From what I've seen on this forum its members aren't shy of spending a bob or two on the latest biking kit/bling/fad. 1x10, 2x10, wider bars, shorter stems, tubeless wheels and plusher gold coloured forks that cost the best part of a grand are always getting debated on here
But what pieces of kit have you bought that have genuinely made you a faster rider?
For me its SPDs and a dropper post, both have transformed my riding, far more than anything else I've ever bought
ps,,,you aren't allowed to say 'a session with Jedi'
But what pieces of kit have you bought that have genuinely made you a faster rider?
EPO.
Headphones and music. Droppy seatpost. Good brakes. Good tyres.
A pair of lighter wheels and disk brakes made the biggest difference to me.
The brakes give you the confidence to make use of the faster lighter wheels.
Ask Lance
Prescription riding glasses.
Michelin dry2's spring to mind
Feel confident to lean them over and crank upto speed on them on dryish trails. Not draggy feeling so putting in that extra pedalling effort doesn't feel like its going to be wasted by the next corner, and much more confident feeling to lean into turns unlike my last 70a crossmarks ..
^must also apply to other fast/non draggy but grippy tyres
going 1x9. 34: 11-32. (on the XC bike( No choice but to crank it uphill when they're no more gears left. spinny up top. Not faffing about with the front mech. Just click away and pedal. Not really used for (m)any sustained 'proper' hilly and rough rides however
A 29er and no more cigarettes
[i]Prescription riding glasses[/i]
I concur.
Plus a big bag of gravity.
Strava
I think most things do, tbh. Even if there's not an outright performance advantage, feeling better on your bike makes you trust it more and that's the single most important thing, no? I mean, I'm rational enough to know that titanium brake disc bolts make precisely 0% of ****-all to how my bike rides, but knowing "I've made this lighter than it was" still makes me happier when going up hills.
Some purchases are designed to make me go slower- new hardtail, 1x9 gearing, it'll never be faster down a hill than my big bike and it'll be slower round a long loop than if it had more gears. But it'll be fun.
Brakes you can trust
Really good tyres that are suitable for the conditions ("What tyres for" is a cliche but damn straight I'm faster on sloppy inners enduro trails with Barons on than with Fasttraks!)
Riding glasses, front mudguard- I go faster when I can see.
Lights- because the first year I was riding, I did a ton of night riding and it helped me get better, fast.
Skinsuit, aerobars and a sperm helmet
Tubeless. It doesn't make all that much difference to moving speed, but avoiding stopping to mend punctures easily bumps up the average speed far more than anything else could.
SPD's and new wheels, can I say practice as well?
My 150mm hard tail. Relearnt line choice
Dropper post Smoother riding
Wider bars Better control for me
Bolt through fork more control
Uplift more practice
A session with craig from cyclewise prior to the meva really brought my riding on
A road bike.
^^^^^
this , riding a roadie regularly will drastically increase your fitness/speed .
Bike computer/GPS/stopwatch, anything that lets you compare against previous times and push harder.
Oops double post, stupid Tablet. 🙂
Applying what I learned after a session with Jedi.
With that in mind, perhaps my hope v2 brakes. Easier to go faster when you know you can stop.
Decent clothing which is appropriate to the conditions has made me faster, more comfortable and generally enjoy my riding more.
Suspension.
And powerful, reliable brakes.
Combining two of the above has really increased my off road speed, road bike with strava.
5tens and good pedals (Vaults here) keep me connected in the rough, dropper post supports better efficient climbing and descending and bitey brakes allow you to allow the bike to do more. I think wider bars make it easier to handle the bike at both high and low speeds thanks to the stability and leverage.
Strava+1, it gets the wind in my sails.
That being said, learning when to apply technique can instantly out trump a bike upgrade. If you're looking in the wrong place, comfort braking and don't move around with/against the bike you could be on £5k worth of bike going nowhere fast.
The monsters that lurk in the woods after dark.
[quote=neilsonwheels]A road bike.
^^ this ^^
Garmin Edge 200 and a virtual partner.
My club jersey.
A shorter stem to make ridign on the drops more comfortable
29er ,easily.
Nothing other than getting out and riding, noticeable loss of speed when I don't ride for a week or so.
trainning for an event I wanted to finish
26" wheels, narrow bars, inner tubes, normal seatpost and SPDs.
a heart that functions correctly. 😀
Jedi.
b45her - Member
^^^^^this , riding a roadie regularly will drastically increase your fitness/speed .
This, and a garmin. But also, going Singlespeed.
beer
my full sus, as cliché as it is I definitely ride faster now I've ditched the hardtail.
b45her - Member
^^^^^this , riding a roadie regularly will drastically increase your fitness/speed .
This, and a garmin. But also, going Singlespeed.
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Are these seen as 'latest' things? Just thinking of all those 1x9, 28" Azonic bars, 60mm stubbies on hardtails 15 years ago )1x10, 2x10, wider bars, shorter stems,
What has made me faster - a road bike, some books and other people#s experiences that inspire me to push on more, WTB saddles that mean I can be on the bike as long as I can pedal and still be comfy, basically anything that helps me ride more and thf get fitter.
Tyres, brakes etc, unless you have junk ones to start with I doubt many of use were really pushing the previous models limits. It's more about perception and confidence perhaps, ie the ability was there already.. take the credit yourself.
Entering events
Not directly but they typically force me to train harder, push my limits a bit more and therefore get faster.
No spending of money can come close to compensating for some hard work and dropping a bit of weight. (Don't tell my wife that though :-))
In terms of kit. Tyres undoubtedly make the biggest difference in speed but beyond that the new Shimano brakes really boosted confidence. Only realised how much when I got the HT out a few weeks back with 5 year old hopes.
A Camelbak, in the cupboard instead of on my back.
Take less crap out, 750ml bottle on the bike, tools tube and lightweight jacket in a seat bag. Way better than riding with a rucksack. (Still do use it when riding alone in wilder spots, got to be safe)
Anything and everything
It's not often I buy stuff for vanity. So everythign from stiffer stem's to grippier tyres is either to make riding better in some way and therefore longer or faster rides.
Brakes - I had no confidence in my old ones
Stem - old one wasn't stiff enough, had a cheep temporary one that weighed ~300g so spashed out on a lighter one but it was still an upgrade from the original.
Dropper post - see the forum ad nauseum
Tyres - self explanatory
FS bike - self explanatory
new wheels - well the old ones weren't round
forks - stiffer and better damped = more grip + more confidence = faster
It's a hobby, I don't begrudge people who spend more money than me on it. Similarly I can't look down on people riding cheeper bikes as a) I've been there and didn't enjoy cycing any less than I do now (it was just more fustrating and sometimes harder work) b) I've a rigid SS so know that it's not about the kit!
Next upgrades - some coaching to iron out bad habits and I can't decide whther I want stiffer wheels on the road bike. either will cost significantly more than my first MTB!
Michelin dry2s! Thought they were great until I woke up on Walna scar road with a broken wrist and bruised ribs. Not trusted since.
Fast = non sticky tires, paying for kevlar bead, good bearings, light wheels, knee pads, practice and riding with people who are faster than you
A "big fat rocket powered" bike made me a few mph quicker...
DrP
1. Learning some new skills via books, videos and a skills day.
2. Riding regularly with people who are faster than me.
3. Getting into night-riding.
4. 29" wheels 😉