If you are wisely using the constraints of this summer to get (back) on the bike – but confused about how to go about it, here is a quick guide to the kit you will need to get going and have a happy time. It needn’t cost much to put together but sometimes a little upfront investment can save you a lot down the road (and make for a better experience).
Below I have listed gear that (a) absolutely need; and (b) I strongly recommend even though not absolutely essential. For each, I give my view on what quality/price to go for if you can afford. Obviously if you don’t have the budget, then you can always get something cheap now and replace it later if circumstances change. I started off that way as a student cyclist. The most important thing is that you get out riding…
These are my personal views based on riding a lot over the years. If you want a more authoritative view, use a search engine. I have given indicative prices in Euros based on a quick search of suppliers.
Essentials
The bike.
Obviously. See my post on why you should consider a touring bike and how to go about it.
How much should I pay?
Depending on the type of bike, anywhere from €700-800 up will get you a genuinely nice bike, though if you can afford it €1000 – €1500 will get you something really joyful that you will want to ride as much as possible. Beyond that, unless you are looking at a road bike, you gain less for your money.
The lock.
I’ve read a lot of theories about this and how much it should cost. Apparently, Derbyshire Police recommend that you pay 10% of the cost of your bike on a lock.
I am a bit sceptical. Ultimately if your bike is valuable enough and is parked in a place where thieves can get to it without being disturbed for long enough, it will disappear.
And then there is the weight. You have gone to all the expense of buying a super-light bike. Now do you really want to be carrying around a super heavy lock? When I travel, the lock is the heaviest piece of kit I have and mine is not that heavy.
How much should I pay?
To me, the best protection is a reasonably sturdy yet also sufficiently lightweight lock that will deter the casual thief, locked securely through the frame and ideally front wheel in a very public spot with not much leverage to get a bolt-cutter through, and with the bike looking dirty and worn enough to deter the thief.
Ultimately the best way to make a bike less attractive is to depreciate it, by riding it a lot and yes, getting it dirty and scratched… Like cars, bikes lose their value very quickly. My mate Stewart bought a $4000 carbon fibre road bike in 2013. He sold it to me four years later at the market rate: $1000, and that was with a total mileage of 15 miles…
A further thought: suppose that the majority of the time you do not have the luxury of a garage or other secure space and have to leave your bike locked in a place where others can get to it, say in the stairwell of an apartment block. What you might consider is getting two locks: a heavy, really strong one for leaving it at home, and a much lighter one for when you are out on the road.
A helmet.
I’m afraid that there’s no two ways about it: brain damage is just not a beautiful look… You might only need the protection of a helmet once in your life, but when you do, you will be grateful. Trust me, I have had that incident, having to brake abruptly in central Washington, DC because of a crazy driver cutting into the lane ahead of the car ahead of me. My collarbone took the brunt of it, but in the momentum, my head also tapped onto the tarmac. Zero damage but without a helmet it could have been so different. Wear the damn helmet.
How much should I pay?
A basic bike helmet costing around €50 will be fine but I would pay a little bit more – €60-90 if you can to get something really comfortable and breathable so that you are less sweaty. I also like my helmets to have a little bit of a ‘visor’ at the front for those days when you have to ride into the sun but up to you.
Panniers
Or bike bags for everyone else. Sure, you want to imitate the French look with a basket at your front, but here’s the reality: it’s not very stable and it’s not very waterproof. Or you could wreck your back carrying a massive pack. Bad for your back, bad for stability. There is an easier way. Get a decent rear rack – it doesn’t cost much and often comes with the bike – and invest in a pair of decent bike bags. They will carry everything you want, will stabilize the bike, and if you get the right type, will keep everything dry. Perfect for commuting, perfect for day trips, perfect for touring.
How much should I pay?
