Four ways to make your bike feel like a brand new whip
Summer, we can all agree, is the best time to ride a bike, and it's all the more fun when it feels like new — lighter and smoother than when you last took it to battle on the Tarmac.
Here's how to take your favourite bike and give it a summer make-over without performing any major surgery.
The Cockpit
When it comes to your ride, your hands do a lot of the work, and refreshing the contact points is the simplest way to make your bike feel like a whole new machine. The important thing here is not to scrimp on tape. Don't reach for cork; try performance-focused tape with enhanced grip.
Condor Perforated Handlebar Tape, £11.99
Lizard Skins 3.2mm Tacky Tape, £36.99
Lighten Your Load
You can change the ride feel of your bike by reducing the weight you have to drag uphill. A set of lightweight skewers offer a mega weight saving, and can be installed faster than you can say titanium. Compared with a standard Mavic skewer set, the Ti/carbon offering from Condor sheds 110g grams fast, and has an aero-profiled lever.
Condor Titanium Skewer Set, £31.99
Give it a cleanse
No, not a wash, but actually getting rid of that sticky chain lube, dirt and dust that has built around your drivetrain. This will reduce friction and help everything ride, spin and feel smooth. Set aside thirty minutes to do a decrease and we promise your bike will feel better, then apply a performance, low-friction chain lube.
Muc-Off Chain Device, £29.99
Muc-Off Drivetrain Cleaner (pour into a small bucket, put your chain, cassette and rear derailleur in to soak before rinsing), £17.99
Muc-Off Hydrodynamic Low Friction Chain Lube, £16.00
Resistance is futile
Now that summer is here the best way to up your speed and ride quality is to upgrade the component that makes contact with the ground: your tyres.
All tyres have a TPI rating, which stands for threads per inch (of the tyre casing). Tyres with a low TPI will have thicker threads, which means greater rolling resistance, but makes the tyre more resistant to punctures. Meanwhile, tyres with a high TPI use finer threads for less rolling resistance, lower weight, and better grip when cornering.
Vittoria Corsa Graphene Tyre (320 TPI), £49.99
Hutchinson Fusion 5 Tubeless Tyres, £29.99