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First (proper) bike - what accessories to get?

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  1. newtoit
    Member

    Hi all

    Posted on here almost a year back about starting commuting; I have now finally pulled my finger out and actually bought a bike in the Edinburgh bike Coop sale!

    Now come all the more tricky questions; got myself a Giant hybrid and am looking for advice on what accessories I should be looking to get. As I'm just starting out and can't afford to break the bank (lottery win pending!) I'd be interested in reasonable suggestions - I'm not averse to shopping around but have no idea where to start.

    1 - Lock. Insurance company requires a "Sold Secure" Silver rated lock or greater. Pretty sure Sold Secure is just a ploy by certain companies/insurance providers to add a few quid onto a lock for adding a rating but that's another conspiracy theory! Would I be best getting 2 locks - 1 for home and 1 for work? Or carrying it around with me everywhere? Just conscious that a decent lock will naturally weigh a fair bit. Planning to park bike at work in secure(ish) area - access restricted to staff with building access, CCTV in place and at home we have a private lockable cupboard in the stairwell.

    Was looking at something like this:
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/abus/ultimate-d-lock-23cm-with-extension-cable-ec044481

    or this:
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kryptonite/kryptolok-s2-std-d-lock-with-4-foot-kryptoflex-cable-ec035396#features
    I am open to other suggestions or comments you might have!

    2 - Lights. Pretty simple I'd have thought, I'll just go for some fairly low mid-range lights which will allow me to be seen.

    3 - Mudguards. Probably a purchase to come after the above, as I'm starting out I probably only intend to ride a couple of days a week at first, so will pick and choose dry days where possible! Eventually winter will come, or I'll get a bit braver, so will be looking for decent protection from the elements! Bike is a 700c Giant roam, don't know if anyone can advise what would fit my bike and be most practicable??

    Think that these are the most pressing issues, already got helmet, puncture repair kit, spare inner tubes, pump etc so I would be keen to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

    Thanks :)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. Stickman
    Member

    I'm in a similar situation to you in that I've got a secure lockup at work, so leave a cheap cable lock there and have a better d-lock at home which I use if I'm goin somewhere other than work.

    In addition to the accessories, a good tip (which I found out the hard way!) is to ensure you know how to fix a puncture before you actually get one! Practicing changing a tube at home in the dry is preferable to learning to do it at the side of the road in the rain.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. wingpig
    Member

    Multi-tool? Even those which pop up in Lidl/Aldi bike-stuff sales should suffice to begin with. Small packet of zip-ties? Especially useful once you get some mudguards.

    Lights are unfortunately not as simple as they ought to be; they're one of the things where it's well worth getting advice from people who have already been through their first repurchasing-slightly-better-than-they-originally-thought-would-suffice event. At least you've a couple of months before they might be necessary. Unfortunately I've no idea what's good at the minute as I went dynamoid a couple of years ago. ALWAYS carry at least two front and back when your commute-time intersects with lighting-up time, as the power of Edinburgh's roads to rattle even the most secure-looking main light off its bracket cannot be underestimated.

    I've a reasonable-level Kryptonite and a six-foot cable for the wheels/in case there's nothing shackle-compatible to lock to. I usually secure the cable with an additional padlock as well as the shackle.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. Pocopiglet
    Member

    You used to be able to buy Gold Standard locks from St Leonard's police station for about £10 or £15 . I think they sold them cheaper than other places to try to prevent bike theft in the area. Perhaps ask any police bod you see around?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Lights, mudguards, locks and tools are all good things, but the main accessory you need is....a smile. It can be a massive cheeser or a thin-lipped grin (that's more my style) but riding a bike is fun, so don't lose sight of that just because you're headed to work through a phalanx of motorised sheeple, who have been reduced to this state through no fault of their own.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. tk
    Member

    I use the Cateye volt lights as a set (about £60 for the pair) and a Moon Crescent (about £11) for wide angle visibility rather than lighting the road. All are usb rechargable.

    I leave a d lock on the work racks, have an additional one at home and use an Abus Bordo which is like a flexible d lock if I need to carry one with me. These get used with Kryptonite cables.

    I'd pick up some cleaning stuff and chain lube (I like Muc Off) to prolong the life of parts.

