Top 5 | Expensive Road Bike Upgrades You Don't Need 2020
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- čas přidán 16. 04. 2020
- Whether it’s cool to admit it or not, upgrading your bike can be an addictive pastime. But some upgrades are more cost effective than others, so here are 5 we think most of us don’t really need.
Before we get on with the show, remember, bikes are meant to be fun, so don’t worry if you have one of these upgrades, we do too, all that matters is you’re enjoying your riding.
Let us know which upgrade you'd put on this list.
Justin Setterfield / Staff
Tim de Waele / Staff
Top 5 | 2021 Road Bike Trends
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Top 5 | Cheap Road Bike Upgrades That Will Make Your Bike Better
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#roadtech #buyingadvice #bikeradartop5 - Sport
What do you think about our list? Can you think of any upgrades we missed? Lets us know in the comments!
Rapha jersey
What's the bike at 03:16?
I added a set of 50 mm Prime carbon clinchers for about the same cost as a decent set of alloy rims...I've only got about 300 miles on them, but so far so good. ✌
The Carbon Handlebars in that list are bs in my eyes. Carbon handlebars are a crappy upgrade if your goal is the weigth saving. But if you wan't improve the comfort of your ride, it is one of the beste upgrades you can get.I would never ever want to ride aluminium handlebars, cause they are way not as comfortable as the carbon ones.
@@matthiasschmitt2311 First upgrade that goes on any bike for me is a set of my favorite Enve Compact Road bars. These are pricey, but so much more comfortable than any alloy bar I've used, an well worth the money, considering how much my hands spend pressed against them.
I prefer researching these things, agonising over them and then talking myself out of it haha.
LOL exactly
SAME
I'm going through this cycle right now, with a 1 piece cockpit 🤣
@@michaelfield3668 so sexy, but so pricey.
@@abedfo88 had a look at some Chinese ones, but they were like wet spaghetti 🤣
The best upgrade is losing lbs off your body.
Faster on and off the bike.
@@MichaelLargent deffo. Made a massive difference for me definitely in distance and climbing and not on "carbon".
Very true! For the first time in my life, I was able to lose weight over the winter. Definitely has made the most improvement in my speed/distance on the bike.
I've never seen this comment made on every bike video ever.
The second best upgrade is buying a $20000 superbike.
Nailed it. Zero upgrades this year, downgraded my weight by 12kg, crushing every uphill segment I had on Strava.
good on you! lol also, imagine the money you'd have to spend trying to lose 12kg off your bike
@@N3vill3 if you want to save 12 kg on your bike, you would probably have to start running ;)
@@GurkenCommander Helium is the word!
@@GurkenCommander we have an old fixed gear bike weighing around 18-20kg. I can upgrade to a lighter bike say of 7 kg,thereby losing 11-12 kg on bike right.(I knw u were joking though).
@@sathyaki but... that wouldn't be the same bike lol. You can't make that 20kg bike a 8kg bike.
I think a medium-cost set of medium section carbon wheel (40-55 mm) is an amazing upgrade. A noticeable performance gain, but, perhaps more importantly, the massive upgrade in visual appeal of your bike is a big incentive to ride it more! Any money that gets you riding more often is money well spent.
Carbon wheels were the best investment my friend made... cause he sold me is almost new wheels+cassette for 100$
Good deal, stonks
hahahaha!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
My words exactly! Let idiots spend money for expensive gimnicks, then buy all good stuf for scrapyard price from them.
@@iaon652 only broke people call big spenders "idiots", while the real big spenders actually know how to make enough money to have that much disposable income.
Unless it's fellow broke people that are the ones spending big.
Nothing feels worse than someone overtaking you on a cheap bike . Nothing feels better than overtaking someone on an expensive bike ! 😂
Oh yea, have been overtaking people on my Triban bike 😂 can relate to what you said
The best upgrade is whatever you need to have on a bike so that the guy in your riding group that you pretend to be friends with but secretly hate with all you guts because he married the girl you liked in high school, is forced to acknowledge that your machine bests his in every single aspect.
I am not talking about me.
Still, what better way to show off to him the bullet you dodged, and the extra pocket cash you are still padding your pockets with(that he isn't), ha ha har!
