How can I upgrade my mountain bike? Top 10 upgrades

Published on 15 August 2024

The recent exploits of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot at the Olympics have inspired you to upgrade your MTB? We feel the same! Indeed, improving your mountain bike can transform your rides, making your machine more efficient, more comfortable, and better suited to your riding style. Rather than spending a fortune on a brand-new model, why not invest in a few strategic upgrades? However, before you reach for your wallet, ride enough to identify the components that are limiting your performance and assess if your bike is worth upgrading. If the base model is outdated, it's hard to perform well. But if your bike has potential, then here are 10 upgrades that will improve your MTB. Incorporating some of these improvements into your equipment can increase your speed, safety, and most importantly, your enjoyment on the trails.

Better quality tyres

This is certainly the most important of all upgrades. The original tyres are not always the best and sometimes it is essential to change them to suit your riding style. So, don't try to save money on them. For those seeking performance, tyres are the most cost-effective upgrade for any bike. If you're looking to push your limits downhill, a more aggressive tread pattern, combined with a grippier rubber compound and stronger casing, will allow you to tackle anything with confidence. For easy climbing and excellent sprinting, a tyre with low rolling resistance, minimal tread pattern, and a lightweight casing will be your best asset.

Not everyone may agree, but our favourite is the Maxxis tyres like the Ardent Race 29 x 2.20, which stand out for their versatility. However, there are many excellent tyres out there, so it's up to you to find the brand, tread patterns, and widths that best suit your riding style and the trails you typically ride.

Carbon wheels

Wheels have a huge impact on the dynamism of your bike. Aluminium ones can be more robust and have better hubs than basic stock wheels. As for carbon wheels, they are lighter, which helps with climbing tough hills. They are also stiffer laterally, which is very pleasant during accelerations, corner exits, or quick direction changes. They remain straighter and therefore require less, if any, adjustment, even after intensive use.

However, the downside is the cost. Carbon wheels can be as expensive as top-of-the-line suspension.

Good suspension to improve your MTB

Speaking of which! This is where upgrades get costly, but if you really want to transform your MTB and optimise its performance, suspension is the best option. High-end forks and shocks have better springs and dampers, offering better comfort and more consistency in tough conditions. Upgrading your suspension also allows you to play with the travel and handling characteristics of your bike. You can opt for a stiffer fork to tackle the steepest and toughest descents. You can also lighten your bike to make it a cross-country weapon.

For most riders, the fork is the first component to upgrade as it has the greatest impact on control, comfort, and confidence. High-end RockShox and FOX forks are the most popular. For rear shocks, the main question for most trail and enduro riders is whether they prefer an air shock or a coil shock.

Small equipment to improve comfort

Opt for good pedals

Bikes are often equipped with leisure pedals. Opt for flat aluminium or composite pedals to reduce weight, or choose clipless pedals if you want to improve foot retention and power transfer to the crank.

Adopt a dropper seatpost

In terms of pure performance, you will gain a bit on sections with long climbs. Mostly, you won't need to constantly adjust your bike with an Allen key anymore. No more pauses at the top of descents and bottom of climbs!

When choosing your dropper post, make sure to get the right diameter and check that the total length fits properly into your frame (the seat tube can sometimes be bent on some frames). Finally, choose enough travel to be well-seated while pedalling.

Choose suitable MTB grips

Are your hands numb, sore, or tired? Opt for grips that are wide enough, with a good grip and most importantly, that do not slip. This will improve your comfort and control, especially during tough moments or long adventures. Also, consider choosing the diameter according to your hand size to optimise comfort and grip.

Here are two models that are often highly recommended by mountain bikers:

• ODI Elite Pros: their raised and padded pattern dampens vibrations from rough trails without adding too much thickness. Ideal for cross-country and trail.
• DMR Deathgrip: these grips are extremely grippy, requiring less force to hold the handlebars. The ribbed section for the thumb is ideal if you experience pain or blisters on descents.

A suitable cockpit

As you gain experience, you can start adjusting your cockpit and riding position. The ideal is to find the stem and handlebars that suit you to feel perfectly comfortable. A plus for carbon handlebars that absorb vibrations for comfort or conversely ultra-stiff for more precision in steering.

Tyre inserts to gain confidence

Inserts are closed-cell foam rings placed inside tubeless tyres. They protect the rim from impacts, provide additional cushioning on rough terrain, and allow you to ride at lower tyre pressures, increasing grip and comfort. Although they add a bit of weight, the benefits they offer are numerous.

Although heavier than most other inserts, CushCore models are perfect for the protection and support they provide. Thanks to them, you can ride with extremely low pressures, which will boost your confidence on rough trails.

Good braking power

Those who ride in the mountains with steep descents know this well, brakes are heavily stressed. Entry-level dual-piston models tend to heat up quickly and show signs of inconsistency during long descents. They are also less powerful and less precise than high-end brakes. Furthermore, the size and quality of the discs influence the power and endurance of your braking.

We recommend a pair of Hope Tech 3 E4 4-piston brakes for their reliability, excellent modulation, and of course, their aesthetics. And since the disc plays a crucial role in braking, a 200 mm floating Hope disc will replace the original 180 mm disc at the front.

A chain guide/bash guard

If you ride on rough and technical trails, adding a chain guide is a cost-effective insurance against chain drop. It doesn't add much weight, and if your bike is equipped with ISCG05 mounts (3 bolts around the crank behind the chainring), there's no reason not to install one.

Dropping your chain is already annoying, but a bent chainring or a broken chain link can really ruin your ride. For truly tough conditions, a bash guard is essential. Not only will it protect your chainring and chain from impacts, but it will also prevent your bike from catching on rocks and logs. This can save you from some serious accidents.

A good GPS for autonomous riding

Mounting your smartphone on the handlebars can lead to complications. If you use Strava (or another route tracking app), investing in a dedicated GPS device can significantly improve your experience. More accurate, it also provides other useful and interesting data that you can check on the go.

Any GPS unit will do, but for MTB, consider the Garmin Edge 130, which is compact and simple. Not only is it affordable (so less costly to replace in case of a crash), but it also offers long battery life and numerous features.

A drivetrain to upgrade your MTB

Most riders don't necessarily need an electric derailleur. However, it does add comfort. Shifting is faster, more consistent, and effortless. Furthermore, they are more reliable in rainy and muddy conditions.

If you have a SRAM Eagle drivetrain, it is very easy to switch to a wireless electric setup with an AXS upgrade kit. This kit includes the derailleur, shifter, battery, and charger. Installation takes only a few minutes and you instantly benefit from the speed and reliability of electric derailleurs, as well as a cleaner cockpit thanks to fewer cables.

So, we've summarised the 10 upgrades that we believe are essential to improving your MTB. Of course, this list is not exhaustive. It is with time, practice, and experience that you will know what is good to change or not. And don't forget, if your model is too old and it’s unfortunately no longer possible to make it a racing horse, you will surely find a favourite model on our site.