The First Gravel Bike Upgrades You Should Make To Be Faster & More Comfortable

Some of the best and most useful upgrades you can make to any new gravel bike if you are just starting out

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Content
00:00 Intro
00:33 Tyres
3:43 Tubeless
5:26 Tubeless plugs
6:05 Pedals
8:20 Suspension stems
9:40 Handlebars
11:27 Bags
13:37 Summary

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Have you just bought a brand new gravel bike or have one for a while now and want to make a few changes to improve its speed, performance, and capability and comfort? Well, I’ve got you covered. After years of testing gear and making plenty of mistakes along the way, these are the upgrades I wish I made sooner. From simple tire swaps to gamechanging components that won’t break the bank. Whether you’re racing, bike packing, or just exploring liquid trails, here are six essential upgrades that would definitely improve the performance of your gravel bike. Let’s dive in. The best upgrade for any gravel bike. And the first thing I change on any bike I test here on the channel are the tires. The tires make a massive impact on how well the bike rides from the speed, the comfort, and its capability when riding off-road. And choosing a tire, well, it’s not easy. There’s so much choice out there these days. from the tread pattern to the width, mount bite versus gravel, it’s a it’s a nightmare to know where to start. Really, the best thing to do is to determine the riding you’re doing or want to do. Whether you’re racing or whether you’re bike packing, those will influence the tires you go for in terms of weight and tread pattern. And also how chunky the terrain is you’re riding. Is it champagne gravel and nice smooth dirt or is it really rocky, rooty, off-road gravel? and that ratio of road and country lanes to off-road. All those factors will influence the tire you go for and what would be the best tire. There’s no such thing as the best tire, but uh a more ideal tire setup for the riding you are doing. One big decision to make is how wide a tire you go for. And the trend is for bikes and tires getting wider. And wider is generally better for more comfort and more traction when riding off-road. But bigger tires come with a weight penalty and an arrow impact as well. So if you’re racing, a narrower tire might be better. But if you’re bike packing and adventure riding, then a bigger tire might be of your choice. But how big you go depends on how much space you have on the frame and fork of your bike. And you’ll probably know this, but if you don’t, the manufacturer website will have the recommended tire size for that bike. Then there’s a tread pattern as well, the the shape of the blocks on tire. And these vary massively, and some make a big difference, and some don’t make much difference at all. Some tires will have a smooth section down the middle, like the Specialized Pathfinder. That’s a good example. And that’s a really good choice if you’re doing lots of road miles. And a tire like this has a more aggressive tread pattern. So bigger chunks and more space between the chunks for more grip. When it’s loose and slippery, the tire will just dig into that dirt and the mud better than that slick tire. And what tread pattern you go for depends on, like I said earlier, that ratio of road to off-road and how chunky your terrain is. If you’re riding mostly road and champagne gravel, that tire with a smooth center section will be a good choice. If you’re riding very rough, rocky, muddy trails, something like this would be a better choice. So do your research, read the company’s website blurb on tread patterns because most companies like Pirelli and Michelan and Specializ will offer a range of tires that have the the fastest option like the Pathfinder and then the the most aggressive option at the end of the spectrum. So there are plenty of tread patterns out there that suit all riding conditions. Then if you want an even burlier tire than a gravel tire, it’s always a mountain bike option as well. And we are seeing an increase in popularity of mountain bike tires on gravel bikes. And I recently did a video on testing a mountain bike tire on my MB mold. And that video is linked above in case you missed it. Once you’ve chosen your tires, my next recommendation would be to ditch the inner tubes that came on a bike. Fine on a road bike, but off-road the risk of puncturing that is super high. So bin those and go tubeless. It’s worth the occasional hassle, but these days it’s much better. Most new bikes now have tubers ready wheels and all your tires are tubers ready. And all you need really is most rims will be taped. If they’re not, get some tape like that to make sure it’s airtight. Like I say, most rims will be taped anyway. Then all you need to do is invest in a tubous valve like this. I’ll put a link to some down below. And then some sealant like this. Basically a sealant that will replace the inner tube. And if you get a hole in the tire, like a thorn go through the