New cyclist
bouicca21
Forumite 6.2K Posts
I have recently taken up cycling again after several decades hiatus. I have done a few Breeze rides and am already learning that I need to buy various accessories.
So what to people recommend for a leisure cyclist (not going to commute) on a hybrid. Lights were a must so I have got them. Mudguards? Some kind of bag - but what sort? I've seen handlebar bags, bags that go under the saddle and bags that sit on racks. What do I actually need to carry? Money/phone obviously but what else? Do I really need to carry a pump and an inner tube? Tool set - even though I wouldn't know how to repair a flat tyre?
So what to people recommend for a leisure cyclist (not going to commute) on a hybrid. Lights were a must so I have got them. Mudguards? Some kind of bag - but what sort? I've seen handlebar bags, bags that go under the saddle and bags that sit on racks. What do I actually need to carry? Money/phone obviously but what else? Do I really need to carry a pump and an inner tube? Tool set - even though I wouldn't know how to repair a flat tyre?
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Choose whatever bags or racks you like. I fit mudguards for the winter. Even if you don't ride in the rain you will find puddles or mud.
What you carry with you depends on how long you're planning to ride for, you don't need serious bags like handlebar and frame bags unless you're doing long cycles. As a minimum I carry a water bottle, pump, inner tube, tyre levers, bike tool (like a swiss army knife but a range of allen keys and a couple of other useful heads) chain quick links (allow you to quickly repair a broken chain), a lightweight lock, a snack bar and some clothing depending on the time of year usually arm warmers and a waterproof jacket.
Some people choose to carry that on the bike itself, a pump can be mounted onto the frame and a small saddle bag can pack in a few useful bits and pieces. If I'm doing some shopping and need more capacity I use a pannier bag.
It really isn't difficult to fix a puncture, especially if you have quick release wheels (as all but the very cheapest bikes do these days). You can find plenty of instructions and videos online, and it's worth practising changing a an inner tube at home if you haven't done it before.
Inner tube, pump and levers (plus a multi-tool which I've hardly ever used) is pretty much all I carry in terms of repair equipment. Inner tubes these days are cheap enough that I don't bother with the "classic" patch and glue puncture repair kit - I just change the tube if I get a puncture. And maybe I'm not trying hard enough, but I've never had a chain snap in 20+ years of regular cycling so I don't bother with a chain tool or spare links. I keep those few bits and bobs in a small under-saddle bag which lives on the bike so that they never get forgotten.
As for other bags, well this is a slightly controversial view but if you have a small rucksack (eg 10L size) there's nothing wrong with using it to carry an extra top/waterproof and some sandwiches - there's no need for specialist bike bags like panniers or handlebar bags. Obviously if you're carrying much more than that you won't want the weight on your back - but you don't really need a lot for a half-day ride. Some people don't like a rucksack as it makes their back sweaty but other people find that it doesn't bother them - give it a try before you splash out on panniers or similar.
Mudguards? If you only cycle in good weather then you won't need them at all, but at this time of year there'll often be water on the roads even if it isn't actually raining. If you're riding in a group it's generally considered good manners to have them in the wet - it means that you're not spraying too much water in the face of whoever is behind you. If you're on your own it's more of a personal thing - some people are happy just to get a bit messy and shower when they get home.
My commute to work is only 1.5 miles and in 7 years since I got this job I haven't had one puncture. My bike has guards and a rack with pannier bags, because I carry a laptop and paper at times. I also have waterproofs, spare tube, pump and tyre levers.
My best bike has no guards, no rack and a small saddle wedge bag with two tubes, tyre levers a CO2 pump and two spare gas cylinders. It does have punctures as it has lighter race type tyres. I don't think you need guards if you are cycling for fun and only do so in fine weather.
My long distance bike has guards, a hub dynamo and a large seatpack bag which carries the kitchen sink; 4 tubes, spare tyre, tyre boot, multi-tool, small bottle of oil, chain tool, chain link, head torch, spare lights, battery pack, batteries, wipes, spare clothes, food etc. One of the main reasons for all of that is that I'm generally doing events on that bike where it is very important to me that I finish, I really dont want to bail and get a train or lift home.
So I guess I'm saying it depends what kind of riding you are doing. We used to have two cars and I knew if the weather was terrible I could take a car to work. Getting rid of one of the cars was a big psychological barrier. In practice it made very little difference, but in my mind it meant I now had to cycle to work whatever the weather was like and it put a lot more pressure on me -knowing the option to jump in a car had gone.
I'm retired and a leisure cyclist.
The best investment I made was to fit Schwalbe Marathon Plus puncture resistant tyres as that means I don't have to carry puncture repair kits, pumps or spare tubes etc.
Other brands of puncture resistant tyres are available. Some people say the rolling resistance is higher than normal tyres. I don't notice that and, in any case, as I cycle for fitness and weight control as well as pleasure I don't care about using extra calories.
I have a very small pouch that fits to the crossbar that has room for a mobile phone, house keys, credit card and a few banknotes. That is all the extra weight I need to carry.
If you are going on a long ride you may want to fit a water bottle holder.
Enjoy your cycling. :beer:
He said to the salesman, “My wife would like to talk to you about the Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
Salesman said, “We haven't got a Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
The man replied, “You have now mate".
(I'd still recommend knowing how to repair a puncture and having a repair kit though).
That said they've saved me a lot of time standing by the side of the road in the cold and the wet cursing my numb fingers as I fiddle with the tyre levers, so they were a great buy. They do mean a little extra resistance, but it's not really noticeable unless you're pushing yourself hard and/or obsessively monitoring your times on Strava (guilty as charged, m'lud
Yes, you are right, they can be punctured but fortunately that has yet to happen to me.
I carry a mobile phone so I can contact my wife to rescue me if I do have a puncture. If she isn't around I suppose I would walk home pushing the bike. I rarely go further than about 5 miles from home so that wouldn't be a disaster.
I'd probably prefer that to trying to repair a puncture.
Sod's law means I will probably get a puncture soon.
He said to the salesman, “My wife would like to talk to you about the Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
Salesman said, “We haven't got a Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
The man replied, “You have now mate".
I've carried them in a small saddle bag (along with a multifunction tool) for years, and have used them twice - Pull the thorn out, reinflate the tyre with latex foam stuff, off you go again in seconds. Reinflate to proper pressure when you get home.
I can only strongly recommend them based on my experiences.
I can also recommend belt drive bikes. Although more expensive, the maintenance cost & effort (and needless to say, things you need to carry) drops radically.
Context of all the above: Longish distance commuting.