5 Cheap AliExpress Bike Upgrades!

[@the-mighty-taco]

As an MTB enthusiast, I've found Ali to be an excellent source for chainrings. Back when SRAM was charging exorbitant prices for ovals, I snagged an Ali alternative for under $14, and it's been running flawlessly since 2019! Ali excels at providing "simple" bike parts at great prices. Luke, thanks for doing all of this. More than once I've bought things based off your IRL experiences, has always worked out well for me.

[@PuerRidcully]

What's annoying about ali, is that they always f around with prices. So you might get one price, another account might get different price and the same item can very in price by a lot. It has not a very good interface to find items either. Maybe it's done on purpose so they can easier screw you over, lol.

[@Broodjemetbeleg]

​@PuerRidcully those lower prices you see are for new account only though.

[@PuerRidcully]

@@Broodjemetbeleg not really. but I won't go into details

[@SkippyTick]

​@@PuerRidcully Hahahahha yeah. They never stay on one price. If there's some sort of "event" like 11.11, price could stay the same even though it is said to be a discount. I've met several seller, where 2-3 days before the "event", price would be $14.50, suddenly on 11.11 price would be $16.70 😂 idk why would they do that, but if consumers aren't paying any attention to the price, then yes, they could fuck you over 😂

[@DanVee94]

I would advise some caution with the Ridenow 19g inner tubes. I purchased 8 of them and punctured all 8 within 200 miles of riding (both wheels). To be fair to the tubes I am a heavier rider at 97kgs, however I contacted the manufacturer and they said the weight limit was 130kgs. My total weight including bike and items I carry puts me well below the maximum recommended weight. Tubolito make tubes that weigh 19g that they label as a "spares" tube- which would suggest it'll get you home in a pinch but shouldn't be your primary tube. My guess is that these tubes function like the tubolito spares tubes, but either due to unclear marketing or translation issues, they're sold as simply a lighter TPU tube. I use the 36 gram ones currently from Ridenow and have had no issues after hundreds of miles in wintery conditions.

[@P4P5]

36g ones after 4000km all good. GP5000 tires

[@M5Dri3rz]

Also have run the 36g ones for winter commuting. No issues at all. It's been top shelf

[@PAjaDO711]

I‘ve been riding the 19g Ridenow tpu tubes on my road bike for almost 3000km now. So far, only one puncture when I rode into an inch long nail. Repaired the tube with a turbolito patch. Runs without loosing air ever since. I run Michelin Dynamic Classic tyres in 28c. 80kg rider weight. So these tubes have been fantastic for me so far. But I get your point with the confusing description.

[@robertcatuara5118]

My 36g Ridenows popped twice on steep downhills with rim brakes. I switched back to butyl but carry the Ridenows as my spares.

[@pigupigu]

Just go tubeless

[@shepshape2585]

Thanks for another great video. I wish there were many more channels like yours, dedicated to saving us money rather than bowing to big name sponsors who vastly overcharge for everything. We need to make cycling a more affordable sport so that more people are out there riding.

[@rizzlerforthergyatt]

Exactly 🙌

[@the-portuguese-guy]

I agree with you.

[@mydwchannel]

Got a BSC200 6 months ago, accidentally dropped it and smashed a button. iGPSport replaced on warranty NQA, and gave me an out front mount and silicone case as gifts! Top marks!

[@mmarkkos]

I used to use an IGPS50S . One ride, I rode it 6 hours in heavy rain, as a result, it had an ingress of water. At the time, it was already over 2 years old, so the warranty had expired. I contacted IGPSPORT support with the hopes of arranging something, but I wasn't very optimistic since the warranty had already expired. After providing the basic information like serial, invoice and date of purchase, they offered to send me a replacement. Since the IGP50S was no longer available, they instead offered to send a BSC100, which is actually an upgrade. I gifted the BSC100 and actually bought a BSC200. Been using it over 6 months and works perfect. Connects all sensors, the GPS is consistently accurate . The battery lasts forever, the app is decent and the product is really worth it's money (about 60 EUR sans case and mount).

[@juanpecan7089]

Love your energy in your videos. All the enthusiasm, none of the cyclist smugness.

