Lizard Skins DSP Handlebar Tape

A fresh wrap of handlebar tape is one of cycling’s guilty pleasures, and if you’ve never bothered upgrading you might be surprised at the impact it can have on how your ride feels.

There are countless options on the market, but Lizard Skins’ DSP tape is an RCUK favourite, offering stretchy and seriously grippy tape.

We were big fans of the brand’s 3.2mm tape when we tested it, while the slightly thinner (and therefore cheaper) 2.5mm option is one you’ll see a lot of in the WorldTour peloton.

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Michelin Power All Season tyre

As the only point on the bike in contact with the ground, your tyres are a more obvious place to look for an upgrade, and in the midst of winter it’s something robust you’re after.

Michelin’s new flagship Power range launched earlier this year, and their Competition tyre proved a great option for summer riding.

The Michelin Power All Season, meanwhile, is their rubber for all seasons – and the new grip compound and tread ticked all our boxes when we put it to the test.

Offering a sprightly ride despite their beefier construction, with a low rolling resistance, we could find little to complain about with our test set.

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Wheels

Wheels are another area prime for upgrading, particularly if you’re bought your bike off-the-peg – it’s by down-speccing the wheelset most brands keep their pricing down.

And for many cyclists, a full carbon rim – and the weight saving that can offer you – is one seriously desirable upgrade, let down by only one factor: price.

Wiggle’s in-house brand Cosine have done their bit to tackle that here, though – £600 for a full, 55mm-deep aero carbon clincher wheelset, means serious return for your hard-earned cash.

OK, let’s not beat around the bush, £600 is still a serious investment, but you’re not going to find better value for money if it’s full carbon clinchers you’re after.

Website: Wiggle

Gold chain

We spotted KMC’s 11-speed gold chains on the pro bikes of riders such as Matt Brammeier in recent times, and it’s another way to add a touch of bling to your bike.

The brand’s X-Bridge system is designed to offer quiet, quicker and smoother shifting, so it’s not just looks you’re upgrading either.

But, as any bang average footballer to have turned up to five-a-side in gold boots will have learned, if you’re going to go for the flashy look, you can expect plenty of stick if you don’t have the skills to match.

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Shimano Tiagra 4700 groupset

Another product fully deserving of its place in our RCUK100 for 2016 was Shimano’s fourth-tier gruppo, Tiagra 4700.

Of course, the Japanese firm’s new, updated flagship Dura-Ace groupset has stolen the headlines for 2017, but Tiagra is well worth raving about.

If you can afford Dura-Ace, by all means go for it, but if a two-grand groupset is out of reach, trickle down tech means Tiagra is a great option for the everyday cyclist.

Stepping up in terms of both function and aesthetics, the new Tiagra is on a par with the previous iteration of the third-top 105.

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Want to swap out your existing hoods for white, red, Ferrari red, pink, blue, green, celeste, yellow, black & fluoro yellow or orange? Far and Near have you covered.

Website: Far and Near