Welcome back, everyone.
Thank you for joining me on this glorious day here in summer.
Now, I've been out cruising around, taking it steady, just enjoying the countryside,
really, and I thought, "Mountain biking can be a pretty expensive game sometimes, so if
I want to upgrade my bike, how can I do that without spending tons of cash?"
Well, fear not because I have got some great budget ways that you can improve your mountain
bike.
[music] One of the quickest and easiest upgrades for
your bike is the grips.
Now, as one of the main contact points and, you know, arguably the one used to the most,
joint with pedals, I guess, grips are something that are really worth taking a look at.
You really want to be looking at getting the most out of your grips as they can play a
huge part in the longevity of your ride.
Now, what I mean by this is the fact that they can make things a whole lot more comfortable
for you.
They can reduce things like arm pump and blisters and calluses and discomfort when on those
longer rides, so really worth looking at.
Now, here at the channel we use Ergon grips who like to focus on performance and comfort
above anything else.
Now, like I said, finding the right grip is key for you.
I've got quite big palms and I find that these are lovely GE1 grips fit them nicely.
They're the right diameter and the softness of the rubber is perfect for my hands, plus
the clamps are these wicked oil slick effect and I like that a lot.
Doddy actually likes a thinner grip, so a different kind of riding for him and a different
feel as well as you feel more through the bars and through the bike.
It really is personal preference.
There is, of course, tons of different grips out there to choose from, so really take the
time to look and test if you can and feel which ones are going to be the right ones
for you.
[music] Let's talk saddles then.
Now, this is another area that is going to be incredibly down to personal preference.
Mainly because you spend so much time sitting on your butt, you're going to have to be comfy.
Choosing the right saddle is really, really important.
It can avoid a lot of discomfort, especially on those longer rides.
Like grips, it's well worth taking the time to put into testing them if you can.
A lot of local bike shops will have demo saddles that you'll be able to try.
Now, again, on the channel we have a great saddle supplier in the form of Ergon.
Like I said, personal preference plays a huge part.
On my XC bike here, I use the SM Pro men's.
I like the shape of it, I like the feel of it and the firmness.
It just suits me and that's what I like to use.
I use the same saddle on all my bikes, actually.
When choosing a saddle, make sure the shape of it is something that suits you and your
sit bones.
Because you're going to be sitting on it for such a long time, you need to have the right
shape and where the pressure is going to be relieved.
Often, saddle companies will do a cheap and a more expensive version of the same saddle
where something like the rails may be different.
Where there might be an all-singing, all-dancing carbon saddle, you could probably get or usually
get the same saddle but for much less with aluminium rails.
Some brands also out there like Ergon have certain sizing guides, so you can actually
use this to help find the right saddle for you.
They'll have an online fitting system where you can look at your riding style, your riding
position and actually that will help you choose the saddle that you need.
Don't delay, go and have a look for the right saddle today.
[music] Now, you might be fooled into thinking that
it's just the pads on your brakes that wear down.
Unfortunately, I hate to break it to you but that's just not true.
Discs get worn down as well.
A good way of checking this is if the disc itself on the middle of the disc, so this
area through here is slightly concave.
That's where the force of the pads touch first and actually wear that disc away slightly.
Don't fret though.
Fear not because if they are starting to show signs of wear and tear, then it's time for
an upgrade.
Flashy new rotors can be a great improvement to your disc brake performance.
If it is time for those rotor upgrades, then getting the right rotor is a good idea.
What I mean by that is choosing the right rotor for your bike.
Now, my cross-country bike here has 160 mm rotors, front and back.
That's to keep the weight down.
It provides enough braking power for this light bike and they don't get too hot so I
don't need vented brakes or anything fancy like that.
If you've got a downhill bike, you might be looking at 200 or 203 mm rotors.
If you've got an Enduro bike, a mixture of 180 and 200 mm rotors.
