So you’ve bought the bike, but what else do you need to become a cyclist? Here are 10 essential items to make sure you ride safely and comfortably – luckily they are all far less expensive than the bicycle itself.
Helmet
While some might disagree, if you’re biking on busy streets, you should invest in a good quality well-fitting helmet. Cars are particularly reckless when it comes to cyclist safety, so it’s best to play it safe with this one.
Multiple bike lights
Cars need to be able to see you if you’re biking at night! Otherwise, they will not know not to run you over. You need two lights, one for the front and one for the back. These are crucial to ensuring your safety when night riding.
Back fender
Biking in the rain is already not fun. But there’s nothing worse than finally getting home from a ride in the pouring rain to realize that there is a streak of puddle water/mud all down your back.
Detachable bike pump
Flats may be the worst, but it also really sucks when halfway through your ride you notice it’s about 1000x more difficult than usual to bike. The typical culprit here is one or two severely empty wheels. A detachable pump makes it easy to quickly pull over and refresh your wheels!
Basket
Biking is great for getting you from point A to point B, but it definitely sucks when you have a bunch of stuff to bring with you. A basket is the best and easiest solution! You can even get a removable one to help you with groceries. Definitely worth the small investment.
Bike seat cover
A lot of the time cyclists get lucky enough to be able to wait out the rain, which is great. But not so great if when the sun finally comes out, their bike seat is still soaking wet. Get your bike seat it’s very own raincoat (life hack: in a pinch use a plastic bag) and keep your butt dry.
U-Lock
Seems like a no brainer to buy a lock, but do you know which kind is best? U-locks are much more difficult than long chains to cut into so, while they may be a little heavier and less easy to pack away, they are a very necessary purchase.
Poncho
These cost literally a dollar (you can also just punch a couple holes in a garbage bag) and are once again a savior on a rainy day. Throw one of these in your bag when the forecast doesn’t look too promising to minimize getting soaked when the storm clouds come out.
Water bottle and cage
One of the best parts of cycling is that it’s also an awesome workout. Workouts also make people pretty thirsty. Rather than digging around in your backpack while biking, why not have your water bottle supremely easy to access?
Bell
To non-cyclists these might seem like an obnoxious novelty, but they are in fact used to let someone know you’re passing them. Also to get the attention of someone who isn’t paying attention to what they’re doing. While all these items are suggested, bells along with lights and locks are the truly mandatory items needed to get going!