Upgrade

[Yemmi530]

What would you upgrade for your bike?
Beside Saddle and Pedal? What would be next?
I just gave a call to my local bike shop and they've recommend some "New Tire" Continental Grand Prix GP 4000. They said: with this new tire, it will reduce some weight off my bike. What do you girls think?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Upgrade means different things to different people with diff needs.

For me, an 'upgrade' in tires meant buying the rather expensive Continental Grand Prix "4 Season" tires, which have been really bullet proof when it comes to flats. I don't care so much about weight (I'm not racing against anything) as I care about avoiding some flats on sharp gravel roads.

Likewise, some folks might think an 'upgraded' lock is one that's lighter weight, others might 'upgrade' to a heavier lock instead.
It all comes down to individual needs in your particular situation.

Upgrading based on price is not reliable either, since many bike accessories are vastly overpriced from one seller and a bargain from another.

[kermit]

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!

[nscrbug]

The only "upgrades" I've made, so far, to my Cervelo Soloist Carbon, have been adding 2 carbon side-loading bottle cages. What I would like to upgrade in the near future, include -

possibly a new saddle...unsure about my current (Specialized Phenom) one

LOOK Keo Max Carbon pedals - currently using Time RXS Carbon pedals, which I don't like

CatEye V3 or Polar CS200CAD cycle computer - currently using CatEye Strada Wireless, but would like cadence & HR

A different set of aerobars - currently using Profile Design Jammer GT, but would like a set w/flip-up armrests to allow access to top bar

Williams System 30 wheelset - I HATE my stock wheels!

A wingtop-style handlebar - currently using the stock bars on my bike, but would like a bar with a "flatter" top bar for more comfort

I think that's all...for now.

Oh...FWIW, I've been using Michelin ProRace 3 tires...and LOVE them! They have excellent grip and corner like the bike is on rails. But I have a friend who rolls on the Conti GP 4000S and swears by it. My hubby tried the GP 4000S and didn't like it...said it felt "sluggish" to him...he's back on the ProRace 3's. Tires are a very "individual" thing, I've found...sort of like saddles. What feels good and works well for one person, might not be the case for somebody else.

[tulip]

Yeah, it depends on what you want. You might not need to upgrade anything, it's all up to you.

On my Luna, I will eventually upgrade my pedals. But that's it. I already replaced the double crank with a compact double.

On my Bike Friday, the only thing I want to get is a rearview mirror, because it's a pain to switch back and forth with the Luna. That's not really an upgrade.

I will invest in a major maintenance overhaul on both bikes, though. Every few years it's a good thing to do, if you want to keep the bike, that is.

[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?

[MomOnBike]

Come to think of it, I've done a fair bit of upgrading.

1) New pedals - the kind that flat on one side and clip-in on the other

2) Mirrors - bilateral

3) Under seat racks. (Since removed, but will go back on as soon as I decide to take another tour.)

4) Back wheel rebuild. My spokes on the back wheel were popping so much, it reminded me of popcorn. I had the LBS build up a sturdy back wheel & haven't had trouble since.

5) Rotor cranks with 165 cranks & a Really Low granny gear. (Review here: http://www.bentrideronline.com/2004Feb/rotor_cranks.htm ) I put them on right after I had my knee 'scoped, and they seem to have helped.

The recumbent specific part:

6) New seat struts today. They hold my seat upright - when they are not broken. I replace the soft aluminum struts with cro-moly. These should be more sturdy.

7) A pretty seat cover. I'm on my second one. They just make the recumbent seat more interesting than the plain black one everyone else rides.

The bike has a fairing up front which came with the bike. I'm not responsible for that, but I'm keeping it.

I'm still running the stock Kenda Kwest fat high-pressure tires. They maybe aren't the fastest tires on the road, but they are reasonably bullet-proof.

I think I'm pretty much done changing thing on this bike (subject to change without notice). I'm dreaming about a second bike, and the upgrades and changes I'll make with that one - and the bike after that, and . . .

[Owlie]

The only upgrading I've done on this bike has been the saddle. Apart from pedals, that's the only upgrading that's going to be done unless I somehow wind up with a lot of money. It would be more than the bike's worth.

[lph]

I don't really think of it as upgrading, I think of it as gradually tuning a bike to fit me. The "perfect" bike may be out there, but I'll never have the patience, time, money or insight to hunt it down. My 4 bikes - 3 in use - have all come into my hands in sort of roundabout ways, only one was bought new, and I spend my time and money gradually tweaking things here and there. I've bought them or acquired them based on the frame fitting reasonably well and the price being reasonable, then I swap parts around or buy new ones as old ones wear out, and am gradually tweaking 3 bikes to be fairly specific for 3 types of use: 1 winter bike/commuter bike (durable, low-maintenance parts, comfortable), 1 mtb, 1 training/road bike (lightweight, good wheels).