New Bike Day or Bike Upgrade Day?
If you can’t get a whole new bike, you can get some upgrades to make your old one ridin’ like it’s new!
Sometimes all an old ride needs is a little bit of love & polish to make it ride like it’s new. So before you decide to get another bike to add to the stable (even though #newbikeday is so much fun), you should first consider upgrading your old one to make the most of what you already have.
Tune Up
The best thing you can do to make your bike ride smoothly is to bring it into a shop for a full tune-up. When you get a tune-up, your bike will be looked over to make sure every part is in good, working condition and if it’s not, then that part gets replaced. Everything from the front to the back of the bike will be adjusted to perfection – shifting will be smooth & responsive, brakes will engage quickly, wheels will roll straight and true and any squeaking or clanking will disappear after a good tune up.
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to upgrading a bike, definitely start with a tune up and talk to a mechanic about what they think might best suit the bike you have.
Bike Fit
After you get a tune-up to make sure your bike is in good working order, the next best thing you can do is to improve how comfortable it is to ride. The best way to make that happen is by sitting down with a bike fitter
Getting a bike fit is not too different than going to the tailor. First you get all your measurements, then you let the expert make adjustments so that everything fits perfectly. On a bike, this can mean raising or lowering your seat and adjusting its angle, swapping out your handlebars or stem, perfecting your cleat position, making sure your cranks are the right size for how long your legs are, and much more! Basically every part of your bike is customizable and sitting down with a fitter will give you a perfect fit, customized to your proportions. When it comes to getting that perfect fit, sometimes millimeters of change can make a world of a difference.
A proper bike fit won’t just make your bike comfier to ride, but it will also help you get the most performance out of it when your set up to ride in the optimal position.
Not sure you want to spurge on a whole bike fit? Consider investing in the parts on your bike that do the most when it comes to comfort: your saddle & grips.
New Wheels
When it comes to how heavy your bike is and how smooth it feels to ride, wheels are arguably more important than even the frame itself. You can shave a lot of weight off by getting a wheelset made from better materials like carbon-fiber, which is stronger and lighter (and pricer) than an alloy rim. Carbon fiber wheels can also be molded into a wider variety of shapes that can improve overall performance. Beyond just better materials, you can also get better bearings & hubs that will help the wheel roll better for longer.
Before racing to switch out your wheels to help ya win some races, however, make sure you chat with a mechanic to make sure you order the correct type of wheel. A lot goes into determining which wheels will work with certain bikes and it can be hard to parse the different specs online without knowing what you’re looking for. You’ll want to make sure you get wheels compatible with your existing brakes, axle attachment & dimensions, and hub type. There’s a lot of great off-the-shelf wheel options available, but if you want something really special that will make the most difference, you should consider getting a custom-built wheelset built to suit your exact needs. Our very own service manager, Angela, is a pro when it comes to putting together the perfect wheelset!
If you need a little more inspiration about what’s possible to upgrade on your bike, be sure to check out all the services we offer! If you don’t see what you’re looking for there, stop by the shop to chat with our service team about whatever custom project you’ve dreamed up. Or you can shoot us an email to ask our mechanics anything!