General Cycling Discussion - What was the first thing you upgraded on your bike?

I bought puncture proof tires for my Specialized Allez

I didn't need any upgrades.

then what was the first thing you bought for your bike?

Rack and lights.

Wheels.

I have an old bike where everything has been upgraded but the frame. It's an old Waterford built with 8 speed Ultegra. The first upgrade was D/A 9 speed. Next a Thompson seatpost. Then a new saddle, followed by bars. Then a new CF threadless fork and headset. Finally Kysrium wheels.

Wouldn't consider it an 'upgrade'...more of a necessity, usually change the saddle (comfort), cassette (gearing I need/prefer), and brake pads (Koolstop salmon)...and maybe tires if I don't like the OEM ones after a week or 2. Add lights, seat bag, and computer and maybe a rear rack depending on the bike's projected use and the usual u-locks.

The basics upgrades that I first do to all my bikes are lights, mirror, saddle, pedals, and chain. Depending on what type of weather the bike will be ridden in or use it may do, determines what other upgrades I will make.

99.9% of the time is a new-cruiser bike style-saddle that is rather wide in the rear with 2 springs. Very little padding, and supportive of my own muscular and skeletal structures.

The first thing I changed was the rear tire, because my first bike had a coaster brake.

leather saddle to replace the gross vinyl one

Seat. I am attached to my ass.

pedals....when you buy a cheapo $2000 road bike, they don't include the floor mats or pedals

Saddle, then pedals & shoes.

The engine ;)

I've been buying off craigslist so I may not be upgrading so much as replacing with new parts. First to go is the saddle, I must have a comfy saddle. I next replace the brake pads, then check cables. New tires are a must! I'm not a mechanic so any work on the drivetrain will be handled by the LBS. All my bikes have their own headlight and tail blinkie. The engine is constantly being improved upon.
Ernest

Getting it out of storage - grease, cables, housing, rubber. Then came the seat. Terry saddles are great!

Tires. Always the first thing to go.

In terms of changing the original components, I replaced the stock plastic pedals with MKS pedals. Next I'm replacing the original grips on the flat bar to Ergon grips with bar-ends, suspension seatpost to rigid, and quick release seatpost clamp to non quick release.

All Terrain Tires, it came with Racing Tires


I bought puncture proof tires for my Specialized Allez

Tires. Rim tape and tubes. And the wheels. Cranks, bottom bracket, pedals, chainring, chainring bolts, chain... Fork, brake, brake lever, handlebars, bar wrap, stem, headset... Saddle, seatpost, and bottle cage.

All at once.

(I was upgrading from not having any of those things.)

After the lights, cycle computer, and saddle pack, my bike was pretty much the way I wanted it. After a year the San Marco Ponza saddle broke, and I replaced it with a Fizik Airone. Then got some SPD pedals and shoes to replace the toe clips. I love the power I get uphills now. I've just recently replaced the 700x28 tires with some 700x23 Vredestein tires. They feel great.

Trek 7500 Hybrid:

If a computer is considered an upgrade, that's what I did first!

Then came bar ends so I could alter hand positions, mirror. That's the way things sat for a couple of years, though went through a couple of mirrors and different computers.

This year I put on clipless pedals w/appropriate shoes. Big difference! Upgrade to a Garmin 305, so I'm probably "maxed out" in that department.

Next year it's a whole new bike! Starting to look around for a road cycle now . . .

Constant effort to upgrade the rider! That's not so easy any more . . .

1. Saddle
2. Saddle
3. Saddle
4. Saddle
5. Saddle

It took a while to find one that worked for me.

pedals then wheels and tires.

Saddle, rear rack and rack top bag. That way i always have my tools and ect with me.

In most cases... everything.

I tend to start with frames and forks and build from there with the parts I like.

Saddle and pedals go immediately.

Then, in order: tires, brake pads, wheels, bars.

If I need to change more than that, I probably have the wrong bike.

jim

When we got that Christmas bonus last year and I called the bike shop to tell 'em to haul it out of the deep, dark recesses of the post-Christmas layaway corner, I had 'em put on the rear rack, fore and aft lights, and computer.

Since then, I've had to replace the rear tube three times, the rear tire once, and several spokes on the rear wheel.

And then there are the trunk bag, the handlebar bag, the rubber-ducky antenna topper, the Rat Fink bell, and the grocery panniers.

Had to have a brake cable replaced last Sunday.

I'm on my third saddle.

