Can We Make The CHEAPEST Road Bike GOOD?!

[@gcn]

What would you do to improve such a bike? 💸

[@SedriqMiers]

When are you going to review some bicycle trailers ?

[@derx6666]

I think recycling it would be the best improvement 😉

[@2001MBKBooster]

Perhaps purchase an inexpensive Sensah ot L-Twoo complete drivetrain along with some quality new tires.

[@mortlow6688]

2000€ carbon wheelset ...

[@SFSomega]

Give it a new frame, new brakes, new group set, new handlebars and saddle, and new tires. Then you should be good.

[@luboslaviliev7894]

I love these cheap bike upgrade videos... Much more interesting then 10k bikes reviews that normal people cant afford :D

[@chatpall]

going down one big rabbit hole!

[@luboslaviliev7894]

Yeah but u can just set a budget to make the bike safe and nicer to ride and enjoy it. ​@@chatpall

[@JustAnotherRandomPersonOnline]

Agreed! I like this one.

[@dvs620]

I did a version of this on an MTB. over 3 years, I've put about $1k (US) into it. For that same price I can get a straight steerer, coil fork with less travel and no dropper with cheap wheels. My single speed has a rear brake only, but I paid $40 for it and I can stop and skid with it. A pair would be about $80, which is pretty cheap. Stopping power is good too.

[@Wheelie2077]

When I was a kid, all my parents could afford was a really cheap bike. Most of my mates had the branded bikes. Through shear hard work, I became the strongest cyclist in the group. I had the best bike in the long run, because it made me work harder!

[@dazza9129]

The embodiment of 10% equipment 90% you. At a certain price point, the bells and whistles of high performance road bikes does not matter anymore and it becomes more about the cyclist.

[@robbchastain3036]

Cheers to you for that attitude and I was the same, got a department-store Rixie 10-speed in Frankfurt, West Germany at Christmas '74 and rode it near every day for two-and-a-half years of high school and after-school job commuting. And tho' I could not ride fast in the dark with its front-hub generator, O my, during the day I could chase mopeds and sometimes catch 'em with a cheery "Guten Tag!" Dying inside from the effort but not showing any pain was part of my game. 😀

[@YurkerYT]

That's one of the reasons I use my 20kg decathlon cruiser bike for most of my stuff, only pull out the roadbike for distance and when I need to be someplace really PHAST

[@mikewood9514]

I had a similar thing happen to me. My parents were told i had a future by the club but would need to upgrade my bike.they could never afford it so i live wondering.......

[@Chickenmusk]

I thinknits a great project to but parts and fit them to a cheaper bike. It helps you understand how a bike works. It also helps you to have the knowledge of how to repair the bike in the future. But I'd start with a slightly better frame set. 😊

[@neilporter2971]

thank you for promoting charity bike workshops i have volunteered at R-evolution in east Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire for 7 years. we started roughly the same size as Juilian house and now have 3 major workshops and 10 community hubs, we are all about getting people on bikes and making them safe to ride. P.S. you should see the size of our spare parts store.

[@GrdenGnome]

Legend

[@ebikescrapper3925]

BikeforGood in Glasgow is another good shop that caters to the community.

[@nemure]

I don't think this type of shops exist in my country. I never ever heard about them

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

we have a bike shop here in Tucson, Arizona that teaches not only how to build bikes, but has Women's and Transgender only classes where the teachers are also women. Bikes of all classes are available to repair or buy.

[@nemure]

@@jamesmckenzie3532 this is a bad idea tbh You don't want to separate people but teach them how to treat and respect each other. Creating separation only makes things worst And for the records, this is not a personal opinion, is a contrasted fact observed during centuries, we have men and women only schools as a very strong example of this.

[@ivorpeachey4366]

After your first video, I bought one because I’ve got enough spares to change everything, yes the brakes were shit . I changed to Tiagra 10 speed levers , better reach bars , and ditched the gear levers . The brakes still had no bite so I changed the brake blocks to old cool,stop blocks I had . Bingo the brakes are now reasonable. 25 k test ride was ok . Apart from a puncher . So tyres were changed to continental tour ride Extra 32 mm . I’ve since rode 3 x 200 k rides on it . Just need mud guards now for winter

[@gcn]

Sounds like your build a great every day bike!

[@Jayneflakes]

That final line hits hard for me. With reports pointing to forced labour in China, it is entirely possible that this is the case. The UK Government released a report in 2021 that stated "There is mounting evidence that the Uyghur population and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have been the subject of systematic human rights violations, including forced labour." However, supporting groups like Julian House is a great place to start making life better. I went to Uni in Bath in the 90s and remember well what good work Julian House was doing. This was a great video and it was lovely to see GCN making a strong case for supporting human rights. Well done.