@@adrianloewen9962 OK
If that fails, there's always therapy.
oddly specific...
@@maciek2295 his post actually shouldn't have any commas in at all, so I'm not sure what your point is
Whenever I think about buying something, and this can actually apply to anything, the first thing I ask myself is “can I afford to replace it if I break it”. It really makes a difference in spending habits.
this is really good advice !
Yo, that's a great philosophy. I think I'll use it in my livr
that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever...look after your gear and you shouldn't have to worry about 'breaking' it.
@@superflea72 it does not only up to you whereas your stuff will break or not. Personaly I follow this advice and I get so much stress off my life with it
@@superflea72 anything can happen. can you guarantee that you wont ever crash your bike? especially if you are riding off road or on rougher terrain, it is easy for things to get damaged. and you cant account for the stupidity of other riders/cars around you not to ruin your day.
I started an early morning (06:00) core strength routine in January 3 months before my 70th birthday. No upgrade has ever matched the effectiveness of this routine.
The reason of buying a carbon bar is not weight saving, but vibration dampening, especially if you regularly ride ~200km on not very well paved road
Same goes for carbon seatpost and carbon saddles... The flex is real and makes a huge difference for long days in the saddle
I second that. Saving on my last handlebar upgrade was the biggest mistake I made upgrading that bike. I had no idea that aluminium bars with the flatter wing-profile on the tops were that ridiculously hard, and I really need either that shape or twice as much padding.
This
@@philipk4475 good one. Steel can be an option too dampening and cost wise.
Bollox.
you only need ceramicspeed when the company sponsors you
or you want to spend more for overpriced bad bearings
Ceramic bearings are only good in the short term as they offer slightly lower friction but they don't last as long. You'll be paying over the top prices more ofton replacing them. A set of high quality steel bearings with a good seal will completly outlast ceramic ones ( as for the friction you wouldn't notice the difference). Just a pitty that fools and their money are too easily parted.
Their products are mostly gimmicky and based on dubious science, but packaged and marketed extremely well. Similar to many audiophile products.
Having said that, their UFO Drip seems to live up to the hype, for those who don't want to bother with immersion waxing. One of the best lubes available.
I hope their Driven transmission system works out eventually though, just to make doubters like me look stupid.
True, at the RPM bicycle bearing turn a good high quality bearing will be just as efficient...if not better..
Same applies to top groupsets
I have an entry level bike because I just don’t have the money for anything else. Maybe I’m just trying to make myself feel better, but I always tell myself the best upgrade is “get stronger”. If I can keep up with someone with $5000+ worth of kit on my $1000 bike that I bought 12 yrs ago, I’m a happy man.
Sounds reasonable to me. Unless you're racing in the top 10 percent of cat 1-2, I don't see a reason for people to chase grams.
The best upgrade for my bike is that I stopped eating donuts
Being someone who works in the bike industry and talking to customers all day, I constantly tell them that wheels are the best upgrade a bike can get. This video is spot on, a lot of marginal gains for a hell of a lot more money
If you want to go faster, eat fewer pies - which actually saves you money as well! Bingo.
That's a big ask! :-)
It always makes me laugh how guys who are 45 lbs over weight pay out so much money for lighter bike
Well actually you need a pie worth of calories if you want to push hard, energy doesn't come from nothing ;)
I’m reporting this comment... 😂🤣 jk
But I like them.
Best upgrade for my Bianchi was the Continental 5000 tyres. Huge improvement over my previous oem tyres
When the AK 47 and the Rolex Submariner made love they gave birth to the 105 Groupset!
LOVE IT!!!! 100% INDESTRUCTABLE
Really mate, are they have more longitivity than Sora groupset ?
@@sakthivelv1777 I really do not know, I would assume Sora is good as well but I do not think Sora is 11 speed. BUT I would be willing to guess that Sora is a quality product.
@@sealcycle2020 Thank you
I love the feel of 105 but even Claris is a beast if you know how to keep it working properly. I regularily ride 50 miles on Claris
my left 105 shifter broke
Bike Radar content is always so good. I can only hope you'll continue to stick to such a realistic and wholesome view of cycling. Cycling is fun, and it should stay that way.
