#1 Fixed Gear Upgrade Tier List

[@ZachGallardo]

Any other bike tier lists you want to see?

[@Kevin-mz1qs]

Zach E-tier isn't a teir, usually it's just ABCDF

[@zairaestrada1374]

Tools to buy for maintenance and when to go to a shop!

[@iioutrageii1990]

Fixie points

[@jaevistuquib]

Most used to least used tools

[@lillimusto2137]

DIY paint jobs

[@cheesesandwich1236]

Champagne corks are the only way to go for bar ends.

[@mikel4526]

Cork soaker

[@michaelbills8669]

High West Whiskey Corks.

[@cheesesandwich1236]

@@michaelbills8669 If they send me two bottles I will do some product testing.

[@keithchang8566]

I'd actually say that the stem deserves a spot in A, especially when it comes to fine-tuning your fit. I've bought and sold a total of 4-5 stems, and kept one for the blink, one for a racier sprint/ stretched out position, and one for the TARCK comfy position. The stem's ability to alter your bike's handling and reach BOTH horizontally and vertically was what I put my money on to optimize my fit on the bike. And its pretty affordable with all the sub $20-$30 options out there.

[@Classic7-4-7]

Can you recommend any? Currently looking for a short stem to go with some bullhorn handlebars

[@Skooteh]

@@Classic7-4-7 literally any stem that fits your bars and fork will be fine unless it was previously crashed or something. You pay more for nicer finish/fancier look/brand/lighter weight/maybe stiffness if you're looking at silly expensive track stuff. I personally use a flashy blue MTB stem because it fits me to my bike well, I got a great deal on it and like the look.

[@j.ballsdeep420]

100% agree. Upward or 90° is wayyyyy big difference in riding than a downward angle stem (for reasons you articulated, just supporting your rhetorical point). Can't have a city touring bike with aggressive downward angle, and can't have a speed built bike with upward facing and thus posture. A-tier for sure.

[@RKWDBMX]

Came here to say this exactly

[@benbraceletspurple9108]

I agree with stem being A tier

[@drianed]

Can’t stop watching your videos man, you make them so interesting. Make a video about low priced frames

[@ovietb]

please*

[@lochsys]

Even just low price upgrades

[@MTNorville]

He has reviewed cheaper bikes before, and has sectioned them off since they all tend to be mostly the same.

[@smallerfreeze]

Once I made the upgrade to stolen mercedes Benz valve stem caps I was really able to push myself and progress my cycling

[@stoiclunchbox]

Top comment!

[@j.ballsdeep420]

🙄

[@oweny6609]

“This dust cover upgrade is only like 30$!” Bro I spent 30$ on my bike…

[@spencerhackwell4299]

Yeah bro how is that an upgrade 😂

[@MarcelinoDeseo]

This is actually a good tier list. The ones in the S tier are the recommended upgrades for any bicycles.

[@yannick7230]

Getting some spare tubes instead of patching the tube over and over is definitely and s tier upgrade.

[@BrianWilliamsPhotography]

Contact points is S: bars/tape, saddle/post/clamp, pedals/clips or straps, tires Drivetrain is A: crank, chainring, chain, cogs, hubs, bottom bracket Steering and controls is B: Headset, Fork, Stem, Frame, Brakes and levers C: Rims and spokes, Bar ends, crank bolts and chainring bolts g: Stem cap(don’t use one I prefer quill stems) stickers, paint, bling

[@yuukiflow]

4:40 : "very small functionnal value" Bar ends a really importnat in case of a crash as it avoids the bare metal to punch a hole thru your skin. Especially on flat bars. For me wheels are S tier as they change a lot of the driving characteristics :D

[@grantperkins368]

Like taking a core sample :-)

[@Aaron-jb7ho]

Latex tubes are lighter and have less rolling resistance. They are very cheap when compared to how much weight they save vs a lightweight wheelset.

[@papercutr]

Word. You can drop up to 300 grams off a wheelset making a switch from cheap butyl tubes to TPUs. This is almost as good as going with a much nicer wheelset, but paying like $10 extra.

