A Guide to Upgrading Your Gravel Bike
Upgrading your gravel bike is one of the best ways to enhance your riding experience, whether you’re aiming to tackle endurance events, explore new terrain, or simply enjoy your local gravel roads. With gravel biking’s blend of road cycling, mountain biking, and adventure riding, the right upgrades can turn a good bike into a great one, tailored to your specific riding style and needs.
In this guide, we’ll explore the key components and accessories you can upgrade to boost performance, durability, and comfort, making your gravel bike ready for any challenge and how to make the most of your investment.
Table of Contents
My First Upgrades for My Gravel Bikes
I had written about my Poseidon X gravel bike. A great bike with stock setup. But I did a couple of updates, with the first update to the brakes. The stock brakes were not up to par, and needed some cable upgrades. Jagwire compression-less brake housing improved the stock brake’s stopping performance. The video provides a guide on how to do this.
Secondly I upgraded the seat to the Specialized Romin. I have it on my road bike as well, and has provided years of comfort.
For aesthetics I played with the bar tapes, and put in black grommet screws to go with the overall color scheme. I am thinking about slightly thicker tires in the future.
Why Should You Upgrade Your Gravel Bike?
There are several reasons why you might want to consider upgrading your gravel bike:
- Improved performance: Upgrading components like wheels, tires, or the drivetrain can lead to better handling, increased efficiency, and smoother riding on various terrains. Upgrading to stiffer cranksets, pedals, and bottom brackets improves the transfer of power from your legs to the bike, making each pedal stroke more effective. Moving from a lower-tier drivetrain to something more advanced, like Shimano GRX or SRAM AXS, ensures smoother and more reliable shifting, even in rough terrain.
- Enhanced comfort: Upgrading to a better suspension fork, saddle, handlebars, or seat-post can help improve your riding comfort, especially during long rides, races, or on rough, rocky paths. Switching to wider, more supple tires (and tubeless options) can drastically improve your bike’s ability to handle different terrain, offering better grip and a smoother ride. Customizable components like handlebars, stems, and saddles allow you to optimize the bike’s fit to your body, reducing fatigue and discomfort over long distances.
- Greater versatility: Upgrading to wider tires, adding a suspension fork, wider-range cassette or a 1x drive-train can make your gravel bike more capable on different types of terrain, from smooth gravel roads to rougher trails, allowing you to tackle steeper climbs or adapt to various types of terrain. Switching between different wheelsets (e.g., from 700c to 650b) allows for better adaptability to both fast road-like conditions and more rugged, technical trails. Adding mounts for bike-packing gear, additional water bottles, or fenders can turn your gravel bike into a multi-day adventure-ready machine.
- Durability and Reliability: Upgrading to more durable components like better hubs, sealed bearings, or tougher drivetrains can reduce maintenance and make the bike more reliable on long, remote rides. Switching to a tubeless tire setup can reduce the risk of flats, improve traction, and lower rolling resistance, which is especially beneficial for rough gravel terrain.
- Technology and Innovation: Upgrading to electronic shifting, such as SRAM AXS or Shimano Di2, offers precision shifting and the ability to fine-tune performance without cable stretch. Installing a dropper post enhances descending control by allowing you to lower the saddle on technical sections, giving you more maneuverability. If you’re a performance-focused rider, adding a power meter helps you train more effectively by measuring power output and optimizing your efforts.
- Aesthetic and Personalization: Upgrading with custom components or a paint job allows you to personalize your bike and make it uniquely yours, boosting pride and motivation every time you ride. Hydraulic disc brakes offer better stopping power and modulation compared to mechanical disc brakes, giving you more confidence in rough or wet conditions.
- Future-Proofing Your Bike: Upgrading your bike can ensure compatibility with the latest technology, such as wider tire clearances, thru-axles, and modern drivetrains, helping future-proof your bike for years to come.
- Enhanced Resale Value: A well-upgraded gravel bike can maintain higher resale value, especially if you’ve invested in sought-after components like carbon wheels, electronic drivetrains, or lightweight frames.
