AlBaron

Hi everyone,
this is my very first post.
I'm pretty new to cycling, haven't really ridden much since my childhood years (I'm 48 now), but we just moved to a new place, and I now have the Des Plaines River trail in my backyard (pretty much literally).
So, kind of don't have a choice but to pick up a new hobby .
I just picked up a slightly used Trek Checkpoint AL3 - 61cm as my "lets see if I like this whole cycling thing" bike. It's all stock, from what I can tell. Took it to the LBS, who checked everything and gave it a clean bill of health.
I got me a helmet, and I guess I'm ready to go. Now we just need the weather here in Chicago to really start cooperating (so far one good day alternates with rain or snow).
And now on to my question: what are some of the things you guys suggest I could look into upgrading now/soon?
Yes, yes, I completely understand that I need to ride a season or two "as is" to really understand if I really like it, if I want a road- or mountain- or gravel-,.. I get it. I"m also aware that if I get into cycling, there is a pretty good chance that I will need/want to upgrade to a better/more expensive bike, so pretty much anything that I'm adding to this Checkpoint is a throw away...
But still, "research/upgrade/accessorize" is very much a large part of fun for me.
Any suggestions?
Alex

franswa

I’ll take new tubeless tires set up for $400, Alex.

Koyote

If you must ask strangers on the Internet how to spend your money, you should probably just hang onto it for now.

chas58

Congratulations. Its gonna be a lot of fun! Checkpoint is a nice bike. Most any upgrade you make, you'll appreciate it more after riding the bike like it is so you can really appreciate the difference.

Personally, I like a good plastic short fender in the rear (its a gravel bike, right? you are going to ride it in less than ideal conditions, right?), a spurn cycle bell (wonderful design and sound; much more effective than other bells). Flashy flashy headlight and tail light too.

If you want to personalize it, bar tape is a good way to do it.

Once you break the bike in - get some "clipless" shoes if you are serious. Then learn how to do a smooth pedal stroke.

AlBaron

you are NOT WRONG!

biker128pedal

I’d start with the essentials then ride as the weather warms. Helmet check. Bell and lights. Bell to warn the trail walkers and small LED lights to be seen during the day. Pump patch kit tire levers chain lube and spare tube plus seat pouch to carry stuff. Water bottle and bottle cage. Ride for a month. Then Bike shorts. 2 pair. You’ll understand later. Ride some more the. A couple of jerseys. Keep riding and in the fall some clothing to stay warm.

Rolla

For me, different tires are like different guitar strings -- they're an often overlooked item that can dramatically transform the bike/instrument. Experiment until you find what works best for your riding, in terms of width, tread, and air pressure.

black_box 

Des Plaines river trail will be great for riding. If you're up north towards lake county I think it's generally tightly packed gravel. Cook county down south starts to get more chunky and loose. Certain portions will flood and get muddy (near Des Plaines the town), so I would put fenders on your list if you'll be on the trail for most of your riding. Check out the trail maps, you can go pretty far north and south and also connect to other trails.

You'll be fine on whatever gravel-y tires are on the bike. After you get a sense for your local trail conditions, you can swap them out.

If you find yourself riding on pavement a lot, you can just put road tires on the rims. I started in a similar position as you with a cyclocross bike (32mm tires) but ended up doing more road riding with groups. With road tires, the bike won't hold you back much.

msu2001la

Welcome!

People here love to talk about tires, so I'll just note that I ride the Des Plaines River trail on 32mm GP 5000's or 33mm CX tires (depending on the season). DPRT is a great place to ride and very smooth and fast.

As far as upgrades - I'd go for shoes/clipless pedals above all else. Also proper cycling bib shorts. Those two items alone will vastly increase your comfort and ability to stay comfortable on longer rides.

