Originally Posted by
MrWasabi
I'm about to ink a deal on a new hybridish bike. I've been thinking about some things I can do first to make it more comfortable. Yes, I'm going to ride the heck out of it before I go upgrade crazy but I was just wondering how much bang for my buck I get with some carbon upgrades/changes? I'm eyeballing new handlebars, stem and seat post. Are they worth the change from alloy for the comfort and weight savings? I'm looking at about an 75/25 mix of pavement and light trails.
Thanks for any advice.
handlebars will yield the most benefits to vibration reduction, skinnier riders can go 25.4 for more compliance. Stems, not so much as they're not designed for compliance but stiffness. Long seatposts on compact frames will also reduce vibrations, the longer the better - forget it if you're running six inches or less of post
edit: Running a 27.2mm seatpost with a shim can also yield a softer ride if you're rocking a 30mm+. Many brands are downsizing as a compliance feature; you can too.