No matter how expensive your bike there are always things that can be changed. The more expensive the bike the more expensive the parts will be for it to warrant changing them but maybe you like your bike just as it is and that’s okay too. Upgrading your bike doesn’t just have to be for better performance it can be to make it more personalised to you.
The first things that most people upgrade after buying their bike are the less expensive parts. These are usually the parts which are your point of contact with the bike and that’s the saddle (seat) and the grips. No one likes to ride with an uncomfortable saddle and finding one that works for you can be a challenge as it still needs to be thin enough that you can dance about on that hardtail on the trails or so that when the rear suspension on that full suspension compresses and releases it doesn’t hit you in the thighs. There are plenty of great saddles out there there are adjustable ones that let you adjust the width slightly, longer or shorter ones so on and so forth. Trying to choose a saddle that will be right for you can sometimes be a bit of a hit-and-miss but ask your friends to see if you can try theirs or ask for their recommendations. There are a lot of videos on YouTube that can help guide you as well but also going to a bike shop and talking to them can help too and it also means you can feel how firm or soft the saddle is. I personally run a DMR mountain bike saddle and so does my better half and we both love them they are comfortable but also small enough to give a lot of manoeuvrability when we need to shift body weight on our bikes. I have also seen that a lot of people like the Ergon saddles and there’s a lot of support for these saddles within the MTB community.
Grips are another great thing to change. They are what help you manoeuvre the bike and can be a game changer when you find ones that are the grip pattern and feeling that you like. MTB grips can range from around £10 to hundreds of pounds but you don’t need to spend big money to get some good grips. I would personally recommend dual lock-on grips as they don’t twist or shift on the bars but the single lock-on grips I had eventually started twisting while I was riding a way to stop single lock-on grips twisting is using hair spray or grip glue but this can sometimes make them hard to remove when the grips are worn out. Grips also come in a wide variety of colours and can change the way your bike looks with a simple little change. On my bike, I have the Nukeproof knurled lock on grips they also do another set of these which are still knurled but also include a waffle pattern as well. I find them very comfortable and provide plenty of grip. Another big bonus to the Nukeproof grips is that you can usually find them with an offer (like on chain reaction cycles but not always and the discount on them does change.)
Keeping with the theme of smaller cheaper things you can do to upgrade or personalise your bike there are a couple more things you can do that still won't cost more than £20. If your bike has quick-release axles (skewers) then swapping them for some Allen key ones can help keep your bike safer if you were to lock it up outside a shop as it wouldn't be as easy for someone to steal a wheel off of your bike. You can also buy the Allen key skewers in different colours and can usually get ones to match the accent colour on your bike. If you are unsure of what size to buy then the live chat is always a great way to get the information you need before you commit to a purchase unsure of whether or not it will fit your bike. Tredz stock some halo skewers that come in a variety of colours such as blue, purple, green etc or if you just want to keep it simple and subtle they also sell them in black. These are a great upgrade to the security of your bike. Another great way to personalise your bike is to change the stem top cap. Top caps usually cost around £5 - £10 and come in a wide array of designs and colours just find one that you like or buy one that supports a charity or supports a creator that you like.
Another quick and simple way to add a pop of colour to your bike is by changing the dust caps on your valves it is a simple cheap way to make the bike more personal to yourself and you can get them in loads of colours or designs and there is even a company called Brickcaps that make custom dust caps using Lego heads.
Moving away from the cheaper modifications that you can do to your bike there are other things that you can change or add to your bike.
Handlebars are a great way to improve how the bike handles. There are flat bars and riser bars most handlebars have a slight rise but with new bars, you’ll also be able to fine-tweak the positioning more as the back sweep angle etc will be more than the bars that came on the bike from the factory in most cases.
The Pedals that come with most bikes are okay but the grip pins don’t do a great job of gripping your feet and this can cause your feet to slide off, especially on rough terrain. Changing your pedals can vastly improve the way the bike feels and how you control it. The value of pedals usually starts around £30 for ones with replaceable pins. The cheaper pedals are usually a plastic material and no matter the brand of the pedals there are always reviews that say that they snap after a short period. So If you’re looking to change your pedals but don’t want to spend a lot of money on them just yet maybe wait and save up for a metal pedal, they are more durable and will last a long time. Flat pedals aren’t the only option though there are also clip-less pedals. Clip-less pedals do come with an extra cost however as you need to have clip-less shoes to use them. For anyone that may be wondering clip-less pedals are pedals that your shoes clip into hence the need for special shoes. The type of pedal you use is down to personal preference if you are unsure if you would like riding with your feet clipped to the pedals have a look into them first and see if they would be for you. People have pros and cons to using each type of pedal. There is also another pedal type that is a bit of a hybrid of both. These pedals look like a flat pedals however they have a magnet in the middle of them (again need to be used with specific shoes). Some people may prefer the extra security of the magnetic pedal style as your feet won’t bounce off the pedals when riding. They are also said to be easier to take your feet off of compared to using clip-less pedals.
If the trail you ride has you constantly adjusting the height of your seat then it may be worth looking into getting a dropper post. Dropper posts have a remote lever that goes on the handlebars to allow you to drop and raise the seat without you getting off the bike. There are a lot of things to consider when buying a dropper post, however. The seat tube dimension needs to match your bike. Taking out your seat from the bike should show you what size seat post you have. The number is usually at the bottom of the seat post and will say something like 30.9 mm. The other thing to consider is the length you need, the length refers to the amount the seat post will drop and raise (at full extension). The way to figure this out is to have the seat at the height you have it raised when climbing, with the seat at this height measure the length of the seat post from the top of the seat tube clamp to the bottom of the clamp for the saddle. With this measurement (in millimetres) you can then select the length dropper post that will give you the extension you need the three most common sizes are 100mm, 125mm and 150mm however you can get ones that are longer. If you don’t have holes in the frame for internal cable routing there are dropper posts that allow for the cable to be routed on the outside of the frame and there are always electronically actuated dropper posts but these are rather expensive.
The tyres that are on your bike may be fine but changing your tyres to ones with a different tread pattern can change the way the bike grips on the trail. Depending on the type of trails that you ride depends on what type of tyre you want. There are trail-specific tyres but there are also downhill and enduro tyres. If you’re riding a hard-tail quite aggressively an enduro casing tyre may be the way to go they are a bit heavier but they are a stronger tyre. The tread pattern of the tyre can change how the bike handles massively. This would be something to do a deeper dive into to find the right type of tyre for the riding style you have and what type of riding you do. If you find that you don’t have enough grip, especially in wet conditions a more aggressive tyre would be the way to go. The other main thing when buying a tyre is that it is the right size. The size of the tyre can be found on the sidewall of the tyre that is on your bike and will usually say 27.5 or 29 for the wheel diameter and then there will also be a 2.25 or 2.4 or 2.6 etc which is the width of the tyre. Just make sure that it is the right size for your wheel as if you get the wrong size and width the tyre bead may not seat properly on the rim. Tyre prices can vary a lot depending on the brand and type of tyre but you can usually get a pretty decent tyre for around £40-£80. More commonly seen brands to have a look at would be Michelin, Goodyear, Maxxis, Vittoria, Schwable and WTB.
These are just some examples of how you could upgrade your bike, as always shop around for parts and do your research before committing to purchasing parts.