Beginners Essentials

BlakeysFC

Just put a deposit on my new Road Bike today (Giant Defy 1).

But need some opinions on whether I'm going over the top on the accessories or not, I've budgeted for:

Shimano R540 SPD SL Pedals £40,
Shimano R064 or Bontrager Race Road Shoe £60/£65,
Bontrager Circuit Helmet £70,
Bontrager Trip-1 Trip Computer £20

(Get all the above as part of the package with my bike)

Then:

Front/Rear lights: £25,
Backpack: £40,
New Saddle: Bontrager Affinity RL £60,
2 Jerseys: £20-£25 each,
1 Pair of Bib-Shorts: Pearl Izumi Select Quest £40,
Base Layer: £15,
Gilet: £20,
Lock £35,
Bike Rack £60.

Am I going a bit overboard thinking about getting all these accessories at once, or is it best to be prepared?

simon_masterson

A few thoughts:

- You can get decent lights for that money, but whether or not you need to be able to see where you are going (rather than simply be seen) on unlit roads is what will spend your money or not. I recommend the CatEye Rapid 3 as an excellent inexpensive rear light.

- I don't think you should bother with a backpack (particularly for that money), but that's a matter of preference. People will start to think that I'm obsessed with this as I've posted it in another thread, but a larger backpack can compromise your rear visibility as well as inhibit your use of your rear pockets, and a smaller one will be the same capacity (or smaller) as a seatpost pack or saddlebag; both of which are better solutions in my opinion.

- If you're going to spend that sort of money on a saddle, you may want to try some first. (assuming you haven't)

- My cheap Altura jersey is in tatters from poor stitching after a year, but that may not necessarily be representative of cheap jerseys in general.

- Good shorts are absolutely essential. I would prioritise them over a few things you've listed.

- For a bike of that price (using Google) you will need a better lock than what £35 will buy you. Some hold that you should spend 10% of the value of the bike on what you lock it with.

Sounds like you'll have a very credible setup, though.

BlakeysFC

Simon Masterson wrote:

A few thoughts:

- You can get decent lights for that money, but whether or not you need to be able to see where you are going (rather than simply be seen) on unlit roads is what will spend your money or not. I recommend the CatEye Rapid 3 as an excellent inexpensive rear light.

- I don't think you should bother with a backpack (particularly for that money), but that's a matter of preference. People will start to think that I'm obsessed with this as I've posted it in another thread, but a larger backpack can compromise your rear visibility as well as inhibit your use of your rear pockets, and a smaller one will be the same capacity (or smaller) as a seatpost pack or saddlebag; both of which are better solutions in my opinion.

- If you're going to spend that sort of money on a saddle, you may want to try some first. (assuming you haven't)

- My cheap Altura jersey is in tatters from poor stitching after a year, but that may not necessarily be representative of cheap jerseys in general.

- Good shorts are absolutely essential. I would prioritise them over a few things you've listed.

- For a bike of that price (using Google) you will need a better lock than what £35 will buy you. Some hold that you should spend 10% of the value of the bike on what you lock it with.

Sounds like you'll have a very credible setup, though.

Thanks.

For the lights, I'll need to be doing training in Winter and have a 50 mile Sportive already booked on 2nd December, so I kinda figured I'd need lights with the clocks going back and the evening setting in at 4/5PM.

I'm still undecided on a backpack, just thought I may need one for the puncture kit, energy bars, drinks etc. But then I think maybe just a Camelbak for hydration and to store a few energy bars in might do the trick instead.

I haven't tried any different Saddles yet, just the stock Saddle that comes on the bike that I rode today, It wasn't exactly comfy and the Bontrager Affinity RL gets good ratings so I thought maybe that'd be a good Saddle to go for.

Shorts/bib-shorts are the one area where I may spend more. Then start at about £40 and go upto £120 so I might get a decent pair of Bib-Shorts that'll last me for £70 I hope.

MichaelW

You need at least 2 pairs of padded shorts.
Give the Giant saddle a chance. Saddle comfort is nothing to do with cost or brand.
The rack may be overkill, is it a Tubus or something? A cheapy Tourtec Tour Ultralight can handle any load that the Defy can handle.

houndlegs

Depends how tight money is,but you could hold off for a few months on the lights,unless you're planning late or early rides.
Forget the backpack,get a small saddle bag for tubes and levers etc,and bottles and cages for drinks.
Give the stock saddle a chance,you never know, it could suit you.
I'd go for a couple of pairs of shorts.
Not sure about a lock,are you planning to carry it or use it for home storage? Personally I wouldn't have one to carry,and if I needed to lock it up at home,I'd be after the best one I could afford.
Not sure if you mean a car rack for transport or a rack for storage. Transport,possibly if you think it will get used.Storage,lean it up against the wall ,but don't scratch it

sungod

in the first list, do try on several different shoes to see which fit best, look for *stiff* soles

in the second list...
lights - unless you are sure you'll be riding in the dark now, wait
backpack - no
new saddle - no, wait a few weeks to see how the giant one is
jerseys, bib shorts, base layer, gilet etc. if you plan/expect to drop weight, i'd just get one of each, you may find they're too big in a few months
lock - read the first post in this thread http://www.lfgss.com/thread17938.html when it says rope locks (i.e. steel cable) are useless, it is serious - but unless you are planning on leaving your bike unattended, you may not need one
rack - is this for storage in a shed etc.? 60 quid is way too much

