Gravel cycling continues to capture the cycling world's imagination, with new bikes and technological innovations being introduced regularly. At Silverback Bikes, we understand the thrill of all-terrain adventures, and we're here to guide you through the process of upgrading your gravel bike for an even better ride.

1. Embrace Tubeless Tires

Tubeless tyre have become the go-to choice for off-road riding. By replacing traditional inner tubes with a small amount of sealant, these tires offer puncture protection and improved grip. Many gravel bikes now come equipped with tubeless-ready tires and rims, making the upgrade seamless.

If you are seeking speed through aerodynamic advantage, or wanting a wheel that can confidently carry you anywhere in search of adventure, the carbon gravel wheels by Reynolds can offer the quality carbon wheels at a competitive price to complete your quest for the ultimate ride.

2. Smart Storage Solutions

For extended gravel rides, efficient storage is key. At Silverback, we offer two perspectives: on-bike storage or personal storage solutions.

• On-Bike Storage is a large capacity seat bag specially designed for bikepackers providing a streamlined way to carry gear without the need for a rear rack. Constructed of lightweight, highly water resistant and durable materials, it mounts and removes quickly. The upgraded saddle mount system, in conjunction with compression straps, reduces the pendulum effect associated with large rear payloads, providing a comfortable ride for those long miles, it comes in 6,10,15 L capacity: Topeak Mid-loader Frame Bag or the FrontloaderTopeak Frontloader 
• These bags are quick to install, offer ample storage, and are conveniently located for easy access while riding.
• Personal Storage: Opt for a quality bum bag like a pouch for shorter rides or the Topeak Midloader Frame Bag 4,5L for longer journeys, the Midloades come in 4,5 or 6 L variations. These options allow you to carry essentials without cluttering your bike.

For multi-day trips, explore our bikepacking bags designed to carry all you need on the bike.

3. Tailored Gearing

While gravel bikes have seen significant advancements in geometry and components, gearing choices might not align with your preferences. Personalize your ride with these tips:

• Consider a larger cassette for easier gears. If your rear derailleur can't accommodate it, explore aftermarket options like derailleur hanger for Siablo CF and Siablo AL: Hanger 11
•  Extenders or upgrading both the derailleur and cassette.
• Opt for a smaller chainring to conquer challenging terrain. Ensure the chainring size matches your crankset's Bolt Circle Diameter.

4. Rear Mudguard: A Game-Changer

While often overlooked on gravel bikes, mudguards enhance winter riding comfort by keeping you dry. These affordable accessories are easy to install and provide significant benefits for all-day rides. One of our recommendations would be: Speedrocker.

5. Elevating Comfort and Suspension

Enhance your riding comfort with these upgrades:

• Handlebar Tape: Replace thin, road bike-style tape with thicker options for enhanced control and comfort. Check out the FSA Bar Tape.
• The intended use of uses for gravel bikes is becoming ever broader and the routes traveled are becoming more and more demanding. Therefore, the consideration of building a suspension fork for more comfort and driving pleasure on the gravel bike is only the logical consequence. Thanks to the ultra-light Fox 32 Taper Cast, optimized for gravel bikes, replacing the rigid fork is now even easier. With a weight of only 1226 grams (manufacturer information), it is the lightest suspension fork Fox has ever made: 34 Float Performance 29-130mm

6. Choosing right pedals for your gravel bike.

The gravel bike pedals are usually considered to be SPD-style two-bolt pedals. These have two points of entry for easy clipping in (or four for the Crankbrothers Eggbeater pedals.) The recessed cleats and lugged soles of gravel bike shoes make walking with the bike a lot easier than three-bolt shoes. 

Shimano SPD pedals often have minimalist skeleton designs. This helps with mud shedding, but results in a small contact area between your pedals and your shoes. Depending on how stiff your shoes are, this can sometimes be felt through the sole and may reduce pedalling efficiency. If you are not a fan of click system pedals, we strongly recommend to go for good quality flat pedals by Crankbrothers.

7. Lights

To find the right lighting for gravel bike is not not easy.  One rider needs a strong battery, the other an ultra bright light on the road bike with a lot of Lumen.

But the safety comes first, our first choice would be the Garmin Varia tail light, a first-of-its-kind rearview bike radar and smart bike lights system, to create a safer cycling environment by warning cyclists of vehicles approaching from behind, while also alerting approaching vehicles of a cyclist ahead. Our users now have the ability to connect the Garmin Varia RVR315 rearview radar or the RTL515 rearview radar with the tail light unit with their Ride with GPS mobile app and receive in-app notifications about approaching vehicles in real-time.

As a front light for the fans of strong lights of 150 lux in the combination of long lasting battery, the Busch Muller product would be the best: Busch Muller Headlight.

If you’re going for an extended trip on your gravel bike, or riding through winter, you may want to fit lights. There’s a huge range of different designs with varying light intensities and run times available, and what works for you will again depend on your riding.

The SUPERNOVA MINI 2 PRO offers enormous compactness paired with strong performance data. It also has a phenomenally bright high beam of 550 lumens and 160 lux. With this light, even the densest undergrowth is clearly illuminated during a night ride. Even the low beam mode with 235 lumens and 100 lux provides ample visibility without dazzling oncoming traffic.

In addition to that Supernova offers 5 years warranty and at least 10 years of repairability for all lighting systems!