[@brennamaclean8737]

Seconded, fast and cheap come with a cost and it's usually a human one.

[@JoaoPauloSoares61]

Oh you're still ranting about the uyghur... there's a lot of informations about that my friend, even de UN goes there regularly and can't find nothing the werstern media propagates. just look into it through reliable sources (not readio free asia)

[@bettyjones8363]

It is too cheap. Someone/s definitely suffered for this bike. The whole Temu thing is the same. Cheap labour in China.

[@yak91]

Agreed - which is why it was so jarring to see him excitedly buy a dirt cheap pair of fake Temu shoes in the same video... Still, it's great that the takeaway of this video was to buy second hand and support charity bike co-ops like Julian House where possible

[@MrHatQ]

I found it ironic in a way because buying suspect budget items online in and of itself is something I avoid. Kind of how I feel about people using Temu without considering why it is so cheap, charity or local bike shop definitely a better route.

[@charlcoetzee93]

Decent video. Agreed a clean second hand bike is a better starting point. But it didn't feel like you were mocking this bike and you showed some good steps for how you would go about making it usable

[@andywilson3761]

I bought this bike after watching the first video. I love it. It's been years since I last rode, but it feels great to be back on the road and losing some timber! 🚲

[@AleksiJoensuu]

Hey Andy, hope the brakes work! 😂 Nothing beats living!

[@martinmalloy5997]

​@@AleksiJoensuuwhy won't the brakes work, they're modern caliper brakes? If they were vintage caliper brakes I would partly agree with you but add modern brake levers to them and they work a treat.

[@AleksiJoensuu]

@@martinmalloy5997 I wouldn't know since I don't have the bike, but if you've watched this very KZbin video we're commenting on, or the other GCN videos about this very bike, you'd have heard them talk about the brakes on many occasions. Why, this exact video describes their effort in changing the calipers to ones that work. 🤣

[@martinmalloy5997]

@@AleksiJoensuu personally I would consider new brake blocks first.

[@AleksiJoensuu]

@@martinmalloy5997 Hey all I said is I hope his brakes work! Doesn't matter to me whether they're the blocks, calipers, cables, levers of the position of the moon 😀 Though now that you've brought it up, I should hope that Si, with his decades of experience and being an ex-pro racer and current pro bike presenter, AND the resident GCN expert mechanic mentioned in the video AND all the other presenters + Andrew Feather who looked at the bike in the other videos, would have, combined between them, enough expertise to diagnose brake problems. 🤣🤣

[@Metal-Possum]

I've drilled loads of steel frames and forks for recessed brake nuts and bet my entire career on it and have never seen a failure because of it. It's a relatively small increase in the diameter of the existing hole in a material that's known for being incredibly strong and forgiving. Not to mention, the placement of the hole isn't in a place that's under a lot of stress, smack bang in the middle of the crown like that, away from where the legs are loading it.

[@mircozelle]

(also, tektro sells/sold brakes with long enough bolts)

[@Metal-Possum]

@@mircozelle This is correct, but they're not as cheap as 8 quid brakes from your local non-profit.

[@nemure]

Yeah, problem here was the opposite though, the frame hole was bigger than the brake calipers and you don't want to drill a bigger hole on those I don't know though if are there any kind of adapters to make the frame hole "smaller" so you could use the calipers 🤷‍♂️

[@mircozelle]

@@nemure you're misunderstanding

[@Andy-co6pn]

​@nemure that wasnt the case here, but if it was then its an easy fix with a steel tube

[@zedddddful]

"Find some dura ace" lol they are never gonna forget that one 😂

[@Alex-to8es]

What do you mean, I have a spare Dura Ace derailleur in my spares box, it is the 8 speed version from the 90's and I got in on an old criterium bike for £100! Works about as well as the £14 Aliexpress R3 8 Speed derailleur I brought, how technology has moved along, because that £14 deailleur works perfectly for my commuter.

[@MylesHSG]

Wait doesn't everyone just have spare Dura ace cranks lying around??

[@ianbatley8871]

Good to see you promoting community bike projects. I would definitely like to see more of that. Not everyone is cycling on a dentist's disposable income. How about GCN sponsor a single model race series using this bike, all spares/upgrades have to bought from a community bike project?

[@L.amanda]

great idea!