[@chinabicycle]

from my experience, I can say that many drivers will not understand this flashing light that you are turning or not, for them it will just be a light of some kind

[@hambo76]

I reckon they should change it to each light turning on sequentially in the direction you want to turn. This would at least give a better idea of which indicator is on.

[@c0olcast]

The 2g stuff cracked me up! Great content as always

[@babyneon]

I'm a casual single speed bike rider.i like to make my bike fun to look at. Bright colors and fun accessories. I even have green and yellow tires. I'm always looking for new stuff

[@Ronald-qj5nx]

I've fitted a number of these Ridenow TPU tubes (36g, 700x18-32) onto a set of carbon wheels with an internal rim width of 19mm and 3 different 28mm tyres: Continental GP4000II, Goodyear Eagle Sport, and Vittoria Corsa N.EXT G2.0. All 3 tubes installed into the Continental tyre developed micro leaks withing hours (all were good out of the box) whereas the 2 tubes installed into the Goodyear and Vittoria tyres are still fine. I note that the Continental tyre inflates to a size much bigger than the Goodyear and Vittoria tyres which inflate very similarly. My hypothesis is that the bigger size of the Continental GP4000II casing resulted in the tubes being stretched too thin thus resulting in the leaks forming, even though the actual inflated size was still within it's max 32mm limit. It could be coincidence that the tubes that I used in the Goodyear and Vittoria tyres happened to be good and the 3 that were put into the Continental were already bad, I would need to fit more tubes into each tyre to confirm my suspicions, unfortunately these tubes aren't cheap enough for me to keep fitting my brand new tubes and risk having them get punctured. I will just use butyl or latex tubes in the bigger tyres for now. The tubes that did hold air are performing very well, I love them.

[@BeyReaper]

Hey Luke, I really want to build a gravel bike build but I'm afraid I'll forget something small that I'll need. Can you do a video basically creating a check list of things to buy in addition to the frame/drive train/seat/wheels/handlebars, all that stuff and all the additional small things that are needed for an entire build. Basically list everything needed to build a bike plus the tools for the job assuming that I don't have all the required tools.

[@edwardjones4550]

Regarding the oval chainrings, the huge change in feel is when going back to regular chainrings. It's there that my bike felt 2kg's heavier. Love oval

[@maiconleonard69]

Happy to see that my bottle cages get lukes seal of approval...bought them randomly and a bit sceptical but now my confidence has risen

[@markvonwisco7369]

3:58 Everything old is new again. Riders of a certain age will likely remember Shimano Biopace chainrings. I had them on a Trek 400, which was my main bik for most of the 90s and early 2000s.

[@andybarnard4575]

Except the oval is the other way round for Biopace I think, with the shorter diameter engaging when the cranks are horizontal. Unless I fitted them wrong. I can't tell any difference to be honest, but the oval in this video seems more pronounced than mine.

[@SchoolforHackers]

This video sent me to our shed to look at my wife’s bio pace chain ring on her ‘90s Cannondale. Nothing new under the sun…

[@markvonwisco7369]

@@SchoolforHackers So very true. What goes around comes around.

[@truthseeker8273]

That taipan joke killed ☠️🤣 kss!

[@mathewemden2068]

I have been watching this channel for a while now. It dawned on me the other day, I don't use ali express, I'm not really interested in buying knock-off parts, yet I still really enjoy this channel. I do learn a lot about bike maintenance, manufacturing processes, bike tech, and so on. Also, I really like Luke's goofy sense of humor; It's very entertaining! I'll keep watching and clicking that like button!

[@guestd80]

Luke, just started watching your vids and I’m super impressed with your enthusiasm and content… wishing you and your family a Happy Christmas and New Year…..

[@AverageMax13]

Indicators are something I've dreamed of for the bike so I'm absolutely ordering one! Thanks Luke!

[@juliusvdl2204]

How's your experience with them been? Want to buy one as well, thanks

[@andrewmurgatroyd9214]

Wow you changed the chainring and the whole bike was clean again. Great bargain.

[@roadsquadra]

Love that oval 42T passquest chainring + senicx pr3 165mm combo on my roadbike! Never going back to round chainrings!

