Boost Your Pedal Power: Practical DIY Bicycle Upgrades

Suggestions for a safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable ride

The best upgrades for your bike will depend on how and when you plan to ride it. Eugene Onischenko/Shutterstock

Your bike, whether a brand-new mountain bike or a road bike you’ve had and enjoyed for 20 years, probably works fine as-is. But with a few tweaks, you can get more enjoyment and use from it.

A bicycle is a pretty basic piece of machinery, assuming you ride a pedal-powered model versus an e-bike. It has two or maybe three wheels, a seat, handlebars, and two pedals. What parts should be considered for an upgrade?

Handlebar tape ensures a secure grip and helps absorb vibrations. Algirdas Gelazius/Shutterstock

Handling It Well

The goal is overall improvement, and while tires and other parts will be addressed, it all starts with the handlebars. Used the entire time the bike is used, a firm grip here provides safe control. For maximum safety, the entire handlebar surface area on most bikes with drop-style handlebars should be wrapped to allow the rider to place their hands in a variety of locations while underway.

Look for tape that not only ensures a secure grip, but also absorbs vibrations. If the existing tape is loose or missing in places, it should definitely be replaced prior to the next ride.

Replacing this tape is easy, even for first-timers, with many how-to videos available online. For those riding mountain bikes, replacing the original grips with padded grips textured to provide a very secure grip is a very easy DIY upgrade. On a related note, to help mitigate tingling or numb hands after a long ride, consider wearing padded riding gloves.

Replacing the seat is one of the easiest DIY bike upgrades. frantic00/Shutterstock

Ride in Style

Another area of the bike with which the rider has virtually constant contact yet is most often overlooked is the seat. The seats that come on most bikes from the factory might look good but are rarely comfortable, making a wider seat, AKA the saddle, worth considering, particularly on bikes that are frequently ridden long distances.

Some seats designed for maximum comfort feature a layer of jolt-absorbing gel combined with a central, pressure-eliminating channel. A design that is wide at the rear and narrows going forward allows efficient pedaling. A comfortable seat allows the rider to focus on the road or path and not be distracted by soreness experienced while riding over gravel or other uneven surfaces.

Replacing a seat is one of the easiest DIY bicycle upgrades. The seat post can also be replaced with one taller or shorter to better fit the rider.

Swap out your tires for ones that are the most appropriate for the terrain you ride on. DarwelShots/Shutterstock

Tires Ready to Travel

Tires are next on the list for possible upgrades. If they are worn, there’s no question it’s time to replace them, but even if they still look OK, consider swapping them out for a set that might be more appropriate for how and where the bike is ridden. As the point of contact with the road, bikes rely on tires to provide traction and absorb vibration.

Mountain bikes ridden off-road on gravel, dirt, mud, or other challenging surfaces need tires that ensure a good grip at all times. Road bike tires need to be up to the challenge of wet streets, patches of sand, and potholes. Recreational bike tires can be found in both tubular and tubeless styles.

The goal is to choose tires that are appropriate for the surface on which the bike is ridden; as an example, many mountain bikes are never ridden off the street, making it a good idea to replace the standard off-road tires with a set better suited to grip pavement, especially when it is wet. On the other hand, mountain bikes that see a lot of off-road use will be safer and more efficient at converting each rotation of the pedals into forward motion if they are equipped with aggressive, dirt-grabbing knobby tires.

DIY tire replacement is fairly easy for the mechanically inclined and requires only a few easily obtained specialized tools. This skill comes in handy if the tube on a bicycle tire becomes punctured. For bikes not equipped with tubeless tires, knowing how to replace or repair a bicycle tube is a very practical and money-saving skill. Just as is the case with a vehicle, proper bike tire inflation is important, making an inflator and a tire pressure gauge worthwhile investments.

Also add a tire valve tool to the kit; these are used to make sure the tire valve is properly seated and thus not causing a leak that could lead to dangerously underinflated or flat tires. All three of these tools can be used on vehicle tires, too.

A rear-mounted red strobing is a potentially life-saving upgrade. Akira Kaelyn/Shutterstock

Other Tips

Equipping a bike that is ridden during late afternoon or evening hours with both a headlamp and a rear light is a potentially life-saving upgrade. Under low-light conditions, people driving vehicles approaching a bicycle from behind or up ahead may find it difficult to see the bike unless it has a strobing rear light and a bright headlamp. A headlight also makes it easier for the rider to choose a safe path.

There are many other possible upgrades, so keep an eye out for Part 2.

At a Glance: Two Wheels Made Better

How to improve your bike.

Get a Grip

If the tires are worn and slip on wet roads, install new ones right away. Also, consider upgrading the handlebar tape and/or grips for better control while underway.

Have a Seat

Most OEM bike seats are fairly uncomfortable, so consider installing a wider, gel-lined model.

Bright Idea

If your bike isn’t equipped with at least a rear-mounted red strobing light, install one ASAP. These can literally be a lifesaving upgrade, as they allow drivers to more easily see and thus avoid the bike.