Upgrading your mountain bike tends to be an expensive endeavour, with near-endless products promising to enhance performance and aesthetics.
Worse still, however much you spend on your bike, you'll always find something to change – whether that be for increased comfort and ability or solely for the bling factor.
Having tested many expensive upgrades during my time at BikeRadar and MBUK, including suspension and wheels, they don’t always have the impact you’d expect.
I’ve listed some of my favourite affordable mountain bike upgrades that won’t break the bank, and for this, I’ve set an arbitrary number of £50.
These make for great additions to your setup, or maybe even gifts to the mud-lovers in your life.
Digital tyre pressure gauges
While tyres are one of the best upgrades you can make to your bike, the best ones are usually more expensive than £50 / $60.
To get the most out of your existing tyres, making sure you’re running the right tyre pressures is key, and that’s where digital tyre pressure gauges come in handy.
These gauges enable you to make small adjustments to your tyre pressure, and are even small enough to take with you on a ride. They also mean you have consistent pressure in your tyres for more confidence on the trail.
I’ve always been a fan of Topeak’s designs, and Topeak's Smart Gauge D2X Digital, priced at £42.99, has made an excellent addition to my ride pack.
While there are cheaper alternatives, we’ve found the Topeak gauges to be really accurate and robust, having used them to set up tyres and test pumps in various group tests.
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Mudguards
If you’re riding in wet conditions, you’ve endured spray coming off the front wheel, spotting your face and blurring your vision.
Investing in a fork-mounted mudguard, or fender, is one of the first upgrades many people make to their bikes – and for good reason.
Not only does this make your bike look cool, but it keeps spraying off your face and your goggles clear.
While you can spend as little as £10 on a flimsy plastic version, it is worth spending a little more for a longer, hard plastic design, as this will prove sturdier and offer more protection.
My personal favourite is the Mudhugger Shorty EVO Bolt, which runs a little more expensive at £32.99 / $52.99 but offers a clean and permanent style with plenty of protection.
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Mountain bike clothing
Mountain bike clothing makes your riding experience more comfortable, with specific features and cuts that complement time spent on the bike.
As it’s specialised clothing, it often carries an expensive price tag, although that isn’t always the case.
Brands such as Decathlon’s Rockrider and even supermarket chains, such as Lidl, offer high-quality mountain bike clothing at great prices.
One of my favourites has been Rockrider’s Mountain Bike Winter Bottoms, which are priced at £49.99.
They provide great protection for winter riding thanks to splash-resistant fabric and insulated panels.
While they don’t pack in all the features found on expensive winter trousers, they do offer near-unbeatable value for money.
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Brake pads
Many cheap mountain bike brakes will come with cheap brake pads, potentially limiting the ability and feel of the whole system.
You’d be surprised at the difference a decent set of pads can make to a brake's overall performance, making them one of the most effective performance upgrades you can make on a budget.
The same can be said for disc rotor size. Increasing rotor size will give you more power without having to upgrade your entire system, but more on that in a moment.
Aftermarket pads from established names, including Galfer, would be my recommendation.
Galfer offers decent value for money and has five different compounds, with the Pro option offering the punchiest feel at around £25.99 per pad.
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New cleats and pedal pins
Depending on whether you use flat or clipless pedals, over time, your cleats will wear out or your pins will wear down.
Your mountain bike pedals are one of the few touch points on your bike, so ensuring traction is consistent is key to confidence.
Replacing your cleats or pins will rejuvenate your pedals and improve grip, giving you a more secure feeling on technical terrain.
Cleats usually set you back around £25, while pins range from £10 to £15 depending on the pedal.
Disc brake rotors
Disc brake rotors can have a serious impact on the way your brake system works, and upgrading them may have you forgetting about expensive upgrades.
When I first tried SRAM’s HS2 rotor, I was blown away by the performance increase with more power and better bite following instantly.
While they’re just over our £50 limit at £52 per rotor, they’re well worth considering if you're looking to improve braking performance.