[@Czechbound]

Exactly. At 83 quid including postage i guess means someone was paid

[@gregorybolin4672]

And the labor of the components

[@L.amanda]

This was a great watch! I think a video series like this would be really interesting and a lot more applicable to some of us regular cyclists. I'd love to watch more videos about upgrading 'normal' or cheap bikes with second-hand parts or with cheap alternatives from Temu and AliExpress, all while avoiding the counterfeits. Also charity bike shops deserve a video of their own!

[@oldmonkeybones]

"Also charity bike shops deserve a video of their own!" Amen! Preach!

[@japancamerahunter]

This is one of the reasons I love living in Tokyo. There are loads of used bike shops with a massive array of used parts and bikes. I have been able to slowly upgrade all of my bikes for a fraction of the cost of new. And if you build a relationship with a store you will get a discount too.

[@thedownunderverse]

Is it hard to move there?

[@urouroniwa]

Where are you going to get used parts? Recycle shops? I live in rural Shizuoka, but I do wander down to Tokyo occasionally. I wouldn't mind going somewhere are browsing used bike parts :-)

[@japancamerahunter]

@@urouroniwa Buychari is great, loads of stores and they always have good inventory. Also Cypara, tons of stock but cashless only.

[@japancamerahunter]

@@thedownunderverse kinda, yeah.

[@807jester]

Good to see you here, Bellamy... I'm a big fan of your channel!

[@tecbarrett8331]

GCN Tech's advice is to always change the tyres first, however I'm sure that assumes a safe bike in the first place

[@crush3095]

The Used Parts Shop

[@laurentitolledo1838]

Already did the same on a similar cheap bike..... new set of wheels and tires, from 23mil to 28mil, with better puncture resistance compared to original 7-speed free-wheel to 11-speed cassette... Shimano A070 2x7speed shifters to 11-speed Sensah shifters, Steel Prowheel crank 50x34 to aluminum Shimano Tourney 50x34 generic 7-speed chain to KMC X11 chain cable pulled mechanical disc brakes to cable-pulled hydraulic disc brakes, disc changed as well cables changed to Jagwire cables metal flat pedals to aluminum SPD pedals new sadle... why you ask? for the love of bike mods.... and satisfaction on a successful transformation... and improved riding experience, specially at hill climbing...

[@gmivisualsjason3729]

Were your wheels quick release? The wheels on my cheapo winter bike have threaded ends with a nut to hold em on. Haven't found any upgrade options for this kind of wheel?

[@Automatic313]

@@gmivisualsjason3729 You cen use quick release wheels instead of the threaded axel wheels

[@laurentitolledo1838]

@@gmivisualsjason3729 on the other bike I had those threaded hubs ones changed to quick release ones, the wheels needed to be rebuilt to exchange the hubs. the one above was originally quick release. replaced both wheels with a newer (lighter) pair that can accommodate the 11-speed cassette

[@songofyesterday]

I like these value improvement vids. They resonate more with the regular people.

[@steve050867]

That bike is perfect for your indoor trainer.

[@gmivisualsjason3729]

Yes I was thinking that. I have a zwift trainer that has adapters for either quick release or through axle but on these it looks like it's a thread and nut. So perhaps not compatible.....

[@johnvu8902]

@@gmivisualsjason3729 I have a similar bike bought cheap here in the States, from a company called Giordano. I use it for the indoor trainer and thread and nut can be changed over to quick release without issue. The front and rear width on fork and rear are standard to quick release. Get a quick release skewer and you'll be fine. I have it on a Zwift hub, which in Zwift will handle virtual shifting--and with the new trainers becoming compatible with Zwift virtual shifting, you can get it on the trainer to work out, without the need to worry about the right cassette on the trainer.

[@shaun7163]

Loved this video, cheap upgrades, some techy knowledge, where to get good value bits (while supporting a good cause) as well as the usual great presentation from Si, would love to see more like this!

[@andreemurray7039]

More showslike these please

[@andyamos8594]

At last, GCN, this hits the nail on the head for real World upgrades, well done! Yeah, charity shops, secondhand parts, drilling holes, its all part of the game many of us play out there. And another yes to wondering where and in what conditions the bike was produced! A third yes to actually, you are better off buying an entire secondhand bike although that does come with its own perrils as has been pointed out on previous episodes. Next one? Buying a used 1980s/ 90s classic with maybe gear indexing? Taking it apart for a deep clean. Finding out parts are broken and replacing them, no to mention new tyres and bar tape....all on a budget not to exceed this bike.... including any special tools for areas like cranks, headset and BB! 😀 Oh then go out on both bikes and find out what is better!!

