Best bang for buck upgrades

[WShire]

Hi all, first time poster so hopefully I’ve put this in the right section.

I bought a second hand Ribble R872 rim brake Tiagra model quite cheaply a couple of years ago that I believe had been used as a winter bike so needed a bit of TLC.
I’m relatively new to cycling but have ridden motorcycles for many years so felt confident in getting a tool kit and replacing the cassette, chain, chainrings as well as a couple of cables myself.
I was lucky enough to buy some nearly new DT Swiss wheels off a friend too.
Most recently I changed the tyres to Continental GP5000’s and have been amazed at the way the have transformed the way the bike rides- it is considerably faster than it was before when it was on Continental 4 seasons.
I have just ordered some latex tubes as I believe these will make a noticeable difference compared to butyl.
This leads me on to my question:
Can anybody recommend any other relatively cheap upgrades that make a noticeable improvement to a bikes performance? The brakes are quite poor for example, would Ultegra calipers be noticeably better? Carbon seat post?
There is no shortage of second hand parts on eBay and I quite enjoy putting it together.
Thanks

 

[All uphill]

I'd start with thorough maintenance before buying replacement parts. Check and clean everything - headset, bottom bracket,

Tiagra brakes will be fine if maintenance has been done.
Check the brake blocks are not old and hard, check the rims are spotlessly clean, degreased and true, check cables and outers are friction free. Check calipers are clean and moving freely.

 

[Animo]

Ultegra 8000 series calipers really are very good.

 

[oxoman]

Yes you would yellow the difference y fitting ultegra brakes. Depending on what pads you've got fitted you could go to swisstop BXP flash pro pads. I'm very wary about buying 2nd hand carbon seatposts or bars. Also be wary of knock off copy parts, loads of well documented failures. Good luck with the bike.

 

[Animo]

You'll struggle to actually notice any difference from a carbon seatpost but bearing in mind you can get an Elita One from Ali Express for under 20 quid it's a bit of a no brainer which will at least shed some weight.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Whenever threads like this pop up the answer is normally wheels and tyres. But you've done that, so kudos to you.

As mentioned above I'd double check the function and adjustment of the brakes and choice of blocks.

If you're running out of things to spend your money on, consider bling. Snazzy bar tape, coloured valve caps

 

[Punkawallah]

The nice boys at GCN reckon tyres and wheels are the most cost effective upgrade.

 

[WShire]

Appreciate all the responses. It’s the Ultegra 8000 calipers I’ve been looking at. Plenty on eBay for not a huge amount of cash.
Current brakes are properly adjusted and have BBB cartridge blocks but they just feel a bit lacking.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Most of the basics have been covered. I would generally start with rotating bits i.e. bearings. Tgen, depending on the condition, new cabling throughout will tighten things up, braking, gear shifts, and is relatively cheap to do as well.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

A training plan seems to make the biggest difference.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Appreciate all the responses. It’s the Ultegra 8000 calipers I’ve been looking at. Plenty on eBay for not a huge amount of cash.
Current brakes are properly adjusted and have BBB cartridge blocks but they just feel a bit lacking.

Cables, inner and outer will likely make more difference than calipers.

GP5000 are good, but a lightweight road tyre will be much better again.


Rene Herse for the win, reassuringly expensive and excellent.

https://www.rene-herse.co.uk/700c-x-28-chinook-pass

 

[Drago]

Wheels/tyres.

Other items may make the bike feel more slick, but only wheels and/or tyres are likely to make any measurable difference to journey times.

 

[WShire]

Noted about the cables and outers 👍
The GP5000s are only a few months old so I’ll be sticking with them for the time being (They were the same price each as my car tyres!)
I cycle with a fairly experienced group of cyclists but I’m quite a big lad (gym/weights not pies) so not an ideal build for cycling (hence trying to pick up a bit of extra pace where I can)
Thanks again

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Performance options...
Clip-on TT bar
Narrower handlebars
Aero wing handlebar
Move stem under some spacers (far less risk if alloy steerer)
Adjustable stem to lower bar height while still getting internal steerer support
Angle brifters in slightly
Non-baggy cycling jersey and bibs
Aero socks
Shave exposed area of arms and legs
If laced shoes, toe cover
Tight thin gloves
Aero or TT helmet
Ensure front tyre sidewall smoothly transitions to front wheel sidewall
Work on holding behind hoods with torso dropped and arms bent ~90 degrees
Aero bidons
Bidons in jersey pocket; cage on saddle rails; between TT bars; seat tube; down tube (low-high drag order iirc)
Etc.

 

[Big John]

Hi all, first time poster so hopefully I’ve put this in the right section.

I bought a second hand Ribble R872 rim brake Tiagra model quite cheaply a couple of years ago that I believe had been used as a winter bike so needed a bit of TLC.
I’m relatively new to cycling but have ridden motorcycles for many years so felt confident in getting a tool kit and replacing the cassette, chain, chainrings as well as a couple of cables myself.
I was lucky enough to buy some nearly new DT Swiss wheels off a friend too.
Most recently I changed the tyres to Continental GP5000’s and have been amazed at the way the have transformed the way the bike rides- it is considerably faster than it was before when it was on Continental 4 seasons.
I have just ordered some latex tubes as I believe these will make a noticeable difference compared to butyl.
This leads me on to my question:
Can anybody recommend any other relatively cheap upgrades that make a noticeable improvement to a bikes performance? The brakes are quite poor for example, would Ultegra calipers be noticeably better? Carbon seat post?
There is no shortage of second hand parts on eBay and I quite enjoy putting it together.
Thanks

I did the same thing as you many, many years ago but back then there was no such thing as the internet or even mobile phones so I went to my local bike shop and picked their brains for advice. It was, and still is, a family business and the daughter was an end to end record holder so the business had the respect of local cyclists. One of the family looked at me and said don't waste your money on carbon this and carbon that. Lose some body weight instead. Get into a local chain gang and work on the engine not the bike. They could have sold me anything but they didn't. I did eventually invest in a carbon bike with all the bells and whistles but it was years later. It didn't make a lot of difference. I got a right kicking in my first race lol.