Cycling enthusiasts love to upgrade their bikes, especially when it comes to gear-intensive sports and activities, which mountain biking certainly is. However, there are a plethora of mountain bike upgrades to choose from, and rushed decisions can lead to wasting your hard-earned money on parts and modifications that won’t affect your riding experience in a significant way.
Thus, you need to consider a set of factors before deciding how to upgrade your mountain bike. Apart from parts compatibility with your mountain bike, you should also consider your bike’s age, wear and tear of the parts you’re going to replace, and whether electronic shifting is suitable for your case. If you feel like you don’t want to upgrade your bike anymore and prefer something different, then you may wish to buy a new one like a carbon full suspension mountain bike, or one that is similar, to give yourself some options. However, if you still want to upgrade, then continue reading to make sure you get a satisfying return on your investment.
Think About Your Bike’s Age
The first factor to consider is how old your bike is. If you recently bought an expensive mountain bike or upgraded it with a bunch of high-quality parts, you should check if the parts you want to change out are compatible with it. Furthermore, if a well-known brand didn’t make your bike, it may be challenging to find suitable parts for it.
Overall, if your bike is over ten years old, it might be more cost-effective to opt for a new bike instead of trying to upgrade it. In that case, you may want to check the best hybrid bikes under 1000.
On the other hand, if it’s still in good condition, it is highly recommended to replace its certain parts with newer versions — notably the drivetrain and wheels. By doing so, you can prolong the life of your mountain bike significantly and make your rides more enjoyable.
Consider Your Bike’s Wear and Tear
The wear and tear of the parts you want to replace plays a crucial role in deciding which upgrades are worth making and which ones aren’t. For example, if your bike has an old brake system, you might think about upgrading your stock disc brakes with hydraulic ones. However, it won’t be much of an upgrade if your current disc brakes aren’t worn out and you don’t have any problems with braking efficiency.
Think About Parts Compatibility
Another factor you need to consider is the compatibility of new parts with your current mountain bike. If you want to upgrade the handlebars, you should check whether the current stem is compatible with the new handlebars and vice versa. In addition, if you’re going to replace the wheels of your mountain bike, make sure you have the right hub and brake rotor size.
Consider Electronic Shifting
If you want to upgrade your mountain bike by adding electronic shifting, you need to decide whether it’s actually worth your money and effort. If you regularly ride your bike through muddy terrain or ride over brake pads, you should consider getting front and rear shifting compatible with mechanical systems. This way, you avoid the risk of having to pay for expensive repairs or having to buy a new mountain bike altogether.
Avoid Getting Diminishing Returns
One of the most common mistakes mountain bikers make is overspending on upgrades. For example, if you have a hard time maintaining the current set of tires for your bike, you might consider getting new tires to replace your old ones.
However, if your current tires are in good condition and you don’t have any problems with traction, it doesn’t make sense to spend extra money on such an improvement. All in all, doing that won’t provide you with a better riding experience and can only make your pockets emptier.
Choose Upgrades Depending on Your Riding Style and Needs
Finally, you have to consider your riding style and needs. If you frequently ride your bike and have a long-distance race in mind, spending money on upgrades that won’t improve your performance doesn’t make sense. Instead, it would be best if you focused your efforts on easy-maintenance parts, such as tires and brakes.
On the other hand, if you like to jump off rocks and ride through rough terrain, it’s better to find ways to make your bike better suited for this type of cycling. For instance, you can get sturdy tires that provide more traction in muddy conditions or get chain guards to avoid getting your chain dirty. While your cycling outfit might get dirty, your chain should always stay clean.
Final Word
Upgrading your mountain bike can be fun, but you should make sure you understand what you’re doing to avoid wasting money on upgrades that won’t improve your riding experience. Apart from the considerations mentioned above, it’s also highly recommended to test new parts before making them permanent — mainly electronic parts. You might not realize it, but many things can go wrong with electronic parts even though they seem to work perfectly at first glance. In addition, you should also consider how much performance each upgrade will provide and how much it’s going to cost you. For example, if your mountain bike has an old gear system, but you don’t have any problems with it, there’s no need to replace it with a new one. Instead, you should look for ways to save money and do your best to keep your gears in good condition.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.
