Race Ready?

I’m going to be entering some novice races in Northern California this spring. I currently have a 2010 Gary Fisher hard-tail that I plan on upgrading. I really don’t want to get a new bike. I have about $1000 to spend on upgrades. Any suggestions on some great products I should look into?

Josh, ready to mosh

MBA: The most cost-efficient means of making your bike faster is to reduce its rotational mass, which is predominantly located in the wheels and tires. Here is what you should do. Upgrade your wheel-set to a Stan’s NoTubes ZTR Crest wheel-set for $495. 

It doesn’t break the bank and has a claimed weight of 3.1 pounds. Next, slap on a set of lightweight racing tires; they will set you back roughly $100-$140. Tire choice is dependent on trail conditions. Some of our favorite race tires include Kenda Small Block 8s, Maxxis Aspens and Specialized Fast Tracks. The setup of your tires is equally important. 

Use Stan’s NoTubes sealant ($25) to mount your new tires tubeless. This will improve rolling resistance, traction and small-bump compliance. After factoring in taxes, that will leave approximately $300. 

With that, we’d consider choosing either a lightweight set of pedals (Crankbrothers Eggbeaters are the preferred choice of most racers) or upgrading your bars and seat-post to carbon. Easton, Crankbrothers and Truvativ all have great options to suit your bar and seat-post needs. 

One last tip: train on your current wheels and swap out to the race wheels on race day for an extra boost of speed. Hope you enjoy your racing experience this season.

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