    I usually carry a multitool, small spanner, cable ties and some gaffa tape that I've folded up. Fixes most things

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. zesty
    Member

    Def get a multi-tool and a couple of inner tubes & tyre levers. Can get all that for between £20-£25

    Lights you can wait a couple of months until the nights draw in, get some cheap chinese ones (cree) of fleabay, about £15. I have a couple of sets of them and they are great, no need to fork out for the ones you get in the shops here.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Mudguards - you will want / need these as you get into commuting.

    Ideally you want full length ones, with a large flap at the base. SKS Chromoplastics are an excellent buy. However I see your bike has a long-travel MTB suspension fork up front, this may or may not be compatible with the SKS guards, all depends if there's a bolt hole in the bridge where a solid fork bike would mount the brake caliper. You'd also potentially need to bend the stays around your disk brakes.

    So you may end up needing to use a set of mudguards designed for an MTB, which are fine to a point but are more meant to keep mud and grit off you rather than keep you dry from road spray.

    Welcome to the world of bike part bodging!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. Morningsider
    Member

    I would argue that mudguards are a must - avoid getting covered in road gunk and spraying anyone behind you, something of a bugbear of mine.

    Get the best lock you can afford and carry it with you, just make sure you choose one with a decent bracket - Abus are my favourite. Doing this means you should feel confident to park up whenever you feel like it (e.g. for a few beers from the off licence on the way home from work - a purely random example I should add).

    A real must are decent tyre levers, I use the Park Tool ones, which really help when fixing the inevitable punctures. Also, make sure you have spare inner tubes at home and work so you can fix a puncture either end of your commute.

    I know this might seem a ridiculous extravagance , but a track pump with a pressure gauge is a great buy. It is almost impossible to inflate tyres to the correct (high) pressure with most other pumps. Honestly, cycling is so much easier with correctly inflated tyres.

    As for lights - two are better than one but don't feel you need to break the bank, most lights from companies such as cateye and smart are pretty decent these days.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. Nelly
    Member

    As always, the advice on here is excellent.

    I would add....decent tyres. While you need to know how to fix a puncture, I prefer not to have them. Stock tyres are probably 'OK' but puncture protection is worth a few quid.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. Uberuce
    Member

    How are you carrying stuff?

    Rack and pannier is the popular choice for the nice simple reason that it's usually the best.

    Saddlebags are Tardis-like in capacity, but most need a
    saddle that has the mounting loops for them, and aside from the pricey-but-ace Brooks, I dunno who makes them.

    A side-mounted courier bag is a decent solution to a bike that can't mount a rack and a saddle that can't mount a bag.

    Rucksacks are only viable if you are inhumanly non-sweaty or only have a five minute ride.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. crowriver
    Member

    "I see your bike has a long-travel MTB suspension fork up front, this may or may not be compatible with the SKS guards"

    Loath as I am to post links to a rival forum, necessity however compels me to highlight this thread on bodges to fix (SKS) Mudguards on Suspension Forks.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. gembo
    Member

    Is there another bike forum?

    Anyway, with waterproofs, I find none of them work. I am a big sweater. I have tried various dear ones and won a soft shell from EBC. I also have an altura varium from leckies in Falkirk which was a dear top being sold at less than cost, not sure he will have any left. It is race cut and does work quite well on cold days but too hot at other times. What I think is needed is a jacket that keeps you reasonably dry on your commute but which then dries at your workplace so that you are not still damp on the way home. Decathlon will sell such a garment at modest price. They claim waterproof for their dearer jackets (25 quid.?). I have one and it does have taped seams and it also has pit vents. It is showerproof but I do get hot in it.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. paul.mag
    Member

    You say you're only doing dry days but that'll change :-)

    Mudguards are pretty useful unless you don't mind getting your back and face splattered with road muck

    Gloves are obviously a good thing in the cold but if you ever fall it's your hands that you put out & even fingerless gloves help keep your skin intact.

    Lights are an essential in the darker months. try and get lights where people front and back can see them. Helmet mounted lights are good as are ones that flash, not everyone needs a light to see where they are going.