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Mountain bike glasses
Mountain bike glasses help keep the sun out of your eyes but also water, dust and trail debris. While you can get away with safety glasses, you won’t be winning any style points.
Madison’s Crypto Sunglasses are an excellent choice for those on a budget, with durable, flexible frames for an excellent fit and clear optics that match glasses twice their price.
The lenses are replaceable, and there’s even an option to fit inserts for spectacle wearers.
I’ve recommended these to so many of my riding mates, and many have gone out and bought them.
They start at £39.99, with more expensive options featuring multiple lenses.
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Technical fabric repair kit
Specialist cycling clothing is expensive, especially the best mountain bike jackets.
Repairing your items when you’ve caught thorns or been down not only saves wasting it, but also saves you money.
Patagonia’s Field Repair Kit is priced at £20 and comes with patches and seals to revive your waterproof. It also comes with a needle and thread, should your tear be larger than a patch.
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Frame protection
At this price, MTB frame protection options such as Invisframe and Ride Wrap are out of the question, but protective sticker kits from brands such as HKT can keep your pride and joy from getting too beat up.
HKT’s Standard Frame Protection Kit is priced at £27, and features top tube, chainstay, seat stay and cable rub protectors as well as extension stickers for other parts you want to protect.
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Bottles and cages
Staying hydrated is important when riding your bike, and while hydration packs are an option, nothing beats a bottle and a cage.
My go-to is Camelbak’s Podium Dirt bottle, which features a little cap on the mouthpiece and a lock feature to keep mud out and the liquid from escaping.
Combined with Specialized’s Z2 cage, I’ve never dropped a bottle, and with the Podium dirt priced at £14 and the cage at £15, you can’t go wrong.
Grips
The touch points of your bike have a serious influence on overall comfort and control.
With your hands taking the brunt of forces, it’s important to make sure you're comfortable and have a good grip, especially when you're descending.
Grips are something that manufacturers often save money on when buying a complete bike, so upgrading your grips can have a big impact on how your bike feels.
Everyone has their own preference when it comes to grips – some like them super thin and minimal, others prefer chonky squishers – but a decent set of lock-on grips doesn’t cost a fortune and can make your bike feel brand new.
My favourite is the DMR Deathgrip in the thick build. It has the best balance of features, with a mushroom texture for comfort, knurling for grip and a grid in the bottom for your finger tips.
They come in a variety of colours and cost £24.
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Bearings
A decent set of bearings makes for a good investment, adding durability and longevity to your bike's moving parts.
Bearings from brands such as Enduro Bearings are a good choice, offering plenty and sizes and well-documented performance.
The brand’s ACB SS bearings use a harder, corrosion-resistant stainless steel for the bearings and a marine-grade grease inside them to make sure they keep spinning in the wet.
Decent winter gloves
Mountain biking in the winter can be a particularly unpleasant experience without a set of decent winter gloves.
100%’s Brisker glove is a favourite here at BikeRadar, with the neoprene backing and tactile palm offering good heat retention without losing too much feel on the bars.
The Xtreme version is even warmer, with more insulation for those colder days.
The Brisker is priced at £31.99, while the Xtreme version is a little more at £39.98
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Multi-tools
A multi-tool can be a ride saver, helping you to fix your bike while out on the trail.
While you can find cheap options, the Crankbrothers F15 Multi-tool offers a dependable quality that will last more than just a couple of seasons.
It’s priced at £49.99 and features plenty of tools that should keep you pedalling.
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Bike cleaning kit
Keeping your bike clean is essential to keep it running smoothly and will make sure you get the most out of your components.
It can be an expensive and tedious endeavour to collect all the different brushes, cleaners and degreasers, but Muc-Off’s 8-in-1 Bicycle Cleaning Kit cuts that down significantly.
The kit features 8 cleaning tools, including essential brushes, sponges, cleaners and protection spray, all for £50.
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