Now if there’s one upgrade that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your face (and your beloved bike) it’s a fresh wrap of bar tape and while it won’t offer you a huge performance advantage, the ‘feel good’ factor – literally and psychologically – can exceed the value of the tape.

You’ll often see mechanics from professional teams frantically re-wrapping bar tape after a particularly wet or grubby race, not because there is anything wrong with the original tape, but to give their riders a boost in motivation when they’re faced with another day in the rain (the bike at least  looks spangly and loved again!)

Going one step further, making sure that your prize jewels are perched on a comfy saddle for hours at the weekend can be worth its weight in gold as a potential upgrade along with a quality set of handlebars.

Possible weight savings aside when it comes to getting the most comfort from your contact points on the bike this is an area that shouldn’t be overlooked.

I hope this helps bring a little extra life back in to your bike. If you need any further advice then feel free to give me a nod @cottydale on Twitter and I’ll do my best to assist.

Ride safe and enjoy!