    Sealskins socks, if you don't have clip in shoes you will be wearing trainers which will let in water. These socks are pretty decent at keeping your feet dry.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. acsimpson
    Member

    If we're adding clothing advise then I'd recommend always wearing glasses while riding. Speaking from experience it's never fun to have to tweezer a dead fly off your eyeball.

    The lights you need really depend on your route. If you have streetlights the whole way than being seen is more important than seeing. While if you're going to be on unlit paths you'll need something brighter, although in this situation please take into consideration that people will be coming towards you and avoid anything helmet mounted unless riding singletrack. You want to light the road not blind oncoming traffic.

    I have a set of SKS Blumels on my cross bike which I have attached using cable ties at the wheel arch and the wire rear stays to bend round the disc brakes.

    On an aside I currently use panniers but don't really need the volume. Can anyone recommend a reasonably weatherproof bag which mounts on top of a rack?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. rbrtwtmn
    Member

    Can I second:
    Fingerless gloves (or fingered for winter). Sometime you WILL fall off (unless it's me that's incompetent...). These make a difference to how much it hurts your hands.

    Track pump with gauge (not a super-expensive one). Makes it a matter of seconds to bring the tyres back to pressure.

    Panniers (rack etc).

    Don't think anyone said it yet - but it IS worth getting used to using one of the fix-feet-to-pedals systems. They can take a bit of getting used to, but I wouldn't cycle without this (given a choice) for safety reasons. Ignore anyone who tells you that pedal clips are old fashioned (I use these on bikes I use with normal shoes). Also ignore anyone who says that clipless pedals are too scary (I use these when mountain biking in pretty scary situations). Also ignore anyone who tells you that clipless pedals are a doddle to learn to use by the way - they do take some practice for most of us.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. gembo
    Member

    Pedal names are very odd. When toe clips were invented the clip term meant you clipped them on to their pedals. So eddy Merckx won all his grand tours using these. He was tied in to these and sometimes had to be caught at the finish line and untied.

    For some reason to distinguish the new system they ended up getting called clipless as they didn't have the clips. However you clearly clip into them so they should have been called clip in pedals.

    Of course then you get mountain bike ones and road bike ones. I have a mountain bike one on my winter road bike as I can get out of them more easily and it is the bike I tend to take on roads I don't know. My summer road bike where I am very clipped in is really just used on sunny days out Woolfords way, Wilsontown, auchengray, Climpy etc.

    I commuted for several years before getting toe clips. Several more years after that before I went for the clip in pedal and another two years before I ventured into the road ones where you have to really remember to extract foot before junction etc.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. crowriver
    Member

    I would say that the advice is starting to become quite 'specialist' now. Not that it's bad advice at all, but (I think) it presupposes a certain level, frequency and speed of riding which may or may not apply.

    A lot of the 'extras' folk are talking about (fingerless mitts, track pumps, toe clips/clipless pedals, sealskins socks, etc.) are nice to have, but it depends how often, how fast and how far you will be riding.

    Personally, for most city riding other than on the tandem, I tend not to use toe clips. The stop-start nature of urban riding makes toe clips and clipless pedals rather impractical, in my view. Others of course will disagree here. I don't use clipless, just don't like them as you can't move your feet around to get comfy. Toe clips, when loosened a bit, allow freedom to adjust foot position if need be. Alsoi for clipless pedal systems you need special shoes, some of which (road shoes) are not very practical for walking in. With toe cips, you can wear just about any shoes or boots you want. Anyway until recently I only use toe clips for longer distances generally. I've been riding a bike for 34 years on and off, and only in the past few years have I bothered with clips at all. They take some getting used to, and are really good once you are used to them, but for starting out commuting there is no real need.

    I also got on fine without a track pump until I had amassed several bikes: then it is very useful for keeping them all 'topped up'. Also for longer rides it's important to get the tyres up to proper pressure. If folk are running bikes on narrow tyres, eg. 23/25mm, then it is more critical to keep them to proper pressure, and to have a track pump with pressure guage makes that much easier: try getting 23mm tyres to pressure with a portable pump! For many years though I just had portable pumps, and simply pinched the tyres 'twixt finger and thumb to see if they were hard enough before setting off. Nowt wrong wi' that, as they say in Lancashire.

