It’s called finishing kit because it’s the finishing touches on your bike but, in reality, if you don’t think about your saddle and handlebar choice then you’re going to be uncomfortable.

Bars are a positive minefield of choices. Do you want aero or ergo? Wide or narrow? Shallow or deep? Carbon or alloy? There’s far more to a set of handlebars than just something to rest your hands on, but whether you’re after light and cheap (ish) or exotic and carbon, there’s choice at either end of the spectrum. There’s also the very important decision of whether you need your bars, stem and seat post to match. Get that wrong and you’ll be in for a roasting from your riding buddies. We’ve chosen two of our favourite sets of matching finishing kit, one from either end of the market.

And saddles. They’re the part of the bike with which you’ll become most intimately acquainted. Even though it’s tempting to find the lightest perch around and slap it on your bike, in reality padding, width, length and whether you need a cut out section are far more important factors than the readout on the scales.

It’s finishing kit, but it should be much more than an afterthought.