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This weekend at Mayhem I was running some changes to my 650b ti Ala Carte for the first time in a race. I had some Light Bicycle carbon rims, King hubs, XTR race brakes and some wider Salsa carbon bars.
I've had this frame for 4 seasons now. This is by far the best the bike has ever felt. I think most of it is the bars and brakes as I felt so much more confident on the first rocky downhill and the steep little cut through on the Red Bull trail than I would have done before. The wheels just make me happy as they look awesome. Round the Swinley berms they were definitely stiffer and no tyre roll so it's not all looks.
So what else have people fitted and noticed such a huge improvement?
GB
Purple bolts.
A dropper post TBH.
Putting a 50mm stem on for the first time, replacing a 90. Felt like a different bike - in a good way. Even riding round the back yard, it just felt right.
For me a day with Jedi has made more difference than wider bars, shorter stem, dropper post etc.
If its got to be a bit of kit then it'd be the dropper - right position on the ups and the downs with no interruption to the ride (aka rest)
I thought dropper posts would feature... Perhaps one day they'll be 'acceptable' in an XC race...
GB
Perhaps one day they'll be 'acceptable' in an XC race
Does 'acceptable' mean 'faster overall'? 🙂
gee - I would very much like your bike, please. 😀
I'll make do with a pic for now....
Offset bushings on my Heckler. Much better at riding "through and over" stuff.
Ditto Light-Bicyle rims on DT240s. They transformed the feel of my hardtail.
Moving the brakes to the inside of the shifters - single finger braking and no more aching hands.
Dropping two stone made my bikes feel much more spritely.
Tyres. Change them according to conditions ad you can't go wrong.
Oooooh...
* Wider bars on rigid SS. Can't believe I used to ride it with 640mm bars.
* 29in front wheel on rigid SS (then matching back wheel, and a 29er frame)
* Dropper on other bikes.
...a 250cc air cooled engine...err.!
XX1 group set, wide bars and 2.25 tyres on my 26" xc bike
Rc2dh damper in my lyriks with racing bros seals
Oh and my reverb.
Main upgrade winner is fitness from having a road bike
Ti post on my a la carte ti (still 26")
Dropper, diet and (obviously) go faster coloured valve caps
Having the correct spring rate in my fork, combined with Racing Bros low friction seals. Oh and volume spacers in the rear shock.
The fork sits nice and high in it's travel, but with great small bump sensitivity instead of stiction followed by diving through the travel.
The rear shock is now running with lower psi for better small bump performance, but doesn't wallow and blow through the travel. So about £90 pounds all in, but real performance change.
The rider
Crossmax ST's made a big difference. Very stiff and fast.
Not smoking and losing weight. Works out much cheaper than buying new parts too!
+1 for fitness, lost 4kg from a mix of commuting and extra road biking, feel faster already.
Ritchey WCS bars on the road bike (and matching stem), and Lizzard skins DSP tape. Transformed the bike from something I'd fallen out of love with into a place I'm happy spending hours in the drops watching the countryside flash by.
Light wheels (Stans alpha on novatech, schwalble ZX, conti supersonic tubes and KCNC QR's, ~2000g), not much faster, but feel lovely.
Tubeless on Stans rims & Easton Carbon bars.
Light wheels - I'd take a £400 frame with £1000 wheels in it over a £1000 frame with £400 wheels. The difference they make is immense, combined with the right tyre I personally think its a the best upgrade I've ever made.
Riding a lot.
this
Tyres. Change them according to conditions ad you can't go wrong.
EDIT, one I got for free was using the KOP method to set saddle position, its not for everyone but its a least decent place to start with setup. As soon as I tried it it didnt just ease pedaling it made the bike handle better, gave me all day comfort.. It really was night & day different.
Oh, and a new chain! Replaced an old and baggy one with a bling-a-ling gold number last night. The ride in this morning felt great.
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I'd take a £400 frame with £1000 wheels in it over a £1000 frame with £400 wheels.
+1 for this, wheel upgrades always make a massive difference. Tempted to get some carbons for a 29er xc build.
Those Light Bicycle rims, clinchers or tubs?
Marzocchi RC3 ti forks. Made me realise how important good suspension is.
The rear shock is now running with lower psi for better small bump performance, but doesn't wallow and blow through the travel. So about £90 pounds all in, but real performance change.
Good to hear. Should have my fork and shock back this week.
Strava'ing my commute is building my fitness. Its an addiction.
New tyres always makes a huge difference to my bikes... probably because I leave the old ones on until they are way past their best 😳 😉
messiah - I just swapped my (road) tyres front to back as the back has developed a distinct shoulder. Not sure if that helped this mornings improvements but probably. Hopefully I did this before the shoulder got so bad as to affect steering with it on the front, only time will tell!
bearnecessities - Member
Purple bolts.
😆
Working brakes - I tend to obliterate components, so by the time I'm ready to replace my brakes, they hardly work at all. Then when I do service/replace them, I remember how much faster and smoother I can ride with the knowledge that I'll be able to slow down when necessary.
And tubeless tyres. I usually use tubes and mud tyres in the winter, switching to fast tubeless tyres gives a big does of extra grip, acceleration, and rolling speed.
Avid to shimano brakes.. They actually work!
A bigger front disc rotor, from 160mm to 180mm, the thought that I can *stop* just like that is great.
Handy for commuting, too.