Let's put the following case: you have a beautiful road bike, bought 3 years ago and in perfect magazine.
You keep it like the first day. The clean and the mimas daily, and although you do a lot of kilometers, you have fallen short for the level you have acquired. You need to go to more, you need a machine with better performance, but you love it and you don't value buy another.
That is why I write this article so that values how to improve your road bike without spending a lot of money (or yes) and thus renew the illusion of yesteryear.
In this case we talk about a road bike, let's put a
Canyon harden 7.0 CF of 2016, with complete Shimano 105 transmission, aluminum aksium mavic wheels and 25mm profile, and aluminum components (handlebar, power and shell).
Where to start improving the bike? Well, the most economical: the peripheral components.
>> Test: 15,000 kilometers with a canyon harden
Handlebar, power and carbon bee
It is possibly the first thing that any amateur cyclist improves his road bike. Not only for winning some grams to the scale, but also by aesthetics. But we are going through step.
Cockpit carbon
A set of handlebar and power, whether integrated or not -what is called a
Cockpit- Carbon with a slightly aerial touch makes the difference. The bicycle changes look and we see our love for her renewed (that is).
From my experience I would not recommend flat handlebars, but something flat. On the power, we must take into account our need in length, since we cannot regulate it in case of buying an integrated power.
On the other hand there is the problem of flat handle for the installation of the support GPS, light, etc. It is not serious, since there are supports that go directly to the lower part of the handlebar, but you have to take it into account.
Perhaps the most intelligent is a set of handlebar + power, but it is not the most aesthetic, at least in my opinion.
Talking about prices, tennus
Cockpits Integrated or handlebars and powers separately from 150 euros to 600 euros.
Improve your bicycle with a carbon bee
A strong point of carbon is the absorption of vibrations, and as with the handlebars, with carbon bee we get greater comfort.
Recall that for the assembly of carbon peripheral components we need special fat. We are not worth the aluminum components. Ah, and the tightening torque must be the one recommended by the manufacturer, nothing to do it. The recommended pair usually comes in a small vinyl in each component.
A carbon beech could go out for about € 80, although we can go to € 200 depending on the brand and carbon type (more resistant, lighter, etc).
Electronic transmission
It is a joy, and once tests there is no going back. In addition, today, with the appearance of the 2x12 SRR road groups, and not long late from Shimano, I would say that we could find a complete SHIMANO ULTEGRA DI2 group. We talk about less € 500 for a second -hand group, since new is around € 750. It is not bad investment.
Dishes and cassette
If we cannot face the cost of a complete group, we can always improve transmission relationships. Going from a compact 50-34 / 11-28 group to 52-36 / 11-32 is a total success, not only because we will have a better assessment of the bicycle in the second-hand market in case the Let's sell in the future, but because we will enjoy a greater range of developments. We will go down faster and go up with greater cadence.
The cost can be range from € 150 to € 400, always depending on whether we are looking for used or new material. In the transmissions market it is really interesting to dive in the second hand, since many components are sold unused, from bike disassembly (the typical that buys a bike to keep the picture alone).
Carbon wheels with profile
This possibly the best
Upgrade That we can do on a bicycle, whether from road or mountain. Wheels are a differentiating element. Good bearings, carbon and a little profile will make our bike feel like new.
[IRP posts = "2041" name = "The key to lighten the weight of your bicycle is on the wheels"]
For the Canyon Indourace that I spoke before, I would look for versatile carbon wheels, with a 45mm profile and with proven quality bushings, such as the DT Swiss.
Of course we will not be able to find anything decent below € 500 in the second -hand market, and the € 900 in new material, but of course it is worth investment.
>> Road bicycle wheel offers
Change shoe brakes for records
Have you thought about putting disc brakes to your road bike with conventional brakes? Well, it's a mistake. While there are ways to fix disc brake tweezers to virtually any picture designed for Zapata, it is not recommended.
They are still quiet inventions, and in no case the guarantee of the picture is preserved, since it must be drilled.
If you want to change to disc brakes, sell your bicycle and buy another. There's no more.
Other improvements Lowcost For your bicycle
Many times what we are looking for is simply renewing love for our machine, as indicated at the beginning of this article, and this does not have to be an adventure too expensive.
If what you want is to improve the image and give it a washing in the face of your bicycle, beyond increasing your performance, you can make the following improvements:
- Change the handlebar tape (€ 20 approx.)
- Put new vinyl with the brand logo (€ 15 approx.)
- Change the armchair (from € 30 to € 100 approx.)
- Install a rear light (between 20 and 150 euros approx.)
- Change the covers by others with caramel color profile (€ 40 each approx.)
These are just some examples of how we can put hands with our bicycle, and thus renew the illusion we had when we bought it.
Seeing all the improvements we can do to our bicycle, the reason for that typical advice of our friend is reinforced: Buy a bike with a good picture and at a good price, that everything else can be improved little by little.
