Your Guide to Mountain Bike Upgrades

Mountain bike customers at Bikes By Outside Sports range from kids who saved up a few hundy by working after school to people who barely even noticed the price of their new carbon marvel. At Bikes By Outside Sports in Queenstown and Wanaka we stock bikes to suit the budgets of both those types of people and everyone in between.  

Check out our range of bikes, components and accessories. 

You have a lot of scope to improve a good quality lower priced bike by upgrading certain components. In this article we’ll take a look at the various ways we can help you upgrade your bike, starting from some cheap, easy-wins and ending up with some money-no-object upgrades for when you win Lotto. By the way we can upgrade ebikes as well as tradition 'analogue' bikes.

Improving your contact points will give you more control, with better comfort and more efficient power transfer. Quality lock-on grips give you better control and reduce numbness in your hands from hanging on tight during a long descent. Shop grips. 

A saddle that better suits your individual anatomy with make long periods in the saddle a lot more comfortable.

Quality clipless pedals with pins improve power transfer and help secure your feet to the pedals in rough terrain and over jumps. Shop pedals 

Upgrading to quality tyres with better tread and compound will immediately improve traction, grip and your confidence on the trail. Shop Tyres and Wheels 

Tubeless tyres let you run lower pressures for more grip without the risk of those annoying pinch flats. You might be able to convert to tubeless with your existing rims if you have compatible rim tape and valves. 

A dropper post lets you lower your saddle on the fly to lower your centre of gravity for better handling on the downhill. Dropper posts make an extremely noticeable difference to your bike. 

A must for road cycling, and an option if you want to get super rowdy in the bike park for more control, power transfer, and stability.  On the climb they let you apply extra power on the up stroke as well as the down stroke. They do take a bit of getting used to, especially flicking your feet off the pedals in a hurry in a fall. Shop Bike Shoes  

We have a big range of disc brake pads upgrades at Bikes By Outside Sports. Resin pads are quieter and metallic pads last longer. If you’re riding long downhill trails when you need to brake a lot, say if you’re riding Skyline or Bike Glendhu, consider trying finned pads for more efficient heat dispersal. For rough enduro trails semi-metallic sintered pads will help you go the distance. 

Fresh brake fluid and properly bled brakes can also make a huge difference to brake feel and stopping power. Shop Brakes and Pads 

A premium quality chain and cassette improve shifting smoothness and longevity. This upgrade is cheaper than a full drivetrain upgrade but will result in noticeably smoother operation.Shop Chains and Cassettes 

We can all dream right? So when budget isn’t a problem the next group of bike upgrades elevate performance, weight savings, and precision to the next level. At Bikes By Outside Sports we specialise in building bespoke set ups for the most discerning riders in the Southern Lakes. So what ever it is you’re dreaming of, we can help you make it real. The best way to get started to do is drop into Bikes By Outside Sports in Queenstown or Wanaka or give us ring.  

Fox Factory and RockShox have buttery smooth front and rear shock upgrades that dramatically improve damping, and give you adjustability for tweaking your settings dependent on the terrain. 

Super light carbon rims and high-end hubs with sealed bearings can improve acceleration due to lower rotational inertia and friction.  

We can build you the wheels of your dreams that are hand tailored to your weight and riding style. You can choose the spokes, lacing, and hubs for optimal performance. 

High-end group-sets like SRAM XX SL and Shimano XT are lighter and give you smoother, quicker shifts under high loads.  

Carbon bars reduce vibration and hence fatigue and save weight lowering the centre of gravity of your bike. A carbon stem will add stiffness and help improve steering feel. 

High-end droppers are lighter, smoother, and more reliable. Wireless options are now available. 

Premium calipers, levers, and rotors give you better modulation and improve fade resistance for more confident, aggressive riding.