[@Aubreykun]

Some people do use (and/or are legally required to have) brakes so adding those + levers + cables + housing would have been interesting. You forgot... bottle cages - i'd say a C, or a B if you live in a rough or offroad zone and the seatpost clamp - E or F unless you need rack mounts... Reflectors - if they work, any will do. Removing them is a bad idea. E or F Valve caps - D, inexpensive bling but has to fit the bike Lights - A or S. Don't get hit by a car that can't see you at night. If a light falls off, rattles the wires apart, or eats batteries you're not going to have a good time.

[@sstrazzi]

If you have lights I dunno if you need reflectors, they're tacky and I hate them.

[@adderall4449]

I don't like reflectors one bit. They give a false sense of security to new people

[@Aubreykun]

@@sstrazzi Required by law where I am, probably other places.

[@Aubreykun]

@@adderall4449 Required by law in some areas. They're the backup in case lights fail more than anything, and work when going through tunnels. Reflectors are actually pretty effective, not compared to lights but the tech is interesting. Technology Connections has a video on them.

[@Aubreykun]

@BeboSaab That's a good point, but you can get by with some that are relatively inexpensive. A lot of the time they're 25$+ for a loop of aluminum or carbon with some color, cutouts and contours no more effective or stronger than a basic 9$ origin8 in black. The extra strong double/hinged BMX ones, and the ones with rack mounts, are the only upgrades I could really see beyond weight weenieness

[@jonahjimenez7602]

Glad I found your channel! Took my bike out for a spin after a couple years!

[@LOLL1234567890123456]

I feel like tubes deserve a bit of a higher spot. I don't know, how wide-spread latex tubes or tubulitos are on fixed-gears, but you should really check those out. They really do change the feel of road tires, however, I see, how they might be less fit for urban riding (punctures and pinch-flats). Cheers, really like your videos

[@lukeblackwood7327]

With Zach's videos you can like them before watching and (probably) never regret it. Keep it up man

[@TheSpaceBrosShow]

Yep, good content

[@TL243]

Super fun !!! Digging the chill.

[@michaelrutchik9906]

You are the best source of fixed gear info in the world. But I would bump the chainring up a level or two. When I converted my 1989 Merlin to a fixed gear, I kept my Sugino 130BCD crank with a Sugino 48T chainring. I rode this for the first 500 miles. The variance on my chain slack was from completely tight to about 3/4” of slack depending on the the position of the cranks. Thanks to you I invested in a Sugino75 crankset with a 48T Sugino75 chainring (much more expensive), and my chain is exactly the same tension at every crank position. The bike rides perfectly! Definitely the best “upgrade” of the entire conversion.

[@grantperkins368]

Who the hell makes out of round hauntings? How are they still in business?

[@rootedorganically4911]

It’s getting dark earlier I had to upgrade lights

[@ZOB4]

Tires are the single most significant thing you can change on any bike. Fixed, geared, road, mountain, track - they are the only thing that touches the road unless you've seriously messed something up. You can have the finest frame, wheels, pedals, bars, cranks, saddle, whatever. None of those things will help you as much as the tires.

[@gamewithsmithtv58]

I'm always commenting on your old videos but the cockpit is forsure one of the best upgrades. I upgraded my 25 to 28 tires felt improvement but once I upgraded my handle bards to 31.8 risers from the standard size risers the steering felt so much stiffer in structure feel. It's hard to explain for me but the bike just feels stronger when I ride. (I started using a stock sbc coreline). Now I need to fix my gear ratios and learn to skid efficiently :)

[@igniaulfsborg8946]

Seat post has a significant impact on ride quality particularly when tires are narrow. If you have a lot of exposed post you can increase comfort by riding a flexible stem. Thompson is what everyone wants but it’s amongst the most rigid stems and can negatively impact comfort on poor quality roads.

[@j.ballsdeep420]

Highly disagree. I have eyes and can see the condition: If it's a shit road or even you hit something you should be ready to take the impact and absorb through your legs, not your taint. That is unless you're riding a beach cruiser and in which case, yeah, get some springs on that bitch if you want.

[@igniaulfsborg8946]

@@j.ballsdeep420 check out channel cyclingabout He has two relevant videos. One is about suspension seat posts the other is bike stiffness (I think the title is something like “why frame material doesn’t matter”, where he covers much of the same material…but seatpost flexion is tested.