[@BigMut91]

“Just looking through this magazine here, it says you should subscribe” 😂😂😂😂

[@_Schreintime]

The oval works well on my fat bike. It helps eliminate the pedal bob at high cadence.

[@Haplo59]

Your videos are gold: solid content, humor and a little bit of WTF, just the right amount ;)

[@leosarrade8995]

My Siroko bib is in the mail! Thanks for the special pricing!! I always enjoy your content.

[@emyrnamara5059]

cant wait to see fork suspension on the bike!

[@frazmars]

Luke my man, you're a gem! Useful videos for the masses. Btw, the baby related sleep deprivation is showing, but keep at it cycling and doing the good work, and you won't balloon up like I did after my baby came along.

[@Frostbiker]

Haha, another parent than noticed the same. Avoiding carbs when I'm not on the bike appears to be working for me, after gaining a ton of weight with my second kid.

[@bruuhhhh]

Another banger Luke, you're such a genuinely funny and entertaining guy thanks for the video

[@visjenl]

I totally agree on those bottle cases, i have them on all my bikes. Lightweight, strong, rarely it drops (if i go hard on my gravelbike on rough terrain), never had any problems and they are cheap. For the same price for 2 you can get 1 plastic one from a retail store.

[@qwertyazerty2137]

I have them as well but one of them actually snapped at the bottom, but it was around 2015 so maybe they improved the quality. Anyway I've got another pair in use since 2016 and no issues at all. They do hold well but scratch the bottles a lot, but tbh, which bottle cage doesn't?

[@TieuBachBach]

When i saw that tpu which at pink color i was going to suggest you buy the purple one but you was bring them up after 😊. For the weight saving you can change another crank arm (evosid) for 400g at 165mm and 410g for 170mm, and goldix cassette for more saving weight. And chainring with kmc sl(super light, hollow tech) for 190g at 12 speed. 😊 they are super cheap and get weight almost the same with dura ace 😂

[@nickcardeneo6852]

I ordered the BSC 200 because i'm on a budget (student) and it works absolutely amazing! really recommend these computers. The app is really user friendly and gives a lot of info. Pairing with HRM and other things is no problem!

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

The BSC300 is most interesting to me because like yourself. I too am a runner of le old Garmin 520. Its already had one battery swap but it will probably be needing another sooner or later. Reviews seem be quite positive.

[@alancritchley8835]

Very funny. Like the comedy. Makes bike parts even more interesting ! Well done and Merry Christmas luke.

[@andredovale7845]

When I saw the fork 🤩 when are you doing an MTB build? Tractor users are feeling left out 😅. Cheers mate and keep it up 🙏

[@fennec13]

Oh sneaky boy ! I see you have a set of TRP - HYRD cable operated hydro brakes. Did you ever go over those on the channel ? TBH those were the best brakes before I went to full hydro.

[@Toastybear1]

That bike computer is basically a 520 that has an updated map. Something you can do on the 520 with a bit of finegaling and a laptop. The only difference is that Garmin added crash detection to the 520 in a firmware update, and has an excellent up to date companion app. Don’t forget that garmins last firmware update for the 520 was in 2021, it has most of the features of modern devices without such good usability or on board navigation/ routing. If it has the computing power, or the sensor, garmin have added the functionality. It’s pretty impressive really.

[@mtbboy1993]

6:22 I'm one of them, it eliminates the heavy part of the stroke and my knee pain, I was in agony with round chain ring.

[@tacituskilgore8379]

I'm so glad you did this video just in time for things to arrive 3 weeks after Christmas 😂

[@Killroy76]

Nice Christmas with the new Family member. Happy riding and good Health in 2024

[@conceptcs]

TPU's are best the way to be left stranded on the side of the road even after bringing two spare TPU's. They have a defect rate of about 8/10 tubes in my experience. My local bike shop even refuses to sell or install TPU tubes due to this issue. They had so many customer come back and complain about leakage, they just gave up on it.

[@WillEDC]

Same. Tpu is a spare tube. Latex for racing and butyl for normal rides.

