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 too.
00:42But 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 change your
00:52ride. First off, there's the tread pattern. Are you going to be riding mainly hard pack gravel roads,
00:58or are your trails more loose and muddy? In the first case, you'd want to go with a semi-slit casing
01:03with more prominent shoulder knobs for grip in the corners. In the second, you'd be needing something
01:09more aggressive with the height and spacing between the knobs getting taller and wider.
01:14And then there's the width. Depending on the impacts you expect and the comfort you want,
01:19you 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,
01:34slabby rocks, 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 tyres.
01:45I think my key piece of advice is to really learn the terrain you're riding on and then buy the tyre
01:51that is best suited to your surroundings. Because buying too early and maybe not spending quite enough
01:57could mean that you miss the mark entirely.
02:04Handlebars are the headline component here, but really, this is about making sure that your contact
02:10points are as comfortable as they possibly can be. Now, whether your riding is about laid-back exploring
02:17or ultra-distance epics or just blasting around as fast as you can, you'll enjoy it more and perform
02:23better with a bike that fits you properly. The cheaper and simpler options, which are arguably
02:29the highest value, include 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 as well as greater comfort.
02:40So, it's a win-win. The stem relates to your bike fit and it's about finding the balance between not
02:45being super stretched out, but also not being too cramped up. Now, you can get models with different
02:50angles as well to help you further adjust the height of your handlebars too. We do have content
02:56surrounding how to get your bike set up, so it's worth watching that first. But once you do know what
03:01you're after, a stem that sorts your bike fit is arguably one of the best value upgrades that you can
03:06make. Coming back to the handlebars themselves, there are so many different options, which is great
03:11because it means that you will likely find something that works for you. But it's also a bit of a pain
03:16because it means a fair bit of looking. There's the width to consider, there's the flare, and there's
03:21also the drop. Now, in terms of value, the aspects that relate to the fit are definitely the most
03:26important. And in most cases, you will also have the option to look at carbon versions as well.
03:32However, this does reduce the cost effectiveness of the upgrade.
03:40On to 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 modulation
03:51compared to their mechanical counterparts. But it's also true that mechanical disc brakes can be
03:56unfairly abused because in being specced on cheaper models, other spec choices are made that do then
04:03hamper their performance. Essentially, mechanical disc brakes can have the potential to be much better
04:10than their stock setup. Most important is actually upgrading the outer cable housing. Cheaper housing
04:17compresses when you squeeze the brake lever, which leads to a spongy feeling brake. However,
04:22more expensive housing gives a much more direct braking feel, and this helps with modulation and
04:27also means that much more of the power is going to the brake rather than being wasted in the housing.
04:34£40 or $50 may feel like a lot of money to spend on brake cables, but considering what an effect it has,
04:42it's one of the best value upgrades you can make. The same goes for your brake pads. You don't need to
04:47go for a ludicrously expensive set with cooling fins and all the rest. It's about the compound of the
04:53pad, and that's what matters. And really, it won't take too much to make a big step up from the budget
04:58pads that were probably fitted at stock. Not specifically an upgrade for your bike per se,
05:07but it's something you'll use out on the trails, so we think it's fair game. There's two common
05:12mistakes to make. First one is going for a multi-tool that packs on a whole raft of features,
05:18but in such a small and intricate way that it's a massive pain to actually use. Now,
05:23perhaps that's fine as a safety net on short rides, but for anything more, and it gets frustrating
05:29really quickly. The other mistake to make is actually going for a tool with too few features,
05:34which can actually leave you caught short when you're out on the trails. The bits we look for
05:39are a complete set of Allen keys from 2mm all the way up to 8mm, at least a T25 Torx head, a flat head
05:46and a Phillips screwdriver. A chain tool and a valve core tool and a spoke tool are nice extras to have.
05:53Now, in terms of things that we'd actually bring with us, a Quicklink and tubeless plugs are an absolute
05:58must, but we also like to bring tire levers, a good old-fashioned inner tube, and of course, a pump.
06:09Finally, in a similar vein to the multi-tool, this isn't specifically an upgrade for your gravel
06:14bike, but it's one that can transform your gravel riding, so we think it's a worthwhile inclusion.
06:19Although there's a lot to be said about developing a mental map of your local trails, a head unit with
06:24mapping can 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. Plus, depending
06:46on what you already own, the setup might not have to cost much at all. The key things that you'll need
06:51are of course your phone, a road bus mount, a battery pack for charging your phone, and of course,
06:56some form of handlebar bag to carry that battery pack. I think whichever way you look at it, when
07:02you start to use mapping, you'll wonder how you ever rode before. So those are our tips for the best
07:08value upgrades that you can make to your gravel bike. If you've got some which you think we missed,
07:13then drop them down in the comments below. If you enjoyed the video, drop a like, subscribe to the
07:18channel for more content, and I'll see you again very soon.
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