Here we go again with yet another bike upgrade blog. This time it's going to be relatively serious. There are two major components that I am prioritizing for upgrades.
Wheels. Someone pointed out that my tires are cracked, and indeed they are. They aren't even two years old. I also figured out that the reason why I was getting dry sealant in some of the ridges of the tire is probably because it seeped out from somewhere.
With this in mind I realize I should probably get a new set of tires, maybe from a physical bike shop instead of the online bike shop I got my tires from. Before I go any further this isn't an indictment of the bike shop I got my tires from. I think they're a good store, it's just that it's probably better to just go to a physical store so I can see all possible options and ask about the tires.
I've also decided to get narrower tires, ranging from 32mm to 35mm instead of my current 38mm. Why? Fenders/mudguards primarily. I've also read that narrower tires has less rolling resistance meaning it will be easier to move the bike. Plus this would give slightly better clearance on my bike frame and fork.
Aside from the tires I think it would also be a good idea to upgrade the rims itself. I did say the wheels are one of my priority, so rims and hubs are also part of that. Tubeless ready rims paired with hubs that have TA and QR adapters would be great. This also gives me a chance to get lighter overall wheels. The rims I have right now are just QR.
I'm not targeting any specific brands at the moment for the tires, rims, and hubs. I've been looking around but if I were to pick a high priority among them it would be the tires first.
Brakes. I have no idea why my rear brakes feel so weak. One theory I have is because my hybrid calipers have long throws and I use drop bars. The Avid BB7 has a post mount caliper that is specifically built for road bike brake levers. I really want to try this on my bike and see if it really improves braking.
So why did I choose to prioritize both? Safety. You need great wheels to grip the road and even greater brakes to stop yourself. I could have the lightest seat post, most bad-ass flared drop bar, and most amazing mechanical (because I'm really not a big believer in wireless) groupset but if the tires have poor grip and the brakes can't stop you then it's pointless.
Out.
