What was your most effective commuter bike upgrade?

Wooliferkins

Clothing

Windproof clothing in general but longs in the winter transformed my commute.

mudcovered

I would have to say brake pads. Actually got the braking performance of the canti brakes on my Jake up so that they worked as well as the Hope hydraulic disks on my MTB.

Hooray for Kool-stop dual compound pads. As a plus they dot get ground away by the mud anything like as quick as the original pads did. <400miles for a set of front pads! :shock:

Mike

MrChuck

bluesacs wrote:

Moving closer to the office.

Panniers made a big difference on my longer commute of a few years back. Also the right clothing is worth a lot.

FyPunK

Decided on pedals, never had spd's before and was amazed the difference they made when clipped in, it was a close call between them and tyres, changing the stock 700x37c conti contacts for 700x28c conti sports has also made a massive difference.

jedster

I commuted on my Pinarello this morning so it counts!

did your felloow SCR combatants raise their games?

il_principe

jedster wrote:

I commuted on my Pinarello this morning so it counts!

did your felloow SCR combatants raise their games?

I was pootling to Condor for a service, knowing I then faced a tube journey and trying not to sweat. Still one bloke on hybrid tried to give it some and I got some odd looks at lights! It's fcuking hard to ride that bike slowly.

prawny

I haven't had chance to upgrade anything yet. My big seat pack has been good though my rucksack males my back ache on the raodie.

Binned my raceblade style guards last night, I had to stop 7 times in total yesterday to stop them rubbing. I've had enough :evil:

Any one got any ideas for good clip on mudguards that don't shift and rub on the tyre?

jonginge

prawny wrote:

I haven't had chance to upgrade anything yet. My big seat pack has been good though my rucksack males my back ache on the raodie.

Binned my raceblade style guards last night, I had to stop 7 times in total yesterday to stop them rubbing. I've had enough :evil:

Any one got any ideas for good clip on mudguards that don't shift and rub on the tyre?

er raceblades. Mine work fine. Got the frame stickers on? Done the rubber fasteners as tight as they'll go? If so on the latter you could fashion your own shims...

prawny

JonGinge wrote:

prawny wrote:

I haven't had chance to upgrade anything yet. My big seat pack has been good though my rucksack males my back ache on the raodie.

Binned my raceblade style guards last night, I had to stop 7 times in total yesterday to stop them rubbing. I've had enough :evil:

Any one got any ideas for good clip on mudguards that don't shift and rub on the tyre?

er raceblades. Mine work fine. Got the frame stickers on? Done the rubber fasteners as tight as they'll go? If so on the latter you could fashion your own shims...

Mine are tortec razor guards, they've been a bit cack. I might have to give raceblades a go, the wife won't let me have an audax bike, what a cow :evil:

jonginge

prawny wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

prawny wrote:

I haven't had chance to upgrade anything yet. My big seat pack has been good though my rucksack males my back ache on the raodie.

Binned my raceblade style guards last night, I had to stop 7 times in total yesterday to stop them rubbing. I've had enough :evil:

Any one got any ideas for good clip on mudguards that don't shift and rub on the tyre?

er raceblades. Mine work fine. Got the frame stickers on? Done the rubber fasteners as tight as they'll go? If so on the latter you could fashion your own shims...

Mine are tortec razor guards, they've been a bit cack. I might have to give raceblades a go, the wife won't let me have an audax bike, what a cow :evil:

Ah, right. My raceblades slipped a bit at first but then I MTFU and stretched the fasteners to the next notch. Now is good Make sure you put the frame protection stickers on!

DonDaddyD

I don't bother with race blades. Not really bothered about road spray on myself and if it hits others they shouldn't be that close to me in the first place.

jonginge

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't bother with race blades. Not really bothered about road spray on myself and if it hits others they should be that close to me in the first place.

Bollocks, frankly: road spray can easily go 15metres off roadie tyres.

Do as you will

Deadeye Duck

raceblades would be ok on carbon yeah? Got carbon forks and stays and don't really want to mess it up.

jonginge

Deadeye Duck wrote:

raceblades would be ok on carbon yeah? Got carbon forks and stays and don't really want to mess it up.

Should be. If you're worried then go above and beyond when taping where the blade will be fastened. Mine are only on my steel commuter hack, though

Jay dubbleU

Tyres - from Maxxis Detonators to Marathons

Bags - tried back pack - sweaty back, panniers - unbalanced the bike, courier bag - excellent

jedster

Bollocks, frankly: road spray can easily go 15metres off roadie tyres.

Do as you will

agree with both points!

I don't think being a guard refusnik is a big crime but it's a bit like driving a huge 4x4*, a little selfish.

But we're all a bit selfish form time to time.

J

DonDaddyD

jedster wrote:

Bollocks, frankly: road spray can easily go 15metres off roadie tyres.

Do as you will

agree with both points!

