Top 5 Essential Bike Accessories for Your Bike
Arguably one of the best things about biking is customizing your bike with tons of neat accessories. A plain bike, whether it be a road bike or mountain bike, is like a blank canvas. Part of what’s so wonderful about owning a bike is being able to show your personality by choosing the gear that goes along with it. That perfect bike accessory can make all the difference. It’s also extremely satisfying to find the most practical, lightweight, interesting items around to affix to your bike or to wear yourself.
Finding a good, useful accessory is one of the greater parts of life; it’s akin to (for those of you who have played Zelda) the feeling of encountering a treasure box and hearing the sound it makes when it opens. For those of you who haven’t played Zelda, you should stop what you’re doing and buy an N64 and the Ocarina of Time game right now.
One thing about bikers is, they have a certain look about them. You can tell if a biker walks into the room by the little cap with the words on the flip-up brim, the tight outfit, or the rolled up pant leg. Bikers have style. And they streamline their outfits, their electronics, and their shoes so that they go well with a biking lifestyle. Whether you bike for exercise, work, fun, or as a method of commuting, you can always benefit from a good accessory. And if you don’t bike everywhere yet, these are a great inspiration for those wanting to get into the sport.
So, without further ado and with no more “faffing around,” as the British say, here are our top 5 (and boy, was it tough to choose only five) bike accessories:
5. Turn-Signal Cycling Glove
This amazing glove is the perfect illustration of marrying style and practicality. Made by Zackees, these gloves both keep your hands warm and help you cycle safely. They’re made right here in the US. A Google engineer, no doubt a person commuting by bike to those fantastic Google offices (with secret doors and ice cream trucks that have been transported to one of the top floors), came up with the idea. We like these because it’s when you’re turning that you’re often putting yourself in the most danger; drivers aren’t necessarily paying much attention to cyclists (depending of course on where you live), and it can be tough for them to see a raised hand in the early mornings when they’ve just woken up or in the evenings when they’re coming home, maybe, after a long day of work.
A pair of turn-signal gloves is a great investment, because they show you’re serious about your safety. They also make a good gift for the cyclists in your family, and they will probably help our moms feel better us being out on the road. Who wouldn’t want that? Plus, they add to your overall visibility on the road, and can be used to indicate a downed cyclist or to attract roadside help in a pinch. They cost just under a hundred dollars.
4. Litelok
Next on our list is something a little more exciting, but also useful: a lock. We’ve chosen this one for its versatility and for its lightweight nature. It’s both light and incredibly strong. The Litelok was made by a man named Neil Barron, who graduated from the Royal College of Art and London and was previously an Aeronautical Engineer.
Now, Barron focuses on industrial design. He came up with the Litelok be-cause he was sick and tired of carrying around heavy bike locks, but he’d also had more than one bike stolen in his home city of London. The lock weighs just over 2 pounds, and it’s simple to put on your bike thanks to its pliable strap!
3. Flair
This item is nothing specific. We recommend thinking long and hard about your personality, then wan-dering through a thrift shop on your day off and selecting a few pieces that will make you happy every time you look at your bike. Many people used cards as kids, for instance, and stuck them in the spokes. We’ve seen colorful horns, ribbons, interesting tape on the handles, and even fun paint jobs. In Brooklyn we’ve seen entire sets of pronghorn antlers attached to bikes for an ominous, ride-to-the-death type style. Whatever it is that makes you smile, attach it to your bike, so that your friends know when you’ve parked it outside a coffee shop or bar and can come inside to say hi. These also could help prevent someone from stealing your bike, if they’re permanently attached.
Some people may prefer a sleek, professional look, especially if they’re biking to work or to a meeting with a client. If you are one of these, then you might prefer to add a gorgeous leather bike seat or nice custom handlebars or a chrome water-bottle holder instead of anything flashy.
Make sure, of course, when applying them, that they don’t get in the way of your riding!
2. Multi-Purpose Bike Tool
These are essential. Whether you’re heading to work (or happy hour) or on a long day tour of the countryside, you’ll want to make sure you have one of these around in case your bike breaks down. They’re affordable and versatile, and they’ll save you a long weight for a ride if you break down in a remote area.
1. A Biking App
Our top pick for biking accessories in 2017 is an app that turns biking into a game. The Cyclemeter is our favorite. It works for cycling and mountain biking as well as running. It uses GPS to map your rides, create stats charts, and help make your biking experience more fun.
It was so hard for us to name just five! Other accessories on our list included paniers, a good trailer, re-flective socks, a DIY package that allows you to convert any shoe into a cycling shoe, and, finally, a device called The Atom (Siva Cycle) that lets you charge your electronics while you ride.