JWK

The most important right off in order of priority:

1. Lights
2. Fenders

Then, If you really want to play and experiment: go clipless. You're going to have to try it sooner or later, so if you're itching to tinker and upgrade, do it now. You won't be wasting any money. You'll just be spending it now instead of later, but it's not essential to having fun on your bike. Lights are essential for safety. It's not even a debate, IMO. You don't need fenders for safety, but the first sloppy day you go riding you will wish you had them. After that, you will probably get fenders or just not ride when it's sloppy., thereby missing out on some good riding days.

Mis dos centavos.

dabac

Bike parts are a lot more expensive bought piecemeal than when bought assembled as a bike. So you really should try to stay away from thorough upgrades, if you value your money.
However, some things are pretty much unavoidable, like fit items. Saddle, bar, stem.
I’d start there.

zen_

What new cyclist should spend $ on:

1. A professional fit + anything you need to adjust for fit (saddle, stem)
2. Good cycling clothing that fits right, assuming you don't plan to lose significant weight
3. Tubeless tires + air shot or two stage pump - just learn how to do it
4. A set of hand tools, maybe even a junk bike to learn basic bike maintenance
5. A serviceable GPS head unit

What new cyclist almost always end up spending $ on:

1. Expensive wheels
2. Misc parts to shave weight off the bike for that reason only
3. A more expensive bike

Attilio

Agree with everything except tubeless. In my experience flats with gravel, especially higher quality tires are very rare, less rare than having to refill the "juice" every few months. It depends on how you ride. I suggest maybe a seatpost bag with a spare tube or two, co2, an air pump and tire levers. Flats come at less convenient times. Adding sealant is constant. I'd rather deal with flats but that's just me.


Rearview mirror is wonderful when riding in traffic, either on helmet or the bar. Many kinds out there most of them very affordable.


Reflectors front, back and wheels, if your bike doesn't have them are also a good, inexpensive safety upgrade.


I suggest upgraded flat pedals, even the 40 dollar ones with the metal screws will do. Much more stable, excellent grip, better power & control vs stock. Clipless gives no advantage whatsoever except in short bursts. Read this document, all I can say is the clipless world is full of "THIS IS SO MUCH FASTER" but lacks data wheras the pro flat pedal can offer cold hard evidence to support flat as not necessarily being better, but not inferior, cheaper and safer to boot.
https://www.bikejames.com/wp-content...festo-2017.pdf


Don't forget lights!!!! I've seen a few traffic studies that a rear strobe greatly decreases getting hit from behind. But you never know when you'll be caught at dusk or later. I have started to ride with lights on strobe all the time day or night. They don't have to be expensive though as you pay more you get more lumens. I use cheap ones with disposable batteries so they can be "recharged" instantly if low. They are less bright though.


If you like the sport you probably will end up with a more expensive bike. Keep the old one as a "beater" for winter and rain days or times that you want an alloy bike that is more impact/scratch resistant if going around hotel rooms, vehicles, trips where it can get jounced around.


Welcome!

AlBaron

OK, I'll bite

Is there a recommended thread for 101 on tubeless tires, or am I going to get the dreaded "do your own googling, Alex"?

AlBaron

I'm just north of Lake Cook Road, so I guess that means more tightly packed. And looks like I have the stock 32cm tires as well

mstateglfr 

There are just so many varieties of tires.

For what you plan to ride, you dont need tires with predominant knobs. Something with tight tread is good and frankly, simply having high volume will be best on that trail(especially up north). You could ride a 43mm slick and be fine in terms of traction.

Panaracer Gravelking SK in 38 or 43mm
Panaracer Gravelking SS in 38 or 43mm
Maxxis EXO TR Rambler in 40mm
Continental Terra Speed in 40mm

These are 4 relatively common tires that are consistently viewed as a good mix of price, speed, quality, etc.
I currently have 43mm Gravelking SS tires on my bike and there is plenty of grip on every surface I have ridden, provided its been dry. Loose gravel roads, hero gravel, loose topped, steep climbs, IL Forest Preserve packed limestone trails, etc have all been ridden extensively and the grip/tread is fine. Volume matters more to me. I mention this specifically so you can see the minimal tread as there is a misconception that more tread is better for performance. It can be better, but isnt by default.

blakcloud

First congratulations on your new to you bike. Great choice.

