ESSENTIAL UPGRADES

Bought your first proper mtb? Here are the upgrades that’ll really make it sing

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KEVLAR BEAD TYRES

Tyres are your only point of contact for cornering, stopping and accelerating, so get the best you can afford. Go for Kevlar-bead tyres – they’re much lighter than steel-bead and the reduction in weight can make a huge difference to momentum and acceleration.

As a general rule of thumb, get something between 2.1in and 2.3in wide – you want a softer rubber compound with taller knobs for the front and a less aggressive model for the rear to roll fast. There are plenty of great brands out there there, but to really make an informed choice, read our comprehensive tyre test on page 86. Finally, swap the inner tubes for a tubeless set-up to further reduce weight and the chance of punctures.

mbr buyer’s guide: bit.ly/besttyres mbr tubeless set-up: bit.ly/gotubeless

DROPPER POST

Dropper posts let you push the saddle out of the way for descents, and raise it back up again, without taking your hands off the bars. You’ll want it high for optimum power when climbing and low for maximum range of movement when descending.

RockShox makes a post called the Reverb, with a hydraulically actuated remote lever and hose; all the rest use a regular gear cable to connect the post to the lever.