amastro

I recently purchased my first road bike, an entry level sora/tiagra Felt.

I saved enough money on the bike purchase to be able to afford a couple of premium extra components (saddles, shoes, pedals, etc), however, I need help deciding which would be the most important/useful to spend a little extra cash. A big selling point for purchasing better accessories is they are transferable in the event that I am serious enough about road biking to upgrade to a better performing bicycle. I've searched all of the threads for "best saddle" "best cages" "best bibs" etc and they all basically recommend, not surprisingly, pretty expensive gear.

So, what would you upgrade now and what would you leave to upgrade later? I need everything including a saddle, pedals, shoes, bib, jersey, cages, bottles, socks, helmet, etc. Thanks in advance.

waterrockets 

Nothing trumps comfort. Shoes and bibs, in my opinion. Buy a saddle for comfort, not price. You can do just great on mid-range helmets ($50), pedals($75), cages, etc.

55/Rad

If you don't have a saddle, pedals, shoes and a helmet - I would think seriously about starting there. I've heard, but I'm not 100% sure, that you might need these to actually ride the bike.

amastro

Thanks for the advice ;p. What I was trying to get across is I will be purchasing everything I need, but need to decide which items are worth spending more money on.

Adgooroo

OP - Clipless pedals and the shoes to go with them - that's the first step out of the 'recreational rider' class and into the 'road cyclist' class. For overall performance/bang-for-buck, my suggestion would be for Speedplay X5 pedals, but there are other good choices out there for less money.

orcanova

clipless pedals, then a better wheelset...

55/Rad

Gotcha. I'd recommend shoes. A great fitting pair of shoes will last you many years. Don't skimp on the helmet either but chances are you will want to replace it long before you need to replace your shoes. You can get a good set of pedals without spending a ton - think Ultegra 6620's from PBK. And saddles are the most personal item on a bike. Some people can't get comfortable on a $250 saddle and only ride $40 Performance house seats to great success.

Good luck.

55/Rad

Homebrew01

Don't forget spare tubes and a pump (or CO2 I guess)

JMT114

I would not recommend spending ridiculous amounts of money on H20 Bottles and cages. The regular bottles and cages you can get for a few bucks work well.

That said, get a comfortable helmet, shoes, shorts/bibs, saddle.

And if you don't already have one, get a floor pump, you should inflate your tires properly before every ride.

amastro

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll get back to everyone with the final purchases!

oilman_15106

If you don't have it already, a flat repair kit and good pump or CO2 setup would be my choice after seat, etc.

HigherGround

Back in the 80's a pro racer suggested spending money on where you contact the bike: shorts/saddle, pedals/shoes, gloves/handlebar/stem (indirectly). He said that you will notice those things more than an upgraded derailleur, for example. Even though I got that advice a long time ago, I still think it's the best I've received over the years. Learn to maintain your bike and keep it in good running order, and spend your money on the things that will improve your comfort.

As far as helmets go, all of the ones approved for sale have to meet minimum safety standards. As you go up in price you tend to get lighter weight, fancier adjustment systems, and possibly better ventilation. There is a point of diminishing returns, however. It's up to you to decide where that point is.

Good luck!

caloso

What HigherGround said. The interfaces matter most.

daoswald

Topeak has an aluminum bottle cage that weighs 45 grams. That's not bad for aluminum, and at $8.00 (REI) you're not wasting much money. Save the CF cages for after you've run out of other upgrades to make.

Clipless pedals and shoes to go with them are one of the best upgrades I found. I was surprised at how much difference they made for me. Decide early on if walk-ability is important to you. If so, you're pretty much stuck with SPD and MTB shoes, otherwise you can go with any style of road pedals and road shoes. Either way, it's a world better than straps or plain old flat pedals.

Look at your tires. If they're knobby and wider than 28mm, dump them and upgrade to slick 25 or 23mm tires (assuming a road bike). 28's are good for commuters or heavier touring. Otherwise, go narrower (23 or 25).

You'll need a floor pump (for home) and either a compact road pump or CO2. Beware most compact road pumps; they have a high propensity for tearing your valve stem off the tube, unless it's a "Morph" pump (Topeak). CO2 is fine also, but it does leak out faster than air, so it's basically just to get you through the next 12 hours. After that you should re-fill at home with air.

Helmet is mandatory equipment (even if it's not mandated). Gloves (for me, I like thinly padded ones) are very helpful on longer rides.

Decent bike shorts and a jersey will be more comfortable to ride in, and more aerodynamic. Actually I prefer MTB bike shorts with thin padding, because I can wear them off the bike (into a store, for example), as I use the bike for errands in addition to fitness/recreational riding.

Get a seat wedge to keep a small multi-tool, and your CO2 in, along with ID, cash, cell phone.

Go ride! After you've put on a few hundred miles you'll have a better idea of what you need to upgrade.

A bike computer can be inexpensive (under $60) and interesting for keeping track of mileage / averages, etc.

A lightweight rack adapted to fit a road bike will enable you to use the bike for errands. Not sure if this is an issue for you or not. I hate wearing a backpack, so I fitted a small rear rack and a minimal rear trunk (easily removable). I can run up to the store and pick up a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk without taking the car. ...it just adds a few more miles a week for me and gives me an excuse for going on those days where motivation is lacking.

Go ride!

Slackerprince

Computer, for sure, to monitor your speed and progress as you get stronger.
Ride lots, there is no substitute.

S.

badfishgood

Feet and butt.

Shoes and bibs.

cyccommute 

Shoes? Yes. The best you can buy. Pedals? You can go cheap on those. Helmet? Every helmet in the US has to meet a minimum standard. The only difference between a $40 helmet and a $200 helmet is fashion...mostly. The $200 one may have some niceties that the $40 but functionally they are the same. Clothing? Spend on shorts not on jersey, go cheap on rain gear (unless you live in the Northwest) and buy good cool weather gear.

I absolutely agree on saddles. I never recommend saddles because they are so individual. I might suggest some but what works for me probably won't work for someone else.

bitterken

All the above plus chamois cream. Always protect your junk. I recommend Assos.

KirkeIsWaiting

knickers and Sport Beans.
lipgloss (in case I get a flat)

banerjek

This is good advice. Add decent jerseys. The cheap ones don't breathe or fit as well as the good ones. Tools make good accessories since they save you money in the long run.

Different people can get away with different things. I use cheap shorts, saddles and shoes. However, I won't skimp on gloves, and I think it's worth spending a bit extra for a helmet that has decent ventilation and a better adjustment mechanism.

HigherGround

To give credit where credit is due, John Eustice is the former pro who provided that advice to me. He was the USPRO National Champion twice in the early 80's. At the time the race was run as a criterium, and he was the highest placed American pro. (This precedes the Philadelphia race.) He now promotes the Univest Grand Prix and other events.

bitterken

How does lip gloss help fix a flat?

RyanHJMS

Like most others, I say bibs/shorts and shoes. I tried to skimp on shoes once and I still regret it 15+ years later. If you need to save money look for quality items that might be last years model. Be sure to get more than one pair of bibs/shorts.

Namenda

use your imagination

datlas 

Methinks chamois cream is overrated, most cyclists do fine without it.

Most of the advice above is good....I second inexpensive clipless pedals, shoes, and tires....and ride more.

Doug