Upgrading Your Road Bike – An Illustrated Guide

DECATHLON Road Bike Upgrade Guide Worn out components? Looking to make your road bike faster and lighter? It's time to upgrade! But what do you do first? And where do you best spend your money? Our guide is here to help! Road Bike Upgrade Saddle Seatposts Handlebars and Stem Wheels Tyres Gears Pedals Road Bike Upgrade Tips • Dimensions are important • Too long and too wide causes neck and back pain • Too short and too • Upgrade when your wheel bearings or rims are starting to wear and make noise narrow creates uncomfortable and poor handling • Wheel upgrades improve ride quality • Stem length is important • Your elbows should be slightly bent whilst riding • High quality wheels are lighter and have less rolling resistance Handlebars and Stem Wheels • Features of wheel upgrades: • Factory built wheels • Bladed spokes for aerodynamic performance • Sealed hubs to prevent water and dirt getting in • High quality bearings that last longer and roll better • Your bars should be the same width as your shoulders • Aluminium or carbon? • Aluminium is durable • Carbon is lighter and absorbs "road buzz" for smoother riding • More gears make for easier hill climbing and smoother riding • Consider upgrading the whole drivetrain: shifters, crankset, chain, rear cassette, front and rear derailleurs • Clipless is the most common pedal upgrade • Benefits include: • Lighter and more efficiency • Driving more power to your bike's drivetrain • Change the rear cassette so it has • Make sure your cycling shoes fit the correct cleat for your pedal Gearing sprockets with more teeth Pedals • Provides lower gears, fits a new rear gear mechanism with a long cage to accommodate the larger sprockets • Upgrade when the tread has gone, or splits and tears are visible •New seatposts save weight and increase comfort • Use lighter tyres in the summer and grippier tyres in the winter Sizes: 0 • Make sure your seatpost is the correct size for your frame •700*23c - Most common •700*25c - For Training •700*28c - Rougher roads • Carbon seatposts are: • Lightweight • Absorb road vibrations • Narrow tyres are: • Less rolling resistant • Faster to ride •Less comfortable Seatposts Road Tyres • Aluminium seatposts: • Absorb less vibration • Last longer • Durable • Less expensive • Wide tyres are: • More comfortable • Puncture resistance • Heavier and more rolling resistant •Always choose comfort over weight Top 3 Components to Upgrade • Wider saddles with lots of padding are fine for short rides, but uncomfortable on longer rides 00 Saddles Tyres Wheels Saddles