While a new bike is great, for many of us upgrading regularly is out of the question. But there are ways to make a meaningful difference to your riding – whether it be pinning a number on at a cross country event or getting the most out of the local secret trails on your long-travel bike.
We assembled our dedicated AMB crew and picked their brains as to what they think is the most meaningful mountain bike upgrades in order to increase the quality of your ride-time.
Upgrade your suspension
Rider: Ella Bloor | one of Australia’s speediest gravel and cross country riders and X Factor columnist at AMB.
Best mountain bike upgrade: Suspension
Favourite option: RockShox Flight attendant
“Quality suspension is one of the biggest upgrades you can make to your riding experience because it directly affects comfort, control, traction and efficiency. Good suspension smooths out trail chatter, keeps your tyres tracking the ground, and lets you carry more speed with less fatigue – which I appreciate over XC or long marathon days!
“I’m now running RockShox Flight Attendant, which essentially uses algorithms and machine learning to read the terrain and automatically adjust your suspension in real time. For me, it’s one less thing to think about. For me, the switch to RockShox Flight Attendant has made riding feel more intuitive, more consistent and inherently more enjoyable. On the other end of the spectrum, servicing your existing suspension could really revitalise your current setup and improve your bike’s efficiency and feel on the trail.”
Upgrade your tyres
Rider: AB | AMB Editor
Best Mountain Bike Upgrade: Tyres
Favourite Option: Too many to pick just one, head to our trail and tyre group test for the best options on the trail, and grab Issue #215 (on shelves now!) for the best cross country options!
“To be completely honest, when it comes to upgrades I am not a big tinkerer. I am far more of a ‘set and forget’ type of rider. But when it comes to dialling a bike’s capability up and down, or increasing speed and climbing capacity, you simply can’t surpass tyres as perhaps the most impactful component choice out there.
“I don’t want to undertake extensive tyre testing myself, so I leave that up my amazing AMB tyre test crew to get deep in the weeds on siping, TPI, chemical vs mechanical grip and rolling resistance. Using the trail and enduro tyre test, and the newly released cross country tyre group test, I have made some meaningful changes to both my cross country and enduro setup that has made a notable difference on the trail.
“Swapping across to a Maxxis Rekon Race/Aspen combination from my age-old Maxxis Ardent Race/Ikon combo, I’ve noted minimal decrease in descending grip with a large decrease in (perceived) rolling resistance.
“Likewise, moving across to Pirelli Scorpion XC M on my do-it-all hardtail has resulted in a lightweight but sturdy feel with more trail-ready performance. On the enduro bike, I am rolling the tried and tested Maxxis Assegai/Minion DHR combo, but will be swapping across to the Continental Kryptotal after they wear on the slopes of Thredbo”
Upgrade your skills
Rider: Ryan Walsch | One of AMB’s Canberra Collective, radical reviewer and workshop wizard
Best Mountain Bike Upgrade: Skills Coaching
Favourite Option: Ideally an in person skills session with a coach!
“Working with a good coach is one of the best ways to get more value from your time on the trail. If you don’t have access to an in-person coach, sessioning features with a mate who can video you doing it can also be extremely effective, just using the phone in your pocket. Compare your styles – what worked, what didn’t, where was your body over the bike?
“Following on from skills and body positions, making sure your suspension is regularly serviced and setup correctly has so much to do with correct body position.”
Check out our skills articles here.
Upgrade your brakes
Rider: Big Dos (Hayden Wright) | AMB tester bringing all the big engineering vibes
Best Mountain Bike Upgrade: Brake pads, rotors and a bleed
Favourite option: Galfer Pro pads and Galfer Disc Shark Rotors
“Being able to stop is just as important as being able to go. In my experience, few other bolt on upgrades have the value to performance ratio of improving your braking system. Often, a fresh set of pads (and rotors) along with a quick bleed and piston massage can do wonders to your stoppers.
“A powerful, reliable braking system will have your confidence soaring as you push your limits in a safe and controlled manner. You can brake later, harder and with more confidence – what’s not to love!”
Upgrade your grips
Rider: Adam Kelsall | AMB’s Fitness Guru and Supercoach
Best Mountain Bike Upgrade: Contact points (Check out AMB’s Grip Group test!)
“So often bikes come with seats that don’t actually fit our butts and grips that are too hard. We are only connected to our bikes in a few spots but these contact points have so much influence on riding control and comfort, so it’s worth getting them dialled.
“Grips aren’t that expensive so buy lots until you find the ones you love the most. Having the wrong seat is a big pain in the arse! Thankfully a lot of bike shops can now measure your bum so getting in the ballpark of the right size seat for you is easier, from there it is expensive but(t) trialling lots of seats till you get the right one is worth it and once you find it ride it till you die!
“Don’t forget pedals – thankfully most of us buy new pedals with every new bike (yeah?) so that bit’s sorted. If you don’t, it’s a good place to start!”
Upgrade your bike position
Rider: Kath Bicknell | AMB’s resident PhD and Mind, Body, Bike columnist
Best Mountain Bike Upgrade: Professional bike fit
Favourite option: Anthony Challinor, Velofix, Sydney. Stewart Morton at Riderfit, Geelong. Or ask around in your local community for a well-recommended fitter.
“Save hours of time lost to hype, experimentation and injuries and set your bike up for your body, your riding style and your goals from the get go. A professional bike fit will up your confidence and control, and likely save you more money than you pay by cutting back on physio bills and helping you choose the right products first time, not seventh time. I also echo everyone else in custom awesominating your suspension, brakes, tyre choices and skills!”
