Commuting - upgrades for my trek soho s

hello guys :)

I'm fairly new to commuting and my commute is roughly 17 miles round trip daily. I just bought a trek soho singlespeed and am looking for upgrades to make my ride smoother.

Clipless pedels? new bar?

I thought about upgrading the wheels to bontrager race lite but still waiting on my first paycheck from the new job :). Can anyone let me know if they are a solid upgrade from the stock wheels?

Anyways, any upgrade suggestion is appreciated (i don't really know what there is to upgrade and if i'll see major improvements out of it).

oh yeah, heres a link: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/urban/soho/sohos/

ty for your time.

17 miles is a long way with a flat handlebar- I'd recommend a drop bar but it'd probably screw up the geometry. Clipless pedals would be my first suggestion. Ride it for a while; you'll then learn what you like and don't like about it, and when parts wear out, you have some additional knowledge about where you can get the most bang for your buck.

17 miles is a long way with a flat handlebar- I'd recommend a drop bar but it'd probably screw up the geometry. Clipless pedals would be my first suggestion. Ride it for a while; you'll then learn what you like and don't like about it, and when parts wear out, you have some additional knowledge about where you can get the most bang for your buck.

i've been riding 25 mi. a day with the flat bars for a year, and just did a century on them. no need to change them. i swapped the seat for a Brooks B17, the grips are matching black leather from ProPalm, and I put MKS pedals with PowerGrips on.

if you really don't like the flat bar, they make this bike with drops as well:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/2550961949_8ef2448f98_d.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/2551783892_2e428f57ff_d.jpg

In order:

Nice saddle, I prefer the Brooks B17 but get one that works for you.

clipless pedals

Nashbar Trekking Handlebar (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=9756&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Show%20All%20Products) or some other such handlebar that you might like.

I thought about upgrading the wheels to bontrager race lite but still waiting on my first paycheck from the new job :). Can anyone let me know if they are a solid upgrade from the stock wheels?

I personally wouldn't "upgrade" to a lower spoke count wheelset, in fact I'm been looking into upgrading the wheelset on my Fillmore to something with more spokes and sturdier wheels for commuter use.

I also have this bike. The first thing I intend to change is the handlebar, but I suppose the priorities are different for everyone. I'm looking at moustaches and bullhorns.

You said "smoother ride". What are the stock tires? Try something (much) wider. You might love it. :)

Tires are a reasonably cheap upgrade and can have a huge impact on ride feel and quality.

My $.02...