Expert's choice: The magnificent 7 upgrades to boost performance, comfort and bling up your bike

Many of us are constantly looking for ways in which we can upgrade our bikes. Perhaps that’s to make them more aero, faster, more comfortable on long rides or simply just because the upgrade looks good! Sometimes upgrading your bike can be costly, but there are plenty of smart upgrades that give some serious bang for your buck, and there’s a good chance they can seriously improve your on-bike performance and enjoyment.

Piet van der Velde of Ere Research has spent decades designing and developing bike upgrades for the likes of Specialized, Cannondale, Prologo, Trek, Rapha and Selle Italia to name just a few.  

These days, he has free reign over what components he creates as the founder of Netherlands-based premium bicycle parts brand Ere Research. Let’s see which components top his list when it comes to upgrading.

1. Wheelset

If you want to upgrade your bike but feel like a whole new one is an unnecessary expense, investing in some new wheels is probably the best way of making it perform better. It's no surprise, then, that new wheels are first on Piet's list.

Change to a better quality set of wheels and you will notice big improvements in ride quality, comfort and speed, because the wheels that bikes come with from the factory are often there to help the bike make a price point rather than get the optimum level of performance from the frame. That gets truer the further down the price points you go.

Ere Research have an array of both carbon and alloy wheelsets to suit different needs and budgets, using their experience of working with the Silverstone Innovation Centre to measure the ideal aerodynamic shape. 

They don't use off-the-shelf parts and instead, design and manufacture everything - including rims, spokes, and hubs - themselves.

Ere Research started by manufacturing performance road tyres and saddles. However, they later ventured into making wheels due to the challenge of creating tubeless tyres that seal well with various rim shapes. This led to a two-year effort to develop their Genus wheels, which have since been improved.

The Genus wheels feature innovative 2:1 hubs with two spokes on one side and one on the other, and lightweight rims, available in depths of 30mm, 45mm, and 65mm, with wheelset weights as low as 1,180g. These wheelsets are ISO and UCI-tested and come in both carbon and steel spoke versions.

Unlike many wheel manufacturers who use rolled carbon spokes, Ere Research use a unique 'pultrusion' process that bakes the spokes under tension, ensuring the structural integrity.

Additionally, they incorporate Zylon, a crash safety material used in Formula 1, onto the centre of the spokes, which is said to enhance durability in the event of a crash.

Ere Research take pride in making their own hubs to better understand the forces they endure.

Van der Velde explains, "There are a lot of rim manufacturers around the world that offer standard off-the-shelf rims that you can buy and you put your logo on and then you go to a reliable hub maker like DT Swiss for instance who make great hubs and you have a wheelset.

"I choose the other way around. I choose to make my own hubs so I understand the forces that are going through my hub and how I want to make them."

2. Tyres 

If you're going to upgrade your wheels it stands to reason that a tyre upgrade will also help boost your ride too, so no surprise to see a new set of rubber feature in Piet's list.

Simply changing the tyres is one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make to a bike, and running any tyre at its optimum pressure (not to be confused with maximum pressure) is a totally free performance booster.

Tyres, as they’re hopefully the only contact point between you and the ground, are responsible for your rolling resistance, grip, and largely your comfort as well.

So, how does a good tyre differ from a bad tyre?

Tyre reliability is key, and this lies in the choice of materials, including the bead cores such as steel, nylon, Kevlar or Zylon, which determine the initial strength of the tyre on the rim. Different carcass materials, like nylon or plastic, affect the tyre's flexibility. Additionally, the type of rubber used is important, as it influences factors like rolling resistance.

Van der Velde feels that often, consumers prioritise rolling resistance when purchasing a tyre, but when you're out on the road, grip becomes paramount.

He thinks that in real-world situations, the most crucial aspect is having a reliable tyre with the right carcass strength and rubber composition to ensure safety and confidence while riding.

Ere Research offer handmade tyres with a cotton casing of 320 TPI incorporating a novel material called CarbonX, developed by Delft University of Technology, into the rubber.

Unlike traditional mixing, CarbonX fuses with the rubber to create a single new material. This fusion enhances the rubber's elasticity, resulting in improved grip and better puncture resistance. The increased elasticity is said to provide a superior grip, while the enhanced resistance reduces the likelihood of punctures by making it harder for objects to penetrate the rubber.

3. Saddles

A comfort upgrade next from Piet. Ere's Genus CC Pro saddle is one of the most interesting products that Ere Research makes. 

Few component changes constitute a genuine improvement as much as a new seat. A good road bike saddle can lop a substantial amount of weight off your bike and make for a far more comfortable ride at the same time. 

Ere Research have a heritage of making saddles using their experience from working with brands such as Selle Italia and Prologo in the past.

