As the discipline of gravel cycling has exploded, so has the range of bikes on offer and of course the amount of upgrades that you can buy for said gravel bikes. However, what are the best value gravel bike upgrades? We explain what our favourite best value gravel bike upgrades are and why you should pay attention to these things before anything else.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Perhaps you've just bought your first gravel bike, or maybe you've been a drop bar knobbly
00:04 tyre convert for a while. Either way, I think we can all agree that if you're not out riding on
00:09 the trails, then thinking about how you can improve your ride is the next best thing.
00:14 Now, unless you're one of those very lucky people that's got thousands to spend on their bikes,
00:19 then you, like the rest of us, will be after the upgrades that deliver the biggest bang for your
00:24 buck. Although in the title we did say five best upgrades, it's more five best upgrade
00:29 areas. So without further ado, let's jump in.
00:32 Tyres are something we would recommend as being one of the best value upgrades for road bikes too,
00:42 but for gravel, your choice of rubber takes on a whole new level of importance beyond just
00:47 rolling resistance, puncture protection, and weight. Having the right set will completely
00:51 change your ride. First off, there's the tread pattern. Are you going to be riding mainly hard
00:56 pack gravel roads, or are your trails more loose and muddy? In the first case, you'd want to go
01:02 with a semi-slick casing with more prominent shoulder knobs for grip in the corners. In the
01:07 second, you'd be needing something more aggressive with the height and spacing between the knobs
01:12 getting taller and wider. And then there's the width. Depending on the impacts you expect and
01:18 the comfort you want, you might be best suited with anything from a 35mm all the way up to a 54mm.
01:24 Then there's the difference between price points. More expensive tyres can be lighter and use more
01:30 advanced compounds. Now, this is particularly important if you ride where there are wet,
01:34 slabby rocks, as it's not the knobs that provide the grip, as there's nothing for them to dig into,
01:39 it's actually the compound of the rubber. Clearly, there's a lot of things to consider when buying
01:45 tyres. I think my key piece of advice is to really learn the terrain you're riding on,
01:50 and then buy the tyre that is best suited to your surroundings. Because buying too early,
01:55 and maybe not spending quite enough, could mean that you miss the mark entirely.
01:59 Handlebars are the headline component here, but really, this is about making sure that your
02:10 contact points are as comfortable as they possibly can be. Now, whether your riding is about laid
02:16 back exploring, or ultra-distance epics, or just blasting around as fast as you can,
02:22 you'll enjoy it more and perform better with a bike that fits you properly.
02:26 The cheaper and simpler options, which are arguably the highest value, include your stem and
02:31 your bar tape. Now, bar tape is a pretty obvious one. Tackier and more cushioned options deliver
02:37 better grip for control, as well as greater comfort. So, it's a win-win. The stem relates
02:42 to your bike fit, and it's about finding the balance between not being super stretched out,
02:46 but also not being too cramped up. Now, you can get models with different angles as well,
02:51 to help you further adjust the height of your handlebars too. We do have content surrounding
02:56 how to get your bike set up, so it's worth watching that first. But, once you do know
03:00 what you're after, a stem that sorts your bike fit is arguably one of the best value upgrades
03:05 that you can make. Coming back to the handlebars themselves, there are so many different options,
03:10 which is great, because it means that you will likely find something that works for you. But,
03:15 it's also a bit of a pain, because it means a fair bit of looking. There's the width to consider,
03:19 there's the flare, and there's also the drop. Now, in terms of value, the aspects that relate
03:24 to the fit are definitely the most important. And, in most cases, you will also have the option
03:30 to look at carbon versions as well. However, this does reduce the cost effectiveness of the upgrade.
03:36 On to the brakes, and this is one for the budget gravel bikes, which have mechanical disc brakes
03:45 fitted, rather than hydraulics. Now, it is true that hydraulic disc brakes do offer better
03:50 modulation compared to their mechanical counterparts. But, it's also true that mechanical
03:55 disc brakes can be unfairly abused, because in being spec'd on cheaper models, other spec
04:01 choices are made that do then hamper their performance. Essentially, mechanical disc
04:06 brakes can have the potential to be much better than their stock setup. Most important is actually
04:13 upgrading the outer cable housing. Cheaper housing compresses when you squeeze the brake lever,
04:19 which leads to a spongy feeling brake. However, more expensive housing gives a much more direct
04:24 braking feel, and this helps with modulation and also means that much more of the power is going to
04:30 the brake, rather than being wasted in the housing. £40 or $50 may feel like a lot of money to spend
04:38 on brake cables, but considering what an effect it has, it's one of the best value upgrades you can
04:44 make. The same goes for your brake pads. You don't need to go for a ludicrously expensive set with
04:50 cooling fins and all the rest. It's about the compound of the pad, and that's what matters.
04:54 And really, it won't take too much to make a big step up from the budget pads
04:59 that were probably fitted at stock. Not specifically an upgrade for your bike per
05:07 se, but it's something you'll use out on the trail, so we think it's fair game.
05:12 There's two common mistakes to make. First one is going for a multi-tool that packs on a whole
05:17 raft of features, but in such a small and intricate way that it's a massive pain to
05:22 actually use. Now, perhaps that's fine as a safety net on short rides, but for anything more, and it
05:27 gets frustrating really quickly. The other mistake to make is actually going for a tool with too
05:33 few features, which can actually leave you caught short when you're out on the trails.
05:37 The bits we look for are a complete set of Allen keys from 2mm all the way up to 8mm,
05:43 at least a T25 Torx head, a flat head, and a Phillips screwdriver. A chain tool,
05:49 and a valve core tool, and a spoke tool are nice extras to have. Now, in terms of things that we'd
05:55 actually bring with us, a quick link and tubeless plugs are an absolute must, but we also like to
06:00 bring tyre levers, a good old-fashioned inner tube, and of course, a pump.
06:09 Finally, in a similar vein to the multi-tool, this isn't specifically an upgrade for your
06:13 gravel bike, but it's one that can transform your gravel riding, so we think it's a worthwhile
06:18 inclusion. Although there's a lot to be said about developing a mental map of your local trails,
06:23 a head unit with mapping can help you explore further afield in the confidence that you're
06:28 not going to get lost. Getting to explore new areas is a huge part of the fun of gravel riding,
06:34 and easy mapping really helps with that. Of course, this doesn't have to be done with a
06:39 bespoke cycling computer. There are plenty of mapping applications on your phone that will do
06:44 an excellent job. Plus, depending on what you already own, the setup might not have to cost
06:49 much at all. The key things that you'll need are, of course, your phone, a robust mount,
06:53 a battery pack for charging your phone, and of course, some form of handlebar bag to carry that
06:59 battery pack. I think whichever way you look at it, when you start to use mapping, you'll wonder
07:04 how you ever rode before. So those are our tips for the best value upgrades that you can make to
07:10 your gravel bike. If you've got some which you think we missed, then drop them down in the
07:14 comments below. If you enjoyed the video, drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content,
07:19 and I'll see you again very soon.
07:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]