of a trendy topic at the moment,
but with good reason.
Wider tyres, generally faster,
definitely more comfortable.
Save.
For many years, and in particularly mountain biking,
bike brands would often put more expensive
rear derailleurs on bikes they were selling
in order to make it seem like the
specification was better.
So they would then say,
oh yeah, it's got a mix of Ultegra and 105,
meaning that actually it has a full 105 groupset
but with a Ultegra rear derailleur on.
In performance terms, zero upgrade.
In terms of weight savings, probably about 40 grammes.
So, when it comes to replacing rear derailleurs,
and you do need to do that from time to time,
then personally, I would always replace
like with like.
And then with the money that I saved,
I would then invest it elsewhere.
Spend.
A set of high end gear cables can make
a big difference to your shifting.
With their super smooth inners and outers.
But, living as I do in the U.K.
With average to poor riding conditions
for about 359 days out of the year,
I would personally generally shy away
from expensive cables, unless I'm
instructed to do otherwise.
So, in case of Shimanos Dual Race groupset is needing
Shimanos Dual Race cables.
And instead what I would do is invest
in a massive stash of replacement
less expensive cables.
Meaning, as soon as my current set deteriorate,
I wouldn't think twice about whipping them off,
sticking a fresh set on and keeping
that performance tip top.
And the same of course, is true for brakes,
as well as shifting.
Save.
Handlebars can seem like a tempting upgrade.
But, in terms of grammes saved for cash spent,
they're actually not the best value upgrade you can make.
Having said that, I have bought more handlebars
in my time than I care to remember,
but always the reason was to actually get a shape
that was more to my liking.
Because an upgrade, for me, is getting
my hands literally on a set of compact road drop bars.
I've bought compact wider bars for my cross bike.
I've bought compact narrow bars for my road bikes.
And always, in a less expensive aluminium model.
Yet, there is a slight weight penalty,
so it's not suitable for your ultimate super bike,
but they feel just as good.
Save
or Spend
I tend to save by bulk buying
standard bootile inner tubes.
Now I personally feel that having a slightly
thicker inner tube makes it more puncture resistant,
and I also think that saving money here
means that when you do get a flat tyre
it's just that little bit less depressing.
However, light weight inner tubes
are actually the best value weight saving upgrade
you can make.
With a cost per gramme ratio far in excess of anything else.
Generally about 30 cents or 30 pence per gramme saved.
As opposed to well in excess of
a dollar, euro, pound per gramme.
And then further more, many people feel
that if you actually upgrade to a
latex inner tube, you actually improve
the ride quality of your bike
and get lower rolling resistance.
Spend
or Save
Many of you watching this will no doubt
ride your bikes with flat pedals.
And that's often out of choice with good reason.
It's convenient and it's also easier.
But, making the upgrade to clipless pedals,
which are slightly confusing in name
because they clip your feet into them,
is, we think, a good upgrade.
Now, there's a little bit of contention there,
but, like I said, all of us at GCN
feel that clipless pedals are a great upgrade.
But, here is also a point where you can save.
If you're already using clipless pedals,
then you can take another tip from the pros
and use less expensive ones.
Yeah, there is a slight weight penalty,
but functionally, they're exactly the same.
And the reason I say it, is because
at the Tour de France this year, I noticed
that Team Katusha were using the cheaper Look Keo Max Pedals
as opposed to the lighter, more expensive Look Keo Blades.
Last of all, Spend it.
If you're after performance, ie you don't just ride,
you also train, which is, I think an important distinction.
Then a Power metre is likely to get you better, faster.
Now, they are of course a significant investment,
but the good news is, they are getting cheaper.
So this new Power2Max NG Eco actually retails
for less than 500 Euros.
And that, remarkably, is with cranks and rings as well.
Of course, you do still need to put
hard work in, but power metre is pretty much
guaranteed to make that hard work actually do more for you.
So, save or spend.
Let us know what you think are
the best value upgrades you can make to your bike.
Or, in fact, are you more like Eddie Merckx
who legend has it once said that you shouldn't buy upgrades,
you should ride upgrades.
Which is all well for Eddie to say,
but let's face it, he had the pimpest bike going
when he was racing.
Now, do make sure you subscribe to GCN following this video.
That's probably the best upgrade you can make
on the Internet if you're a cyclist.
And if you want some more content right now
then we've got how to make your bike faster
just down there, some great upgrades.
Or how to make your bike look more pro,
which is in itself also an upgrade.
Just down there.