Ranking The Worst & Best Bike Upgrades - Tier List

Product focus

The video is a ranking tier list of bike upgrades (not a single product). It discusses upgrade categories and whether they’re worth it, with examples spanning tires, carbon parts, chains, wheels, tubes, cockpit changes, drivetrain tech, and speed/comfort components (among others).

Key features: what the “best” upgrades generally do

• Tires (supple/quality tires): biggest impact on ride quality; tire pressure also matters.
• Deep carbon wheels: improves looks and adds an aerodynamic “whoosh” sound (especially 80mm; rim brake models preferred in the video).
• Bar tape: easiest, premium-feel upgrade with good options that don’t necessarily cost much.
• Dropper posts (off-road): transforms handling and confidence on bumpy trails.
• Suspension stems: major comfort improvement for long, rough rides (with a warning about cheap models).
• Clip-on aero bars: improves positioning/body aerodynamics for speed; requires training.
• Proper cockpit fit (bar width/comfort): match handlebar width to shoulder width; also includes comfort-focused seatpost upgrades (e.g., suspension seatposts).
• Disc brakes: boosts “confidence”; hydraulic is “god tier,” while mechanical is “pretty good.”
• Power meter: generally more performance-relevant than many aesthetic upgrades; however, product quality can vary significantly.

Pros (by upgrade)

Supple / quality tires

• Massively affect ride quality (road and off-road)
• “Life’s too short” to ride bad tires
• Race tires can be worth it; tradeoff is more punctures
• Example: Specialized Turbo Cotton (noted as “very cheap” at the time of filming)
• Puncture-proof tires are exceptions for heavy-use cases (e.g., electric cargo bikes / wheelchairs)

Carbon cockpit / finishing kit (bars, stems, seatposts)

• Can save noticeable weight
• Often reduces road buzz / can improve comfort (depending on quality)
• Downside: expensive and usually not “life-changing”

Fancy / fast chain (premium coated chain)

• Claimed small gain (e.g., “maybe three watts”)
• Criticism: gains can disappear once the chain wears or gets dirty
• Suggestion: use a clean “normal chain” for race day rather than relying on premium coatings

3D-printed saddles

• If designed well, can distribute pressure better
• Comfort still depends on saddle shape (not guaranteed)
• Claim humor/joke: rider can be “~100 lb lighter” is mentioned but not treated as a reliable measure
• Example referenced: Physique Vento Argo R1 normal vs adaptive 3D-printed variant

Bar tape

• “God tier” perceived premium feel (you touch it all the time)
• Doesn’t have to be expensive (examples: BBB / TripleB; “Flex ribbon”)

Ceramic components

• Ceramic bottom brackets: mostly not worth it; wear issues on metal race surfaces; few are fully ceramic
• Exception: Enduro XD15 (nitrogen-infused steel races; “apparently never ever wear out”), but very expensive (~£250)
• Ceramic pulley jockey wheels: generally “binned” / not recommended
• Ceramic headset: also “binned” / “meh”

Wheels

• Deep carbon wheels: recommended (“Now we’re talking”); look better and create sound; 80mm suggested
• Oversized pulley wheels: “bin,” likely negative for shifting; may already be included on some big group sets

Tubes

• TPU inner tubes: ride nicely, but can be costly per replacement if punctured
  • Example cited: “£25 every time you puncher,” plus suggestion to look at AliExpress alternatives
• Latex inner tubes: rejected (“No… bin…”) due to frequent pumping requirements

Shoes / pedal

• Generally framed as important for correct foot placement
• Comfort depends heavily on setup
• Critique: can become expensive if you don’t want cheap plastic soles

Rubber duck / clip-on aero accessories

• AliExpress “rubber duck” aero add-on: mocked, but claimed (jokingly/exaggerated) to deliver a large effective advantage
• Main recommendation: clip-on aero bars via proper body positioning

Suspension stems

• Big comfort improvement; cheaper than full suspension systems
• Warning: cheap ones can be catastrophic if they break

Handlebars / fit

• Stock bikes usually have the wrong bar width
• Rule: match bar width to shoulder width (acromion process)
• Examples: lightweight/narrow options; specialized narrow setups and short-reach bars

Bottles

• Not really a speed/comfort upgrade—rated “pretty good” / practical

Skin suits

• Underrated speed upgrade: rider aerodynamics/body surface area matters more than bike-only upgrades

Dropper posts

• “Absolute best thing” for off-road; transforms riding and increases confidence
• Can be short travel; may feel faster even if speed isn’t dramatically higher
• Electric: mentioned around ~$600; extra battery storage is a bonus
• Mechanical: cheaper and “basically the same”

One-piece carbon bars

• “Meh”: harder for mechanics; less adjustable (can’t rotate like traditional setups)

Tubeless

• Generally better than inner tubes off-road
• Less advantageous / less reliable on-road (“Road tubeless me.”)
• With road tires, sealing may be less reliable because smaller puncture/sidewall dynamics reduce effective sealing (as described)

