Upgrade Discussion Thread
 

Couldn't any bike use an upgrade to make it more specific or to be better overall?
I fell like we should use this thread to discuss minor/major upgrades for any hybrid. This could be anything from tires to brake pads, or carbon fiber parts to make a bike lighter.
I have a couple questions/suggestions to add:
I am still wondering what tire size I should get on my bike for a 36-65 mile bike race/ride.
Tire Sizing Systems
this website is kinda helpful but not to specific. I have 622 x 20 rims and was wondering if I can put on 26c tires (I have 38s, and the 28s I found are expensive.) I found a really good price on some, but the website is not to specific and said some people go smaller than the chart with no problems. Any help is amazing.

Is it a race, or is it a ride? What bike are you riding? What is it about your current tires you don't like?

I don't know if I agree with the premise of the thread, which is the notion that there is a standard or general upgrade path that hybrid users could consult. I think it is very bike and cyclist dependent. There are few bikes that couldn't be upgraded, but for many, most even, the cost of the upgrade may only yield tiny improvements in performance or durability. Some may be weight weenies, while others could care less. Some may want to go with the narrowest and lighter tire and wheel they can get on their hybrid, others want the fattest tire and most robust wheel. Still others are happy to ride the stock wheels and tires until something breaks or wears out.

I just thought this could be a thread discussing if someone wants upgrades or changes to their bike. I think if someone wanted their bike geared toward more like a mountain bike, then he/she could suggest things to change and get others opinions.
The ride is timed, and they will choose one winner so if it is on the road only then I think tires geared toward road only will help. My tires have a lot of tread, and I just want something with less rolling resistance.

Is it a hybrid only ride, or will some people ride road bikes on this ride? And, what bike are you riding?

Sorry for not including my bike type earlier( Raleigh Misceo 1.0) it is a 36 mile ride or 65 I still have to decide. There is no limit to what bike you can/can't have, so I think road bikes will be dominant.

You can probably finish either ride with a Misceo but, aside from maybe switch out to smooth and somewhat narrower tires (35 or 32), wouldn't go all in on upgrades, as they will get expensive, especially a solid fork, lighter wheels, etc. And still will be heavier than a road bike. You may be better served just riding what you have.

Would 26s fit, I really want to put those on Amazon.com : Kenda Kontender Tire 700 x 26C Aramid Black Side Wall : Bike Tires : Sports & Outdoors

Seems like wate of time and money...road bike is going to stomp a hybrid, it's geometry us designed to race. I ride 700cx28 on my hybrid and like it. I have added fenders,rack mirror,seat, seat post, bar ends, heavy duty 12ga rear wheel, and switched my crankset out to a 22/32/42 from a 2838/48.

I am a little confused, buying these tires is not really about money/time but if they will fit. Are you saying you wasted your time an money on these upgrades? I am not a serious racer/biker so putting $700 bucks into a road bike is not worth it.

Upgrading your bike for the race is what I am referencing, if you are not happy with your current tires by all means try something different. I switched from 32 to 28, all I really noticed was better handling on turning. All the upgrade I did to my bike was for it to meet the needs of my biking style/situation.

IE: I switched to lower gearing to deal better with hills when hauling a kid and panniers...such as pictured here :)http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=392349

The Misceo seems like a decent enough entry level bike and should be able to cover either distance in good time if you are in good shape... you will probably get dropped like a bad habit by any serious road cyclists.

As far as upgrades go on this or any bike at the entry to midpoint level, the best bang for your buck will come when you run lighter tyres and wheels.

These days the entry level drive trains shift as well as any but the best and one can always trade up when components wear out.

I think a general upgrade thread is a good idea. I certainly didn't take the OP to be suggesting there was a standard upgrade path for all hybrid riders to take, but rather suggesting this thread be used as a place for general discussion of upgrades to hybrid bikes. I don't see any downside to that.

Here's my contribution. The single most significant improvement I made to my 7.2 FX was swapping out the OE 35c rubber for 28c. Bike feels quicker and handles better. Never going back. Second most significant upgrade was clipless pedals. Never going back to flat pedals, either. Third most significant was new grips with integrated bar ends. The old grips did nothing to mute road buzz - the new ones are much more comfortable. And the extra hand position is a real plus on longer rides.

http://www.fototime.com/34455E04B2847EF/orig.jpg

The only upgrades/additions I've made to my Fuji Absolute are a Sigma wired computer (I had problems with a wireless for some reason), micro LED lights/strobes I have on the left seat stay and the left fork, larger LED taillight/strobe and removeable headlight/strobe because I ride in the evenings during the week to beat the Texas heat, and Ergon GP2 grips with integrated bar ends. As Jaeger99 states, the additional hand positions are a real plus on longer rides. I find myself riding the bar ends about 75% of the time.

