Newbie commuter cyclist

Linguistic_Chimp

Hi all, I'm new to commuting by bike - the London tube strike forced me into it and it turns out I love it! I cycle from Richmond to Wood Lane in about 45mins-1 hour at the moment.

But I am having trouble working out where the best place is to get bike baskets and panniers and pannier bags and cycling gear? I need them to be cheap - obviously - but also need to know what makes to buy.

Also any tips on arriving at my destination with as few sweat issues as possible would be excellent! Having a shower is not always an option!

Let the frenzy of advice begin!

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Try Decathlon, nice and cheap, and good quality.

To arrive sweat-free just make sure the clothing doesn't stick to your skin.

martindow

To avoid sweatiness I would ride fairly gently. Rather than pushing at your limits go slightly more slowly. It will add only a few minutes to the journey time but will make a world of difference to how you feel as you arrive.

benjus

I'd agree with Decathlon - I buy a lot of my bike equipment there, including panniers. There are also some very good online shops, e.g. Chain Reaction Cycles and Wiggle - these are especially good for getting replacement parts.

About twice a year Lidl (and Aldi I think) gets cycling gear in on special offer so it's worth watching out for this (it's usually announced on the cycling forums like Cycle Chat and Bike Radar). Many of my trousers, jerseys and jackets have come from here.

There are also quite a lot of local bike shops around London, many of which aren't too expensive and usually offer good service. I tend to avoid the likes of Evans and Cycle Surgery as they're pretty expensive in general, and I stay as far away from Halfords as possible.

cowbutt

I've picked up some good clothing and a couple of pannier bags from Lidl. The bags probably aren't as good as the pro stuff, but they look pretty sturdy and waterproof. The clothing is fine. Millets are also worth a look for deals on Coolmax tops.