tire, this stuff bubbles out. And in most cases, when the hole is small, will plug the hole and keep riding. And often, without even knowing, you punch it. How you install the sealant depends on the type you go for. Some you pour in the tire before you fit the tire to the rim. Some have a handy injector which goes over the the valve like that, and you simply plunge the sealant into the tire. And that is the best way for a messfree um installation of tubeless. And honestly, it’s much easier than ever before. Most of the time, the tire will inflate with a normal track pump or a floor pump or CO2 if you’re using CO2 or even a mini pump in some cases. And definitely worth the small investment in money and time to go tubeless for allowing you to run lower pressures for more traction and more comfort and really reducing and often minimizing totally that risk of a puncher. And if you’re wondering what happens if you punch it with tubers, how do you fix it? Well, you need a special tubus repair kit. And I’ve done a video on that in the past. Simply put, you have a special tool with a sticky worm type thing that you push into the hole of the tire where that hole is too big for the sealant to plug the hole itself. And it sounds scary, I know, but honestly, it’s not that bad and it’s quicker than changing the tire, putting an inner tube in, which always the last resort of a tubous puncher. But honestly, touchwood, the number of tubless punches you get is, unless you’re very, very unlucky, it’s very, very few indeed. Next up, not so much an upgrade, but a product choice and one I highly recommend is while you can use road clipless pedals on your gravel bike, and lots of gravel pros do, I highly recommend using a mountain bike pedal. My favorite pedal is Shimano. I’ve used these since I was a teenager in the ‘ 90s. Not these actual pedals, but Shimano SPD pedals because there are numerous benefits in my opinion that I think most people should embrace. Firstly, you have a twosided pedal, so easier to clip in and get into quickly compared to a one-sided road pedal. The other are the shoes. So, this is a city mountain bike shoe. And I use it for gravel racing as well. And you have a two-bolt cleat there, Shimano SPD cleat. And you have compared to a road shoe, you have the stiff carbon base for power transfer, but then you have these lugs here. and they make it easy to walk in. Whether you’re walking through the cafe, through the office, or when you’re out in the middle of nowhere and you’re hiking your bike, your bike packing and trail has run out and you’re pushing your bike. And walking in road shoes, as you probably know, is a bit of a handicap, especially on a muddy trail. It’s rocky. Walking on rose shoes, yeah, I wouldn’t recommend it. So, walking in mountain bike shoes is definitely the way forward. So that walking convenience and walkability of a mountain bike actually why I choose them. Also they work better in the mud as well. So gravel in the UK in the winter means mud and these have all that mud clearing space there for mud to fall through and the cleats work better in the mud as well. So they are easy to use in muddy conditions or when it’s gritty there stones and other stuff that can clog up a road pedal setup. So, that is my recommendation for pedals and shoes on your gravel bike. And these are Shimano’s cheapest pedals. I’ll put a link to them down below. And they’re all you need. You can buy more expensive version. They’re just lighter. But these, while heavy, work really well, and they’re bombproof. Shimano pedals. There are other pedals on the market to look and so on, but I use Shimano because they never let me down. So, yeah. There we go. Got mud all over. Ow. Ow. Ow. All over my table. Riding gravel bikes offroad can be a bumpy, uncomfortable affair sometimes. And if you want more comfort other than what big tires will give you, a suspension stem is a very popular upgrade these days. I’ve been testing a red shift and this US Vibe has come in for review as well. And these are a relatively affordable way to increase comfort with a small weight increase. They’re still very light compared to normal stem and just reduce the vibrations that come through the handlebar and into your arms and reduce fatigue on long bumpy rides. So, it might look a bit odd and ugly compared to a normal stem perhaps, but for a relatively easy way to boost comfort by just swapping a stem, they are a bit of a no-brainer. And there are quite a few on the market these days. This is a US vibe. I’ve also been using the red shift as well on my fair light and there’s a few ads on the market as well. I’ll put a link to some down below. So yeah, it may bring back memories of the old go and flex them, but thankfully done much better. Lightweight, reliable, tunable with different elastmas for different body rider weights. This one has preload on the top and bottom as well for damping and rebound. So, an easy way to boost comfort on your gravel bike if you’re finding the going a bit tough. Another possible