Depending on the actual tires and rim,26's would be cutting it close to the minimum:
Tire Dimensions | Schwalbe North America

I wouldn't suggest anything skinnier than 28's on that bike. Tires skinnier than the stock ones will help,but you're never going to turn that into a race bike. Also note that the narrower and higher of pressure tires you mount,the less comfortable your ride will be. 28-32mm Conti 4 Season/4000,Vitoria Hypers,and Schwalbe Marathon Supremes are all performance tires that would work well for what you want to do.

I try to make my bikes as lights as possible, especially rotating mass. So I like to get a light set of wheels and tires, crank, and if the bike has disc brakes getting lights rotors as well. After that I prefer to get lighter/more comfortable bars and set post.

I have made several upgrades to my 7.3 FX

First, I bought a set of wheels built with Chukker rims because I wanted a bullet-proof set of wheels for when I am riding rail trails where the nearest trail head can be up to 7 or 8 miles away, and closest real help significantly further. This would probably not have been necessaryu if my weight wasn't so great.

I also swapped handle bars to one with a little more rise and width to fit my preferred posture and shoulder width.

I upgraded to Ergon grips, and had bar ends on for a while until I realized that I was never using them. I had used bar ends on another bike... but whether it is my fitness level, or the specific bike geometry, I don't need or use them.

I decided to splurge on tires, and bought a set of Clement X'plor UST tires in 35 mm to match my usual riding of gravel/crushed stone and accommodate my weight.

I also added a rack, because I like carrying lots of stuff and being prepared.

I think by "upgrading" you mean how can you make your hybrid perform more like a road bike. Of course, the beauty of a hybrid is that it lets you upgrade it in many directions - to be able to ride dirt roads and trails, to be a commuter bike capable of carrying stuff, etc. I've made changes to my hybrid (Giant Escape 1) to make it perform on pavement better. I shortened the handlebars in order to get my hands in (very good change); I use 28 instead of 32 tires (another good change); I use toe clips (clipless are fine too); I lowered the bars as much as I could (good change). I like the integrated bar ends on your bike.

Jaeger
Are those the stock Bontrager rims? I ask b/c I have an 8.3 DS that has AT-750 rims (same as stock rims for 7.2 FX). I am currently riding with 700x38 tires and do most of my riding on the road so have been looking for a smaller width tire but not sure how small I can go. 28c sounds great, but wanted to make sure my rims would support the thinner tire before buying.
Also, what type of grips/bar ends do you have on your bike? also looking for more hand positions.

thanks
(First time poster)

Yep, stock rims. If you're sure that those on your 8.3 DS are the same as those on my 7.2 FX, then 28c will work.

My grips are Giant:

http://www.fototime.com/7990BDBE6735A9E/orig.jpg

Cheers.

THis past Sunday I did a 40 mile (my longest) charity ride with 700/32 city tires without much trouble on my Escape 3, I was one of the last to finish, but I finished.... the first thing I did afterwards was go buy some 700/28 road tires... so far Im loving them. If you have not already, get some bar ends... on long rides your gonna want to move your hands around a bit to keep them from going numb. I use inexpensive Nashbar brand ones. Performance sells inexpensive ones too under their store brand.

How did you end up with Giant grips and what do you think of them?

Also, did they fit the handlebars without any issues?

On some of Trek's bikes with their some variant of their ISOGrips, they have a non-standard handlebar diameter, but perhaps not on a 7.2FX.

I just upgraded from 10-speed Ultegra 6770 Di2 (came stock on my bike) to 11-speed Ultegra 6870 Di2.

Here is my Hybrid..

http://s3.postimg.org/9b65j9803/IMG_0012.jpg

I just went to my LBS to check out the various options they had in stock and liked these the best. The OE grips essentially had no shock absorbing properties, so even without the integrated bar ends, these were a step up. So far I've been really enjoying them. I liked the Ergon grips as well, but the only ones in stock at the time had taller bar ends and I preferred the lower profile alternative of the Giant. The nice thing about shopping in person was that I downloaded any fit issues to the store.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...27571829_n.jpg

Upgraded crank set, pedals, added bar ends, brooks saddle, fenders(not shown), racks. Nothing wrong with upgrading a hybrid, but upgrading it in an attempt to "race" as the op mentioned is a waste of money. Again, some folks have money to waste....