[@Demdere]

Loving these tier lists :)

[@ben6089]

It's funny, apart from changing the cog I have no desire to upgrade my fixie

[@chan4est]

What bar tape are you using on your bike in this video? Would look super sick matched up with my Kilo TT Black Magic

[@galenkehler]

7:08 Fork upgrade has to go in the A tier for me, it has more impact on the ride characteristics of the bike than the frame does. I've spent 2x more on getting a custom fork made than I did on the frame that it's mounted on, cause it's that important.

[@grantperkins368]

That must have been a complex choice. What did you end up with, how did it change the bike and was it worth the bucks? Classing carbon and steel together as he does is not right. It's the MOST important part of the bike safety wise if something breaks, and they sure do cop some treatment, more than any other part I'd guess. I'm suspicious of carbon forks, who knows where or how they're made, stored transported, etc

[@stevenlopez647]

Definitely helped me figure out where my money should go since got a new track frame

[@athletejmv]

Wabi cycles seems like one of the best fixed gear bike companies out in the market. Too bad they hardly have any inventory during the covid times. I ended up ordering my black edi fixie through State Bicycle Co... awesome bike.

[@downfix]

S tier: frameset, wheelset, crankset, seat A tier: handlebars, tires, stem, seatpost B tier: cog, chainring, chain, pedals, bb, headset, pedals Etc.....

[@derman3658]

Same!!!

[@grantperkins368]

The best crankset in the world is useless if your bottom bracket's not up to much :-)

[@matthewjennings7645]

Zach! Ordering a Kilo WT and will be using it while wearing usual street wear- which for me includes leather boots. Do you have a suggestion for peddle, strap, and/or toe box that I should upgrade? Excited to go carless and be able to afford tuition, thanks for the awesome videos helping make that happen

[@j.ballsdeep420]

Don't. Stupid waste of money that provides minimal returns on tangible gains: If you didn't get any upgraded model of the Kilo, tires. They'll come with shit tires and that's easiest with notable returns, plus you'll learn how to remove a tire for when you need to fix a flat. Then to that point, screw tires if you're on a budget and make a flat kit: ebay co2 presta adapter, PDW tire level is the BEST investment as it also has a 13mm wrench so two-fer (plus it'll never break on you like stupid plastic ones.... makes your life so much easier), couple tubes, pressure guage, and hand pump. CO2 will get you to 95 or so PSI and hand pump will finish the job, whereas only a handpump and you're gonna hate your life.

[@j.ballsdeep420]

Stupid things even if you like them like straps should be last. Safety with lights, fix kit, proper lube, then drive train starting with tires is objectively best. Be real pissed looking at your sweet pedal straps as you're walking your bike with a flat or being charged $15 for labor when it's a really, really simple fix every rider should learn.

[@Bike-Junkie]

Here’s a little info of what you guys gone thru n thru…. I’m the fixed gear rider if the 70’s and I grown to single speed with single brake when I came back to cycling again many years later during Covid’s lockdown. Presently I’m on adventure bicycle touring & camping culture, I noticed one thing never change away from my fixed or single gear culture is the “SADDLE”. I still go for slim sporty saddle like the Brooks Swift…..no old man B17 no matter how comfort it claims to be…. a big “No”.

[@dharmapunk777]

"reasonably dangerous" is the best tagline.

[@TangoMikeAlpha]

10:00 What location is this? Looks very familiar.

[@nelsonmuljono4275]

Can you make a video for tips/advice on things you need to know to build your own bike?

[@ZachGallardo]

This video I made should help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYLdaH2jr6aGq80

[@pottingsoil]

New tires were the second best purchase I ever made (lights and a helmet #1). I got the continental gatorskin for my State Bicycle and honest to god never got another flat after that. The OEM tires are f-tier garage and should be the first thing replaced. Also, I just checked Amazon and the same tires I bought new for $40 (I checked my Amazon card statement) in 2019 are now $100+??? Still worth it, but got damn what a price hike!

[@rwirtz77]

Chrome Chain KMC Z1eHX, so easy to clean and looks so nice.

[@fixedlucy]

Amazing tips for me, thank you

[@cesar-lf1jw]

You've never dropped a chain 😵😵😵

[@johnbaptise2262]

Where can I buy new forks online? I crashed and bent mine a while back. I still ride but, id like a straight fork lol

[@stevenwaldon4469]

DuraAce lockring gang.