I don't think being a guard refusnik is a big crime but it's a bit like driving a huge 4x4*, a little selfish.

But we're all a bit selfish form time to time.

J

I didn't know that road spray could go that far. Still isn't enough for me to want raceblades, but I can see the benefit of them.

Bassjunkieuk

JonGinge wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't bother with race blades. Not really bothered about road spray on myself and if it hits others they should be that close to me in the first place.

Bollocks, frankly: road spray can easily go 15metres off roadie tyres.

Do as you will

That's only a problem if your behind him, you have seen DDD ride haven't you ;-)

I put my vote for tyres as on a price vs. gains I think they are probably one of the best value upgrades. My original Michelin Dynamics where OK and then I switched to SM+'s which where great for puncture resistance but bl00dy heavy! My next tyre upgrade came at the same time as a new set of wheels so I can't say exactly how much of the improvement was down to the tyres (Gator Skins) or the wheels (Aksiums) but either way I am very impressed with my ol' SCR 3.0 now :-)

Agent57

DonDaddyD wrote:

I didn't know that road spray could go that far.

I'm not sure it would actually carry that far, really, but once you reckon in the fact that the following cyclist will be cycling into the space you've just passed, the effective distance is probably shorter.

I'm not bright enough to work out the reality of this hypothesis, mind.

amnezia

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I put other as the best upgrade was a new bike. I've changed the pedals, tyres, added mudguards, and a rack to it - but really the best thing was the new bike

i think the best upgrade for me is probably a new rider. :?

singlespeedexplosif

I don't think being a guard refusnik is a big crime but it's a bit like driving a huge 4x4*, a little selfish.

I don't think it is at all. If you don't want to get any water on you when you're cycling, don't ride when it's raining or the roads are wet. And certainly don't go near any cars.
It's more selfish expecting someone to put something useless on their bike just because you think it should be there...

jonginge

Agent57 wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I didn't know that road spray could go that far.

I'm not sure it would actually carry that far, really, but once you reckon in the fact that the following cyclist will be cycling into the space you've just passed, the effective distance is probably shorter.

I'm not bright enough to work out the reality of this hypothesis, mind.

When you're wearing a white jersey it can travel for miles and miles

I'm no 'guards nazi, was just pointing out you don't have to be that close to someone to be covered by their spray (and sometimes traffic is such that you can't easily get out of their spray zone). It's pretty low down on my annoyance radar

biondino

JonGinge wrote:

I'm no 'guards nazi,

Oh yeah? I unearthed this photo of you and your trademark flowing locks:

moonio

My ebike is a monster and my fitness levels are currently above those of the bike so I'm feeling it dragging a bit.
So before I buy my new bike in September I've replaced the tyres..they are sooo much better now, faster and more puncture resistant, but they are also heavier.
I had my brakes looked at, turned out there wasnt enough pull coming from the levers so I had some circular spring things fitted and this seems to have sorted the problem.
New suspension seat post for smoooth riding over Sth Londons pot holes.
I had fitted a new disc brake (an AVid BB7 or something) but I actutally find disc breaks to be more trouble than they are worth and would love to have normal brakes, just my forks dont have the right holes apparently.
Other things I would love.
A lighter frame
Bigger wheels
A faster more responsive bike.

Feltup

Fenix L2D front light which allowed me to cycle at speed along the unlit lanes around here with out fear of falling in to a ditch or hitting potholes. My commute av speed in the dark rose by a few miles an hour because I could see where I was going.

jedster

It's more selfish expecting someone to put something useless on their bike just because you think it should be there...

WHo said I expected people to put guards on? Like I said, it's a personal decision. I'd have to be pretty idiotic to EXPECT people do something that lots of people clearly don't do :roll:

In any case - "useless"? That's pretty idiotic. They do have a use, they keep spray off the rider, the bike and other road users. That man not be important to you. Fair enough. But they clearly are functional, they have use.

I think it's just like driving a 4x4. I'm don't believe that people should be stopped from driving big SUV's but I do think the choice to drive one around London is a little selfish given the impact they have on other road users visibility, needless high kinetic energy in crashes, poorer stopping distance, poor view of children near to the SUV, etc. But again, I repeat, it's a personal choice.

J

Roastie

jedster wrote:

... but the single best upgrade to my commuter has been using a dynohub front wheel and B&M LED lights.

This is what I am planning next.

Roastie

I've never really considered having 'guards as a consideration thing (tho' I see the argument).

I just see my everyday bike as just that, something I ride every day. My bike is my first resort for personal transport, irrespective of weather. The last thing I want to have to do is dress like a condom just to go anywhere if the weather looks iffy just because otherwise my bike will spray me in my normal clothes with muck. Just a matter of practicality for me.

snailracer

When I ride my bike in the rain, the water thrown off my front tyre gets funnelled by the mudguard so it looks like I am squirting a massive streak of piss ahead of the bike :twisted: This looks especially good when I have my front light on.