upgrade item could be the handlebar. Handlebars can impact how the bike rides from the width and very commonly the flare of the drops. This bit here flared out from the hoods here and the width of the handlebar too. Road bikes tend to have narrow handlebars for aerodynamics and low weight. But when you’re bike packing and adventure riding, a wide handlebar can give you more control, more leverage when riding through the corners, and more space between the drops for your bar bag if you’re going camping and got your sleeping bag just there. These are both from Redshift. And what’s nice about the Redshift handlebars, they come in loads of widths for a starters, but also different heights as well. So, this one has a slight rise, but this one has a much bigger rise. You can see that there. So, if your bike is too low at the front, you want a bit more elevation in your handlebar height, then that could be a good upgrade because yes, if you’re racing, you want nice and low area like a road bike. But if you’re riding gravel for fun, adventuring, bike packing, then a slightly higher front to end can be uh better from a comfort point of view. you’re riding all day, putting less strain on your neck, your shoulders, and your back. And having a higher front end via a handlebar like one of these could be a good step. And you might also want a wider handlebar, too. These come in all sorts of width. This are 44 cm. And you might want more flare or less flare as well. So, while changing the handlebar, taking the bar tape off and the hoods off can be a bit of a job. It’s not the biggest harder job in the world. and a bike shop would do it for you. So, not the easiest and quickest upgrade on your gravel bike, but one way to tune the bike to better suit the riding you’re doing. Those then are the main upgrades I’d recommend considering in the early stages of upgrading or improving or customizing your gravel bike for the riding you’re doing. Other popular upgrades or investments include bags because if you’re riding a long distance, you want more space for carrying snacks and spares and clothing over and above what your jersey pockets can contend with. And one very popular upgrade, most bikes will have two bolts on the top tube. Very common these days. And a bag like this, like a bento bag is quite a common name for it, goes on a top tube either via two bolts or with velcro straps. Then simply opens up. You got all that space in there for gels, flat jacks, hari bow, your mobile phone, battery, power bank, whatever you want to store in there. And it’s easy to access right there in a top tube. Just reach down, grab some stuff. So that’s very popular item to put on your gravel bike, especially if you’re doing a long ride. And going a step further or an alternative is a top tube bag like this from Telin. That’s Apertura Tailin. two very popular brands in the space. Other brands are available of course and this is a top tube bag goes underneath a top tube and a down tube goes there and this has more space than a top tube bag can be used in combination with and have both together or one or either. And this is has loads of space. You put clothing in there. You put your spare tools and other parts in there in the tubes and stuff like that. More food as well. And on this side you have a a sleeve for your smartphone and other bits and bobs. And this simply straps to the frame with these cripply straps. So yeah, very easy. These are available in all sizes to fit all bikes. These come in small, large, and bigger. These come in different sizes. Telephin actually let you measure the top tube and choose the size you need. So, these are very popular upgrades for your gravel bike for riding long distance, your bike packing or you just want more space for food cuz who doesn’t get hungry on a bike ride? I know I do. So, yeah, those are definitely worth considering. And those then I think are some of the the main things I would consider looking to invest in to customize or upgrade or better tailor your bike for the riding you’re doing. And what you go for depends on what you’re doing. The racing focus is another kettle of fish indeed. I’m more about us regular riders riding for fun, enjoyment. We’re bike packing. It’s less about racing, average speeds, FTPs, more about riding for fun and experiencing new landscapes and just amazing ability. The bike is taking you wherever you want. And that’s why gravel bikes are so good. You ride everywhere over any terrain. And these products will help you do that. give you the bike to deliver you that performance and capability to allow you to go anywhere. I’ll put links to all these products down below if you want to find out more about them. None of these brands have sponsors this video. Totally impartial, just based on my own experience of testing products for many, many years. And do let me know what are your favorite upgrades or products for your gravel bike by dropping a comment down below. But that is all for today. Thank you so much for watching. I’ll see you again very soon.