5 Upgrades of Your Starter Bicycle for Adults Don’t Actually Need (for Beginners)
We know that pressure that most beginners to road biking feel when researching and purchasing their first road bike. It can be stressful, because first, you don’t know what you really want out of a bike yet.
Second, you want the best fit despite not yet knowing exactly what that may be; you obviously want the best quality for your money; and you want something durable so that you can begin riding and start figuring out what you love most about cycling.
5 Upgrades of Your Starter Bicycle for Adults
The world of cycling is a trip, and you begin with faith in your first bike. You start riding, and you’ll notice qualities about it that you enjoy and dislike. That’s when you can start researching or asking more experienced bikers how to improve or repair the things you don’t like about your ride.
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The journey to finding the perfect road bike, brand, and components for your individual desires and needs can take some time. Some riders are very discerning while others care less about perfection as long as they enjoy their ride.
If you’re on a road bike (entry-level or new to the game) that needs upgrading, it’s vital to understand what your bike doesn’t require. You’ll find pieces about current trends in road cycling, innovative gadgets and improvements, as well as the present state of cycling on our site here at roadbikes.io.
The fact is, you don’t always need most of these upgrades for your road bike to be great. The majority of cyclists are not time trial chasers or CX (cyclocross) riders careering down canyons. Which means that, generally speaking, the latest trends and upgrades prized by biking/racing enthusiasts aren’t essential for everyone else.
To have a fantastic road bike, avoid five upgrades to your bike that aren’t required (despite their growing popularity). Remember, trends and innovations are wonderful, but there are tried-and-true components and characteristics of cycling that don’t require an upgrade to provide you with a good experience.
Carbon Wheels
We all want to ride the best carbon road bike wheels possible. However, we have various cycling goals, profiles, and budgets. As a result, the finest wheels for me may not be the greatest for you. That’s why so many of us invest time learning about carbon wheel performance and specifications at different price points. I discovered that the carbon road bike wheels we tested usually fall into one of three categories.
The newest type of carbon road disc wheels can go faster and provide a smoother ride on more types of terrain than any other wheel in the past.Aero bike wheels are designed to go fast and look good doing it. They range from 55mm to 65mm deep, making them the perfect choice for most types of flat or rolling terrain. If you average speeds above 20mph/32kph, these are the wheels for you. They’re ideal for road races and crits but can also be used as time trial or triathlon wheels.
Climbing wheels are for riders who do lengthy rides that focus on climbing up and coming down medium gradients of 7% and steeper slopes that go for kilometers or miles at a time. The finest climbing wheels for cycling are stiff, aerodynamic, comfortable, and light. Going up while confidently handling the high speeds and frequent cornering is aided by these features.
Aero Frames
Carbon fiber raw materials are derived from high-quality carbon. These fibers are flexible on the outside but rigid on the inside, making them lighter than aluminum alloy but stronger than steel. Additionally, they have characteristics of corrosion resistance, shock resistance and high modulus.
As important materials, they find use in national defense settings as well as for civilian applications due to their unique properties that combine those of both reinforcing fibers and textile fibers.
Carbon fiber windbreaking aero seatpost: The lay-back drop-shaped tube design, with a smaller windward surface, reduces the wind resistance of cycling and makes riding more comfortable. Seatpost clamp is hidden and attractive.
Tubular Tires
Tubular tires are mainly used by professional cyclists because they’re racing competitively. When a racer gets a puncture, their team is right there to give them a new wheel or bike. Most of us don’t have that convenience!
If you’re not familiar with bicycles, changing a tubular tire on the side of the road might be difficult and will result in getting back on a patched bike that must be carefully ridden home or the tire will become unstuck. Tubeless tires are ideal for riding and simpler to maintain. So, if you don’t want to worry about your tires or are tired of tubes, try tubeless ones instead.
Disc Brakes
You’ll go faster if you have good brakes on your bike. Is this an oxymoron? Yes, but it’s true. Fact is, if you know you can quickly and easily bring your speed under control, you’re more likely to allow it to creep into the red zone. You become a better rider with greater bike control. nFor more effective bike control, you not only need power, but also the ability to effectively modulate that power using subtle adjustments in lever force rather than an on/off feel.
By decreasing skidding, you will maintain more bike control and braking power. Some brakes come with two pistons in the caliper while others have four. Four pistons offer morebraking force but can be heavier.
It is useful to have an adjustable lever so it best fits your hand size and grip, making controlling the brake easier and reducing fatigue. Most sets of brakes come with a standard short-lever reach adjustment, however being able to change the bite point of the brake (where your fingers grip the lever) can also help ensure leverage when grippingthe handle.’
You want low-maintenance stoppers for your brakes, and hydraulic units are generally the best option (save for the occasional bleed), with easy pad changes when necessary.
Electronic Shifting
For those of you who have fond memories of biking as a youngster, mechanical shifting was more than enough – save for the few times we took a spill. There’s definitely something to be said about simply pressing a button for an ideal shift, but at the end of the day, it’s not entirely necessary.
For the most part, mechanical groupsets are ideal (and sometimes preferred) for most cyclists. You will like never having to charge your bike as long as you maintain them and replace your cables on a regular basis.)
Conclusion
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on your bike to have an excellent riding experience. In fact, you can save money and still get a great ride by avoiding trendy components that you may not even want. If you’re anything like us, then as soon as you upgrade one bike component, you’re already dreaming about the next one.