[@robbchastain3036]

Great effort, Si, now reset and try it again with MTB flat pedals and flat bars and surely you can find perfect brakes from the alt crowd, maybe Russ on your side of the pond can hook you up with a pair and a party pace sticker, too. And that frame actually looks perfect for you, I mean, seriously it is perfect GCN red and with that you can work with the rest of it. 😀

[@n22pdf]

Love these vids guys.. Showing what’s possible and ways to get into cycling where you really don’t have to spend a lot of money up front so encouraging for people new to the sport and just wanting to have a go.. 8m with you buying second hand 😊 well done GCN 😊 Pete 🚴‍♀️🚴🏻👍

[@musclelessfitness2045]

Si couldn't find a dura-ace crankset laying around? That's a shame ... that bike could've been much faster :P

[@rayc4543]

Alex Paton has one, lol

😂

[@BTcycle]

@@rayc4543 Alex has them stash away in his safe.

[@AleksiJoensuu]

I thought clipless pedals are called so because they don't have toe clips - you know, like the toe clips the bike has now.

[@matthewlewis2072]

💯

[@oldershikari828]

They're "clipless pedals" because the clip isn't on the pedal, since it's on the shoes.

[@Andy-co6pn]

​@oldershikari828 the cleat is on the shoe and its locked in place by the clip on the pedal

[@Dan200]

Bit confusing when flat pedals exist though isn't it?

[@thedronescene7474]

I purchased a Cannondale Optimo back in 2019 with the sole intention of using it with the indoor trainer. Some months ago I had some brand new groupsets and I upgraded the whole frame to: - Dura Ace 9000 Di2 - Carbon Handlebars and stem - Enve 4.5 wheelset You look at the bike now and it looks like a top of the lane bike! Looks fast! Does it ride fast? It does but it is not comfortable, the bike has this weird buzz when riding at 22MPH or faster. This issue was also present with the original equipments. I guess that is just a characteristic of the frame. Anyways, always buy a better frame if money is not an issue! Marry the frame and date the components.

[@billeterk]

I got a second hand Optimo in 2020. My CAAD10 steerer was delaminating from a collision a couple of years earlier and the fork geometry was the same. Not quite as nice a ride but definitely value for money.

[@MudguardFan]

Agree with others that promoting charity bike shops is v good. Having been riding as an adult for 40+ years I, and friends of similar age, have accumulated a lot of bike stuff (tho’ not dura-ace level!). Not worth the hassle of trying to sell but too good to throw away, so taking to a charity shop is a great way to have a clear out. And I have bought the odd item at such shops. Perhaps a GCN video about them? Keep up the gr8 work.

[@gcn]

We mention bike charity shops in more than one video whenever we consider it useful, as you mentioned, and we will continue to do so. Thank you very much for your comment!

[@mavericklimsk]

After the brakes, handle bar, stem, saddle, I think wheelset and tyres will be a very good upgrade.

[@david-olivierpham3364]

I love to see your happiness when you managed to break you bike :) I love these videos where I can feel your genuine feelings and authentic impressions :)

[@rbonn3880]

That isn't such a bad bike, Sid. Many people would love something like this (or anything) to ride. But you're right: the brakes absolutely have to work.

[@gcn]

You can only enjoy the sensation of speed when you are confident that you can stop.

[@albmata14]

😂 this is basically my whole experience as a cyclist. Budget bike with a tight budget. I finally feel seen lol but I have enjoyed working on my budget bike because I now feel confident in working on my own bike and when I can afford an upgrade I feel confident that I’ve got the most out of my budget bike

[@Zinerun]

I smell a 30 day challenge bike commute video.

[@gcn]

That's a good idea, and it would certainly be a challenge to get Simon to swap his bicycle for this one for 30 days.

[@davidfoster4212]

No one knows why they're called 'clipless pedals'? Try this: It came with 'toe cliped pedals'. You removed the toe clips. That makes them 'clipless'. I think. Lot of fun for 82 quid.

[@marksmithWLC]

How about mounting the bike on a Wahoo Core trainer with Zwift cog and using it as the cheapest indoor bike? In one simple step you’d solve the braking and shifting issues.

[@dronewalk6988]

At about 12:50; Si seems to be repeatedly swapping between shirts and tights…. Guessing that slowed him down more than the bike 😀

[@RossTheNinja]

He had to change bibs when the brakes didn't work

[@RichardMigneron]

🤣🤣🤣 "... without deploying a parachute" , now I have this picture in my head of Si braking with a parachute. Might help with the aero of the bike having a parachute on your back while riding 🤔

[@ADHDIYuk]

Sometimes a cheap bike can be a gateway bike to better and more expensive bikes. For me, as a youngster, I always had second hand bikes until I was 15. This bike could be someone's pride and joy and at least they are riding.

