The 2026 Tour de France is set to be one of the fastest ever, if not the fastest! Some are predicting an average speed of over 43km/h despite the peloton visiting no fewer than five mountain ranges during the 2026 edition. In fact, after the first 10 stages, the average race speed is closer to 44km/h than 43 km/h.
So, what can we mere mortals take away from the Tour de France peloton to make us faster and more efficient? After years of racing myself and ending up down many a rabbit hole, here’s my list of the seven best-value upgrades you can make to your road bike that truly make a difference.
Jamie Williams
I am Jamie. I’m quite simply a ‘bike geek’. Monday to Friday and more often than not, the weekend too, I’m CW’s video content manager. With a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, I’ve always had a love of cycling that goes beyond just turning the pedals. From a cycling family, bikes are in my blood, and I even manage a racing team of my own in what spare time and energy I have left.
Continental GP5000 S TR tyres
(Image credit: Simon Fellows)
First on my list is a set of Tour de France-proven tyres and one of the best tubeless road bike tyres, trusted by no less than six of the twenty-three competing teams; it’s, of course, the Continental GP5000 S TRs.
Tyres can make an absolutely huge difference to how your bike handles and feels on the road. Continental reckons that more than 1,000 of its tyres will be used during the 2026 Tour de France, and they’re trusted for good reason: they’re fast, grippy, and durable. Personally, my go-to width is 30mm, just like the one and only Tadej Pogačar, but it depends on what your frame can accommodate.
Schwalbe Clik Valves
(Image credit: Future)
My next selection won’t actually make you any quicker; however, it might help speed up the pre-ride faff. There have been a number of ‘new’ valve types to hit the market in the last year or so, but I think the Clik valve from Schwalbe will gain the most traction, given the brand’s dominance in the tyre market.
The big advantage is that it’s just so easy to use. As the name suggests, you simply click your pump on (granted it’s compatible). They also allow for greater airflow than the traditional presta valve, making them ideal for tubeless setups. The best part, unlike much of the tech used at the Tour de France, is that they are incredibly affordable.
I’d recommend checking out the new Lezyne range of best mini bike pumps and track pumps. Lezyne is one of the first pump manufacturers to widely adopt the Schwalbe Clik system as a dedicated head, removing the need for an adapter.
Van Rysel RCR-F helmet
(Image credit: Getty Images)
It wouldn’t be a value list without mentioning Van Rysel, the in-house brand of the retailer-sporting-giant Decathlon.
Switching to a more aero lid can make a surprising difference, often more than some of the best aero bikes, depending on what you’re coming from. While Kask, Ekoi, and Specialized (having recently launched the new Evade) all have new lids at the race, it’s the Van Rysel RCR-F MIPs that still offer the best bang for your buck.
Given that it’s half or even a third of the cost of some of the best road bike helmets, it would be my choice. It is also the choice for 19-year-old Decathlon CMA CGM rider and hope for a future French Tour winner, Paul Seixas.
You, too, can get the Seixas look and everything he uses for a surprisingly affordable price.
Elite Leggero Carbon cages
(Image credit: Andy Carr)
After years of using the best bottle cages that claim excellent retention but have less staying power than a British Prime Minister, I wanted some that I could trust, and the Elite Leggero carbon cages haven’t let me down.
They’re not cheap, but compared to other bike upgrades, I think they’re pretty good value and will almost certainly save you a few grams. Used widely across the pro peloton for the same reason, most notably by the UAE Team Emirates-XRG and none other than Tadej Pogačar.
Reserve 57/64 Wheelset
(Image credit: Future)
Choosing one of the best road wheels is a big upgrade and comes with the biggest financial outlay. However, they potentially also offer the biggest performance gain, especially if you are coming from wheels that don’t offer much in the way of aerodynamics.
I’ve concluded that, as lovely as the Enve wheels and Scope Artechs have proven to be, I’d go for the Reserve 57/64 wheelset. They’re around half the price of the aforementioned wheels and are regularly found bolted to the Cervelos of the Visma Lease-a-bike team.
This is a team that leaves no stone unturned when it comes to going fast. Having spent a reasonable amount of time on a set, I can happily report that they back up the claimed speed with excellent stiffness and crosswind stability. They also feature a hooked bead interface and are optimised around wider tyres.
Other noteworthy attributes include a no-rider weight limit and a lifetime warranty, making them suitable for just about anyone.
A good bike computer
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
One of the best bike computers can help you navigate unfamiliar roads and pace your rides, but the flagship computers from brands such as Wahoo and Garmin have price tags that could make your eyes water. Ironically, the top-tier options are often shunned by the best racers in the world, who opt for the smaller, lighter and cheaper computers. Tadej, for example, is well known for using the smaller Wahoo Elemnt Bolt over the more advanced Elemnt Roam 3.
Unless you particularly want or need a larger screen, I’d happily recommend the Wahoo Bolt 3 or Garmin Edge MTB to any cyclist looking for a good-value cycle computer. Despite being their positioning in their respective ranges, they only miss out on very few features compared to their bigger brothers.
Given that much of the analytical metrics comes from the supporting software, it’s rarely noticeable when actually out on the road.
Better Bar Tape
Other good-value upgrades could include one of the best bike saddles, but because this is a personal choice, it’s very hard to recommend just one. But that’s not the case for the best handlebar tape.
Many bikes come with cheap bar tape that’s slippery when wet and offers next to no cushioning. It’s one of the cheapest upgrades that you can make to your road bike, and my personal recommendation is the Prologo Onetouch tape.
At 2.5mm thick, it’s chunky enough to offer good comfort without being bulky, and it costs less than a meal out.
Let me know in the comments below if there are any products used at the Tour de France that you think should make the list, or anything you have spotted that has inspired you to make a purchase.
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