Back to cycling index

• Helmets - some people think they're wonderful. Some people even think they should be compulsory. I don't. See Cycle Helmets, read the science, and make up your own mind.
• Lock - you cannot carry enough lock to make your bicycle un-stealable, but you can often persuade the thief to go to the next bike in line. Several people recommend carrying (and using) both a cable lock and a U-lock. Don't use chain from the DIY shop; this is easy to cut. A rule of thumb is that 10% of your bike's cost should go on locks (the London Cycling Campaign now says 20%). Whatever you use, always lock at least through the frame and one wheel, preferably both wheels.
• Lights - modern LED lights are actually pretty good. Make sure both front and rear are able to produce a steady light, not flashing-only (it may now be legal, but it's harder for a driver to tell how far away you are); you may want to have a flashing light as well. I have a Smart Polaris 5 for the front, and a Smart 7-LED rear light. Make sure they're easily detachable, of course, and take them with you.
• Clothing - I'm not much of a fan of "specialist cycling clothing", but I do very much like my gel-palmed gloves. Otherwise I just tend to wear normal clothes, with a hi-vis top layer at night.
• Bell - a new bike has to come with one, but you're not required to have it fitted. I tend not to use one, since calling out "excuse me" in a friendly way gets better results. On the other hand it's handy if you're going under narrow bridges on a canal towpath.
• Tyres - kevlar lining is good. If you're using tyres that came with the bike, Slime liners will fit between tyre and inner tube; I've heard mixed reports of the Slime tube-filling gunge, but mostly negative (and if it doesn't do the job you won't be able to repair the tube at all). For serious use, Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres have the kevlar built in; they're heavy, but very good.
• Pump - get a big stirrup or track pump for use at home and run up the tyre pressures as high as the maker suggests. Have a small one for use on the road; it'll pump enough to get you home, but probably not to full pressure.
• Puncture repair kit - make sure you've got sandpaper, rubber cement, and a reasonable number of patches.
• Spare inner tube - so that you don't have to repair punctures (and wait for the rubber cement to dry) by the side of the road.
• Tyre levers - get plastic, not metal ones. They're much less likely to damage the tyre or tube.
• Tools - many bike-shop tools are made of unusually fragile cheese. Get good ones that'll at least let you get the wheels on and off.
• Mirror - either on the bike or on the helmet, if you wear one. I find them too distracting to be useful. Some people think they're great.
• Mudguards - I wouldn't want to ride in London without them.
• Rack - what you hang panniers off.
• Panniers - much more convenient than a backpack.
• Bungee cord - for securing stuff on the rack when it won't fit on the panniers. You cannot have too much of this. I find that a bungee net is especially useful - you won't find this in cycling shops, for some reason, but many motorbike shops will have one (I got mine from Infinity Motorcycles).
• Computer - not a necessity, but I like to know how far I've gone and how fast I got there. I currently have Topeak Comp 130s which record everything that interests me (I'm not any sort of pro, so I don't really care about cadence and calorie consumption).

Back to cycling index