Things You NEED vs Things You WANT for Bike Commuting
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2023
- In this video, we go through some essential and some good-to-have items for bike commuting. These are things that make riding your bike safer, more practical, more comfortable, and a better overall experience.
Products mentioned in the video:
Fenders for 700c wheels: amzn.to/3ORrKW5
Cateye lights: amzn.to/3ORrKW5
Bicycle chain: amzn.to/3ORrKW5
My case for multi-tool and repair kit: craftcadence.com/collections/...
Multi-tool: amzn.to/3PiXgxO
Mini pump: amzn.to/3OThmNE
Glueless puncture repair kit: amzn.to/3qYuybQ
Water bottle holder: amzn.to/44C4QrK
Bar-end grips: amzn.to/3swM07W
Videos mentioned:
Best commuter tires compared: • Battle Of The BEST Com...
Ergon GP bar-end grips lineup compared: • Ergon Bar End Grips (G...
12 reflective ideas for cycling: • 12 AWESOME Reflective ... 
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I use the Exposure and a Brightside helmet light and Topeak frame light used for helmet to ! Tubeless Schwalbe all the way ! Reflecting stickers on rims ! Topeak tool bag on saddle and ride with 10 litre Osprey backpack with protector ,locks gold standard hiplok and Kryptonite d lock with cable for dropper post and seat Ergon ! And disk lock alarm ! My ebike $12,000 ! I pre pack every night take all with me ! Maintain all myself !
This video is spot on. You have talked about everything I've done or going to do. I ride my bike to work most days (7 mile trip on a road that has a 55mph speed limit). Do everything to be seen. I have a cheap Walmart/Amazon hybrid I update parts when I can. Great video.
Thank you for taking the time to watch it and to comment. I'm glad you liked it.
I agree with everything you mention. Very comprehensive! It may be worth talking about a few alternatives. For example, helmet mirrors are small and inexpensive. You did mention dynamo hubs, which are great for people who don't want to even think about charging lights. Innerbarends and spirgrips are another way of having another hand position while using flat handlebars.
Great ideas. I have yet to explore innerbarends and spirgrips. I did use a helmet mirror for a while, but it kept coming loose. Maybe I should try a better one.
In my opinionhere is one more thing for the must have list - a small first aid kit.
There is nothing worse than riding your bike with a cut bleeding on a loney street. With a tiny kit you can help yourself and also others if needed.
I honestly never thought of this, but it seems so underrated. I’ll at least carry some band aid. Thank you!
Since I had a very bad crash in a forest I always carry with me a small first aid kit. Nothing can be worse than not being able have something to stop bleeding in the middle of the forest
What matters more than number of gears is having appropriate gear range. If your carrying stuff up hills you need some low gearing. Totally flat almost anything will get the job done, and something like an internal geared hub with minimal gear range paired with belt drive for very low maintenance is a winner. I like to be able to remove accessories easier (lights, bags, etc..), so they don't get stolen when I make stops. A rear rack and set of nice panniers is the best way to carry anything. Forget backpacks. Headlamp is great additional lighting and will let you look and illuminate signs. A good U lock, and secondary lock to secure wheels, and something like an air tag as a must to lower risk of theft.
If you have one mirror, I think you should have two. One on each handlebar and whether you are turning right or left, one of them will give you a good view behind.
A nice bell is good to alert people politely of your presence. Although something more aggressive and perhaps electronic for those times when you want to express, "you nearly killed me you feckin moron", and when a polite little "ding-ding" bell just won't say what you feel.
Absolutely good quality bright lights front and back for both day and night time. The more you have the safer you will be. And bring spares in case one doesn't work or gets lost/stolen. A good bright hi-vis vest always. AND A HELMET unless you're cycling in a very safe or segregated environment.
If you are not highly visible, you can be almost invisible. Just because a driver pulling out appears to be looking directly at you doesn't mean they have seen you. Especially in the dark.
I drive a van for 13 hours night shifts and the mixture of reckless innocence, ignorance and sheer stupidity of too many cyclists in the dark never fails to disappoint and terrify me.
And cycle defensively. Too many cyclists ride into situations that are obviously dangerous because they believe, often correctly, that they are in the right with the rules of the road on their side. I'm sure that will be a great comfort to their family at the funeral that they were dead right. And now they're just dead. 👍
One item I would include is a bell/horn to make your presence known to people around you. Also means you don’t have to call out “on your left” as often
No car driver hears your bell, I better keep screaming.
A fixie will suffice if there are no hills on your route. I have hills to climb so fixies are a no go.
Check local regulations for NEED what's sold by the shop might not be "street legal" Where I am a bike MUST have bell, rear reflector, front reflector, yellow pedal reflector on front and rear side of the pedals, front and rear light attached to the frame. Most store bikes do not come with lights. And lastly fun fact if stopped by police you can be fined by the police for missing required equipment even the bike is a rental/loan bike.
@6:00 Now there's something I've been wanting to get for years now. My commute is just over three miles and my hands get numb just a couple blocks before my destination. I don't know why I've been putting off getting those for so long.
There are a few manufactures that make good puncture resistant tires. I recommend looking into that.
@4:46 oh, Never mind. lol
I have been trying to dress well on my cycling commute. It has been a quite challenge trying to get these equipments and discover more. Most dressy shoes and cold weather shoes are not great on the peddle except for some clean sneakers or flat soled chelea boots. I am also seeking and trying out various pants, trousers or jeans with quality fabrics that could handle the constant pressure on the saddle. And during cold days somewhat sweat resistant fabrics like wool, or quality cotton etc seems to provide better protection, odor prevention and overall convience. Might try studded tires this winter as I cant commute easily from december to february due to the harsh winters of central Asia. Its a constant discovery and experiment. I have tried to get advice from other cycling or mens fashion channels with little answer. But both group just doesnt seem to mix well and take the prospect very well 🙄
It's an interesting topic. I'd be interested to know if you come across something worth checking out and mentioning here.
Studded tires work great on flat ice, so they are excellent for commuting on plowed roads
If cost is a concern and you aren't sure you will like them, you can try using a single studded tire on your front wheel, as it is easier and less dangerous to recover when the rear wheel slips on the ice.
The downside is that studded tires slow you down significantly. Personally, I think they are a must have if you live in a place where there is ice on the roads.
I discovered by trial and error that for me the best shoes that work in a variety of situations are actually golf shoes that look dressy casual enough. Brands like Ecco make them. These golf shoes look like normal shoes. Mine are black, and the grips on the bottom help in several situations such as being more stable on my pedals as well as walking from my bike to work in the winter when it's icy out. Most people would not know that they are golf shoes because they look just like normal sneakers and the grips on them are not as aggressive as on some other golf shoes. They're almost like a hybrid between casual and trail running shoes
No.
At night and in the city is where you want the brightest lights.
Adding gears adds complexity, costs and weight while reducing reliability. A singlespeed with a low enough gear to make the hills may not outrun the fastest dogs, but you're on a bicycle and have already conceded speed for fitness and fun... you want Fast... get a Honda.