    Gloves are obviously great in cooler weather, but track mitts/fingerless gloves? I tend only to use these on longer rides where I'll be getting up to some speed. Yes, there's the usefulness if you fall off, but most of the time I'm trying hard not to fall off at all, so I use mitts more for the padding when I'm riding longer distances, or if the terrain will be very bumpy.

    I don't think anyone has suggested padded shorts or lycra gear yet: again unless you're covering a fair distance and going fast, not really necessary. If I'm trundling about town on the hybrid I tend not to wear any specialist cycling clothing at all, except maybe a waterproof jacket/trews/rain legs if it's wet. (I don't wear a helmet round town either but that's a personal choice/separate discussion). It's perfectly possible to do city riding in normal clothes, unless one is very fast (difficult in most urban situations) or sweats a lot (even then, linen/cheesecloth shirts/tops help keep you cool).

    Glasses: again, for fast riding or distance, pretty much essential. When riding at a gentle pace or in traffic, rarely required. Obviously a pair of shades on a sunny day is very handy.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. SRD
    Moderator

    Gloves also handy in the rain when handlebars can get slippy, or if you have any nerve issues such as carpal tunnel, or fnd the vibration from the handlebars affects your grip.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. crowriver
    Member

    @SRD, yes, all true. I tend to think of track mitts as the equivalent of padded lycra shorts for the hands. If the situation requires you to wear the shorts, then it probably requires the mitts too.

    I would also say that if handlebar grips are too slippy in the rain, or the vibration is an issue, the problem lies elsewhere: get grippier grips (for the rain), comfier grips (vibration dampers), or fatter tyres (vibration dampers)...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. Instography
    Member

    The two things all my bikes have in common are mudguards and some way of carrying stuff - either a rack or a Carradice - I guess I would say that those are the essentials. Everything else depends on what I'm doing.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  22. SRD
    Moderator

    @crowriver. Yes, but all that requires a level of customization that some of us (well, me at least) don't get into. I've had many bikes over the years, but never changed any grips or tyres. I have bought myself gloves though.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  23. wingpig
    Member

    I'd your hair gets too wet in the rain you don't replace it with special hydrophobic pseudohair, you wear a hat, hood, rain-mate or use an umbrella.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  24. newtoit
    Member

    Hi, thanks for all your advice - still got a lot to ponder!

    I had my first ride yesterday, just 3 miles or so home from the shop but feel today like some shorts with a padded bum might be a good buy!!! I imagine I will get used to it eventually though.

    Love the bike, although I will need to get used to the gears - managed to dechain halfway up Kirk Brae as I shifted from the 2nd to 1st range on the front... thinking I needed to be in a lower gear on the rear set before shifting down, and accidentally shifting up instead of down before panicking and shifting down twice in a hurry whilst grinding towards a halt can't have helped!

    Got the important stuff - lock (*2 - 1 Gold rated from the police station for £12.50 and a big chain that I can leave at work to lock up), helmet etc so will add more stuff as I come to it/can afford it! Think it'll be a while before I look into SPD pedals though, I quite like being able to get my foot out. Lights are on the way, and mudguards & a pannier rack will be my next buy I think - unfortunately I take work home more often than I might like so will need a way to carry laptop etc.

    Had a look and I do have an eyelet on the suspension fork for the front mudguard, noticed that at the rear there isn't any way to attach to the chainbridge but the internet seems to be full of bodges involving P-clips, cable ties, duck tape and just about anything else you can imagine so I'm sure there will be a way, or I might just look into paying a pro to fit some.

    Saw a rather fetching jacket in Planet X today, does this look decent for the price? http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CLPXBRHV/planet-x-bright-ride-hi-viz-jacket

    Will pop into Decathlon to see what goodies they have, it seems their website is terrible so just need to go in person.

    I also had my first experience of nutty idiotic driving but I'm sure there will be plenty of that to come, along with moans about the "Q"BC and state of some of the roads - Relugas Road resembles a war zone!

    Next up I'll be looking for ideas for weekend rides from Liberton - will save for a different post in the relevant forum though.

    Thanks again, and happy riding!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  25. chdot
    Admin

    Thought I'd revive this though it seems to have covered most things.

    Think I'll add "and a big chain that I can leave at work to lock up" to the new CycleFridays site.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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