Electronic shifting

• Positioned as middle-of-the-table: cool and reliable now
• Not life-changing
• Recommended for accessibility/specific needs where mechanical shifting can’t be used

Power meter

• “Cooking with gas” (high value)
• Makes more difference than many upgrades (more than deep wheels; definitely more than ceramic jockey wheels)
• Caution: some products can be unreliable (“random number generators”); avoid early iterations and read reviews

Cons / drawbacks emphasized

• Tires: race tires are thinner → more punctures; tubeless may be less worthwhile on-road; latex tubes are inconvenient.
• Carbon parts: expensive; benefits vary by quality; not truly life-changing.
• Premium chains: gains are small and can vanish when dirty/worn.
• Ceramic: limited real-world advantage; wear issues on race surfaces; expensive exceptions.
• Deep wheels: mainly an aesthetic/aero “whoosh”; also implies potential limitations (e.g., deep rim considerations like tire/tube sizing).
• Oversized pulleys: may harm shifting.
• TPU tubes: puncture replacement cost risk.
• Suspension stems: cheap models risk failure.
• Dropper posts: gravel bikes with “annoying not-round seat posts” can complicate fit.
• One-piece carbon bars: mechanic pain; limited adjustability.
• Electronic shifting: doesn’t meaningfully change life for most; depends on proper use cases.
• Power meter: quality varies; some early products can be unreliable.

Comparisons made

• Ride quality drivers

  • Tires + pressure affect ride quality more than many other upgrades.
  • Body position/aero (clip-ons, skin suits) affects speed more than many bike-only upgrades.

• Carbon vs non-carbon

  • Carbon cockpit can reduce weight and road buzz, but depends on part quality/design.

• Tubeless

  • Off-road: “pretty good”
  • Road: “me”

• Mechanical vs electric shifting

  • Electronic is “pretty good/good middle” because reliability is improved, but still not life-changing.

• Power meters

  • More meaningful performance impact than deep wheels and ceramic jockey wheels.

Ratings / numerical scores

• No formal numeric tier scores.
• Approximations mentioned:
  • ~Three watts: potential gain from premium “adamantium” coated fast chain (presented humorously/overstated)
  • ~£250: example bottom bracket price (Enduro XD15)
  • ~$600: electric dropper post
  • “100 W”: claim about the AliExpress “rubber duck” aero add-on (framed as a joke/exaggeration)

Unique points mentioned about the upgrade set (categories referenced)

• Supple tires
• Tire pressure emphasis
• Race tires + puncture tradeoff
• Carbon finishing kit (bars/stems/seat posts)
• Fancy/premium coated chain
• 3D-printed saddles
• Bar tape
• Ceramic bottom brackets (and exceptions)
• Solid tires (binned)
• Deep carbon wheels (and 80mm preference)
• Oversized pulley wheels (binned)
• Ceramic jockey wheels / ceramic headset (binned)
• TPU inner tubes
• Puncture protective tires (exceptions: e-cargo bike; wheelchair)
• Carbon fork (recommended; steel fork upgrade mentioned)
• Latex inner tubes (binned)
• Cycling shoes and pedals (context-dependent)
• Disc brakes (confidence; hydraulic vs mechanical)
• Power meter (high value; caution about quality)
• Clip-on aero bars (speed via body position)
• Suspension stems (comfort)
• Handlebar width fit (shoulder/acromion matching)
• Suspension seatposts / example “Thud Buster”
• Bottles (pretty good)
• Skin suits
• Proper dropper post (big off-road transformation; electric vs mechanical; storage battery note)
• Round seat posts vs non-round gravel frames (fit complication)
• One-piece carbon bars (meh)
• Tubeless (off-road yes; road meh)
• Electronic gears (middle tier; accessibility use-case)
• Rubber duck / AliExpress aero add-on (joked; “AliExpress”)
• Oversized pulleys mentioned again in drivetrain context
• Wheelchairs as a use case for punch protection
• Power advice: “read reviews,” avoid first iterations

Speaker-specific views

• Host/primary narrator: delivers the tier-list judgments and most upgrade advice.
• Other person(s): add reactions/comments (mostly jokes on the rubber duck and latex tubes).
• No major named expert-to-expert technical comparisons beyond these reactions; content is primarily from the main speaker.

Overall concise verdict / recommendation

Top priorities (most recommended)

Upgrade:

• Tires (and correct pressure)
• Bar tape
• Deep carbon wheels (if you want aero/look)
• Dropper posts for off-road
• Suspension stems
• Fit via proper handlebars
• Disc brakes (especially hydraulic)
• Power meter (if you care about performance)
• Clip-ons / skin suit (if your goal is speed through aerodynamics)

Generally avoid / “bin” (or only do with clear exceptions)

• Latex tubes
• Most ceramic “nice-to-haves”
• Oversized pulley wheels
• One-piece carbon bars (mechanic pain)
• Solid tires
• Many “expensive but tiny gains” items that don’t hold up when dirty/worn (e.g., premium chains)