If you're feeling a bit wild and you're like a full-on downhiller or maybe a big E-bike,
you can even get 223 mm rotors, but those are a bit specialist.
It's quite a lot of power going on there, but just check and make sure you get the right
disc for your bike.
Also, the quality of the rotor you get can change.
Now, obviously this will vary in cost so it's worth looking into but Shimano's Ice-Tech
rotor, for example, has a layer of aluminum sandwiched between two players of steel and
this helps dissipate the heat there.
If you're doing a lot of longer, gnarlier rides, you live in the mountains, say, then
something like this to stop brake fade could be worth thinking about.
[music] Now, not necessarily a performance upgrade
for your bike, but it's definitely an upgrade that will make your riding experience easier.
If you can fit more things onto your bike, instead of onto your body, then you're free
to ride more comfortably and with less restraint.
This can include your multi-tool, pump, spare tube, and even a snack, if you have the space.
Things like the Topeak Ninja are great for this.
You can have the combination of a bottle cage and a multi-tool all tidily tucked away down
on your bike.
Other things like the OneUp EDC which stash nicely in your steerer tube are really elegant
ways of hiding tools away.
[music] What's the cheapest way to improve your braking,
I hear you ask?
Well, look no further because I have the answer for you.
Ta-da.
Yes, the humble brake pad.
Now, a lot of times I hear and see people going around trails and trail centers squealing
away, unable to stop properly, asking me what's the problem with their brakes?
Well, 9 times out of 10, it's their brake pads.
They're either far worn down, just absolutely almost to the metal or they're the wrong pad
for the wrong scenario or the wrong conditions.
Now, when it comes to replacing brake pads, we often recommend that you stay on brand.
Now, what I mean by that is, if you've got, say, some SRAM guides or Shimano XTs that
you get the manufacturer pads.
These are often designed to work best with the disk and the calipers.
There are obviously, again, different versions.
For example here, I've got some Shimano XT4 pot pads, but you can get these with the fins
on them.
What that is is that helps to keep them cooler, less brake fade and more reliability over
time.
This isn't always however true and brands like Trickstuff make really great high-quality
aftermarket pads which are very, very good.
[music] Tubeless valves are a truly budget upgrade.
Nice tubeless valves can make some messy jobs a whole lot easier.
They can give your bike that look of customization with different colors and some even have built-in
valve tools to help you out when it comes to putting in the tubeless sealant.
This is definitely a cheap upgrade and not one to be overlooked.
[music] Let's talk tires then.
Now, there's almost always something to be gained from switching out to new tires.
Don't worry, they don't have to cost you the earth.
Different, again, brands will do different versions of their tire.
Like the Vittoria Graphene one here, all singing all dancing trail one, there are slightly
cheaper versions.
Again, that can change whether you run tubes or tubeless so there really is always a tire
to suit you.
Make sure you choose the right tire for the conditions you ride in.
If you live in the middle of the Arizona Desert, then a dry fast-rolling tire is probably going
to be the one for you.
If like us in the UK, you spend most of your time bog snorkeling and need something a bit
more aggressive, than a slightly more knobblier tire is probably going to be the one.
We have done a really detailed video on which tires work best in which conditions and which
ones might suit you the most.
If you want to check that out, the link is in the description.
Just pop on down there, give it a click and it'll take you through to it.
Essentially though, an area like tires is not something that's worth scrimping on.
If you can afford a slightly better tire, I would highly recommend it.
As, essentially, it is the one thing that touches the ground, it's worth getting the
that best you can.
Thank you for watching then everyone.
I hope I've been able to impart some not too expensive wisdom on you on how to upgrade
that trusty steed of yours without costing the earth.
Now, as always, if you want to watch more GMBN, don't forget subscribe below.
If you want to look as bright and as fresh as this t-shirt is on me, then our new adventure
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Just head on over to the shop and you'll be able to get one of these bad boys.
Thanks for watching everyone and see you next time.
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