Overall, upgrading your gravel bike can lead to a more enjoyable riding experience and help you tackle new challenges with confidence. Upgrading your bike allows you to personalize it to fit your specific riding style, preferences, and needs. By investing in high-quality components that hold their value, you can increase the overall worth of your bike and ensure it remains a reliable and enjoyable ride for years to come.
Which Gravel Bike Parts Hold Their Value Best?
Gravel bike parts that tend to hold their value best are usually high-quality, durable components that can stand the test of time and are sought after in the second-hand market.
Here’s a list of parts that typically retain their value well:
- Frames: High-quality frames made from materials like carbon, titanium, or high-end steel tend to hold their value well. Titanium is especially prized for its durability and ride quality. Premium brands like Salsa, Moots, or Open tend to retain more value. Frames with modern geometries that accommodate wider tires or feature mounts for bike-packing tend to stay relevant longer. Wheels and Hubs: A good set of gravel-specific wheels can be a worthwhile investment, as they’re often durable and versatile. High-quality carbon wheels retain value better, especially from brands like ENVE or Zipp. Lightweight, durable, and tubeless-ready wheels are particularly desirable. Hubs from brands like DT Swiss, Chris King, or Industry Nine tend to hold value due to their reliability and ease of maintenance.
- Groupsets (Drivetrain and Brakes): Shimano and SRAM groupsets are generally reliable and hold their value, especially if they’re well-maintained. Higher-end electronic groupsets like SRAM AXS or Shimano GRX Di2 hold their value well because they are cutting-edge technology. Shimano GRX and SRAM Force mechanical groupsets are also in demand but may not retain value as much as electronic ones. Many gravel riders prefer 1x drivetrains for simplicity, and those can sometimes retain value better in the gravel market.
- Tires: While tires wear out over time, investing in high-quality, tubeless-ready tires can improve your riding experience and retain value. Some premium gravel tires like the René Herse or WTB models (particularly tubeless-ready, high-performance tires) can retain value if they’re lightly used or in great condition.
- Cockpit components (Handlebars, Stems, Seatposts): Handlebars, stems, and seatposts made from carbon or high-end alloy can be both lightweight and durable, making them a solid investment. Carbon handlebars, seatposts, and stems, especially from premium brands like ENVE, Easton, or Ritchey, retain value due to their light weight and comfort benefits. Gravel-specific dropper posts like those from PNW Components or RockShox tend to hold value well, given the growing popularity of dropper posts in gravel riding.
- Saddles: High-end saddles from brands like Brooks (leather saddles), Selle Italia, or Fizik tend to hold their value, especially if they’re known for comfort and durability.
- Power Meters: Power meters, especially those integrated into cranks or pedals from brands like Quarq, Stages, or Garmin, retain significant value since they’re considered a premium upgrade for serious riders.
- Accessories and Bikepacking Gear (e.g., racks, frame bags, bottle cages): Products from brands like Apidura, Revelate Designs, or Ortlieb can hold value, especially if they are modular and in good condition.
The key factors that influence the value retention of gravel bike parts are quality, brand reputation, and market demand. In addition taking good care of your bike and its components can help maintain their value over time. Regular cleaning, maintenance, and proper storage go a long way in preserving your investment.
Personalize and Comfort
Upgrading your gravel bike doesn’t have to happen all at once; is an exciting journey that can lead to improved performance, increased comfort, and new adventures on the road less traveled. By focusing on key areas like performance, comfort, and versatility, you can make strategic upgrades that significantly improve your bike’s capabilities and your overall enjoyment. Remember, investing in high-quality parts and regular maintenance will ensure your upgraded gravel bike remains a reliable and enjoyable companion for years to come.
Happy Riding!
I hope you found this information helpful. Check out my other related posts such as A Cyclist’s Guide to the Road Bike Brands, Interval Training Tips for Cyclists, and The Most Common Reasons for Foot Numbness in Cyclists. We also recorded a relevant podcast on injuries and prevention.