You miss the main point with a handlebar upgrade...COMFORT! My carbon bars have saved my cervical/thoracic spine for excessive vibration/discomfort. Sure they weigh less, but 99.99% of riders do not need lighter spec kit...they need to be able to ride their bikes with as little aches and pains as possible. CARBON HANDLEBARS ARE THE BEST UPGRADE I have ever made to my bike, hands down!
Seriously upsetting that this is always overlooked with carbon handlebars. You just can't get the same compliance out of aluminum!
I'd add that aero carbon bars have been wonderful for extending comfort on long rides. Having the wider flat surface is a great option for minimizing numbness when you are on a long ride.
I totally agree. The point on carbon handlebars is not the weight saving. It is the comfort! That upsets me so much that this point is allways overseen.
Agreed so glad I have mine and will the only I will part ways with them is from my cold dead hands!
@@872463051 I thought carbon was supposed to be stiffer? Oh wait, it's stiffer and more compliant! Woah!
I work on a lot of bikes. I have messed around with a lot of parts, and I have ridden bikes from all different levels of cost, from 200$ Walmart bikes to 5k performance bikes.
Upgrades in my opinion 100% depend on what you are starting with.
If you put 500$ of upgrades onto a 1000$ bike, you will notice the difference instantly.
If you put 1000$ worth of upgrades on a 2000$ bike, you will still notice a difference, but not as much.
If you put 2000$ worth of upgrades on a 4000$ bike, you may or may not notice much of a difference at all.
One of the upgrades (well, a loaner upgrade actually😅) I made to my bike was loaning my colleague's carbon wheelset (38 mm front 50 mm rear laced with Sapim CX-Ray on White Industries T11 hubs). On my first ride with the wheels, they roll a lot smoother than my own (2008 Mavic Aksium), but most of the improvement I felt was from the hubs since I couldn't deviate part of my attention to the carbon rims, so I didn't have a clear idea of the rim-wise improvement.
I'm about to build my own new bike next year, all of which will be better than what I have now, but none of them are part of the snake oil hype (ceramic bearings, OSPWs, etc.).
Hey officer, this man shamed my bike’s price point 😡😡
Awesome video as always!
I rarely upgrade, I just buy bikes that are spec'd to the amount I've learned the hard way.
You are making sense there
Buying a 2nd hand cycle at the required spec is always cheaper than upgrading later.
Love this, we all need bling, but common sense and not being sucked in by constant spin by the industry is key! More time on the bike is what I really need!
For money well spent I recommend Neugent Cycling. They have a tubeless ready 700c , 1580g alloy wheelset currently on sale at $235. I have had two pairs in the last 9 years and rate them highly. I agree with some other commentators who say that carbon bars are worth it for ride comfort with less vibration, and don't be afraid to buy Chinese cheapos. I don't know if I would risk them on a mountain bike, but for street I have had no issues.
Perfect, especially the note about the enjoyment of biking and upgrading at the beginning. And as someone else has said, if you're really in a position to benefit from the minute aero gains offered by expensive upgrades, then someone else is already paying for your equipment.
Opting for a good pair of aluminum wide tub less wheels for my new build but decided before watching this. Great video thanks for posting
My hands really make me suffer even on a full carbon frame bike. I invested in an FSA carbon bar with a nice flat area to spread the road vibration out. This has helped considerably. So if your hands turn to stone on longer rides, you might want to consider this addition. Ride on!
This is the kind of video the world needs right now. Thanks for this.
Thanks for watching from your friends at BikeRadar!
Spot on, you could do a similar Top 5 with clothing and footwear. Kits, jerseys and socks have become very fashionable over the past 3 or 5 years. Yet cycling is all about constant efforts + sticky sweat + unlimited mileage + great outdoors = 100% bliss.
Solid advice. I enjoy buying used from local riders w deeper pockets, and I have used DHGate for some carbon parts that have worked out very well for a fraction of retail. But yeah, I know, china.
Great video, honesty is too rare in CZcams at the moment, we need it!
Glad you liked it and thanks for watching from your friends at BikeRadar!
I used Campagnolo Chorus for years around 2000. Never failed, bullet proof. I swear my 6 year old Sram Rival set performs as well. I want snappy shifts and responsive brakes. Sram Rival is amazing. All in under 650 bucks.
