Tag: Bike Refresh

Do you have a bike that you love but maybe you feel it could use some care for 2024 and the new season ahead? My bike (pictured above) is 14 years old this year. But in actuality, the frame is from 2012. I bought it and added the components from my prior bike, which I had for many years.

This past December of 2023 I turned 60, so I marked that occasion a couple ways. For one, I took the plunge and invested in a set of carbon wheels. That purchase inspired me to make some other updates, so it mostly became a full bike refresh. And, as a result, it feels like I have a new bike, a new lease on my cycling life. Here are the updates and maintenance I did.

Cleaned My Drivetrain and Installed New Chain

Nothing can bring a bike back to life like some standard maintenance. As part of my bike refresh for the season ahead, I removed my cassette, rear derailleur, and chain. I thoroughly cleaned my cassette and derailleur, then replaced my worn chain. 

I also gave the bike a quick bath. I wiped down the brakes (replaced my brake pads for ones used on carbon wheels), the frame, front derailleur, the crank, and the pedals. A clean bike and drivetrain will definitely make facing the season even better.

Installed New Carbon Wheels

Of course, the reason I cleaned the cassette is that it was going onto my carbon wheels. Instead of moving over dirty parts, a clean cassette, derailleur, and new chain became part of the bike refresh. 

I also had to move over my tires and innertubes. The tires are Continental Gatorskins, which I purchased when the tires I had installed failed last summer. So, for all intents and purposes, they are new.

I owned a set of carbon wheels in the 90s but one of the wheels failed. It kept throwing spokes, so eventually I dumped them for standard aluminum wheels. 

Many years later, wheel technology has improved immensely. Hunt, a British wheel builder with outlets in the United States, had got some good press in cycling publications. 

Plus, the wheelset I opted for was on sale for less than $1,000, so I jumped at the deal. I still run rim brakes on my bike, so that was probably part of the reason the price point was low as the trend is toward disc brakes.

Added New Bar Tape

I became a solid fan of Fizik products over the years. In the past, I’ve used its bar tape, a custom Arione saddle, and even my road shoes are made by Fizik. It had been a while since I updated my bar tape, so I decided to make installing new bar tape part of the overall bike refresh.

Owning the bike I have and my strong affinity for cycling, I tend to lean toward high-end componentry and other elements. Silca, a company I discovered last year that specializes in various things for the bike, appeals to my desire for quality cycling products. 

They claimed their bar tape was well-reviewed as the best bar tape available but they wanted $50.00 for a package. While some hesitation ensued, my desire to give it a try won out.

If I wasn’t in full bike refresh mode, I may not have elected to get Silca’s bar tape. It is definitely the most expensive bar tape I’ve seen. However, the packaging the tape came in and the tape itself, I must say, are luxurious and cushy on the hands. Plus, it came with bar ends with an expander screw. As you can see from the pic above, it looks great.

Replaced My Old Saddle with an Old (New) Saddle. What???

Bicycle saddles are a hard thing to buy. Once you find one you like, it’s hard to think about using anything else. I had tried several saddles over my years as a cyclist but I always came back to Fizik (and not only for their saddles, as I’ve already mentioned).

When I got the new frame, I wanted to keep with that blue color scheme, so I decided to order a custom saddle from Fizik. But after 14 years, that saddle was starting to lose its cover, looked dirty no matter how much I tried to clean it, and the padding was gone. I really noticed this point after being on a ride for two or three hours.

The saddle you see in the picture above was on my prior road bike. I had it for a few years but it was still mostly new when I ordered the custom saddle, something I probably would not do again. So, as I was about to take on this bike refresh, I remembered I still had this saddle, so voila!

An old bike saddle becomes a new bike saddle. And actually, my frame has more black than blue in it, so this saddle doesn’t look out of place. Furthermore, this old saddle is basically the same saddle as the custom one.

Last Thoughts

Yes, it’s amazing what some upgrades and maintenance can do for your bike. It can give your old, trusty steed that may look ready for retirement a new lease on life. New bikes, while they are supposedly being made better than ever, are expensive. 

Why add to your local landfill by throwing yours out? Why sell it to someone who may not appreciate your bike as much as you do? Do some upgrades, do some maintenance, or do whatever feels right for you to bring some life back to your cycling life. As I see it, it’s a beautiful thing to give my old bike more time in the sun.