[@Miekzz]

Loving the banter as always. Will for sure look into some of these tips, thank you Luke :)

[@kelvindavison3314]

All the best Luke, great video again 🥖, I especially like the behatted guest appearance of Tracevelo Dundee 🤠. Merry Christmas!

[@richiejames928]

Been using Luke’s link to sirokos clobber now everytime I need some new cycling garments, been well impressed with everything I have bought so far! big big fan! cheers Luke!

[@flaksirus]

About the blinkers/turn signals - as a driver i can say that I can't distinguish turn from just rear light. Them just placed to close and shines too bright in dark so merges in a single dot. So don't be bothered, use your hands - that what drivers expect.

[@DG-mi2mc]

15:52 Locktite is your friend!

[@lmichnowicz]

im glad i stumbled on this video randomly browsing yt. great content and execution!

[@thorstenmauch5346]

I used this rotors in a lot of CX races without any problem. Braking is short, so no problem with heat, And also not problems with mud. Only unter these conditions they are not very durable. Every season i need new ones. But given the low price, that's ok.

[@luukrutten1295]

The only problem with lightweight rotor is that almost all of them are only 1.6mm thick. Which is thinner than the shimano wear limit on standard rotors. Standard road rotors are 1.85mm and some mtb ones even more.

[@stoic.little]

I have the same ones as Luke and they come at 1.8+ mm.

[@aleksarajkovic3471]

None of them are 1.6 lol, 1.7 1.8 is the norm, and shimano minimum wear is 1.5mm

[@doncrescas]

As mentioned, the recommended minimum is 1.5

[@Fatbutnotflat]

Absolutely love my passquest. Lasts very long, well machined, looks good light, comes in oval. Zrace, deckas, snail are trash and wore out super fast in comparison.

[@JMJM75257]

I run cyclami tpu tubes on my racey steel flatbar bike. They are paired with continental contact urban 28c and so far after two months no issues. I too run ali Express chainrings. Nameley the litepro 46t atm. They work well and last a surprisingly long time.

[@richardggeorge]

Your Australian accent was half South African. Bloody hilarious! 😂🤣😂🤣 All the best from sunny, hot Melbourne 🇦🇺 🦘🌴🚵‍♀️ ☀️

[@fieteferrum3441]

After your recommendations I picked up some lighter innertubes, they really work like a charm 🥖

[@InvertedProphet]

Thanks Luke. Love the content. Always amusing, informative and honest.Have a wonderful Christmas.

[@dtsybulskyi]

The problem with turn indicators that I've read about - drivers don't expect to see them on a bike and they are sre pretty small - so it's a big question, if they actually add any security. But then again, I've never seen them live during driving, so have no first-person experience. Would be amazing to hear from someone who has :-)

[@MichalJanata]

and also you indicate to the rear, but not for those coming from opposite side

[@-COBRA]

@@MichalJanata unless you buy second unit

[@MichalJanata]

@@-COBRA if you can pair two units to one remote, then ok… i wouldnt like to have two remotes on handlebars… all those indicators looks to me like solving problem, that doesnt exist

[@Fritz_Salad]

​@@MichalJanata yup, at that point it's less effort to do hand signals

[@ΘωμάςΚονταλέξης]

For a cycle computer i use my old and trusty lg g6. New battery. Last all day. Many apps. Many maps. Waterproof. Huuuge screen in comparison. Connects with everything. And the best of all its free.

[@vaulthecreator]

NGL caught me off guard a bit with the Aussie accent. Heard some horrors in my time but that was not a bad go though 👍🇦🇺 Some interesting some here, mate, though I am thankful for the heads-up on those thru axles. I had been thinking about them but also eyeing some titanium ones too. I will be carrying tools (stupid not to 50 clicks out on an Aussie dirt road) so those 'rattlers' would be pointless. Anyway, you just sealed the deal, thanks mate.

[@dangurtler7177]

I like an oval chainring on my mountain bike with a single chainring. Those definitely work better on steep, loose climbs compared to a standard chainring. My initial impression on the oval wasn't entirely positive, but I am now convinced. Never tried AliExpress for those.