I still use Chorus. Its easy to maintain and I can rebuild a shifter when needed.
Right now I use Schwinn 594 1990 under $600+ at least today.
Great to see some good honest advice.... so many people think they NEED to spend so MUCH to enjoy cycling
I bought the RITCHEY Carbon Streem because of the look at first place tbh, but it was the best upgrade in 30 years in the end.
Carbon brings you comfort, even if you are under 70 kg like me. Although I'am not Arnie, I can flex it a little bit.
The wing-shaped top-section of the bar is great for climbing.
I don't know if it really makes me faster, but if it looks aero, you always want to go fast. It's not "Doping für die Haare", but for your mind.
It is true that individual upgrades make a relatively small difference. BUT it is usually the sum of several small upgrades that make the bigger difference.
I am in the process of upgrading from Sora to 105 based on a genuine need for more bloody gears... the last few sportifs I have done have seen me run out of gears on the climbs. So 105 front and back will do me. Love my Boardman 8.6 Alu its bomb proof, changed to a decent set of Mavic Askiums front and back, decent tyres and now all I have to loose is a couple of stone and I can smash the whippets on the climbs..... as long as I can double back on myself to scrape my lungs off the tarmac 1st :)
a very good video. much better than i thought.
i love how it says- if you are trying to best the world record, then the upgrades are worth it. otherwise its good to show off . but little else
All the expensive coffee and cake are considered bike upgrade? I spend a lot with coffee and cake in my rides
We agree! If considered an upgrade, it is surely one of the most important! Thanks for watching, from your friends at BikeRadar 🧁
After upgrading to craft beers my wallet has never felt lighter.
@@bikeradar how about upgrading your food and drinks?
Make sure you don't pay over the odds for coffee and cakes! It's cheap here! #vistacyclingtuscany #vistacyclingtours
😂😂😂😂😂
Of those, the only one I can take any exception with are the carbon wheels. Yes, they are expensive but they make significantly more difference , when compared to the other upgrades on your list. And, you don't have to spend a ton. My Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3v wheels provide really good cost to benefit, IMHO.
Gels and sports nutrition can be effectively replaced by some super affordable alternatives. For instance, two tablespoons of honey in 250ml of costing next to nothing G2 electrolyte drink plus 250ml of water will give you the same amount of juice as two gels. Should you want to go all-natural, 200g of fresh seedless grapes and a bottle of water with a pinch of salt will propel you through a 1hr crit better than 20mg of Ritalin :)
sugar water even cheaper mate
@@Kaoori97 nah, honey is all fructose, twice as much energy per unit of weight than sugar.
Bikefitting! Upgrade your position; more aero and / or more efficient 😀
Finaly a video that makes sense. Always This is what you need/upgrade/have to buy.
Love This video Guys.👍🏻
Wheels-wise, in the past few years aluminium wheels have fallen out of fashion for reasons that I can hardly understand, even though their technology has made quite significant progress. It's been so easy lately to find high quality sub-1500g aluminium (rim brake) clincher 17C+ wheelsets that cost significantly less than 500€, and some of them are also bombproof. Meanwhile, half-decent carbon wheelsets start at prices way north of 500€ (excluding questionable aliexpress stuff), also weigh north of 1500g, and you could pay similar amounts on incredible wheelsets such as the Mavic R-Sys, the Campagnolo Shamal Mille or any of Tune's offerings. That being said, I find it hard to justify buying carbon wheels at all if you are spending less than, say, 1500€ on a wheelset (or 3.000€ on a complete bike), and I definitely do not understand why somebody would pay 500€ on an entry-level carbon wheelset from a questionable manufacturer instead of getting a lighter, cheaper and properly engineered aluminium wheelset from a reputable brand such as Mavic, Campagnolo or DT Swiss.
And before you say "because aero", properly aerodynamic carbon aero wheelsets are usually way deeper than 35 mm and usually involve a hefty price tag, even heftier if you don't want them to weigh over 1800g. If you think any low-cost no-name 40mm deep carbon wheels are anything but marginally more aero than a pair of Campagnolo Zondas that cost half as much, are at least as light and are better engineered, you are sadly mistaken.