Here it pays to buy the good stuff and there are two manufacturers who dominate, for a reason, and you will quickly discover who they are. Up to you which to pick. I have had bags from [nameless German manufacturer] for years and rode them through the most colossal thunderstorm in northern Greece. When I got to my hotel, I opened them and… bone dry. Seriously, get yourself something that will take a bit of wear and tear and is above all super waterproof. We are talking €120-135 here: a lot but worth it.
Hand pump, tire levers, spare inner tube(s)
It happens to every cyclist. If you are lucky, you get a slow puncture that only properly deflates when you get home. But if you are unlucky, it happens in the middle of a forest with a torrential thunderstorm approaching. Unless I am on the shortest of rides where at a pinch, I can walk it home or hop on public transport, I always carry a hand pump, tire levers and a spare inner tube or two, enough to get me out of trouble. By all means, take the punctured inner tube home with you and repair it at your leisure but having a spare inner tube with you will spare you half an hour of trying to find the hole and then gluing it shut.
And yes, you need to learn to replace the tube. It is much easier than it looks though no cyclist likes replacing a rear one. Either get a friend to show you or watch a YouTube video. I have to confess that I cycled many years without realising that life would be much easier if I released the brakes before attempting to remove the wheel…
How much should I pay?
A spare inner tube costs around €20, tire levers even less than that. Unless you decide against getting a foot pump – see below – you don’t need a fancy hand pump, though a small light one will save you space.
Bottles and bottle holders
Cycling is thirsty work in all seasons and you drink more than you expect. I really recommend having two bottle holders on your bike. Yes, you could carry the bottles in your pannier or backpack – and when I tour, I carry two more in my panniers – but having them to hand is super useful.
How much should I pay?
For the bottles, cheap is fine as they degrade over time, though if you are riding in the thick of summer or winter, having one thermally insulated bottle is useful to keep your water cold or your tea hot. I try to get bottles as big as possible: 750 ml or more, providing that there is space in your bike frame to get them in and out. Remember to wash them regularly, and always after adding anything other than water.
For bottle holders, I recommend sturdy plastic over cheap metal: it has better grip to stop the bottles falling out on cobbles, is lighter, and does not cost much.
Lights
Of course. And here is the good news: bike lighting is an area where technology progresses every year, leading to lighter, smaller, brighter and more rechargeable lights. Even if you don’t intend to ride in the dark, it is worth having some in case you get caught out by a storm or unexpected road tunnel.
How much should I pay?
This really depends on your intended use. If you are really sure that they are only for emergencies and the road or path will be well lit, then small rear and front lights that flash will do. As long as they are visible to cars and other road users, you are fine. If you are going to be riding at night, even if only to commute, then you need a front light that is a bit stronger and both lights should last for at least the length that you will need (and ideally much longer as it is a total shag to have to constantly recharge them). If you are going to be riding on unlit roads or path, then you need a front light that is even stronger, with a wide enough beam.
I have three lights: light front and rear lights that will last for around 45 minutes to an hour flashing, will give basic illumination of the road, and come with rubber mounts that are easy to fix to different bikes, and a more serious (and heavy) front light with super strong beam that I keep on my commuting bike for the winter months for use when riding in the dark for up to two hours. When I am touring, I take the former two lights.
Bike gloves
Yes, I know: you’ll look like a nonce, like you’re taking this seriously, but trust me, you need gloves the minute you start doing more than a short ride. Why? Because when you ride, three parts of your anatomy are in touch with the bike: your feet obviously, your bottom obviously, but don’t forget your wrists. And in contrast to the bottom and the feet, your wrists are getting shaken around like you would not believe and that is even if you manage to avoid a downhill on cobbles. Give them some love. Give them some protection.
How much should I pay?
Again, as much as it costs for a comfortable fit and solid padding. €20-30 will be enough.
A rain jacket
Yes, you could use a standard waterproof jacket as a standby but seriously, get yourself a decent rain jacket? How is it different? Tailoring. A bike jacket will be longer at the back and should have a zippable pocket at the rear. Why? Because when it rains, you will be hunched forward over the bike so your stomach will be compressed and your back elongated. It’s the difference between a drenched back and a dry one. A rear pocket is also ideal for carrying wallet, keys and any other essential documents like train tickets. Ideally, the jacket should also have a smaller pocket at the front left top to put your phone/passport in, but many don’t.
