First on the upgrade list for me is addressing the riding position. Cheap bikes usually don't have sizes, so I'm stuck with a medium size frame. I'm six feet tall, so to be able to ride my bike comfortably, there are a few upgrades that I need to make. With the seatpost way above the recommended maximum height, I find that I'm too bent over the handlebars. I prefer a more upright position, so the stock setup won't do. The bike came with a long stem and 720mm handlebars.
To fix the stem height, I bought a stem mount extender. This raised the stem height about 1.5 inches. I also bought low rise short bars, which raises overall height a bit more. The bars I bought were 620mm, about 4 inches shorter than the standard wide bars. I chose short bars for personal preference since I grew up riding short bar bikes. Most people will find a short bar too twitchy. Lastly, I got a short stem, which moves the bars closer to the body (leading to a more upright position). To complete the cockpit, I also bought bar ends and bar end plugs. Bar ends are good for coasting on long rides, plus they give the bike a unique look since everyone uses wide bars now. All parts are from Wake, ordered through Shopee. 
Stay tuned for the next part, where I upgrade the groupset.
