Mine is a Oneup dropper remote. So simple, but it makes riding that much more enjoyable. Had to cut my old BrandX one off as its bolt had rounded off. The Oneup is just so elegant. MMX clamp de-clutters the bar, sealed cartridge bearing simply bolted on, neat cable routing, sublimely smooth and light action, small and perfect ergonomic fit. Can you tell I'm pleased with it?
Wait until you tap it with you knee... and it snaps at the mount. Super fragile
The right size stem and bars.
russy.... talk about pissing on someone's parade!
Mudguards.
And the last set I got came with a Pinnacle road bike, which might have been considered a downgrade from the Carbon race bike, but it's so much more suitable for the kind of riding I do.
Neopos. They’ve given a new lease of life to my forks
Boringly: Mud Guards. Only took 25 years to realise I can ride longer and choose better lines if I’m not being hit in the face with mud, stones, water, various animal outputs! Nice not being soaked through from the back wheel too...
Yes some of my friends found it abhorrent - oddly they’ve been more quiet recently... 😉
Coil suspension.
Wait until you tap it with you knee… and it snaps at the mount. Super fragile
Crushed!
Dropper post.
29 wheels. All my bikes are now 29 and I'm not going back.
Shockwiz.
Dynamo lights.
Spesh saddles.
Not buying a new bike every year and going on holidays instead. 🙂
A good fork.
Previously I have had X-Fusion, Reba, Yari level forks and probably been blissfully ignorant.
My new bike has Performance Elite Fox 36 and it’s amazing how much better they work. Night and day better.
Modern tyres continue to amaze me.
Another vote for mudguards, have made a significant difference to my enjoyment of long wet winter miles, which means I do more of them!
Also these wee guys, make all other chain tensioners look like badly designed gimmicks
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Edit: pic not working. These:
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/chains/5-mm-mks-canjs-chain-tug/
An extra wheel on a trike, and converting an old and much under-rated folding bike into a Brompton killer. Will post when finished!
Debonair air shaft for Lyrik.
Reverb 1x lever
Dropper and Tubeless, 2 best additions of the last 10 years
Crushed
Sorry, but I will day one thing. Oneup have been the best company I have dealt with in recent years. When my dropped remote snapped following me sneezing once. They replaced it no hassle, straight away FOC. Can’t fault them. Just be careful not to bang it that’s all
Recently, Debonair shaft for my Pikes and Mac-Ride seat.
Dropper post is worth a mention too, put off getting one for years ("too heavy/expensive/not needed").
29+ front end on the Unit transformed it.
Exposure maxx d. It was got in a flash millet/ebay sale so just over 200 quid. Never thought I would pay that for a light however having no battery wires is amazing and I have charged it twice in 5 rides and it has loads of charge left.
Also did a downgrade, couldn't afford a x11 cassette so bought a gx as it was less than half the price. Shifting now clunky and it has doubled the weight.....
I've done pretty much no riding for nigh on a year, but from memory..... 🙂
1. Jedi coaching.
2. Dropper post.
Wide gear-range cassettes. Enabling you to go 1x, thus eliminating front shifter, mech and multiple front chain rings. More clearance around the bottom bracket, no more chainsuck, fewer cables and the ability to mount a dropper remote under-bar. It's a win, win, win, win!
Getting suspension dialled is THE biggest upgrade
And after that Maxxis tyres
My 1st xt shifter. The multi release was a revelation to me.
Sugru
etnies shoes
Sensus disisdaboss/lite grips
E8000 Steps motor
Jedi
29 wheels
Dropper post
ACS 3 coil conversion
Recently, Debonair shaft for my Pikes and Mac-Ride seat.
@breadcrumb - did you find a U.K. source for the Mac Ride or did you import?
Mudhuggers, still can't believe how well they work.
Lighter wheels, if I've bought a new bike it's always been the lowest spec model so the wheels are slow & heavy.
I don't think anything changes the handling as much as lighter wheels (still gotta be stiff & wide, tho)
Renthal push on grips.
Charge Ladle- a seat that fits!
and
Shifting (arf!) between geared and singlespeed.