[@smtauf6110]

Hey Zachary; loving your videoed and insights; I even went a bought my first Fixie a week ago; I was just wondering if your ‘Reasonabley Dangerous’ sticker in your merch shop?

[@robest334]

Just bought a new set of tires on 28mm. My front thickslick 23c tire was bought way back 2013. The rear gatorskin 25c was bought like 3 years ago. Something that i noticed, the 23c thickslick has an inflated tire width of 26mm on my araya sa-730. The 25c gatorskin has an inflated tire width of 23mm also on an araya sa-730.

[@event4216]

Width ratings often differ from what you get on your rims, that's been so for ages. For decades, tbh.

[@robest334]

@@event4216 not just the inner rim width, but also the tire as well.

[@event4216]

@@robest334 I did mean tire width....rim internal width matches declared width in my experience.

[@scal415]

Hey Zach! I love your videos! I'm constantly sharing them with friends that want to get into riding Fixed Gear. Do you have a discount code for Wabi Cycles?

[@corbensimpson2533]

I simply do not believe that you’ve never dropped a chain. If that’s true you don’t ride enough 🤣

[@sydney0596]

Tubes really do matter! Try some latex or tpu tubes, they'll blow your mind! Especially on some nicer tires like te gp5000 or p-zero's

[@tay-lore]

So you've got your bike and you love your bike, but you want to perform some upgrades on your bike?? Absolute best upgrade: new bike!!!! BOOM!!!

[@magnusjaques9977]

Everyone hates on DIY paintjobs until you do one youself on you're own bike and its the only thing that makes it truly yours

[@kennethsnyder6955]

Do you have a link to the black bar tape with the colorful perforations? I was look for something similar

[@drmitofit2673]

A for a drive side axle/chain tensioner. D for a left side tensioner.

[@steve00alt70]

Metal bar ends keeps your hands from gettin chipped by a car mirror too

[@beofux3356]

S: frame, wheels, tires A: handlebar, saddle B: grips, pedals, chainring, cog, C: fork, stem D: all the rest

[@kian2961]

Ok now this is epic😎

[@psychoaiko666]

Wait, frame is in S and B?

[@junelazuli5009]

Frameset has the fork with it and frame alone is just frame by itself lol, I was confused too at first

[@beybarsaitqul2570]

Your thoughts about intro7, pizz, skeace components? Thinking to buy skeace crankset. They re quite popular in South East Asia

[@beybarsaitqul2570]

@BeboSaab thanks!

[@Joser167]

This is my build: Sugino 75 cranks Sugino 75 zen chainring Phil Wood Bottom bracket Izumi super toughness chain Chris King headset Phil Wood laced to OG Velocity deep V with a Phil Wood cog Sapam spokes Toshi Double straps MKS Custom Nuevos Nitto Drop Bars Woundup Track fork Thompson set-back Seat post Thompson Stem San Marco Regal All installed in a Windsor The Hour frame that I bought at bikesdirect 10 years ago.

[@grantperkins368]

Sounds pricey. Bet it's nice though :-)

[@josemanrique119]

50% of bikes outthere

[@Joser167]

@josemanrique119 Perhaps in your area, but in my neck of the woods, it's not common. No fancy paint job as well. I'd say it'sa pretty low-key bike because nobody messes with it.

[@arne_mh]

Hey zach, since you are always sponsored by wabi I decided to check them out. I was actually pleasantly surprised and would really like to purchase the wabi sub 15s, unfortunately these can't (it is possible but overseas shipping costs a LOT) be shipped to europe, or am I missing something here because I've never heard you mention this?

[@ikedaleo]

bar ends also prevent you from being core sampled if you fall tho

[@sharetheroads]

any suggestions on looking for a frame and building it up.. I thinking about a frame with a more upright frame. well looking for one

[@pizzamanstan3103]

Zach what do you think of affinity?

[@veselin4504]

What brand is the black bike in the beginning and its handlebar?

[@RemedyTalon]

My opinion on chains is that if you are riding a fixed gear without brakes they should be an S-tier item. I always spend good money on a chain I know will not break.