[@thewreckingball1150]

I use those rotors too on my bike builds and they are epic! Cheap and light

[@jaredfink5146]

I love your stuff, Luke. Been watching for years now and love the Siroko kit. Thanks for finding them and teaming up. Methinks it may be time for you to start looking into baby bike carriers and let us all know what you find. I’m about to start looking because I have a 2yo granddaughter and one that just arrived. Cheers from the U.S.

[@joegamas1194]

Awesome video 🥖🥖🥖 I just wanted to say I really enjoyed the little twist of the addition information in the safari suite…it was awesome 👏 Great job 👍

[@merckxy54]

Great vid Luke, all the best for xmas and the new year to you and your family!

[@AyataniAsha]

Hilarious episode indeed. I loved the Baguette on the table, nice touch. Marry Christmas Luke.

[@badwulfe79]

I vouch for the iGPSport cycling computers. Their batteries are VERY hard to kill especially on the non colored screen ones basically anything below bsc300. I do admit that when updating datas on strava gets weird sometimes but it's due to poor internet connection or signal. Just delete the record, unbind and bind then restore the data when you have a better signal.

[@LawrenceSeetoh]

Thank you Luke, you always recoomend such practical items to get. I wish you and the family an amazing end of the year.

[@pdlngsqrs9547]

You need to do a video an how , if at all, robust the TPU patches truly are. IMO, most inner tube patches are useless, as they do NOT hold for any substantial length of time.

[@danielbirchett6439]

Definitely gonna pick up some tubes and some of those discs. Another great video ty Luke 🥖🥖

[@johnpaultalaran8190]

As always, luke really is a big help to budget cyclist like myself 😂 I'm gonna try the tpu tube for my spare.

[@bicivini]

By experience, get the 36g ones for reliability. Picked up 2x10pcs for 50 quid in total…2 blowouts, rest fine 👍🏽

[@CanyonWanderer]

Great video once again! Lol, I did use your Siroko link once again (2nd time). Completely by coincidence, I actually clicked "confirm order" when you started the Siroko block 🙂

[@AboutMyBikes]

Another awesome video! Oval is the best, I using ovals since 2015. The best decision in my bike career 👌🏻

[@fathybalamita1537]

When I am descending , I alternate between front/rear brakes. Doing this carefully can prevent over heating. Thank you for all the helpfull tips.

[@williamko4751]

Good tip. Thanks🎉

[@integspec]

Useful channel with a good dose of humour!

[@CarnivoreDMD]

I started using “OVAL” chainrings in the late 1980’s with Shimano Biopace. They got a bad rap as I always favored them as well as 170 crank arm length VS 175.

[@Przemo-c]

TPU inner tubes make a lot of difference it's best bang for buck upgrade I've made. Good tires will make a bigger difference but are considerably more expensive. I use ridenow 45g but thats for my wife tires. I wasn't expecting much but bine feels snappier and it may be a placebo effect or that I pay more attention to tire pressure but they do feel like they create less rolling resistance.

[@szymonzak6681]

i bought a blackspire mtb chainring and it really makes going uphill wayyy easier

[@simoncee9011]

Thanks Luke, great as ever. Happy Christmas.🥖

[@mikkuun22]

One comment I have with oval chain as an oval user. It isn't a pleasant feeling to be switching between a mixed round and oval 2-by setup, especially when training, load vs. phase angle profile is very different (Garmin's cycling dynamics also shows this). Personally, I feel better pedaling with ovals than round but it maybe because I have already gotten used to it.

[@rcarlmoy5795]

Great video, Luke. I can vouch for the Offbondage tubes. A main advantage for me is that I can use my regular valve stem extenders.

[@LordH3lmchen]

Thanks for the info. I'll try them next time. Until now I wasn't really lucky with TPU tubes. Two had failed really fast (within a few weeks without reason - no glass or something like that) and on one the plastic valve stem just fractured. I returned to Butil ones. With those I had two punctures in 10 years. I had to change them usually only when the valve broke.

[@mathieunorry]

Top vid man, great channel , alot of hard work goes in to this channel

[@bilgerat6060]

I also endorse these brake rotors. Also the oval chainrings on my MTB.

