Essential Accessories for the Beginning Cyclist

Cycling isn't just about exercise, but also about outings with family and friends. It can also be a very good way of getting around: of commuting to work every day or doing your weekly shop. With the right accessories, you'll never find yourself unprepared on the road.

Below is the list of the most important accessories the beginning cyclist should consider buying to ensure both safety and efficiency of his/her riding experience. Some of these are more relevant to the utility cyclist (someone who rides short distances on a regular basis to get to work or do shopping), while some are more relevant to the cyclist who's riding for fun and fitness. I'll mention who it's most relevant for in the blurbs below.

Knowledge of how to ride safely

If you ride in towns, you need to know how to ride safely in traffic. This does not necessarily require a purchase, but if you want to buy a book you can either get John Franklin's Cyclecraft (more oriented towards UK riding) or John Forester's Effective Cycling (more oriented towards the US). If you don't want to spend any money you can read my article Bicycle Safety. If you are never riding in a town but are only riding on empty country lanes or offroad tracks, then you will not need to be an expert in riding in traffic, but it would be a good idea to have a look at my article anyway, as these skills can help make trips through villages safer.

Something to carry stuff

Everyone needs to carry things with them on a bike. If you're a utility rider, the main options are rucksack (aka backpack) and pannier. You've probably already got a rucksack, so no purchase is necessary. If you do buy a rucksack for utility riding, look for one that's brightly colored and has lots of reflective stuff on it to increase your visibility both night and day. Or you can buy a rucksack cover that's brightly colored and had lots of reflective stuff. Many people don't like to have anything on their backs when they ride, so a rack and panniers (bags that attach to racks with clips) are the way to go there. The longer your rides, and the heavier the load, the more important it is to get the weight off your back and onto the bike. If you buy a rack for your commuter bike, make sure you get one that has a light mounting plate on the back with holes 80mm apart, so you can mount a good rear light to it.

If you are a fun/fitness rider, your options are rucksack, saddlebag, or pockets. The rucksack option is useful when you are just starting out, since it means you can get going with one less purchase, but if you're going to be riding mainly on roads, you'll soon want that off your back. Offroad riders tend to use rucksacks that can carry water bladders (known as hydration packs or Camelbaks, after the most famous makers of these things), as water bottles tend to bounce off your bike and are more difficult to drink from when it's bumpy. If you go this route, make sure you get one with some space to carry bits and bobs (a basic toolkit, mobile phone, etc). Road riders usually either have a small pack under the seat to carry essentials, or if they are travelling really light, they will put just the bare minimum of stuff in the back pockets of thier jerseys (special cycling shirts).

Lock

If you are a utility cyclist, this is your first absolutely essential purchase (after the bike of course). The best lock for this use is a heavy hardened steel D-lock (aka U-lock in the US). Always lock your frame up to something, never just the wheels! Wheels can be easily taken off, and you might come back to find you have just a very securely locked wheel. Because wheels can be easily removed, if you have quick-release skewers on your utility bike, consider replacing them with Allen key ones. These make it more likely that your wheels will still be attached to your bike when you return to it. Alternatively, you can carry a cable lock as well to secure your wheels. Actually, it's a good idea to have a cable lock anyway if you will be locking your bike in different places, as it allows you to lock your bike to a tree or lamp post that your D-lock will not fit around.

If you're a fun/fitness cyclist, a lock will probably not be necessary when you first first start out, as you'll be doing fairly short rides that begin and end at your house, with no stops in between. But when you start doing longer rides you'll need to stop for refuelling, and cafes are ideal for this. Unless you can sit right nesxt to a window where you can keep an eye on your bike, it's best to lock it up. A thin light cable lock should be sufficient here.

Maintenance/Emergency Tools

Like any vehicle, a bicycle will require repairs from time to time and tire punctures are not uncommon on longer rides. I would say that if you are going for a ride longer than about 3 miles, then at the very least you will want to