[@B_COOPER]

Chainring bolts F tier? Don’t underestimate a quality set of hardware. Imagine prematurely wearing your $200 chainrings because you still use them bolts that came with your kilo tt pro that are stripped to no more

[@dancelman]

I'd argue that the seat post and stem are both A tier upgrades, switching from a lighter, less dense aluminum (6065) to a more sturdy aluminum (7075) really helped with soaking up road buzz.

[@verjean]

agree especially stem quality. too much road buzz sometimes annoyed me eventhough it's rarely ruining the mood in my experience

[@dancelman]

@BeboSaab maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to throw some bling on the bike 😎

[@dancelman]

@@verjean Yep, anything that helps for those long days in the saddle!

[@event4216]

Are you able to tell difference between 6K and 7K alu alloy stems? That's like magic superpower like ability to go through walls....Some people don't really notice tire width size up or down which is hard to understand, but stem material...is this for real?

[@dancelman]

@@event4216 Yeah, I think my gooch can vouch for me in telling the difference between 6k and 7k alum. I'm just saying that when I upgraded these components it changed the overall comfort of the ride

[@Hayezy.k]

I know this is an older video now, but hopefully people still comment. Where do you buy parts? There are so many online stores, local stores, brands, and options that I am overwhelmed when I go to look for something. Does anyone have recommendations on a good place to shop for most parts? Thanks

[@gisadoforever4631]

Ive been watching you for a while. Hahahahaha i just noticed that i havent subscribed yet. So tada!!!! Hahahahahaha now im officially a subscriber

[@ZachGallardo]

Thanks for subbing!

[@michaeljohnson254]

i use a suspension stem after breaking my wrist 7 months ago helps alot...i swap it on and off all my bikes def worth the it

[@KVNSEYY]

Yo recently got a full Sram Omnium set new for a nice price. I'm trying to know why many talk bad about the GXP lol

[@juanpecan7089]

Some people have had bad experiences with their reliability. I upgraded to an origin8 ceramic BB and it feels a little smoother.

[@KeithStealth]

The colors of the tiers would look better red to indigo being that purple is the highest in vibration & red corresponds to root chakra the lowest in vibration..but this is your video & content lol I play a lot of RPG games as well & purple is always a rare item lol

[@salzhaltigersalzhaufen586]

I think I will upgrade my fork but only becuase my dad said he has an old hand crafted steel fork at home that he allowed me to use so as the holidays will come I guess that will be my next upgrade even though there are some other pretty scuffed parts on my bike just because I found it and it was free so yeah I guess a new paintjob would be nice might do that as well

[@OvAeons]

paint is only important if the frame is old and chipped/discoloured :)

[@kylehagertybanana]

would be cool to see price figured in to the rankings, for example: tubes are quite cheap, bars are quite cheap, wheels are not

[@Dakiller1243]

You forgot the brakes.. jk 😂

[@shawnysean76]

im considering getting constantine barnard or an aventon cordoba...cant really decide...can anyone help? im nearly 40 and would prefer a less agressive dimension on these 2 bike.

[@joshuamiguelmarco4873]

What is the cage that you are using on your pedal setup? Or can you tell me what is your pedal setup?

[@ZachGallardo]

MKS GR-10's: amzn.to/36m4clX (affiliate) MKS stainless steel toe clips: amzn.to/38x3RPR (affiliate) MKS Fit Alpha Spirit double straps: amzn.to/36uxQpk (affiliate)

[@event4216]

Seems my last purchases are hitting S tier - tires and handlebars so I feel good for this. Less practical purchase were Nitto plugs just to fit Nitto urban moustache bar, after hitting Pay button I sat down, shaked head and thought those bits did cost half what I paid for HBs. But I couldn't find reasonably neutral plugs in except colored like parrots and without meaningless name boldly printed on them. Of course, after buying Nitto plugs I've found plugs without prints!

[@jcd5979]

New subscriber! 🙋‍♂️🇵🇭

[@LowTensionSocialClub]

I ride two bikes, one with a KMZ and one with a Izumi Super Toughness, never felt any practical difference between the two

[@smallerfreeze]

I really like my gxp... They are just hit or miss which is the unacceptable part... Shouldn't have to roll the dice but when they work the just work. Mines never had a problem

[@arncj18]

i wonder will any Nitto end plug work, i see there are 2 version 22.2mm for mtb and 23.8mm for road bike. I searched on ebay for the later one and didn't find any.

