How to Upgrade Your New Mountain Bike

Chances are you bought something like the Trek 6700, Giant XTC 1, Cannondale F4, or Specialized Rockhopper Expert. These are roughly $1100-1300 bikes, which is not cheap, but you still might want to upgrade some parts and add accessories to decrease the weight and improve the performance.

Here is what I would do to make your bike race-ready without spending too much money:

Day of Purchase

The first upgrade you need to make is going to clipless pedals. You should do this immediately, because it’s a huge performance upgrade!
Most bikes in this price range either have flat pedals, no pedals at all, or maybe the basic Shimano SPD pedals. (If they do come with a pedal like the Shimano M520, you can use that to start, but be prepared to upgrade eventually, as these pedals don’t always work well.)
If the bike comes without clipless pedals, I would recommend looking at nicer pedals from Shimano, Time, and Crank Brothers. Popular models are the Shimano M770, Time ATAC XS Carbon, Crank Bros Eggbeater SL, and Crank Bros Candy SL.
You will also need special shoes to go with the clipless pedals. Take a look at models from Shimano, Sidi, Northwave, Specialized, Bontrager, Diadora, and Pearl Izumi. (Consider some more cycling clothing while you’re at it.)

How to Change a Bike Tire on a Mountain Bike

Want a fun way to change the character of your bike? Change the tires. A set of smooth tires on your mountain bike, for example, will give a much faster ride on pavement. Tires also wear out, of course, and learning to replace them will save you money. Because tires come in many sizes, take your old tire with you when purchasing a replacement, to make sure you get the size right.

How to Mountain Bike Cabling

Installing or replacing the cables on your mountain bike can do wonders to improve shifting performance on the trail and you might be surprised just how easy it is to do yourself. This article will focus mainly on derailleur cabling but many of the concepts are transferable to mechanical brakes (disc and V-brakes) for those who haven’t upgraded to hydros yet.
We’ll start with this short tool and material list:
Cable/housing cutting tool
Allen wrenches
Pliers
Cables and housing