00:00Perhaps you've just bought your first gravel bike, or maybe you've been a drop bar knobbly
00:04tyre convert for a while. Either way, I think we can all agree that if you're not out riding on
00:09the trails, then thinking about how you can improve your ride is the next best thing.
00:14Now, unless you're one of those very lucky people that's got thousands to spend on their bikes,
00:19then you, like the rest of us, will be after the upgrades that deliver the biggest bang for your
00:24buck. Although in the title we did say five best upgrades, it's more five best upgrade
00:29areas. So without further ado, let's jump in.
00:37Tyres are something we would recommend as being one of the best value upgrades for road bikes
00:41too. But for gravel, your choice of rubber takes on a whole new level of importance beyond just
00:47rolling resistance, puncture protection, and weight. Having the right set will completely
00:51change your ride. First off, there's the tread pattern. Are you going to be riding mainly hard
00:56pack gravel roads, or are your trails more loose and muddy? In the first case, you'd want to go
01:02with a semi-slick casing with more prominent shoulder knobs for grip in the corners. In the
01:07second, you'd be needing something more aggressive with the height and spacing between the knobs
01:12getting taller and wider. And then there's the width. Depending on the impacts you expect and
01:18comfort you want, you might be best suited with anything from a 35mm all the way up to a 54mm.
01:24Then there's the difference between price points. More expensive tyres can be lighter and use more
01:30advanced compounds. Now, this is particularly important if you ride where there are wet slabby
01:34rocks, as it's not the knobs that provide the grip, as there's nothing for them to dig into.
01:39It's actually the compound of the rubber. Clearly, there's a lot of things to consider when buying
01:45tyres. I think my key piece of advice is to really learn the terrain you're riding on,
01:50and then buy the tyre that is best suited to your surroundings. Because buying too early,
01:55and maybe not spending quite enough, could mean that you miss the mark entirely.
02:04Handlebars are the headline component here, but really, this is about making sure that your
02:10contact points are as comfortable as they possibly can be. Now, whether you're riding
02:15is about laid-back exploring, or ultra-distance epics, or just blasting around as fast as you can,
02:22you'll enjoy it more and perform better with a bike that fits you properly.
02:26The cheaper and simpler options, which are arguably the highest value,
02:30include your stem and your bar tape. Now, bar tape is a pretty obvious one.
02:35Tackier and more cushioned options deliver better grip for control,
02:38as well as greater comfort. So, it's a win-win. The stem relates to your bike fit,
02:43and it's about finding the balance between not being super stretched out,
02:46but also not being too cramped up. Now, you can get models with different angles as well,
02:51to help you further adjust the height of your handlebars too. We do have content surrounding
02:56how to get your bike set up, so it's worth watching that first. But, once you do know
03:00what you're after, a stem that sorts your bike fit is arguably one of the best value upgrades
03:05that you can make. Coming back to the handlebars themselves, there are so many different options,
03:10which is great, because it means that you will likely find something that works for you. But,
03:15it's also a bit of a pain, because it means a fair bit of looking. There's the width to consider,
03:19there's the flare, and there's also the drop. Now, in terms of value, the aspects that relate
03:24to the fit are definitely the most important. In most cases, you will also have the option
03:30to look at carbon versions as well. However, this does reduce the cost effectiveness of the upgrade.
03:40Onto the brakes, and this is one for the budget gravel bikes, which have mechanical disc brakes
03:45fitted, rather than hydraulics. Now, it is true that hydraulic disc brakes do offer better
03:50modulation compared to their mechanical counterparts, but it's also true the mechanical
03:55disc brakes can be unfairly abused, because in being specced on cheaper models, other spec
04:01choices are made that do then hamper their performance. Essentially, mechanical disc
04:06brakes can have the potential to be much better than their stock setup. Most important is actually
04:13upgrading the outer cable housing. Cheaper housing compresses when you squeeze the brake lever,
04:19which leads to a spongy feeling brake. However, more expensive housing gives a much more direct
04:24braking feel, and this helps with modulation, and also means that much more of the power is
04:30going to the brake, rather than being wasted in the housing. £40 or $50 may feel like a lot of
04:37money to spend on brake cables, but considering what an effect it has, it's one of the best value
04:43upgrades you can make. The same goes for your brake pads. You don't need to go for a ludicrously
04:49expensive set with cooling fins and all the rest. It's about the compound of the pad, and that's what
04:54matters. Really, it won't take too much to make a big step up from the budget pads that were
04:59probably fitted at stock. Not specifically an upgrade for your bike per se, but it's something
05:08you'll use out on the trail, so we think it's fair game. There's two common mistakes to make.
05:14First one is going for a multi-tool that packs in a whole raft of features, but in such a small and
05:20intricate way that it's a massive pain to actually use. Perhaps that's fine as a safety net on short
05:26rides, but for anything more, and it gets frustrating really quickly. The other mistake
05:31to make is actually going for a tool with too few features, which can actually leave you caught short
05:35when you're out on the trails. The bits we look for are a complete set of Allen keys from 2mm
05:42all the way up to 8mm, at least a T25 Torx head, a flat head, and a Phillips screwdriver, a chain
05:49tool, and a valve core tool, and a spoke tool are nice extras to have. In terms of things that we'd
05:55actually bring with us, a quick link and tubeless plugs are an absolute must, but we also like to
06:00bring tyre levers, a good old-fashioned inner tube, and of course, a pump. Finally, in a similar vein
06:10to the multi-tool, this isn't specifically an upgrade for your gravel bike, but it's one that
06:14can transform your gravel riding, so we think it's a worthwhile inclusion. Although there's
06:19a lot to be said about developing a mental map of your local trails, a head unit with mapping
06:25can help you explore further afield in the confidence that you're not going to get lost.
06:29Getting to explore new areas is a huge part of the fun of gravel riding, and easy mapping
06:35really helps with that. Of course, this doesn't have to be done with a bespoke cycling computer.
06:41There are plenty of mapping applications on your phone that will do an excellent job,
06:45plus depending on what you already own, the setup might not have to cost much at all.
06:50The key things that you'll need are, of course, your phone, a robust mount, a battery pack for
06:54charging your phone, and of course, some form of handlebar bag to carry that battery pack. I think
07:01whichever way you look at it, when you start to use mapping, you'll wonder how you ever rode before.
07:07So, those are our tips for the best value upgrades that you can make to your gravel bike.
07:11If you've got some which you think we missed, then drop them down in the comments below.
07:15If you enjoyed the video, drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content,
07:19and I'll see you again very soon.
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