The best first upgrades for a cheap bike (and what to skip): what I found as a beginner
The best upgrades on a budget bike turn out to be cheap ones: the parts you touch and the parts that touch the road. I'm learning bike repair from zero on a $258 Walmart bike, and I wanted to know which upgrades matter before spending on mine, so I dug into RideLoadout's parts data. This is the order the data points to.
What should I upgrade first on a cheap bike?
- A proper tune-up. Adjusted brakes and gears change a cheap bike more than any part. The order I found starts with the First check on a store-bought or used bike, then Adjust V-brakes or Center and adjust mechanical disc brake depending on your brakes, and Adjust rear derailleur (limits + indexing) for the gears.
- Tires. The biggest change in how a bike rides. Smoother, lighter tires make it faster on pavement. Knobbier ones grip better on dirt. Read your size first with Read tire and tube sizes, then follow Replace a tire. The right pressure matters too: see Set tire pressure.
- Brake pads. The pads on budget bikes are often hard and weak. Good pads cost about $15 to $20 and, from what I read, stop much better, especially in the wet. See Replace rim brake pads or Replace disc brake pads.
- Saddle, grips and pedals. These decide whether you're comfortable. Swap them with Replace grips and Remove and install pedals, and set your height with Set saddle height.
Which upgrades are a waste of money on a cheap bike?
From what I read:
- A fancy rear derailleur on a freewheel bike. The freewheel and the cheap shifter hold it back. Check yours with Cassette or freewheel? Tell them apart first.
- Expensive suspension forks. On a budget frame, the money is better spent on tires, or saved toward a better bike.
- Light wheels before everything else. They help, but they cost a lot. They go last.
How much should I spend on upgrades?
The rule of thumb I found: don't put more into a bike than about half of what it cost new, unless you love the frame. Beyond that, a better bike is usually the better deal. The app's Upgrades page shows how much your plan adds up to, and compares it with buying a better bike.
How do I know a part will fit my bike?
Fit looks like the hard part: wheel size, tire clearance, brake type, axle type and the number of gears all matter. Every bike page lists its upgrade limits and the parts that fit as-is. For example, see my bike, the Ozark Trail G.1 Explorer Flat Bar, or the Hyper Bicycles Havoc 29. Put your bike in open RideLoadout to check any part against your own bike. I'm writing up every repair as I learn it, in order: see my journey.