MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Is there a single best upgrade that makes the most difference to a bike?
In the tech world, putting an SSD into a computer instead of a mechanical HDD is the single best upgrade you can do and is also relatively cheap.
Is there a bicycle equivalent...?
Much lighter wheels would improve acceleration, handling and make it easier to maintain speed
tyres
Tyres, rims, suspension tune.
No, there's just one big argument to be had
Tubeless.
Much lighter wheels would improve acceleration, handling and make it easier to maintain speed
Apparently not according to some research carried out by GCN and a lab. Also strictly speaking heavier wheels will maintain speed much better than light ones due to inertia. However, overall the light wheel = better acceleration etc seems to perhaps be just a marketing ploy.
Worth a watch...
As to what does make a difference - for me the biggest thing has been getting a bike that properly fits and getting a position I am comfortable in riding in. I am not a pro looking to save every nth watt so a bit of compromise in the quest for comfort over aero etc is worth it.
On a ride bike at least finding a pair of tyres you really like the feel of is a nice cheap way to get more pleasure out of turning the pedals.
ssd is so last week decade....
High Speed Gen4 PCIe x4 NVMe M.2
is where it's at 😉
Light wheels don't make you go faster, but they do make it FEEL better and faster. On smoother terrain, anyway.
Better tyres on the other hand do make you go faster. Some of them roll much much better than others, but some offer much better grip for the downhills, but many offer both if you are replacing really crap cheap ones.
A coaching session. Upgrade the software!
Depending on your current level, but for most people I would suggest the biggest difference could be made in the rider. Losing weight, following a training plan or going on a skills course or two.
edit: just beaten to it.
https://em3ev.com/shop/bafang-48v-750w-bbs02-kit/
if you are looking for a similar performance jump. 😆
Apparently not according to some research carried out by GCN and a lab.
Hang on...
a) That's expensive light wheels non-aero vs expensive aero wheels. Not expensive light non-aero wheels wheels vs cheap heavy non-aero wheels.
b) He's talking about road biking, which is rather different. Even the crit they look at, in the pictures it's on a racing track where it's got occasional sprints and the corners aren't even tight. On an MTB race course the braking and acceleration is much more dramatic so clearly light wheels would make much more of a difference there. But conversely, heavy wheels defintely carry more momentum through rough sections, so that could counteract any cost for acceleration *depending on course*.
As with most GCN science videos, that's far from complete.
Dropper post. Or a fork service
Top cap.
More seriously, seatpost clamp.
I bought a van, love just wheeling the bike in covered in cack.
This year I'm hoping a day's coaching will improve things.
A coaching session. Upgrade the software!
If that doesn't work replace the rider 🙂
Aero/TT bars.
Lighter wheels might not make a difference to overall speed but they do feel a lot nicer, which is what I'm after. Much like a quick pick-up freehub, just adds to my pleasure when riding the bike
Apparently not according to some research carried out by GCN
Well that pissed on my chips
The only that is equivalent to HD > SSD would be adding a motor to the bike. And not a piddly ebike one.
Motor
The answer is tubeless.
Go on, try to argue it's not.
Dropper post, easy
The only that is equivalent to HD > SSD would be adding a motor to the bike
Amazed it took this long to point out the obvious!
A pro cycling team doping regime. Get juiced, go faster.
29". Only kidding.
going down hill - dropper post.
everywhere else - a fitter rider.