Because carbon wheels look nice. ~1000 EUR for a set of deep carbon wheels from Yoeleo, made up with DT swiss hubs and spokes. You really can't go wrong. If you really think making two circles out of (what is essentially plastic) is beyond the wit of the Chinese, then you're very sadly mistaken. Your loss ;)
I totally agree with you, here’s my choice : Kinlin XR-31T rims - Sapim CX-Ray spokes - Bitex RAR 12 hubs : hand built, 31 mm height, 19c, tubeless ready, 1440 g, 450 €. I would need to pay atleast 3 times the price to feel even a marginal gain…
@@JohnBaxendale Precisely! €1000 on *just the looks*. And unless you're on disk brakes, a downgrade in braking performance, too.
Albertas Agejevas Not a downgrade if you count the aero - there’s very few deep dish alloy wheels that are as light. Brakes only make you slower, who wants to go slower ;)
@@JohnBaxendale 1000€ for a set of deep carbon wheels - good, now how wide are they? How do they handle crosswinds? How much more than 1400g do they weigh? If they are properly deep (over 60mm or so), they should indeed be more aero. If you're talking about some sub-40 mm rims with the most default profile in the world, then it's mostly placebo ;) I'd still go for a pair of Shamal Mille instead anyway, they weigh close to nothing and they are a piece of art.
One of the most expensive upgrades I’ve resisted so far is disc brakes. After all, this means you have to buy a new bike. Makes those super light Cane Creek brakes look like a bargain...
PatrickJamesKiernan disk breaks make no sense on a roadbike
Stewart why not. genuine question
@@stewart8424 They do if you ride in big mountains and in bad weather. My road bike has rim brakes because I don't do either of those on that bike but I primarily mountain bike and THAT bike has disc brakes and it gets ridden in the wet sometimes but it goes down some hairy stuff and those brakes are powerful. I would say that that they're more than twice as good. I don't need brakes that good on my road bike but someone does.
Totally disagree. I cycle in Hong Kong where we have some crazy gradients and lot of humidity. Disc brakes are a life saver, especially with hydraulic system. I can go downhill safely without having crazy cramps in my forearm too !
Nice! A vid about things we don't need. I like. Make more.
The nice thing about being into bikepacking rather than road cycling is that I focus on logical and sensible upgrades, like that frame bag I totally need cause it just looks so cool, or that awesome anodized titanium bottle cage that I most definitely need cause it's just better than my current plastic one because reasons.
yup, best upgrades are the Engine and dealing with any junk in the trunk
Best upgrade for gaining watts is a turbo trainer, zwift (or similar) and a structured training programme. I'm using lockdown to do one month of daily FTP boost sessions.
Nice, I’ve been on Zwift during this time too. How long do you ride for?
@@Vences5 the zwift 4 week FTP booster programme is about an hour a day
:D Great list: I am guilty of 4 out of 5 (and I found exactly the components you have in your video on my bike)
While I understand the nature of this video at its core, sometimes upgrades are just for me. I have expensive carbon wheels, the highest-end drivetrain, and carbon bars. They make my bike really light and comfortable, but they also make me happy knowing how nice they are and how nice they make my bike look.
ENVEs and Lightweight may be a complete waste of cash for someone like me that is 10-15kgs above ideal weight - but man they look awesome. I want them haha!
Anything that makes you want to ride your bike is a good upgrade.
I don't agree with aero Handlebars being compared to pedals or computer mounts. It's true that you don't need it, but it's a very large surface that hits the wind first. After frame and wheels for sure the most important aero upgrade
This is almost spot on correct. Get a great frame without compromise, great wheels that are aero dynamic enough but light hoops, and the rest is bling. Its not about the weight on the handle bars but rigidity and comfort. Flats are nice for the comfort alone.
Carbon bars aren't just about saving weight. It is a major contact point, and it greatly helps in reducing road buzz, thus creating less stress on your wrists, and less fatigue for long rides.
