outfitting your bike

Once you have the right bike, there are just a few other items you should have for the bike itself.
Tip: You may want to buy these items when you buy your bike. Many bike dealers offer a discount on accessories when purchased with the bike.

Saddle (seat)
A saddle is a very important consideration when purchasing a bike. Most of your weight is on the saddle. The wrong saddle can be very uncomfortable and even painful. The logic behind choosing a saddle is counter intuitive. You would think a nice, spongy, soft saddle would be comfy. No way. Yeah, it’s great while you are test-driving the bike in the store parking lot. But, try riding an hour on it. You will be numb, sore, or both. Believe me, I speak from experience.

Depending on your riding position, you will want a fairly firm, narrow saddle. Why firm? A soft saddle presses on a large area of your rear-end and crotch. This will cause numbness—in places you should never be numb. You should actually have most of the pressure on your sit bones. While this may feel a little uncomfortable until you get used to it, a firmer saddle will be much more comfortable in the long run. To further aid in preventing numbness, many saddles now have a cut-out down the middle to relieve pressure. Why narrow? A wide seat is going to cause a lot of friction on your inner thighs and rear-end. This can lead to inflammation and saddle sores.

A note for women: get a saddle designed for you. Most saddles that come with bikes are designed for men. In case you haven’t noticed it, women and men have completely different anatomy down there and the bike’s saddle should reflect that.

Once you find a bike you like, ask to test drive it with the saddle of your choice and take it out for a good long spin.

Racing Saddle w/ cut-out		Women’s Saddle		Hybrid Saddle w/ cut-out

Lock
You are going to need to lock up your bike. Get a good quality U-lock. Cable locks are pretty easy to cut with bolt cutters. But using both can secure your bike, as well as many of its components. Many locks of both types come with brackets to mount them to the frame. Master Lock makes something called a Street Cuff; kind of like handcuffs for your bike. They come with a $3500.00 anti-theft guarantee. But, remember folks: if someone really wants your bike, no lock is perfect.

U-Lock		Cable Lock		Street Cuff

Basic flat repair Kit
You need a few basic things to handle minor problems on the road. Most people have an under the Seat Wedge containing the following items:

• Patch kit
• Spare tube
• Tire levers (used to slide the tire off the wheel to get to the tube)
• Compact multi-tool, consisting a few Allen wrenches, screw driver, possibly a chain tool. Some multi-tools come with tire levers.

Seat Wedge		Tire Levers		Multi-tool

Pump
There are a few options here.

• Frame pump. Usually a long pump that fits on the underside of the bike frame’s top tube. Fills a tire with fewer strokes than a compact pump.
• Compact pump. Usually strapped to the down tube along with a water bottle cage. Small and lightweight.
• CO₂ pump. A small compact pump that inflates with the use of a CO2 cartridge. Probably the most convenient and it can fit into your saddlebag, but you can only inflate as many tires as you have cartridges.

Frame Pump		Compact Pump		CO2 Pump

Lights
In the middle of winter, you will be riding home in the dark. There are very bright, inexpensive LED headlights and flashing taillights available now that last a pretty long time on a single set of batteries.

Headlight		Taillight

Bell/Horn
Forget it. A bell or horn is not going to be heard by a car and to use either, you have take a hand off the handlebars right when you may need to make an evasive maneuver. Yell. It’s far more effective. And don’t be shy about it. Yell loud. Doesn’t mean you have be angry or profane; just make sure that you are heard. More about this topic on the safe cycling page.

Carrying Cargo
For a fairly light load, a backpack is a great option. And you don’t need to modify the bike. For heavier loads or more versatility, a rear rack is a good option. It can also be fitted with panniers (bags that hang on each side of the rack, pronounced pan-yer or pan-ear). There are even nylon briefcases that connect to racks like panniers. One company (Two Wheel Gear) even makes a garment bag pannier for suits and the like. More information on this topic on the carrying cargo page.

Seat Post Rack		Rack with Panniers		Garment Bag Pannier

Bottle Cage and Water Bottle
Not a necessity for a short commute, but can come in handy. Almost all good dealers will throw in a bottle cage and water bottle with the purchase of a new bike.

Fenders
If you never ride in the rain, then these are unnecessary. But, if you live where it rains frequently, these are a must. Unless you like washing mud off your back when you get to work. They come in a lot of different shapes and styles. Make sure you get them fitted properly to your bike.

Suspension Seatpost
Smooth out the road with something as simple as a suspension seatpost. There are a couple of different types: telescopic and parallelogram. Some bikes come with them installed.

Bottle Cage		Water Bottle		Fenders		Suspension Seatposts

Mirror
There are basically two types. A small mirror that mounts to your helmet or glasses, or a mirror that mounts on your handle bars.

Handle Mirror		Helmet Mirror