[@troy45uk]

I was thinking the thru axles looked like a decent upgrade till you started rattling them about. If they’re fussy on how you tighten the grub screw maybe some loctite (or an Aliexpress equivalent 😉) on it would help set the position needed

[@zoladkow]

thru-axles - simple fix: magnets indicator lights -would be better if the light animated right to left or left to right, because just blinking might easily be overlooked

[@LeonForsterHulst]

Great video as always! I've got a BSC300, super happy with it!

[@jemilh]

Could you do a review of heated insoles 🥖🥖🥖🥖 Big fan, Keep up the good work 💪

[@bradsanders6954]

Ive been using heated socks off ebay for years, about 35 US each pair. I Really Like Them. Run for 8 hours no problem. I also wonder about heated insoles.

[@vladimirsvorobovich541]

I used same pass quest chainring oval 42t for over than 20k km and it was like new👍

[@zachrichardson7099]

Another banger of a video, thanks a lot for the recommendations

[@Marco-hf6rl]

Thanks for the vidis and have a great holiday season.

[@binitbob]

Been using oval rings for years now. I just find my legs don't feel as tired when using them for a 40 to 60 mile ride. But other opinions are just as valid. 🥖🥖🥖

[@SteveKimbo]

Merry Christmas Luke! I went oval on my MTB and I definitely felt like climbs were smoother. Less of a stabby pedal stroke. Oddly when I wore it out and went back to a round one it didn't feel that much different 🤷‍♂️ The GPS unit looks good. The Welsh rain killed my Garmin 530 in October. I think the charge port bung had come out mid ride and the poor thing filled with water and I was unable to resurrect it.

[@mudko3589]

also got an off brand oval for my mtb. huge difference on power delivery on the feeling of climbing. but i dont think it would make me "faster" on the climbs. at $20 im pleasantly pleased

[@abedfo88]

My igsport 630 is my favourite purchase for the bike in a long time.

[@pawelodz8050]

I used this Offbondage TPU for whole 2023 road season. On plus: they hold pressure same good as Merida 65gr superlight tube. Zero puncture so far even I'm heavy rider (105kg 196cm 6.5ft). Minus: valve "pipe" is without nut so I had to use black tape to remove rattling in my Fulcrum wheels. BSC300 came to me 3 days ago. Quite good but first minus for me- letters of speedometer is quite small and don't see option to make them bigger. It is simple to add that feature but that's the pain of cheap Chinese electronic. They are maybe priced well but software.. oh boy 😂

[@thegrowl2210]

Regarding no.4, the problem with those is they have no front unit, which is vital on roundabouts, meaning you end up sticking your hand out anyway. Additionally, it would be nice if you compiled a list of good items for commuting. Hexlox and the like perhaps.

[@JoshSmith-hg1qz]

love the content mate!! always watch your videos. Love the wheels!!!

[@hallsimon]

Luke maaate. Impressive Aussie accent there cobber! Keep the good stuff coming.

[@yehnahthx]

Ooo Looking forward to the budget suspension forks review!🥖🥖🥖

[@whichwayiszigzag]

Luke, I'm going to need a purple and black 'Offbondage' jersey. Let's make it happen!

[@Hysterically-Inaccurate]

Taipan is going to be my next upgrade, thanks Luke 🥖

[@gammelgemse]

Have you heard of mudguards? They are amazing in keeping you and your bike clean.

[@crankgreenwatts]

First upgrade and it's TPU 💚off running to find my card so can order some for my new 55mm wheels 🥳 Is there a disc brake update video in the pipeline; TRP or Juin Tech? Awesome video as always Luke 🙌

[@dexterx55]

been riding the cycleami tpu-tubes for close to 3000km and have not had any issues so far. The one thing that is kinda annoying is that they deflate quite quickly compared to regular butyl tubes.

[@daviddjerassi]

Happy Christmas and a great New Year Luke love all your videos thank you.

[@123moof]

I’m a fan of RideNow TPU tubes, but so far none of the patches have held up for more than a couple days, and usually they go flat overnight. So fine to get you home, but not a permanent fix. I might try some of the other “real” branded patches, but not holding my breath.