[@briang9373]

When my son no longer needed or wanted the cheapest road bike I upgraded it with loads of cheap end new parts to make it a winter bike and I now genuinely like riding it. It was awful and now pretty good and I love the fact I have modified it, it makes it more personal and spec to suit me. In fact in many ways I prefer riding it to my more expensive conventional road bike as it has real character and feels utterly reliable. My daughter even went cycle touring on it, once specced for her. Now reverted back to my fit and saddle. Love the fact I don't have to worry about modding it due to the initial low cost. I found I needed to replace the flimsy chain set which would bend on hills so wouldn't hold a gear. Also the terrible weak wheels, bad brake shoes, stem riser to suit my bad back, upgraded race saddle, Shimano SPD pedals, tyres, rear block and derailleur to better suit the local hills. Still only 6 gears on the back but a quality feel to the gearing on the less handlebar stem shifters. Still need better tape and the narrow section handlebar stem squeaks up hills some but it's character eh! Bottom bracket now a sealed unit and seat post upgraded, plus chain. So original brakes mechanisms, gear shifters, frame, handlebars and head set...makes little sense on paper but it's mine and my now adult daughter loves it too. I forgot to say some items I had from decades ago I reused.

[@drews4466]

Bike co-ops and collectives are how I got into riding for commuting and for fun. Local critical mass rides, attending Bike!Bike! (when it was going stronger pre-pandemic) and finding bike places in other cities has supplied me with parts, support, and perhaps most impactful, friends. If you live in a major city you probably have one nearby. Volunteer and meet some folks!

[@McLovin38FFs]

I would love to see them become a sponsor of the channel and all the presenters have to ride them. Hank wouldn’t care but everyone else 😂😂😂😂. All of you taking that bike to Majorca or the Dolomites……….classic!

[@two-eyedRoy]

Keep bargain building it please! A realistic series for a kid in their final years of school, maybe part time or casual job, still living at home kind of realm. Do it in allotments of 82.50. Or maybe 80? 20 quid a week savings for a monthly purchase. Chip away at pieces as the budget allows. So next up, Tyres and Tubes. How good can we go, and transformative the result? mmmaybe limit to 60 so next month... Wheels, can we haggle someone offloading their upgraded hoops for a hunjee? Finally, the groupset. Might need to save for 2 months, but that can net a new Sora groupset... but what about used Tiagra or even 105?

[@AdamAnderson-y2q]

That's a great idea. These bikes the price of a car a probably nice but way out of reach

[@two-eyedRoy]

I was thinking, at the end, what's equivalent off-the-shelf, and how do they compare back to back? THEN pose the 'is it worth it' query to which I suspect will be a torn answer. Lil Red might be heavier with a lesser frame but probably better componentry than a ~£500 shelf bike. Plus the added emotional link of 'I built that'

[@Timberius]

I would have gotten some used brifters and rear derailleur maybe. The handlebars and brakes make sense. I think you're right; a decent used bike would be great. But having shopped on fb marketplace, despite living in a city of 2 million, it's not easy finding something good. 95% of the listings you open are wrong size or wrong frame type or wrong something else (because unlike online shops, there's no uniformity in title lines and descriptions and presentation, and even keyword search doesn't yield correct results). So while wanting to buy a touring bike for my girlfriend's visit, I ended up empty-handled and just built one out of what I had on hand.

[@mikewilliams5024]

Cheapest bike for winter training on the Turbo Trainer, as brakes and weight don't matter :p

[@TimothyFish]

They're "clipless pedals" because the clip isn't on the pedal, since it's on the shoes.

[@thiscocks]

yes, Clipless = no toe clips

[@ehuremovic526]

🤯

[@zodd67]

Yeah, basically toe clip less pedals.

[@delbaker5532]

My XTR cross bike have so far served me well I have done 71 miles 2 weeks ago and done 43 miles yesterday I took my bike to my local Bike shop to get 2 new tyres cst compressor the Rolling speed is a lot better and while the guy was doing that he adjusted front and back breaks that really performed really well now

[@masoodrehman118]

Someone suffered to build your expensive bike too. Unfortuantley it's the world we live in now. Gor me, a bike like this is a great bicycle for my son and I to work and learn on.