I echo others who suggested new tires.

My suggestion is a great floor pump. It will make life easier and last you for years. No one that I know has ever regretted buying a floor pump.

Happy cycling.

cyclezen

so, you're a self-noted 'newb', with a nice new bike; and youre already talking 'upgrade'?
why?
If you haven't yet done 1000 miles on a bike (since being a child...) then learning info and skills for riding (both the act of and the safety aspect of) and basic maintenance of you bike, should be job 1.
The checkpoint is a well thought out machine, and so will be a great intro to cycling. Many, maybe most issues arising are better solved by knowing what and how to, rather than throwing money at a situation.
Spend on stuff which allows you to extend your knowledge and cycling experience. Basic tools to keeping your bike in prime running order. Maybe a nice bike bag to carry stuff you might want and can't or don;t want to carry in pockets. Lights if you plan to be out near sunset. Comfortable cycling kit to wear as you extend your riding range.
BTW - if you haven't already thought your saddle is a ass-hatchet, then you prolly haven't ridden much yet or for any length of time. Or maybe you might be one in a million that doesn't go through the 'butt break-in period'. If the saddle hurts, give it 2 or 3 weeks of consistent riding - like at least every other day. Your butt will eventually be 'broken in'. Then you can play the saddle game, maybe... Or ride for a few months before playing that game.
There's plenty of time to play the game of 'upgrade', down the road.
First, get some time on the road. or trail, or forest lane.
I get the enthusiasm. The best way to keep it building is to 'ride the bike'.
Ride On
Yuri

feejer

Man I loved riding the DRT, and grew up riding the Prairie Path trails that were very similar. You're definitely going to enjoy your riding on the trail!

What you are definitely going to need is a proper bike cleaning setup. Your bike is going to get caked up with dirt and dust on that trail every ride, and is going to need frequent cleaning. Get some good cleaning brushes and chain cleaning gear, and lots of chain lube.

Due to the above, fenders can keep some of a that dust and dirt off of you and the bike, and to me are very worth it. They don't keep it all off, but they help. And if you roll through wet ground you won't be wearing the mud.

I would also definitely add a rack and a removable trunk bag, to carry an extra tube and basic tools, snacks, keys, phone, wallet etc. They are invaluable. Look at some Topeak racks and trunk bags.

Enjoy riding! I moved out of state last year and I really miss the DRT, there's nothing like it here and that really sucks!

shortnugly

Notice, most of these aren't items for the bike, Safety and comfort are the priority

1. Helmet, get a quality one, don’t cheap out

2. Front and rear lights, google bike tail lights, many great ones under $80

3. Field multi tool set, my choice Crankbrothers M17

4. Behind the seat, small gear bag, holds extra tube or flat fix, tire levers

5. Small hand held tire pump, my choice Lezyne Pressure Drive

6. Good flat pedals, my choice – Crankbrothers Stamp 1, composite / strong / light

7. Tubeless setup, your wheels and tires should be tubeless ready, if your tires aren’t – my choice Teravail Cannonball 700x38. I believe your AL3 frame will only take a 38c max tire

8. Comfy seat, if you don’t want to wear padded shorts, my choice Selle SMP, google it they have a huge following. Even with a comfy seat, your bum will need some breaking in time.

Investing in these items isn’t significant. If you decide riding isn’t for you, it’d be pretty easy to offload it as a package and get a pretty decent portion of it back.

Should be ready to go. Ride it, and after whatever period of time you decide, you really get into it and you wanna upgrade the bike, such as a new wheelset, drivetrain upgrades (derailleur, shifter, cassette, etc) , pause and consider a different bike altogether.
If you’re mechanically savvy and can do the upgrades yourself, it’s a whole ‘nother hobby unto itself and is extremely satisfying.

I like the other suggestions, such as a professional bike fitting. You want the best fit so you can have the best chance to really evaluate if you like the sport. A good floor pump, Topeak or Lezyne.