Bike Accessories
Bike Accessories
If you’re new to cycling, the list of peripheral kit can be a confusing one – what accessories are ‘must have’ and which ones are ‘nice to have’? To help work out what you should invest in, later in this article we’ve put together a handy little explanation of the kind of cycling accessories you might like to buy, and why you’d need them.
To make it easier, we’ve separated these items into smaller groups…
Bike safety
A good, reliable set of front and rear lights is an absolute must have. Even if you exclusively ride in the day, you never know when weather might change and visibility might reduce on account of fog or mist for example. Spare batteries are a good idea too.
A high visibility cycling top is a good idea, but it’s not a must have, as long as your lights are bright enough and offer effective visibility.
Bike maintenance
Basic upkeep of your bike is going to be essential. As a bare minimum you should invest in a good pump, a puncture repair kit and a few spare inner tubes. It’s a good idea to run a few ‘test’ inner tube changes to make sure you know how to do it!
You won’t need a full tool kit – that’s what bike service centres are for!
Bike transport
If you like to take your bike away with you, a car bike rack is essential. Unless you have a large van or plenty of boot space, a bike rack will help you to store your bike safely and securely as you travel across country or even across continents. Rear or roof mounted ones are fine.
If you’re not taking your bike anywhere by car, you can avoid the cost.
Bike security
A high quality lock is another must have. You never know when you’ll have to hop off your bike. It may be to visit a café, stop at a shop or even answer a call of nature, but if you leave your bike unattended you risk it being stolen. Why risk something that costs potentially thousands of pounds being stolen, when you could protect it for less than £10?!
Bike navigation
If you like to use your bike to go on an adventure or a trip, a bike computer is an essential. You can programme your routes, explore new places, find your way back home, track your ride data and the like. It takes your bike away from relying on your own navigating skills, to a genuine potential adventure!
Of course if you’re only riding locally, a top-end cycle computer is unlikely to be required.
Bike accessories – what, when and why?
There’s a whole world of kit out there that you can buy for your bike, but why don’t you start with the essentials – the bike, the helmet, the lights, the lock and maintenance kit?
Once you’ve gotten some riding under your belt you can add the extras and take your cycling to a new level of adventure and exploration! You can literally see the world on two wheels.