[@gpersonaltrainer]

I appreciate the effort of GCN that shows you can start cycling with just £82.60! Obviously, later there is the inevitable upgrade that costs you money, time and mechanic skills. My question is: "Why don't you simply buy an used Triban 520 @ £150?" You'll get a reliable bike which doesn't need any upgrade. Want more? Buy a Boardman Sport which is (despite a little difference in price) an outstanding entry level bike.

[@andrasbacsi3285]

I am on a similar mission. I bought the 7 speed sister of that shiny red Cross for the same money to do my daily commute after 8 years of hiatus. It is great getting back to cycling! Must agree, the brakes are crap, and I mostly use the front one. I have to prepare for braking way ahead... but the saddle is very comfy. 😅 For the upgrade, I found a Campagnolo Mirage 2x9 groupset on Gumtree with clipless pedals and an ITM shorter drop bar but no brake callipers. That did cost me £45 plus train ticket for collection. Added bonus that the money went to support a mountain climber charity. I had to buy a braze on clamp for the front derailleur additionally, plus I have to figure out how to mount a cable stop for the front gear cable as the frame was made for rear gears only...and the downtube is half round, half triangular.😵‍💫 All in all, I am excited to do my parts swap as soon I can find some time to do it. Also, the bike would benefit from having wider tyres with a bit more bounce to them. The video was fun to watch. I'd like to see more of this kind of down to earth content.

[@mec1]

Some good memeable moments in this one. I NEED A MUSIC VIDEO REMIX OF THE PART FROM 12:20! Maybe a 1-hour looping version because 10 hours would be excessive. I also like the brake testing circus performer from 8:33; he puts his hands up exactly like they do in the circus! TAA-DAA!

[@6872elpado]

My first bike was very similar to this. And yes you can upgrade the brakes if you buy the longer screw and replace it on any dual calipers break.

[@bubblesezblonde]

9:33~Says Siborg1 as he sits in 1980's style bicycle-clip pedals. I can recall when the steel cage thingies were called clips by the bike mechanics.The HIVE eschews both as technologically inferior. Nice wide BMX pedals are Hive approved as one only losses less than 10 Watts (GCN said 1 in a previous vid) and can exit the machine quicker.

[@DaveCM]

What they ignored in that video was climbing. When I climb I do pull up. It makes a very noticeable difference on the steeper grades.

[@electrocit673]

from my understanding the reason that modern pedals that use cleats are called clipless is because the old style pedals with cages also used cleats on the shoes. having the cleat on and your foot in the cage with the strap tight meant you were clipped in. After some time just having the cages was called clips so not having the cages is clipless.

[@doombach]

Unbelievably that Ritchey comp dropbar and Tektro V-brakes are exactly the same upgrade that I bought to replace on my budget ride, as I was also looking to get more comfort out of that bike. It looks like it's the best budget combo that is of relatively good quality. Also I would recommend changing the saddle and seatpost if you still feel uncomfortable riding.

[@impaledface7694]

2nd hand is better for sure, but this is at least a reasonable contender.

[@Pionirish]

I think I speak for all of us in wanting to now see this kitted out with full Dura Ace (obviously from Alex's parts bin) and full carbon everything

[@JP-zd8hm]

This is what many teenagers into road cycling did with their Raleigh Pro Race or Record Sprint in the 90s. Dual pivot long reach RX100 callipers from then would probably fit. I bet the bottom bracket would need replacing pretty quick.

[@quintennn]

I love cheap bike upgrade vids! I do think this bike is a bit too cheap. Could work great as a commuter/winter bike for someone, But for a bit more I believe you could've gotten significantly more bang for you buck!

[@iamsemjaza]

I literally can't see the difference between those two handlebars.

[@stevengagnon4777]

YIf you noticed the thickness of the steell where you drilled the fork...... some low end Shimano brake pads will improve the performance of the Tektro calipers . Tektro does have the longer drop brakes with the long bolt available too and no drilling necessary. Just replacing the front brake only would be a " more than adequate "upgrade . The dual pivot front and single pivot rear ultegras that I'm using ....it's arguably better that way ..I prefer it . Vintage center pull brakes are cheap and plentiful. They work amazingly well with new Taiwanese generic brake pads .

[@G60syncro]

Lets say the wonky brake vs fork situation scares you, I got a 100$ special carbon fork on Ebay for my winter bike and it did as it says on the tin... It forked all of last winter through sleet and snow and provided enough clearance to fit the Schwalbe studded tires. I'm totally waiting for next winter!!

[@ariffau]

DurianRider will love this bike as you can never ever lock the brakes up!