Most of the friction in the bearings comes from the seals, second grease. Ceramic bearings are designed for high RPM, which never happen in bike. Furthermore, in medium range ceramic bearings the racers are steel, which causes harder balls pitting the race. Ceramic bearings will always wear out faster. Worn out ceramics are worse than steel bearings. Just buying medium range cartrige wheel bearings for your wheels, removing seals and replacing grease with light oil, would work better and be more cost effective as a monthly consumable than any ceramic bearings.
The best way to make your computer more aero is actually to remove it.
Heres a tip, if you have 105, upgrade to a Dura Ace chain. It's a lighter chain with a better finish, and only few bucks more expensive than the 105 chain.
Really useful and great overall message
Amazing! 💯 💯
I upgraded my handlebar to a carbon , due to I have carpal tunnel on both hands it help a lot on the vibration on the bad road.
Carbon vibrates more then metals. If you really wanted to minimize vibrations titanium or mild steel would have been the best what to do that.
@@StuninRub Carbon does not vibrate more than* metals. All materials vibrate, but the amplitude of vibrations of metal are bigger and last longer than those in a non-metal fiber. Also, titanium is no better in vibration damping than any other metal, any claims in that regards are myths. Lastly, nobody makes road bike handlebars from titanium and those from steel are only useful in track bikes.
@@einundsiebenziger5488 carbon vibrates more then metals.
@@einundsiebenziger5488 Then Titanium should be your choice..
Something not mentioned that I.m looking at, is aero helmet. I think this one of these would be worthwhile looking at.
Also, I always choose Aloy bar and stem for least amount of flex for crit sprinting at weekly club races.
Most cost efficient aero upgrade for me - fitted and quality jersey and shorts / tights. Aero efficient clothing can be ver costly - like those track clothing, yet they save the most aero dragging. Being a 40-year-old man and ride at 20mph pace, normal shorts and Tees (fitting once, not relaxed) makes -1.5mph compared to a well fitted jersey + shorts. Same man, same bike, same route and weather condition (around home), AB tested tens of times. No bike upgrade will make such difference - except, say, lower drop bar to make a more aggressive form.
The best upgrades which money can’t buy is a clean , shiny bike , well maintained drivetrain 🤩
Add super lightweight saddles, especially if any comfort is lost. In fact sacrificing any comfort for weight is a dumb idea.
well depends what are your goals in cycling lol. And actually carbon is more comfortable and weight less, so most of the time you get more comfort and less weight at the same time
Spot on , u find do clothing , h@ve to say in winter , spend as much as u can on the best cold and wet gear , makes a massive difference
great videos man
And remember aero is EVERYTHING
I didn’t buy a set of carbon bars for the weight saving, I bought them to make my aluminium bike less harsh, and it made a huge difference with regards to road buzz.
Yes u r..same goes to me.the main reason are reduce the road vibration..
All spot on except thumbing down those fancy looking flat top bars....they’re actually far more comfortable on the palm than most aluminium bars both on the tops and at the transition to the the hoods.
This video is a perfect cool upgrade list
The biggest thing to remember about groupsets, is that this years 105 is last years Ultegra...
I have just bought a Merida endurance 4000 and that has got the 105 gear on it ,, cant wait to get out there on the road. I was told that the current 105 is nearly as good as the old dura ace stuff so i recon ill be a happy man :)
oversize pulley wheels and carbon saddle rails. to me, titanium rails is good enough and the weight penalty is minimal.
Am seeing this 3 years late but haven't done anything to upgrade my bike yet. Save by this video. I agree many of the stuff we are recommended by bike shops are really unnecessary esp if the ride is just for fun.
Shimano 105: Groupset of the people!
At the end of the day, only pros need the vast majority of upgrades in any sport.
The best upgrade are the ones you make to your legs, lungs and dialing your ideal body weight.
So true
EPO
Great video, as always
Everyone has a different satisfaction of happiness. some bought and own a bike just to have a ride on the road, while others bought an expensive bike and upgrades what is best are available in the market in order to feel happy and satisfied.
Carbon bars? Heck no, I don't regret that upgrade, It's legit vibration absorbing rather than alloy handlebars.
You should just know where to look. Aliexpress is one good place to look, since every carbon part of a bike, mostly comes from china.
Toseek carbon handlebars meant to be good
I for one can attest that the Chinese carbon wheels are amazing for the price. I currently have a set of the Super Team wheels on my road bike and for the $225 I paid for them on Amazon, they can't be beat. 5,000 kms on them so far and they're still as true as day one.