So, how is this saddle different from anything else on the market? 

Van der Velde recognises that it's impossible to create a one-size-fits-all saddle. Hence, the Genus CC Pro saddle offers three saddles in one, featuring three adjustment positions through the Unique Comfort Trigger technology—a red lever that allows riders to modify saddle flexibility while cycling. 

He says, "The switch is just a little lever at the front of the saddle.

"While riding you can pull it back to position number 2 and the saddle is a bit more stiff, or you can put it in position number 3 and now your saddle's really stiff. Or, when you're approaching a long climb and you want to sit 2mm lower, you can push the lever forward and it's a little bit more flexible. You're actually sitting a little bit lower."

This innovation aims to accommodate the unique preferences and needs of pro riders who spend long hours on their bikes, but Van der Velde also understands that the challenges faced by pro riders are similar to those encountered by everyday riders.

Also, the cut-out shape in the saddle design serves to alleviate pressure on the rider's soft tissue, enhancing comfort and preventing discomfort during cycling.

4. Valves 

This one will probably a surprise to many, but let's hear Piet out. To complete your tubeless tyre set-up, and because tubeless on the road is here to stay, you’ll need some good tubeless valves. Fortunately, Ere Research also makes their own. There's a lot more engineering that goes into a little thing like a valve than you might initially think...

The Proclose Optimum Tubeless Valves feature SideFlow technology which is said to enhance the flow of sealant for a mess-free installation.

Van der Velde explains:

"What's better about this valve is it has a slit in the middle, so if you're using inner liners in the tyre, you're not closing off the valve so there's still room to disperse the sealant, which is important.

"Secondly, there's a pretty thick rubber washer that goes against the outside of your rim, then there's a little nut that goes over the rubber. With that and the size of the nut, you can tighten it and it won't go anywhere and you have a nice seal."

The valve cap also doubles up as a valve core removal tool which van der Velde says, "is a small thing but can be a great hassle if you don't have the right one.

"You don't want that when your buddies are waiting for you on the side of the road to fix a tyre."

5. Sealant 

Given that Piet sees valves as a good performance upgrade, it's no surprise that sealant also makes it onto the list. To be fair, a puncture is a major performance inhibitor!

As with valves, Ere Research have you covered on the sealant front too. Their latest development is an eco-friendly and allergy-free sealant. 

A good tubeless sealant is a vital component for any tubeless tyre setup. Not only does it help to create an airtight seal to stop your tyre from deflating over time, but the best tyre sealants will also seal all but the worst puncture holes ensuring you can keep rolling for longer. 

So, how does a good tyre sealant work?

"The problem with the early sealants is they had a lot of latex in them to make the sealing properties work", says Van der Velde. 

"They had toxins in them like ammonia and other nasty stuff that you really don't want to get on your hands or inhale. We need to make sure for many reasons that stuff we giving to close the tyres is safe for the environment, for your hands and for your lungs, but still works. That's the challenge.

"You take all of the good stuff out of the sealant and then it's not sealant anymore."

Ere Research addressed this challenge by formulating sealants that contain no latex, ammonia, toxins, or environmentally harmful substances, yet still perform well.

Usefully, their sealant bottles are equipped with a valve core remover at the bottom, allowing users to easily remove the valve core and then attach the bottle directly to the valve stem, facilitating a clean and efficient sealant application process.

6. Bar tape/grips 

Or, in this case, bar tape that incorporates a grip too! The latest upgrade to your gravel bike could be Ere Research's new gravel bar tape grip system, the Tenaci Gravel Bar Cover. 

Integrating road and mountain bike technology, this is a classic bar tape, combined with a unique bar cover that you slide over the end of your handlebars and up to the shifters. This provides more grip and comfort when you're riding on the drops in more demanding sections, while providing road bike handlebar tape on top for when you're cruising. 

7. Bar plugs 

So, Piet's final upgrade if you're really looking to bling out your bike is bar end plugs. 

Often, bike riders tend to overlook the importance of handlebar plugs, using whatever comes with the tape and pushing it in as an afterthought. However, Ere Research has designed handlebar plugs with a rubber body that can adapt to the non-round internal shape of handlebars after bar tape is fitted. This ensures that the face of the plug remains straight on the handlebar tape. 

As well as being practical, they also come in six anodised colours to suit the finish of your bike. 

So, as you’ve seen, innovation is extremely important at Ere Research, and they are constantly looking for product and material improvements so that they can keep making specialist products that are tailor-made for you. 

Each upgrade we've chosen here targets a specific aspect, and collectively they could transform your bike. 

You can check out the full Ere Research range here. 

What's your next bike upgrade going to be? Let us know in the comments section below...