weatherall123

Hello everyone, I'm wondering what you all would consider to be the best 'bang for your buck' in regards to commuting bikes. Many have said upgrading your derailleurs to 105 or ultegra is definitely a good thing to do. Others claim that upgrading wheels and/or hubs is best

What do you all think?

Oh, and I have a question in regards to my personal bike. As of now, I'm riding stock wheels with a disc brake setup. Later on, when I decide to upgrade wheels, do you think I should spend a little extra and switch to the more traditional drum brake setup? If so, is there any recommendations on what type of brakes/wheels I should use?

Let me know! Thanks!

AngryScientist 

perhaps you mean upgrade to rim brakes? personally, i wouldnt. also, unless you have some cash burning a hole in your pocket, generally its cost effective to upgrade parts that NEED to be replaced. if you are satisfied with your ride as is, why not wait until something breaks before buying new parts?

what bike are you riding anyway?

weatherall123

I'm riding the Novara Buzz road bike from REI. I'm definitely not looking to swap out any parts as of right now, just expanding my knowledge of what I might consider in the future.

People still consider me a 'newbie' biker, and I just wanna learn about decent upgrades now, so I won't make foolish purchases later on.

As far as my current ride quality, I couldn't be happier!

tjspiel

I think the advice you got applies more to racing bikes. You're bike is plenty good as it is for commuting. In terms of performance a wheel upgrade is going to make the biggest difference. Of course, replacing the 28mm tires with 23s is going to help too at a cheaper cost. The downside would be a harsher ride.

As far as shifters go, 105 is often considered entry level for racing. However, if you were serious enough about racing to consider changing shifters, you might want to switch bikes instead. Not that you've got a slow bike, it's just that upgrading the shifters from Tiagra is a hefty expense for a marginal gain. IMHO it wouldn't make that much sense to do on a bike that wasn't really designed for racing in the first place.

MichaelW

Derailleur upgardes are not worthwhile, the cheap Shimano ones work very well, they just weigh a few gramms more.
Tyres are by far the most effective upgrade. You can upgrade for more speed, comfort or puncture resistance but not for all three at once.
If you have disk brakes, then you have more than enough stopping power, there is little advantage going to drum brakes. If you have weak brakes of any kind, switching to stronger, stiffer versions will help you ride with more confidence and safety.

Consider investing in a track (floor) pump. its much easier to keep your tyres at optimum pressure and that is key to efficient riding.

uke

My biggest upgrades were safety-minded: a Superflash in the back, a P7 in the front, and a TSG Evolution on my head.

noteon 

My new bikes from this point forward will get a Brooks B17 saddle, Kool Stop Salmon brake pads, Schwalbe tires, and a Dinotte headlight. And then a bunch of other stuff, but those first.

JeffS

Did you really just recommend 23s for a commuting bike?

JoeyBike

Top 3 upgrades in order:

1. Wheels

2. Wheels

3. Wheels

Number 4 would be: Attain your ideal body weight.

Not technically an upgrade but: Inflate your tires properly and lube your chain always makes a difference and is relatively cheap.

It's all about the wheels and the motor. Period. What does the term "bicycle" mean literally? Two Wheels! Nuff said.

CliftonGK1

Best upgrades I've made:

B-17 Imperial saddle. Basically, any saddle more comfortable than the stock saddle on most entry level bikes will be a huge improvement.

Generator hub. I ride a lot at night and I don't like carrying extra batteries or worrying that I'll run out of juice if I decide to do a night-time century. This has been the best investment I've made.

JeffS

Then don't worry about it. Replace parts as they wear out.

Big_e

This is more of an accessory than an upgrade but putting rear racks on my bikes and getting nice pannier bags from ebay was the best thing I did to my bikes. Beats a sweaty old backpack and you never know when you'll find something neat to pick up or buy and drop into your pannier bag or strap to your rack.
I used to would just carry a backpack when commuuting to work but now I always take my pannier bags even when riding on weekends.
Even a seatpost rack pays for itself in no time.
Ernest

lambo_vt

Tires, and anything about your contact points (pedals, shoes, bars, tape, saddle, etc) you'd like to improve. It's all about making the time you spend on the bike more enjoyable.

mercator

+1

I commute all summer on 23s, winters are a different matter

JeffS

I know plenty of people with 23's on a bike (including myself), but I wouldn't recommend them to someone on a hybrid as an upgrade.

weatherall123

Thanks guy! I guess the people at my LBS are more concerned about racing because a couple of them recommended that I replace the derailleurs down the road.

Like I said, I couldn't be happier with my bike at this point, so I'm not planning on changing anything soon. When the time comes, I might consider new wheels and tires (people seem to agree that these are a great upgrade when needed).

