Upgrade

[Yemmi530]

The sky is the limit when it comes to upgrades. As Bleeker St. Girl said, it all depends on what your goals are. If you are planning on racing, well weight is always the big deal. If you want to be comfortable on a nice bike tires are important. I have the continentals on my bike, lighter yes, but that all depends on the rest of your bike. Whats a few grams? They are great tires, not flat proof but very durable and ... pricy. I started with a 2005 roubaix comp and recently did the following upgrades(last 2 years). It's perfect now in my eyes, not cheap though.
2009 Roubaix sl pro frame upgrade
carbon ruby bars
Easton ea90slx wheelset with dura-ace cassette, and continental tires
carbon water bottle cages
and with the last tune-up, dura-ace rear derailleur and the COOLEST lizard skin bar tape.

It's addicting, but I'm done for now!

Wow! Kermit, Nice bike, Nice setup, upgrades is such a addiction :P but I luv your bike. Great Job, i know upgrades is not cheap ... very expansive habit but we DO enjoy our bike and compliment. Such a perfect bike for you. Enjoy the ride out there.

[KnottedYet]

I upgraded my black Surly Cross Check with:
Vitoria Randonneur tires with reflective sidewalls
Planet Bike fenders
Buddy Flaps (mud flaps) http://buddyflaps.com/fancy.htm
Spokees http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodFR_010.html
Salsa "granny" 3rd chainring
Campy front derailleur
Crank Brothers 5050 pedals http://www.crankbrothers.com/5050.php
Heavy duty rear rack
Ortieb panniers
Brooks B67 saddle in black with black springs
Dimension riser stem
Moustache bars
Cinelli tape
Incredi-Bell
several lights, reflectors, reflective tape, and gewgaws

All of which adds up to a bike that would be a DOWN grade to someone else! It really is entirely up to you and what you want from the bike. And the cool thing is... you can change your mind later and change stuff around again!

[arielmoon]

I would like to upgrade to a lighter wheelset and some new handlebars that are more ergonomic. Other than that I am happy!

[Crankin]

Well, I've used the Conti 4000s for years and have had no issues. The only flats I've had were from me not watching the road and actually slashing the tire with sharp objects (twice in 9 years). Of course, I get my tires from various internet sources and they cost a fraction of the retail price.
I haven't really upgraded much. I got a Terry Falcon saddle 3 years ago, when I got my Kuota. I actually switched out the fancy carbon ergonomically correct bars for cheap, aluminum Specialized wsd bars that have a shallow drop and are narrow enough for me. Even though I have a very light bike, I don't care about the bars; I'm not racing. That's about it. My bike came with a wireless computer, which I really didn't want, since the previous ones I've had always conked out or gave me weird readings. But this one is OK. Oh, and I have a headlight I recently bought, since I have been doing some very early morning rides.
Instead of upgrading, I bought another bike to tool around on! I bought a pannier, 2 lights, a blinkie, and a cheap computer for my Jamis.

[ny biker]

I think the only true upgrade on my bike was the switch from a Tiagra front derailleur to an Ultegra. But that was not planned and I didn't pay for it -- I brought the bike to the shop for an FD adjustment, and it broke while the mechanic was working on it. It was probably metal fatigue from the million or so previous adjustments that were necessary on that FD, but the guy felt responsible so he replaced it at no cost, and the only triple FD they had in stock was an Ultegra so that's what I got. It was a huge improvement. The Tiagra was always causing problems with dropped chains, but I've rarely had that problem since getting the Ultegra.

I tried some Vittoria Open Corsa tires a couple years back. Before that I had ridden whatever Bontragers came on the bike and another set of Bontragers that were supposed to be puncture-resistant but really were not. I liked the Vittorias a lot for their decreased rolling resistance, but they got too many punctures so I switched to Continental Ultra Gatorskins which I love. I'm more interested in avoiding flats than having race-quality tires.

[kermit]

I have two other bikes. A specialized stumpjumper that I just got and a single speed steel road bike from Bikes Direct. That bike was $250 and I wouldn't change a thing. I think the more there is on a bike the more you can change and play with things. Sometimes it's nice to get on and just pedal, no gears, just pedal.

[Yemmi530]

Any Comment on Seatpost upgrade?
Some people say yes, some people say no.
Probably, this type of upgrade is not for performance but display (eyes candy).
Agree?

[Bike Chick]

I upgraded my black Surly Cross Check with:
Vitoria Randonneur tires with reflective sidewalls
Planet Bike fenders
Buddy Flaps (mud flaps) http://buddyflaps.com/fancy.htm
Spokees http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodFR_010.html
Salsa "granny" 3rd chainring
Campy front derailleur
Crank Brothers 5050 pedals http://www.crankbrothers.com/5050.php
Heavy duty rear rack
Ortieb panniers
Brooks B67 saddle in black with black springs
Dimension riser stem
Moustache bars
Cinelli tape
Incredi-Bell
several lights, reflectors, reflective tape, and gewgaws

Ewwwww Knottedyet.......Nice! Do you mind sharing a pic? I've got a black crosscheck frame ordered and am planning the build....I'd love some inspiration.