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Mine: I bought my first serious hardtail after 15 years of riding full suspension because I had to lose the Orange 5. Much as I enjoyed the first outing on the Orange Clockwork (hereinafter referred to as "Pussy Riot"), after 15 years of full-suspension offroading, found that after an hour back home, I got really excruciating lower back pain.
Enter ...
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the Thud Buster.
Almost feels like full suspension, but without any pedal bob.
And no back pain. Yay!
Tad expensive, but worth every penny. 😀
Two sets of Hunt wheels, one for the road bike to replace the heavy generic jobbies I'd inherited to keep the build cheap, and one for the 'cross bike to replace the 29er MTB wheels I'd been using. Both have transformed the feel of the respective bikes.
Went from a Scott Genius LT to a Evil Wreckoning... I can now pedal uphills (sort of) and goes down quicker too!... 😆
Not a cheap upgrade, but was well worth it! 😉
Best upgrade I did this year was increasing my hours in the saddle.
Hoping to make a similar upgrade next year too 🙂
^ I LIKE THAT ^
Taking lead from the OP's choice and assuming whole bikes don't count, sticking a new Lyrik on my old Process 153 really gave it a bit of muscle and stability it had previously lacked with a Pike.
RS81 wheels on my road bike have been a revelation too, sooooo comfy compared to my Ksyriums - yet still pretty darn stiff.
170mm dropper on the Reign, makes riding steep trails much more enjoyable, saddle well out of the way.
Finally pensioning off my beloved Cove G-Spot and getting an Intense T275, goes up better, goes down better, goes around the bends better, some how not as exicting though.
Swapped my wife for a 19 year old Latvian pole dancer.
I bought a downhill bike. It's so fun!
I haven't really bought that much for my bikes this year that I'd rave about. Maybe an alfine 8 wheel for my rigid bike?
Actually it's probably a whole bike, my Brompton. I didn't expect to enjoy the funny little clown bike as much as I do
My Plus bike, its a proper laugh to ride! and it came with my first ever dropper post, never had one before and I'm converted on that now!
Best upgrade was spending a week in Whistler.
It's amazing how quick your skills (and confidence) improve when you spend a whole week just riding your bike down a hill 😀
getting my angina fixed 🙂
Best change for me was building up a Stooge with a Brooks saddle and Jones bars. Most comfortable bike ever. Can literally ride it all day. Makes me want to be out riding all the time. Been out for a couple of hours today and already want to go back out again.
Time outdoors seems to be good for my mental well-being so it really helps.
A fat bike.
Stooge in half fat mode.......adore it but it does hurt my knee
tyre pressure gauge.
Boring, but my best has been a new saddle and grips. Gone are the niggling aches on longer rides. Oh, and sticking a coil in my old Revelation too. Was a revelation [Boo!].
"Swapped my wife for a 19 year old Latvian pole dancer."
When you say pole dancer - He's really a scaffolder isn't he.
Ti 29er hardtail. - Sync.
Brooks free after 30 odd years.
🙂
Thinking about it, I can't think of anything I've changed. I've ridden my bike exactly as it was this time last year. That's ridiculous, I need to throw money at it now to feel like a proper cyclist.
Getting the latest 26" BFe frame
Other than tyres the only thing I've swapped on my bikes has been from a Raceface Atlas 785mm bar on my Transition Trans Am to a Chromag Fubar 780mm.
I now like the bike. I'd been not mad keen on it but it turns out the flat and shapeless Atlas bar was just crap and now I've got decent control over it it's an amazing bike.
Two skills courses in March/May
Uberbike matrix brake pads for the TRP Spyres on the road bike. I think that's the only change I've actually made to a bike this year. They are a lot better than the original ones they ship with.
I bought a mk2 Cotic BFe frame and did more skids and wheelies.
Plus bike. Love it.
I bolted one of these blue things to the bike while in Revelstoke in the summer - seemed to make the climbs a bit easier 🙂
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For me it was buying a longer air shaft to take my Revelations from 130mm travel to 150mm travel. Or swapping my spds for flats (wellgo mg1)
Moved from 26" Nomad to Mega 275 and upgraded my Lyriks from 160 to 170mm with Fast Suspension damper and MRP Ramp Control, now the best forks I've ridden.
Trip to [b]Jedi[/b] wins for me.
Loads of riding and new kit this year! The best upgrade though... YOGA! It's so nice to be able to bend and twist again.
Upgraded my perfectly adequate carbon road bike to a lovely steel Ritchey Road Logic.
Best upgrade was more by luck than judgement when I won a set of 36's in the first South Coast Suspension raffle!
Dynamo hub on my commuter
Exposure joystick mk11 on the helmet. Going to get expensive now as I'm so impressed with it I want a 6pack for the bars.
e-bike 🙂
Bee-plus and chubby rubber.
Also some Ortlieb, Revelate and wildcat gear.
Traded in my beer belly for a six pack
Swapped iffy Shimano brakes for some Magura's with proper power and modulation.
Mrs_oab swapped 16 year old Cannondale for shiny new Trek Superfly. In every way but weight, the Trek is better.
I went from 3x9 to 1x11 on my main bike. If you want to argue about whether that's an upgrade or not there's a whole thread for you.
1x11 on my C'dale Trail and Jekyll.
I helped make a baby and on his arrival I realised there was more to life than work. Switched jobs thus halving my working hours, reducing my stress massively, I don't smell as bad and I have lots of time with the wee one and on the bike. Best upgrade ever.
That or a switch from Maxxis to a Spesh Butcher/Purgatory combo.