What is it that most improved your biking ?

.blitz

Maybe it was a component or some clothing, a new route or a lifestyle change. Or even a new bike

For me it was clipless pedals, but what made the biggest improvement to your biking ?

xtreem

My new hardtail. But I need new flat pedals. SPD's no way.
Used to have cheap steel fs.

-liam-

Just general fitness level tbh. I'm still a big chap. Was 18 and a half stone at the end of march, now sit at around 15 stone but I can keep up with and leave smaller/thinner/younger riders these days.

cee

time in the saddle. there is no substitute for it.

simplesimoncardiff

cee wrote:

time in the saddle. there is no substitute for it.

Same here.

rossgalway

spd's and lycra shorts!

ratty2k

Riding natural trails in the Dark Peak. Teaches you loads about getting over the back of the bike, when and when not to use brakes. Also made me a lot braver, what I used to think of a sketchy at trail centers now seems like smoooth trail.

Chaka Ping

A week's riding in Spain this year, for pretty much the same reason as Ratty said above.

Willrideforcake

Riding with other people better than me. Also, spending a week in Les Gets on a hardtail - my line choices have become much better...

benneally

my first bike, my imaginary bike wasnt very effective

allthegearnoidea

coupe of things for me,
mainly riding with a lot better riders than myself, in a kinda forced method of improvement!! you watch where they go and see why etc! helps a lot!!
spd's have helped a lot too!
and padded shorts for a less painful backside!!

Milkie

Fitness for me... Increased strength and stamina.

Elbow & Knee pads have also helped me go faster, more confident now.

FSR_XC

Realising that practice & overall fitness was far more important than saving a couple of grams on the bike.

That & my aerodynamic bottle cage.

zero303

For me it was upping my fitness big time - I've ridden for years and will unashamedly say I'm fairly handy on a bike but my appalling fitness levels meant I could never really unleash my ability to ride a bike effectively.

In addition, joining a club, riding with better riders, going to SPDs and going full-suss...

Before anyone jumps in on the full-suss thing - I've added it because it gives you a lot of feedback when you learning to use your weight to manipulate the bike - learning to pump, lift, compress, berm etc can be easier to perfect because you can feel your actions directly in the suspension. I'll still happily wring a HT's neck down the same trail though...

carlosthejackal

Fitness. It's all well and good having all that muscle from lifting weights, but without the engine, the machine don't really work so well...

supersonic

Fitness, not lugging round more bike than I need, and front suss.

whyamihere

A road bike.

singlespeedexplosif

Employing a coach.

Papa Smurf

On my hardtail my fork upgrade helped me improve alot, because where it was more capable, I felt more capable and done harder stuff which normally I wouldn't even think of doing.
Riding with other riders has taught me no end of stuff, not only about bikes, but riding in general.
Buying a full suss has helped in it's own way, in the sense that I tackle more, go faster and on certain triails feel more 'involved'

But most of all, fitness.. Being able to go and go and go and..... go...

Pag5pro

Best upgrade for the bike has to be SPD's all the way.
Fitness, stamina and pure determinaton to be quicker.