How much should I pay?
Middle of the range: €70-100. You don’t need anything fancy but you do need a good brand and it to be waterproof and breathable (and ideally luminous). In the above storm in northern Greece, I paid the price for buying a cheap jacket: I sweated, the material got drenched, and the rear pocket secured only with a Velcro strip collected every drip of water that poured down my back… The very next day, I found the nearest bike shop and replaced it with a much nicer jacket.
Lycra shorts
Yes. Really? Yes really. When I tell friends who are starting cycling that they should wear Lycra shorts, I get looks of horror and disbelief, followed by a rapid shaking of the head. No no no no no no…. Let’s face it: Lycra has a bad image, literally. Unless your groin would bear comparison with a well-preserved statue of a Roman god or goddess, the look is not flattering. This is why most non-professional cyclists wear black to camouflage it and prevent other road users from laughing. And yes, it has that air of trying too hard, like you’re actually taking this riding thing seriously rather than larking about.
Funnily enough their attitude starts to change when they come back from their first long ride with buttocks so red and raw that they look as though they have been sandpapered…
Lycra shorts were invented for a reason. Actually, several reasons. Let me list the main ones as far as you are concerned. Buttock padding. Reduced friction when pedalling. Sweat absorption. Insulation. Drying fast. Sometimes I am out on a ride, get rained on and by the time I am back, my shorts are dry again, and all that time I have been as warm as possible. And yes, being more aerodynamic. Laugh at that last one all you will but wait until you have spent ten minutes slogging up a seemingly endless hill. When you come to the downhill, you will want to benefit from every single metre of that climb, head down, hunched forward and with no appetite whatsoever for your shorts to be whipping about like a Spanish galleon.
Buy a pair. Try them out. You will not look back. If you do, you’ll see a bunch of people sniggering at you, but never mind…
How much should I pay?
Middle of the range: €50-70. You want a nice material that is as comfortable and sweat absorbent as possible. Don’t be suckered into buying bib shorts unless you really do want to be the next Egan Bernal.
Strongly recommended
The following are not essential and you can easily go for years happily without them and many cyclists have and do. But they will add to your cycling experience and don’t need to cost a lot. Put them on the list of kit to consider once you have got going and are getting hooked.
Toe clips
Toe clips are the happy halfway house between standard pedals and bike shoes, giving some of the efficiency gains but without the disadvantages of the latter for those of us who just don’t feel comfortable firmly locked onto an unstable piece of metal liable to brake at any moment, and yes, that is me, even before my MANY accidents.
For a princely €5, yes, that’s FIVE Euros, you can fit small plastic toe clips onto the front of your pedals, holding your feet in a steady place and not wasting the energy on the upswing of your pedal stroke.
Of course, the pros and the Strava Queens will sneer at you, and it’s true that you don’t gain all the vaunted 10% efficiency gain of the suicide shoes, but when it comes to accelerating away from a traffic light that has just turned green, you will be halfway up the road before they have managed to click their right shoe into place.
How much should I pay?
FIVE EUROS. That’s all.
Bike GPS
OK, so this is a bit more costly, and you do not absolutely need it. For most of the time since the dawn of cycling, people happily rode with just a map for directions and many still do. At a later stage, they added basic odometers to their bikes to measure how far and how fast they rode.
But life has moved on, and there is a generation of bike GPS that combine all the advantages of the odometer with the map and have a few more tricks up their sleeves, and they are improving all the time.
