When buying a bicycle, the question often arises, what are the most necessary accessories, tools, and equipment you need to purchase first. Often novice amateurs purchase only a pump, well, maybe even the most minimal set of tools, and go for a drive. Over time, they begin to experience inconvenience while traveling and begin to understand that they need other accessories, gradually buying them in addition. One of the most high-quality accessories on the market can be found on Crooze website.
But it is better to immediately buy the most necessary elements in order to be prepared for various situations that may occur along the way. This is of course a personal matter, depending on the degree of involvement in cycling and the budget. But still, in this article, we will try to pick up three sets of accessories and equipment for you: elementary, amateur, and advanced.
Bike Computers & Smartphone Holders
Cycling computers are used for the primary collection and processing of information about the movement of the cyclist. This is the current speed, travel time, distance traveled. Some models calculate the average travel speed and record the maximum. The more advanced ones that serve for training have heart rate (HR) monitoring and a cadence (cadence) sensor and processing. Even more complex models have an altimeter, a thermometer, an electronic compass, a GPS module (they write a route on an electronic map, climb, and can serve as a navigator). Most inexpensive bicycle computers take information from a sensor on the fork opposite which a magnet attached to the spoke of the wheel rotates. But recently, the functions of a bicycle computer in some cases can be easily performed by a smartphone or tablet with an enabled GPS module and a working application for fixing the route and/or navigation. Therefore, if you choose this type of navigation and information support, you must purchase and install an appropriate smartphone or tablet holder on the steering wheel.
“Wings”
The technical name is “shields”. They partially protect the cyclist from splashes and dirt from the wheels when riding on wet surfaces or in the rain. Buying and using “wings” means saving on washing powder and often dry clothes on the back. There are full or road – covering half the circumference of the rear wheel and more than a quarter of the front. Often standard on road bikes. There are also many off-road mountain bike fenders available. Their feature is large mud gaps (fixed on the bike not close to the wheel tires).
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Bottle cages and flasks
With intensive and/or prolonged pedaling, and this is a considerable physical activity, and, especially, in warm or hot weather, the cyclist’s body inevitably dehydrates and it is necessary to replenish the lack of moisture. For this, bicycle flasks have been created with a valve in the lid, which allows you to drink on the go, controlling the steering wheel with one hand. A standard bicycle flask with a diameter of 74 mm (sometimes 66 mm) usually has a capacity of 0.5 or 0.75 liters (less often 1 liter) and can be fixed in a bottle cage, usually on the bike frame in the front (large) triangle on the bottom and/or seat tube. Sometimes the bottle cages are attached to the seat post behind the saddle or on the handlebars. Bottle cages, as a rule, are mounted on two screws, made of metal bar, aluminum tube, or sheet, from plastic, from carbon composite. With its low weight, the bottle cage should firmly and reliably fix even a full flask and, at the same time, allow easy emptying with one hand.
Flashlights and headlights
Let’s agree on the terminology right away. We call lanterns such light sources that make a bicycle and a cyclist visible and more noticeable at twilight and at night. They are also called “dimensions”, in front – white, behind – red, in accordance with the requirements of traffic rules (traffic rules). A headlamp is a light source that creates the light of sufficient power and makes the section of the path in front of the bicycle (cyclist) visible at night. Modern bicycle lights and headlights use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of varying wattage and standard batteries or generally lithium-ion batteries. The use of dynamos (generators) is limited to city (road) bicycles, since when making a difficult maneuver on the terrain in MTB, the cyclist often slows down and, as a result, remains without light. Modern LED emitters consume low currents, produce high brightness and luminous flux, and the batteries have sufficient capacity to provide good illumination of the path in front of the cyclist for a long time. It is also worth noting that the more expensive the headlights are, the more their power is (approximately from 1 to 20 thousand rubles). Your choice depends on how fast you plan to move through an unlit space, for example, outside a city or in a forest, at night; higher speed – more powerful and more expensive headlight.
Instruments
It is useful to have with you when cycling a minimum of necessary tools for elementary tightening of threaded connections, adjusting brakes, gear shifters, handlebar controls, the position of the steering wheel itself, saddle, and other bicycle equipment, such as trunks. Usually, this is a folding multi-tool, which includes at least standard hexagons, flat and Phillips screwdrivers, and often some other various tools (spoke and wrenches, T25 sprocket, assembly, chain wringer, folding knife, etc.). In most cases, this is sufficient, but if you travel far and/or for a long time, we recommend that you have separate assemblies (two pieces) for the careful dismantling of the tire from the wheel, if necessary, change or glue the tube, a chain squeeze to connect (rivet) a damaged broken chain and a first aid kit for repair (gluing) the punctured chamber. All this in the right hands greatly increases your autonomy and bicycle survivability in sometimes difficult driving conditions. For the sake of completeness of this “gentleman’s” set, we will mention one or two spare chambers of the size and type of valve corresponding to your wheels.
Bags, Trunks & Cycling Backpacks
To transport the already mentioned tools, a first aid kit, a spare camera, a parking lock, door keys, wallets, documents, and other small things on a bicycle, compact, often quickly removable bicycle bags are used. At the place of their placement on a bicycle, they are seat post, on the frame, on the handlebar; of various shapes and volumes. Cycling bags often have reflective elements on the outside to increase safety when riding on public roads.
And finally, if you are going on a cycling trip (trip), you will need a bicycle backpack (or you can also call it a bicycle bag on the trunk) of sufficient volume. Usually, a bicycle backpack has a U-shape, it can be one-volume or three-volume and is fixed on the trunk above the rear wheel of the bicycle. Depending on the duration and conditions of the trip, the required volume of the bicycle backpack is selected (from 10-15 liters to 100 liters or more). By the way, there are also small and compact bags for the trunk, they can be used in the city, on a trip to work. Sometimes it is more convenient than a backpack behind your back.
We have already mentioned the trunk. Typically a standard bike rack made of steel, aluminum, or custom titanium has a load capacity of 25kg. But from practice, we know that even 35-40 kg of load can withstand many bicycle luggage racks. You just need to ensure that the threaded fasteners are correctly tightened.
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