They are like $350+ now.
@@cryora right!
that one piece handlebar to hide the cables is my dream. I got obsessed and cant look at so many cables anymore
Carbon bars can add a bit of compliance right where you want it most. Depending on your situation, they can definitely be worth it.
Aero pedals... never saw this one coming!
If u have money, use it, and enjoy it !
baranybumm by sponsoring young cyclists with bikes for them to ride and races for them to compete in.
Yeah, if you don’t someone else will.
AMEN
I tend to agree with the list outside of the handlebars. Personally, I feel the shock absorption advantages is reason alone to go with carbon handlebars. An additional benefit is the aero tops advantage which isn't really available with aluminum. The flatter tops also feel better when climbing on the tops for long periods. Weight advantage might be 3rd on my list of reasons to go carbon handlebars.
Thanks for the inspiration. I'm now going to buy a carbon / aero handlebar, a ceramic bb and (you didn't mention it) a powermeter.
Buy a carbon speedometer holder, carbon valve cap, and a carbon bottle holder too, for good measure.
@@sepg5084 carbon valve cap lol does that even exist ? I mean if you want to save weight on the cap just don't put it back on ahah
One rule to remember: What suits you.
This is my experience:
Handle bar: upgraded to carbon aero drop bar from a $4 alloy drop bar
Crankset: upgraded to R7000 crankset from an $25 alloy crankset.
Wheels: upgraded to carbon wheel from alloy.
Jockey wheels: upgraded to ceramic from normal one.
Derailleur: upgraded to some $50 11 speed derailleur(about 105 level) from $3 7 speed derailleur that I used on a 10 speed drivetrain.
And so on...I won't list all of them out here.
I couldn't tell the difference between the upgrades and the old one. They are just more bling. That's all.
1: A top spec groupset
2: Carbon handlebars
3: Ceramic bearings
4: Expensive wheels
5: Miscellaneous Aero Things
I upgraded my carbon bike from Ultegra 6800 to Dura Ace 9100. (Huge improvement but maybe less with Ultegra 8000) Now my bike shifts almost as smooth as my steel frame Shimano 600.
Very ADDICTIVE!!!
If I had a dollar for every time I rode my bike fitted with aluminum (Zonda) wheels while pulling riders on their fancy deep carbon wheels I'd be a rich man. Hold on! Perhaps I did get rich! I recently bought 50 mm carbon wheels. No idea if I'm faster but they feel great and look so sexy!
Well you're certainly poorer following your purchase!
Disagree w the wheels. I’ve ridden many bikes w different sets of wheels (carbon and aluminum) and I’ve never been more impressed than riding my enve wheels. Both in ride quality and over all fun factor. My $0.02
Totally agree. As for my own experience, there is a notable difference in handling, braking, whatever else between Campagnolo Eurus and medium-profile Bora Ultra 35. Anyone who doesn't feel the difference should go to ride the mall's shopping cart and not the real road bike.
I think you touched on it: Carbon Seat Post (I like).
The only thing I'd probably suggest is carbon handlebars being great if you're an out the saddle kind of hill climber or like fast descents. I haven't used a high end aluminium set of bars but when I switched to a carbon set from a mid range aluminium bar the difference in stiffness was very noticeable. I felt I could throw the bike about more when sprinting on hills etc and made cornering at speed feel much more robust. Like i said though I don't know how a top end aluminium bar feels
I've used PRO Vibe 7S before, which feels more solid than my current handlebar (Specialized aluminium).
All of them on all my 4 bikes)
Haha, great job!
I though the best upgrades were the friends we made along the way.
haha definitely true!
I think I'm 4/5. I'm not counting Shamal Ultras as overly expensive wheels because I think they feel so much better to ride. The rest of my bike build was an unnecessary extravagance!
I got Carbon Bars from Wiggle, Prime so not too heaby on price. these made a realy diference on road buzz on the bars. Carbon bars soaked up the bux a lot more than allu. Worth the change for me.
How about a video on the BEST Upgrades you can make to a new bike: Saddle, mid-range wheelset, tires, great bar tape...