[@k04s4]

Go to Captain Dura Ace house, he definitely has some cranks and maybe 11 speed groupset laying around!

[@taz1109]

I had a bike from amazon at first when I got into cycling. Ended up buying a specialized afterwards and my amazon bike was collecting dust. Eventually I slapped a 105 groupset and some nice wheels on the amazon bike and it feels great!!!

[@Sev7n007]

tbh i get bullied all the time at school just because i have a cheap road bike that my parents bought me... for me it's the most precious thing i could ever have, at least i have a bike to go to school y'know... my bike is just cheap... no brand at all just regular bike that made out of steel and aluminum handlebar and over the time i took care of it all the time. and of course over time my parents keep upgrading my bike from steel to aluminum. Thanks mom, dad.

[@gcn]

thank you for sharing it with us!

[@guambra2001]

I think this is what cycling is about. If someone gets into this after dealing with all that, then it’s worth it.

[@klauslass6766]

I agree, a used one, intended as a racer from the outset turns out better. The frame is crucial here. This has, apart from the proper length steerer tube, no racing geometry at all. Chainstays way to long, brake pads botomed out in their caliper arms slots etc.. etc. and intended by the manufacturer as a universal frame to build different kinds ofs bike around it. Improving everything arond this frame will make the project too expensive without making it a racer.

[@stephen_pfrimmer]

Thank you Simon. A lot to think about.

[@gcn]

We're glad you enjoyed it.

[@pasekandfriends]

When I was a kid I worked for the whole summer and bought the cheapest racebike I could get - a Peugot for 3000 Austrian Schillings which was about 200€. The main problem was, that every part was made out of the cheapest materials and was very soft - from the frame to the rim. The only way to go was replacing the whole bike for a used one.

[@oldmonkeybones]

I fondly remember my first "serious" bicycle; a Peugeot with crap brakes, five speed freewheel, heavy steel. Even so, I thought it was the bees knees when I got it! It became my college commuter and the first bicycle I used as a courier in New York City. Who else had a garbage bicycle that they turned into an everyday ride?

[@lawrencewretham7816]

I have “done up” a lot of weird and cheap bikes. A lot of the tine, you can rebuild the new calliper brake on to the old pivot bolt and it still works well, everything is usually M6. I can’t ride clipless or toeclips as my feet are on slightly wonky, so everything I ride gets wellgo or dmr v8 platform pedals. Stuff for other people, reasonable Shimano spd. For a while you could get LOOK pedals cheaply on eBay so they went on a few too! I did the London to Brighton this year on a Viking Roma that was £65.00 from Danny the charity bike guy in Weymouth (local celebrity, in his 80’s) it took some sodding about with as it had the same front brake as the bike in the video and wouldn’t stop. In the end I put a weinmann centre pull on the front! It was also heinously overgeared, fixed short-term with a mountain bike range cassette, but a smaller set of chainrings will go on it soon instead. It is a generic aluminium road bike with steel forks and was fine over 60 ish miles and even around the local bmx track. The biggest problem with cheap bikes is the torturous saddles they come with.

[@michealofloinn2539]

You walked in with your GCN shirt 😇

[@mariusorcsik]

As far as I remember clipless pedals are called that in order to distinguish them from the pedals that have toe clips. :)

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

Awesome video,dual pivot brakes are really excellent,mine have transformed my Monaco also.💯👌🏻✌🏻🚴‍♂️

[@Joan41820]

Reminds me of the bike I bought when I first moved to England lol. Carrera tdf with tourny on it. Went through a rival group set several wheelsets and ended up with fulcrum wheels and tiagra it was a great bike tell it got stolen lol. These are great content that are incredibly helpful for people getting into the sport.

[@DavidJR1903]

Hey Si, Why are they called clipless pedals? Well what I've heard is: Before, there were the toeclip pedals. Then the toe clip was removed and the "less" is that there is no more toe clip or "toe clipless" or in short clipless. And please don't mix up clip, with click. Yes, the clipless pedals make a click sound not a clip sound. This is what I've always gone by.

[@Bodkin_Ye_Pointy]

Clipless peddles are referred as so due to the difference in peddles that have that cage you slip your feet into on that bike. The cages were referred to as "toe clips". So no toe clips, clipless peddles.

[@andrewcooling2756]

I’ve upgraded the brakes on a bike like that by using the new front brake on the back and robbing the bolt off the old front brake on the new one. However I don’t think drilling is a problem either.

[@sal_peter]

Could have gotten a set of vintage brakes and they would have fit with no issues.