I upgraded myself. Dropped weight, got in better shape.

I've replaced tires, tubes, cassette, chain, brake pads but instead of buying "upgrades" for the bike, I just bought more bikes.

Last complete bike I bought was in 99, but came without pedals, so guess that's my answer. The 5 bikes since I've built from frames and put the stuff on I wanted...although there's always something to buy eventually!

Wheels.

Don't buy upgrades; ride up grades. - Eddy Merckx

That Bontrager saddle that came stock on my new bike. It was obviously used to torture people during the Spanish Inquisition.

Upgraded standard Specialized seatpost with Thomson Elite.

On my old bike: saddle.
On my new bike: bottle cages.

Depends on the bike. Racks and bottle cages are usually first, then wheels, cranks, cassette, etc. I have a mountain bike where everything but the front hub has been replaced...including the frame:eek: A touring bike where everything but the frame has been replaced. Another mountain bike where only the saddle, stem and crank have been replaced. And a commuting bike that started from a check book and magically be came a whole bike;) Of course the check book became a husk similar to the people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers:D

Definitely depends on the bike.

No-name MTB: Tires and tubes. My dad picked the bike up from FreeCycle and the tires were rotting off and I just assumed the tubes were in equal condition. Picked up some semi-slicks. Then came the rear rack, a new saddle, and light mounts. Also upgraded by adding fenders.

All-Pro 10-speed Road Bike: Handlebar tape. This was also inherited from my dad and it had some hard plastic grips that just dug into my hands while riding. Handlebar tape and some lube and the bike was good to go!

Giant Kronos Road Bike: Picked up used, but it didn't need any upgrades at the time - brake pads are coming up soon though. I plan on upgrading to clipless pedals next spring, and changing the quill stem to adjust my reach better. Also going to be getting a nicer saddle than what's on there.

Schwinn World Tour Road Bike: Upgraded to include a rear rack and panniers :) I also "upgraded" the tires to skinny knobbies for winter commuting. I also plan on upgrading the saddle, but not now as I'm broke.

So I guess for me it hasn't been so much about upgrades as fixing things to make it more comfortable to ride or getting the bike to serve a function. Upgrades are planned however, so we'll see which bike(s) get treatment first.

with my 3 speed, I switched out the North Road handlebars for some drops - kinda regretting that ATM...

1) Saddle - Brookes B17 - The saddle which came with it (Charge Spoon) was moved to another bike.
2) Mudguards
3) Cateye LD610R
4) Tektro CR520 canti brakes - Replaced the awful shimano cantis

usually handlebars and saddle first - they get changed as soon as i get the bike home, in most cases. then pedals.

i've never changed tyres as an "upgrade." done lots as wear replacement.

pedals.

pedals....when you buy a cheapo $2000 road bike, they don't include the floor mats or pedals

Floor mats ?????

Used to buy bikes for the frame- Didn't matter what the components were as Pedals- wheels, tyres, groupset, saddle would be replaced with the parts from the old bike and the parts from the new bike would go on the old frame. The old bike would have all the parts I wanted on it already.

I now buy Frame and forks and just buy the parts I want to fit to them. May be more expensive- but no need to upgrade.

Luggage with a built-in fender so I could carry panniers.

The front wheel. On my new Electra, the front wheel was so poorly finished that the brake pads consistently snagged at the seam of the rim while braking. Clop-clop-clop-clop.

I like Electra's frames and aesthetics, but their components are nearly wal-mart in quality.

brake pads, kool stop salmon.


second i upgraded wheels, bottom bracket+crank to compact instead of double. next will be up grading to 10speed(have 8 speed sora and move that to commuter bike). i've been thinking about upgrading the saddle to the frizze nashbar knock off for 20bucks. mine has 800miles and is fine on 30mile trips, but i get saddle sores even with cycling shorts. i really want to ride a centery

I described my 1982 Puch earlier. Now I've moved on the my Trek FX 7.5: Just about everything. Derailleurs, installed Ergon grips (to throwmeabone who mentioned these - you'll love 'em!), saddle (another Terry), Pedals - MKS and toe-clips, Avid SD 7 brakes & Kool Stop brakes, and now I'm building new wheels - Ultegra hubs, DT DB 14/15/14 spokes, and Mavic A719 rims. I'm not done yet. I'm like Sixty Fiver.

saddle,fenders,rack,paniers,lights,pedals,shoes,computer

Tires and tubes

Lights

That is it