Our Mountain Bikes Upgrade

    So just recently me and my husband was thinking of ways to get fit and healthy but going to the gym was not one of our options especially during this pandemic. One day we started looking up walking trails around our area and after doing a couple of trails on feet, we decided to take it to the next level, mountain biking! After a few weeks of research and trying to shop around for some bikes we finally both some. We were looking for one that had good reviews and didn't have to cost an arm and a leg to buy. We tried some local bike shops in our area in search of either a Trek or a Giant but unfortunately they were out of stock and back ordered for a couple months. Walmart bikes were definitely not one of our options. My husband has a cousin who posts alot about his mountain bike so we decided to check it out and that is what led us to going with GT bicycles.

   

 I got a GT Laguna pro and my hubby picked a GT Aggresor pro, bought us some bike helmets and a bike rack and the rest is history. The following day we immediately took our stock bikes on a 7 mile trail. All in all it was a good experience, bike ran well and didn't give us any problems. After our trail while resting we started talking about our adventure and first thing we both thought of was how uncomfortable the saddles were! Our butts were aching! 

 

    We decided to do alittle more research and we wanted to some aftermaket upgrades for comfort, we are not looking into the technicals like suspensions and drivetrains, all we want for now was comfort so we can further enjoy our trails together. 

 

Below are some parts that we have replaced the following days. 

 

This article is based on my opinion and experience. I bought the products on my own and not sponsored. Hence, as an Amazon associate I will received a compensation with no cost on you when you buy through my links.

 

 

 

    First part to be replaced, the saddle! My husband asked his cousin for recommendations and that let us to this, The SGODDE bike seat ($22.99). This had great reviews on Amazon. Took about 10 minutes to install and it's worth it. Rode around the block and offroad for a few laps and the difference from the stock seats was very noticeable. Looks sleek and simple with just a reflective stripe on the rear and one on the front and the words GEL and SDODDE is all that's on it. For now I would definitely say this upgrade is worth it, but because of the price I can't really speak about the longevity of this seat, I'm hoping a few months from now it will still be holding up to our everyday use of it, I will follow up in a couple months. 

    Second upgrade, Pedals. The stock pedals were ok, no complaints about them. It was just a tad too slippery, they would'nt grip to my shoes and I was worrying that I would slip one day and fall off the bike because of it. Not looking for expensive upgrades, we went ahead and bought these pedals, They're called Fooker (26.99) kinda weird name and I wish I could erase them off from the pedals buts it all good. These are exact replicas of the more pricier Rockface Chesters, I believe they were copied with a mold. It's a very good copy, they look exactly alike. Testing them out also proved to be a worthy upgrade, it digs into the soles of your shoes and it just felt right pedalling. Let's see how these hold up, based on reviews looks like they will last a long time.
 

     

    Third purchase, not really an upgrade for comfort but my husband bought these for 2 pack Luxshield chain slap ($9.99) he noticed how noisy it was whenever the chain would hit the chain stay. I never really noticed the noise but if this does what its made for then who am I to not let him install it.

 

     

 Fourth upgrade, Grips! For everyday biking the stock grips seem ok, nice grip to it, I just felt that it didn't have enough substance to it, it was kinda like wrapping handlebars with rubberbands and holding them, way too thin for comfort. We ordered ourselves some PNW lock on grips ($25.95) Feels great is all Ican say about these and yes its a noticeable difference from stock. Took about 5 minutes to install. It was actually alot more painful and harder to remove the stock grips, I was watching my husband struggling to pull them off.

 
 

    This next purchase is actually what I always wanted to get, a water bottle cage and a water bottle. 

Just trying to keep it simple and match the color of the bike, we just bought a plain black aluminum cage ($6.99) and a podium water bottle from camelbak ($11) Beats having to carry a backpack just for water, now I can bike a little lighter without a backback full of bottled waters behind me.

 

To get those action shots while riding, I bought this GoPro Handlebar/Seatpost/Pole Mount (All GoPro Cameras) - Official GoPro Mount  for my  GoPro Hero 9. Self explanatory, this is so I can mount my GoPro onto my bike to take those first person view shots. Fits all GoPro models and the mount is pretty stable, no worries about it falling off or tilting all of the sudden. This and the hypersmooth feature of the GoPro makes those nice stable videos enjoyable to watch. 
 

    This next purchase was just for emergencies, just incase our tires get a little low. I know this won't help if we get a puncture but if we lose a little air during trails, a little peace of mind knowing we have a tire pump is great. This is a Pro bike tools air portable airpump. it comes with a hose that can fit both presta and schrader valves. Mounts easily on the frame of the bike and also has a rubber strap to keep it from falling off or rattling around. Haven't used it yes but i can say it's also a worthy purchase.

    So far that's all we have upgraded or bought for our bikes. Oh yeah I also forgot to mention, we removed all stickers/decals from the bike including the ones on the rims, removed all reflectors, took off the bash guard and dork disk. As for now these are the only upgrades we plan on doing, probably later down the road when we get more into biking and learning the ropes we may do some more research of what can be changed but that's it for now. Oh aside from changing out the tires to some maxxis for better grip and dependability but that can wait, these tires are good for now.

 

    Back to the trails for me, these little upgrades are gonna make my biking experience more enjoyable and comfy. What upgrades have you done to your bike? Any suggestions for me when it comes to mountain biking, please drop a comment, I would love to hear from you.

 

Till next adventure, Lovely.