[@tracymossgrove8663]

try Retrogression, they are in Portland, they have both sizes

[@Jooohnm]

What's your frame size?

[@itsFuseh]

Whats that guitar model hanging there in the background?

[@gabrieldeIacruz]

cool fender jaguar!

[@PRH123]

Zach, when you said “sealed bearing,” what did you mean…? Way back in the day, ie 20-30 years ago “sealed bearing” meant a cartridge precision bearing…. nowadays any bearing that has any kind of seal is called “sealed”…. ie a cheap Joy Tech loose Ball hub that has a metal dust cap with 1 mm gaps may be called “sealed” in specifications and in advertising…

[@lusttimemachine3492]

Shouts Out! Zach Gallardo

[@dukelorenzmorales2601]

I think the stem should be ranked higher in the list. Imo you can make your bike ride and fit different with just a change of the stem.

[@joshmelvercruz4964]

Hi can you rate my budger fix gear ?😅 thanks in advance

[@elliotgilbert2564]

you have dropped the chain on a fixie when you were riding the walmart bike 100km

[@brendanleary802]

Wheels are the best upgrade for a fixed gear bike if you’re into competitive cycling

[@martinperez1643]

Are fixed gears bike able to ride in the snowy and icy winter?

[@spammy3164]

Yes they are

[@event4216]

There's a though that FG lets one better feel and dose traction which is super important for snowy icy roads.

[@spammy3164]

@BeboSaab they do spiked 32c which works great

[@fiatfixie4344]

I think it depends. I wouldn't want to commute in those conditions on my current fixed gear road bike. Even if it did have clearance for studded tires. With a more "tracklocross" themed frame with 40mm Nokians and slightly lower gearing? I'd like to try it.

[@Loothansa]

One thing I disagree with is the seatpost. Just got one of those with integrated taillights. I ride in dark or shitty wheather a lot and that means one less thing to remember. Totally worth it.

[@Loothansa]

@BeboSaab Well yes it is and yes I am in fact smoking dope right now.

[@Loothansa]

@BeboSaab bruh 😂 why is this important to you

[@Loothansa]

@BeboSaab How it feel being triggered by a virgin? What if its carbon?

[@scaree2496]

I upgraded my chainring bolts. 3 of them failed so I had to use two bolts and three zip ties. So shut up. Upgrading from plastic squeaking was amazing

[@BROsephTinGin]

Anyone out here have experience/opinions on that Andel Classic Crankset?

[@clancymcintyre3241]

Gotta do one with brands

[@arne_mh]

Do you think you'll ever make a podcast? I really like listening too your videos when working on my bike or just in general and it seems that a lot of your videos could also just be audio so it seems that it would be possible (even if it's just the videos with only audio, that way I could listen to them while riding(safely) by downloading them via spotify)

[@derman3658]

He is great to listen too

[@millerprj]

I bet Zach would conduct some great interviews. (Might get some more subs too!)

[@reason2910]

What you think of kinfolk?

[@ZachGallardo]

I like them.

[@GC_420]

Not a fan of spraybike paints. Gritty finish, not durable. If you want some sort of ratrod finish, or wear Rapha...then you might try them. Otherwise, all hype IMO.

[@drewmkelly]

How do you get a shitty lockring off without smooshing it?

[@event4216]

Q: Why Paul seatpost is better than Thomson? A: Its length shouldn't match frame to show full print as with Thomson, yet it costs more and everyone will notice it.

[@johnbaptise2262]

Fineee, ill actually subscribe 😩😂

[@jackcarpenters3759]

The most important upgrade is to learn how to sprint and or ride really hard for a minute. So you can overtake anyone who thinks he is a tough guy, has a roadbike, or these e-bike people. Being the winner is the most important, even if it is only for a minute.

[@derman3658]

Yup

[@cesar-lf1jw]

How do I train for this

[@jackcarpenters3759]

@@cesar-lf1jw just wait for someone to overtake you, then get very angry and overtake them or at least chase them for a minute. After a while you get really good at it :-)

[@markuskorn4829]

Wheels make the wizard Harry