Tubeless
Dropper
1x
Luftkappe
Santa Cruz for the free bearings
2.6 Mary Addix soft
Burgtec Penthouse MK4
Next big upgrade will be an ebike, in a couple of years when I have the cash. Oh how I will bloody love spending a full day going up and down my local stuff, fresh as paint, up and down. up and down.
Like a dug wi two cocks. 🙂
Another vote for the 1x Reverb remote, so much better than the old plunger design. Also the wheels I'm currently switching between the Soul and T130. Hand built 28h Pro 4's built with Sapim D-lights onto Stan's Arch MK3s. Stiff and compliant in the right places, very tough, easy to setup tubeless and haven't missed a beat in over 2 years.
Brooks leather saddle on commuter bike. Aileron velocity rims on the cx, good few years old now but fairly unbeatable.
a helmet light for road duties. Feel much safer with the flashing red at the back and white at the front on my head. When I turn my head at a car in the side road the light points directly at the car driver. Also the light is high up and makes me feel much safer. None of the other lights on my bike have much of a view from side on.
Another 1x reverb vote. Such a small change has made such a massive difference.
No strictly a bike upgrade, but I got one of those Worx powerwashers for Xmas. Amazing! Love it! I also bought myself a drill+impact driver set at the same time, so have 2 chargers and 3 batteries. Its awesome and I use it whenever I get the opportunity!
Bontrager drop line lever - takes out most of the faff setting up the dropper cable length.
Going 1x has also been a worthwhile move.
A tricky one this.
I love the carbon Easton bars I put on the Stumpy, but they only really seemed to work when I put a shorter stem on. Suddenly the cockpit seemed to just fit perfectly.
My Malt2 (now daily commuter) was a damn fine fit from the start, but mudguards have been a godsend recently. I think the best upgrade for that though has to be the Exposure Equinox front light. Not ony does it give a lot of light, it's great for reminding drivers that someone is on the road and looking at them.
Asking on here and getting my shock pressure correct.
Gotta say a 16 year old kid making me ride stuff I would've balked at in the past. I can do drops now!
My RM Instinct has great forks and a confidence inspiring Magic Mary on the front, but nothing has made my riding better than my kid. Sorry, I'm a soppy sap. 😀
Expensive upgrade that though dez? Not to mention the lead time... Couldn’t you have just gone on a skills day?
Guess it might've sped up the improvements, yes 😆
Kinda bike
Elite Direto Smart Turbo trainer from non smart Cycleops2 fluid trainer.
This along with the Sufferfest app makes Turbo trainer sessions "almost" enjoyable. And of course the fitness improvement makes real cycling far more enjoyable.
Apart from that all previously mentioned
1x11
dropper posts
oh, and new riding group, all of whom are\were faster than me so forced\inspired me to improve 🙂
Most recently I'd have to say the RRP Proguard max protection mudguard has been the most game changing upgrade I've made. I thought my mudhugger was effective...
Also, 2019 airspring upgrade on the Pikes totally made the fork.
Oh, and after years of compromising on tyre carcasses attempting to save on rotating weight and suffering many a ride ruined by split tyres, I made the move to a doubledown on the rear and its proved fit and forget, and not wanting to jinx it, but been bombproof in the rough stuff. So nice not having to back off 🤘
Recently, Debonair shaft for my Pikes and Mac-Ride seat.
@breadcrumb – did you find a U.K. source for the Mac Ride or did you import?
I managed to pick one up while I was in the U.S.
I'm fairly sure they have a UK distributer. Drop them an email, they're good to deal with.
A dropper post, any I have bought or used in the last 6 years.
Electric motor
In this order:
- Coil suspension (although i upgraded 20 years ago)
- Dropper post
- Tubeless tyres
- Light, wide rims.
All the rest is just periphery nice-to-haves'.
Works Components angle-adjust headset for the TB2 - really improved its stability (and my confidence!) on the steeper descents while only marginally compromising its responsiveness and climbing ability. Still a great bike.
Oneup EDC Tool
Air shaft mod on my Pike was a big upgrade. Not sure where I saw it done first, but drilling a small hole on the negative side of the air shaft and taping the shaft threads enlarges the negative air volume.
Same benefits as the debonair shaft but free so long as you don't mess up. I now run a bit more sag and took a token out as it now stays higher in the travel. Seriously impressed by the difference.