Has anyone had any complaints about rear pannier theft? Or do you always take them inside with you whenever you leave your bike locked outside? I'm worried that I'll come out and panniers will be missing.

Thanks again for all of your suggestions!

JoeyBike

Yes.

But I live in a third world city (New Orleans). They will steal your panniers out of your back yard or garage without even removing them from the bike first! Anything not zip-tied will be taken almost immediately in some areas. A friend of mine has a box on his rear rack with probably 50 heavy duty zip-ties as well as nuts and bolts. Make it look hard 'cause most thieves are lazy.

I alternate between a backpack, small panniers, and grocery panniers. The backpack goes where I go automatically. The small panniers are a beech to remove, even for me having done it 1000 times. My grocery panniers unclip and go inside with me to serve as grocery sacks on the way out instead of the plastic "witches knickers" bags.

scoatw

Are we talking about commuting or racing ? When I think of commuting, I think of just riding the bike. Taking my time at a normal, brisk pace. Maybe step it up some days. Trying to shave a minute or three. Racing, I know nothing about. And I am not a Racer-wannabe.
. Upgrading a commuter, I would think, would IMO involve making it safer and more comfortable. Adding plenty of lights so you can be seen. Having a pannier(s) to carry stuff. Why not a radio.
. But I think if you already have a decent bike with above average components. Why spend $$ on a name or upgrading for something a few grams less. If you've got another fancy road bike, then I could see maybe outfitting that with some primo components. But a commuter is built for heavy duty daily use. And besides you don't want to advertise to thieves that you've got some expensive components on that bike. Make it practical and comfortable. I would think a nice seat that you really liked would be a good upgrade. I've had mine for over 20yrs. It's an old Vetta-gel. And then putting on some nice wheels. Road wheels over Mountain tires. Learn about road resistance. Everybody knows that the less tread you have the less road resistance your going to have. Right now I'm riding on a pair of 1 1/2" Armadillos that I just picked up. They're heavy duty and have just enough tread on them. If you've got decent hubs then leave them alone. After 10 or 15 years and they happen to wear out. Then maybe replace them with an upgrade. But once you get your daily commuter set up the way you like it. The costs are minimal. And you have more $$ to spend on something else. Like a cool expensive Rain jacket or some snow studs, winter gear or something like that. But I would'nt burn money on parts that I really don't need.

relyt

Lighter wheels with skinny slick tires will amaze you. Also, getting rid of heavy crap like suspension seatposts is a good idea. And handlebars can totally change the character of the bike, so if you don't like the ones you have now you should switch them.

mickey85

For a buzz, if you have flat bars, I fricking LOVE swept bars on my hybrid. They're comfortable, offer more hand positions, and "grandpa-ify" your bike, making it less desirable for thieves.

ibcrewin

Here's my upgrade wish list. I have a stock bike right now.
1. SPDs or new Cages. Doesn't matter
2. A gatorskin or armadillo tire for the back wheel.
3. A new head light

Big_e

Yeah, that goes without saying. The pannier bags go with me. They also make it easy to quickly unclip any lights, computers and removables as you leave your bike locked outside. I bought some that unclip easily and look nice when I carry them off of the bike.
Ernest

tjspiel

No.

I said his bike was plenty good as it is for commuting and that the advice he got for upgrades sounded performance related. What I was thinking (and didn't communicate) was that it didn't make much sense to spend several hundred dollars on new wheels and a new group set before trying a much cheaper change - skinnier tires.

I also said that the trade off would be a harsher ride.

So it wasn't so much a recommendation as an observation.

FWIW I do also commute on 23s a good chunk of the year. However, if someone were to ask me what size I'd recommend for commuting I'd suggest 28 to 32s unless I know they're into going fast or that part of their commute is offroad.

DanBraden

For my commute, the best upgrades have been:
clipless pedals
slicks
glasses mounted mirror
custom fenders (of which I am exceedingly proud)

The most useful of the 4 have been the pedals, and beside all that, my kind don't cotton to spendin' dough on components that aint broke.

weavers

for commuting the biggest upgrade is comfort. comfort improves performace. get a seat that works for your butt. get a pro fit, it will save you from years of pain further down the road, often times this means replacing the stem or handle bars.

1. wheels - light and aero. sub 1750grams, and aero of 30mm or more. get soul 4.0 or neuvation, or williams 3.0 if you got some cash
2. clipless pedals, you can double your pedaling efficiency, improve speed and save your legs
3. seat/stem
4 tires, 23 or 25c ~210grams. i perfer contenitnal 4000s with reflective stripe 25c. they were 25bucks each on pbk