Why buy one? Put simply, it will make your rides more pleasurable. You can plan your routes online before you go, knowing exactly where the hills are and able to plot the most enjoyable way to your destination. Out on the ride, you can cruise along or let it rip downhill, safe in the knowledge that you will be warned in advance of any turn, and hugely useful when navigating through a town or city. Much better than having to huddle over a soggy map in pouring rain. It is a huge advantage to be able to look at the height profile and see whether any hills are coming up or how far you still have to go. And the latest models have got a much better rerouting capability in case the road is closed. And at the end of it, the GPS will export your ride back to the website so that you have all the data that you could possibly want on where you went and how fast.
They still aren’t perfect: like car GPS, unless properly controlled, they have a habit of sending you through muddy paths or along badly cobbled hellholes, over all, they are a great improvement.
Yes, you could use your smartphone, but why waste valuable battery or have it exposed to all the elements when you can have a much smaller piece of kit doing it all for you?
How much should I pay?
For the website, nothing, unless you really want all the jazzy features. Note that many websites charge premium membership fees for services in the app that they offer for free on the main website. Plan ahead and save money.
For the GPS, it really depends on the model, and what works best is changing all the time. I have a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt that I bought for just under €300 three years ago and it has been great, though many swear by Garmin or other brands. Do a bit of research and look at the reviews and decide what works best for you.
Foot pump
I am kicking myself for not buying a foot pump earlier. Sure, I can’t take it touring, but when I am riding from home, it saves me a HUGE amount of effort. Bike tires deflate all the time, so I pump mine every 3 weeks or so, depending on how much I use the bike.
How much should I pay?
You can get a reasonable foot pump for about €20-30.
Multi-tool
This is a compact set of bike tools, a bit like a Swiss Army knife. Sad to say, bolts come loose while you are on a bike, so it is extremely useful to have one with you to make quick repairs or adjustments. It is essential for touring.
How much should I pay?
Not much.
Bell
I resisted getting a bell for many years on the grounds that they take up a lot of space on the handlebars and that many people are so absorbed in their own music collection that they would not hear me when I used it anyway.
Let me be honest, the second half of that is sadly true. I am regularly dismayed by the number of pedestrians and cyclists who pay not a blind bit of attention to the noise of a bell behind them and continue merrily blocking the path. The other day, on a narrow road, I came across three elderly cyclists meandering along and hogging the road. Despite ringing my bell louder and louder as I came up behind them, they totally ignored it and one of them even veered left into my path, leaving me to warn him with a choice profanity. As I went past, the lady complained “But why didn’t you ring your bell?”
So they don’t always work, but when they do, it saves you a lot of hassle. And on the space front, I have come across a model of bell made by Crane which is small, loud and – good for a mal-coordinated person like me – operates vertically rather than left to right, which seems much more intuitive.
How much should I pay?
Not a lot.
Lycra jersey
Again, yes, you will look like an idiot off the bike: bike jerseys are extremely unflattering, designed as they are shorter at the front.
But on the bike: sweatproof, easily drying, and insulating, and with back pockets for your keys/phone.
How much should I pay?
€70-100 will get you something decent and classy. Ideally you want one of the back pockets to be zippable and you want the front to be zippable all the way down.
Arm warmers
If you only ride in thick summer, you will not need these, but if you ride in the shoulder seasons – and really autumn and spring are the best times to ride – they are very useful indeed. In those seasons, it can start or end cold but be quite hot in the middle of your ride and your forearms really feel it. Rather than having to put on your rain jacket which can be excessive, arm warmers give you a bit more warmth. They are also ideal for when you have a descent down a long hill.
How much should I pay?
You really do not need anything expensive here. I have a few pairs which I picked up cheaply and they have been absolutely fine.
Bike sunglasses
Really useful to have something tightly fitting that will not slide off your nose when you start sweating.
Again, you don’t need to go for anything expensive here and follow the pro riders. I picked up a pair of glasses with four different colours of lens for €40 and they are perfect, allowing me to swap them according to the light.
So that’s all… It sounds like a lot but get riding and you will see the benefits.
Very complete and to the point, useful and interesting info with a touch of humour… I love your style!