Welcome to Upgrade Week. We're very excited about what we have planned for the next seven days – especially considering the increased cost of living, burgeoning US tariff increases and what this all means to you, the end consumer. Upgrade Week has been built around affordability and will focus on upskilling you, dear reader, by showcasing simple improvements to transform how your bike feels, performs and behaves on the trail.

As expected, we've been tirelessly curating features focusing on the best upgrades currently available – more importantly, upgrades our team has carried out on our very own bikes. We haven't just concentrated on the simple component swaps but also looked at explaining how various aspects of your bike work and what they all mean. By the end of the week, you'll know the difference between mechanical and electronic actuation and carbon and alloy frame architecture, and understand why tubeless tyres are the way of the future... it rarely goes wrong, despite what your friends keep telling you.

2025 tubeless convert tape overlap.jpg, by Liam Mercer

So what have we planned for the week? Well, we're not going to give any of that away just yet. You'll need to visit this page every day as it will be updated with fresh features. As always, let us know what you think and if there's a specific themed week you'd like us to cover in the future –  e-mail us at info@off-road.cc.

2023 canyon performance mtb flat pedals hero 2.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Upgrade Week 2025 - all the stories in one place

• Tubeless tyres vs TPU inner tubes - which is best for you?
• ​Mountain and gravel bike upgrades for less than £50
• ​Mechanical vs wireless actuation - which is best for you?
• Why your first upgrade needs to be carbon wheels
• The pros and cons of tubeless tyres
• 5 best upgrades for your new mountain or gravel bike
• Flat or clipless pedals - which is right for you?
• Bicycle component materials explained: Carbon fibre vs alloy