As the discipline of gravel cycling has exploded, so has the range of bikes on offer and of course the amount of upgrades that you can buy for said gravel bikes. However, what are the best value gravel bike upgrades? We explain what our favourite best value gravel bike upgrades are and why you should pay attention to these things before anything else.
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00:00Perhaps you've just bought your first gravel bike, or maybe you've been a drop bar knobbly
00:04tyre convert for a while. Either way, I think we can all agree that if you're not out riding on
00:09the trails, then thinking about how you can improve your ride is the next best thing.
00:14Now, unless you're one of those very lucky people that's got thousands to spend on their bikes,
00:19then you, like the rest of us, will be after the upgrades that deliver the biggest bang for your
00:24buck. Although in the title we did say five best upgrades, it's more five best upgrade
00:29areas. So without further ado, let's jump in.
00:37Tyres are something we would recommend as being one of the best value upgrades for road bikes
00:41too. But for gravel, your choice of rubber takes on a whole new level of importance beyond just
00:47rolling resistance, puncture protection, and weight. Having the right set will completely
00:51change your ride. First off, there's the tread pattern. Are you going to be riding mainly hard
00:56pack gravel roads, or are your trails more loose and muddy? In the first case, you'd want to go
01:02with a semi-slick casing with more prominent shoulder knobs for grip in the corners. In the
01:07second, you'd be needing something more aggressive with the height and spacing between the knobs
01:12getting taller and wider. And then there's the width. Depending on the impacts you expect and
01:18comfort you want, you might be best suited with anything from a 35mm all the way up to a 54mm.
01:24Then there's the difference between price points. More expensive tyres can be lighter and use more
01:30advanced compounds. Now, this is particularly important if you ride where there are wet slabby
01:34rocks, as it's not the knobs that provide the grip, as there's nothing for them to dig into.
01:39It's actually the compound of the rubber. Clearly, there's a lot of things to consider when buying
01:45tyres. I think my key piece of advice is to really learn the terrain you're riding on,
01:50and then buy the tyre that is best suited to your surroundings. Because buying too early,
01:55and maybe not spending quite enough, could mean that you miss the mark entirely.
02:04Handlebars are the headline component here, but really, this is about making sure that your
02:10contact points are as comfortable as they possibly can be. Now, whether you're riding
02:15is about laid-back exploring, or ultra-distance epics, or just blasting around as fast as you can,
02:22you'll enjoy it more and perform better with a bike that fits you properly.
02:26The cheaper and simpler options, which are arguably the highest value,
02:30include your stem and your bar tape. Now, bar tape is a pretty obvious one.
02:35Tackier and more cushioned options deliver better grip for control,
02:38as well as greater comfort. So, it's a win-win. The stem relates to your bike fit,
02:43and it's about finding the balance between not being super stretched out,
02:46but also not being too cramped up. Now, you can get models with different angles as well,
02:51to help you further adjust the height of your handlebars too. We do have content surrounding
02:56how to get your bike set up, so it's worth watching that first. But, once you do know
03:00what you're after, a stem that sorts your bike fit is arguably one of the best value upgrades
03:05that you can make. Coming back to the handlebars themselves, there are so many different options,
03:10which is great, because it means that you will likely find something that works for you. But,
03:15it's also a bit of a pain, because it means a fair bit of looking. There's the width to consider,
03:19there's the flare, and there's also the drop. Now, in terms of value, the aspects that relate
03:24to the fit are definitely the most important. In most cases, you will also have the option
03:30to look at carbon versions as well. However, this does reduce the cost effectiveness of the upgrade.
03:40Onto the brakes, and this is one for the budget gravel bikes, which have mechanical disc brakes
03:45fitted, rather than hydraulics. Now, it is true that hydraulic disc brakes do offer better
03:50modulation compared to their mechanical counterparts, but it's also true the mechanical
03:55disc brakes can be unfairly abused, because in being spec'd on cheaper models, other spec
04:01choices are made that do then hamper their performance. Essentially, mechanical disc
04:06brakes can have the potential to be much better than their stock setup. Most important is actually
04:13upgrading the outer cable housing. Cheaper housing compresses when you squeeze the brake lever,
04:19which leads to a spongy feeling brake. However, more expensive housing gives a much more direct
04:24braking feel, and this helps with modulation, and also means that much more of the power is
04:30going to the brake, rather than being wasted in the housing. ÂŁ40 or $50 may feel like a lot of
04:37money to spend on brake cables, but considering what an effect it has, it's one of the best value
04:43upgrades you can make. The same goes for your brake pads. You don't need to go for a ludicrously
04:49expensive set with cooling fins and all the rest. It's about the compound of the pad, and that's what
04:54matters. Really, it won't take too much to make a big step up from the budget pads that were
04:59probably fitted at stock. Not specifically an upgrade for your bike per se, but it's something
05:08you'll use out on the trail, so we think it's fair game. There's two common mistakes to make.
05:14First one is going for a multi-tool that packs in a whole raft of features, but in such a small and
05:20intricate way that it's a massive pain to actually use. Perhaps that's fine as a safety net on short
05:26rides, but for anything more, and it gets frustrating really quickly. The other mistake
05:31to make is actually going for a tool with too few features, which can actually leave you caught short
05:35when you're out on the trails. The bits we look for are a complete set of Allen keys from 2mm
05:42all the way up to 8mm, at least a T25 Torx head, a flat head, and a Phillips screwdriver, a chain
05:49tool, and a valve core tool, and a spoke tool are nice extras to have. In terms of things that we'd
05:55actually bring with us, a quick link and tubeless plugs are an absolute must, but we also like to
06:00bring tyre levers, a good old-fashioned inner tube, and of course, a pump. Finally, in a similar vein
06:10to the multi-tool, this isn't specifically an upgrade for your gravel bike, but it's one that
06:14can transform your gravel riding, so we think it's a worthwhile inclusion. Although there's
06:19a lot to be said about developing a mental map of your local trails, a head unit with mapping
06:25can help you explore further afield in the confidence that you're not going to get lost.
06:29Getting to explore new areas is a huge part of the fun of gravel riding, and easy mapping
06:35really helps with that. Of course, this doesn't have to be done with a bespoke cycling computer.
06:41There are plenty of mapping applications on your phone that will do an excellent job,
06:45plus depending on what you already own, the setup might not have to cost much at all.
06:50The key things that you'll need are, of course, your phone, a robust mount, a battery pack for
06:54charging your phone, and of course, some form of handlebar bag to carry that battery pack. I think
07:01whichever way you look at it, when you start to use mapping, you'll wonder how you ever rode before.
07:07So, those are our tips for the best value upgrades that you can make to your gravel bike.
07:11If you've got some which you think we missed, then drop them down in the comments below.
07:15If you enjoyed the video, drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content,
07:19and I'll see you again very soon.