[@xandermilne]

Enlarging the rear (REAR ONLY) hole of a brake area to the correct size to take a recessed nut on STEEL (ONLY!!) frame is largely consider safe and common practice. Plenty of info around NOT a big deal! so yes you can upgrade the brakes fine .. also normal to need to find the right length brakes for your frame.. you need to measure the "drop" before buying and choose long drop brakes if needed. With new correct pads and correct/higher end brakes this would stop almost well as most high-end rim brake bikes!

[@willsanders1841]

Si trying to remember how tools work and Dan trying to get fit...mid-life hits us all.

[@theinspector1023]

Very interesting. Passing up 105 single-pivot calipers? They're brilliant! I think enlarging the hole in the rear of the crown is a fairly standard procedure for fitting short bolt calipers. Wouldn't the original caliper have fitted if you'd done this earlier? I agree about buying the best second-hand bike you can afford.

[@mitch_smith]

So happy to see this video. C'mon si, we need a cheap shimano/sram group on that sucker. second hand 105 or a a tiagra/sora. Then take that bad boy to the mountains!

[@gcn]

I'm sure that would be the next improvement on the list!

[@chris1275cc]

Drilling out old style forks/frames to take a recessed bolt is pretty much par for the course on a retro/resto-mod I wouldn't worry about it. Also, I wouldn't call the Amazon Pedals "counterfeit" they are just after market SPD-SL standard. If you want good cheap off brand pedals, EXULSTAR's KEO offerings are pretty rock solid and around £25 ish.

[@jensenhealey907efi]

Wheels, brifters and carbon fork would be my next choice for upgrades

[@chrisp9859]

Alternatively, ask around your friend group if anyone is throwing stuff away and salvage parts that way. Walmart bikes kinda suck but they often use regular parts.

[@bigmikeshooter]

I love the cheap bikes because they give you opportunity to get in cycling world..

[@JoaoPauloSoares61]

You don't need a superbike to have an awesome ride, not even a mid tier bike to be honest. A second hand bike is just as good too. Just ride your bike! I like these videos, keep up GCN.

[@matt.3.14]

Someone somewhere probably suffered to make those Temu shoes. Great video, I often look at these low cost bikes as something for a project, but I think I come to the same conclusion you do; you can make it "good", but even to get to "pretty good" you're going to end up replacing a bunch of stuff and you end up with a bike that cost almost as much as an entry level bike from a "bike" company. But with some "weird" parts or standards that require a bunch of workarounds.

[@gcn]

thanks for the comment! Have you seen our GCN+ film on Cheap Bike Vs Superbike?! gcn.eu/gvXX5n we think you will like it!

[@zahadou]

move the shifters to the down tube - no more knee problem. old skool suicide shifters ! FTW !

[@ABD5667]

Going from flat pedals to clip or cage pedals dd make a difference for me, comfort and feet not slipping nor hurting my feet in the metal flat pedals I had. For now I can just imagine the difference going to clipless pedals. I got an old Scott sub bike

[@DarkdmbN01]

the fist bump was it for me! lol

[@10ktube]

Could you swap the pads on the brakes? I swear the Swiss Stop BXP are incredible, they'll cost more than half the bike but worth it.

[@davefeldman3740]

Yes! Kool Stop Continentals will improve any basic calipers. Compressionless cable housing, too.

[@emszabi]

As i remember, we called those cages around the pedal the "clips". Hence the other one is clipless.

[@raheslop]

I’d like to see what second hand bike you can buy for what that cost (including upgrades) and how it compares

[@adamdennis7167]

Group set and wheels are going be most people’s upgrades eBay second hand build would be good for this as I feel there’s a lot to learn about buying second hand

[@stuartyates6916]

If you do another upgrade, look at what heavy parts you could replace as well as the biggest wearing components. Definitely stick to second hand (charity shop), online bargains and please take them wheel reflectors off….they drive me nuts!

[@ericnord5423]

The brake levers look like Tektro long pull units, designed for V-brakes. That might explain why you aren't getting much power at the calipers.

[@Vixen1525]

I would have bought Sora brakes or Shimano non group brakes, a Swisstop Brake pad for good performance and a normal road bar with a shorter reach in general. The brake pads would be 20 Bucks, the brakes 20 to 35 and the road bar also 30 bucks. Adding new Bar Tape for around 5 bucks and we are done. So 85 ones are not cheap but that would improve a good amount and maybe new tires from a brand for around 30 bucks that pair.

[@argoperdana6823]

I really miss bikes with traditional non-dropped seatstays like this