add...
socks - ordinary ones can get hot/soggy
mitts - you need them
shades - a stone or insect in the eye is no fun
multitool - get one with a chain tool
crank bros speed lever - light, easy to use
rema tiptop tto4 puncture repair kit - it's rema, it's tiptop, it's the law
spare tube - so you can fix the puncture later
minipump - lezyne road drive mini abs is good and has a hose, get the 'medium' size
water bottle - two if you plan on long summer rides
bottle cage - elite custom race, two if you want two bottles
some oil - for your chain
a kmc missing link is handy - so you can remove/refit chain for easy cleaning/maintenance

the multitool, spare tube, lever, rema kit, and pump all go in the middle rear pocket of your jersey, no need for a saddle bag

don't be tempted by...
wd40, gt85, special cleaning glop, etc. - a cloth and water are enough for most on the time
chain cleaning widgets - old cloth, wipe chain, lube every few weeks, more often if it rains
anything else that adds weight to your bike or lightens your wallet

use saved money for coffee and cakes

unless you are totally inept, you can do pretty much all maintenance yourself, post in the workshop forum for help

unixnerd

I don't run a back pack. On two of my bikes I have panniers and a rack, on the carbon bike I have a 3 litre saddlebag that cost 6.99 on ebay and it's superb. My nephew used to use a back back and has also gone the 3l bag route and is a convert. More than enough room for banana, pump, spare tube, waterproofs (I live in Scotland!), etc. May not look trendy but it works and also keeps water off your bum when it rains. Plus if you nip into a shop on the way home you're not trying to dangle a plastic bag from your handlebars.

As for the SPD-SL pedals they're fine for the road bike but in traffic they're murder. I have SPDs on my other bikes and they're far easier to clip into. Bear in mind that if this is not just a summer bike that SPD-SL shoes normally have mesh tops to let your feet breathe / let lots of water and cold air in!

simon_masterson

BlakeysFC wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

A few thoughts:

- You can get decent lights for that money, but whether or not you need to be able to see where you are going (rather than simply be seen) on unlit roads is what will spend your money or not. I recommend the CatEye Rapid 3 as an excellent inexpensive rear light.

- I don't think you should bother with a backpack (particularly for that money), but that's a matter of preference. People will start to think that I'm obsessed with this as I've posted it in another thread, but a larger backpack can compromise your rear visibility as well as inhibit your use of your rear pockets, and a smaller one will be the same capacity (or smaller) as a seatpost pack or saddlebag; both of which are better solutions in my opinion.

- If you're going to spend that sort of money on a saddle, you may want to try some first. (assuming you haven't)

- My cheap Altura jersey is in tatters from poor stitching after a year, but that may not necessarily be representative of cheap jerseys in general.

- Good shorts are absolutely essential. I would prioritise them over a few things you've listed.

- For a bike of that price (using Google) you will need a better lock than what £35 will buy you. Some hold that you should spend 10% of the value of the bike on what you lock it with.

Sounds like you'll have a very credible setup, though.

Thanks.

For the lights, I'll need to be doing training in Winter and have a 50 mile Sportive already booked on 2nd December, so I kinda figured I'd need lights with the clocks going back and the evening setting in at 4/5PM.

I'm still undecided on a backpack, just thought I may need one for the puncture kit, energy bars, drinks etc. But then I think maybe just a Camelbak for hydration and to store a few energy bars in might do the trick instead.

I haven't tried any different Saddles yet, just the stock Saddle that comes on the bike that I rode today, It wasn't exactly comfy and the Bontrager Affinity RL gets good ratings so I thought maybe that'd be a good Saddle to go for.

Shorts/bib-shorts are the one area where I may spend more. Then start at about £40 and go upto £120 so I might get a decent pair of Bib-Shorts that'll last me for £70 I hope.

If that's what you're doing you WILL need a really good front light then. There are some good CatEye sets around that represent good value. If you want to be confidently riding at any kind of speed, whilst spotting all the holes and ditches to not fall into and being visible to motorists, it's an absolute necessity that you'll be thankful for.

Camelbaks-wise, we've been having this debate in another thread, but I don't see any good reason whatsoever to use one. There's even a device I came across called the VelEau, which is a saddle-mounted bladder, if you've really got to have a tube rather than a bottle, but there's a reason why bottles are the norm in road cycling. If you've got two 750ml bottles on the frame plus 2-3 more in your rear pockets, you should have more than enough for 50 miles, and that's before you add all of the other places you can put them (handlebar, behind saddle, seatpost, etc). There's only so much fluid that's useful to you, though I'll leave it to the sports scientists to tell you how much that is.

I also agree with the poster that commented on racks. I declined to do so as I thought you might mean a rack to store your bike in at home, but there really is no reason AT ALL (that I know of, anyway) to spend that much unless you have a heavy load to carry. The TorTecs are highly regarded and cheap. Lightly-loaded racks seldom break (as it happens it did happen to me, but it's a rarity and the rack was very low quality and over two decades old) and they shouldn't wobble around or anything like that, so there's no need to spend a lot on one. They are a great place to mount rear lights (possibly the best in my opinion), and a racktop bag is a great way to carry luggage if you've got a rack. I use a Carradice Super C and I rate it very highly. Tough as nails and the contents remain bone-dry even after monsoonal rain. Top notch.

I can't think of any conceivable reason why you would want to use a backpack if there's a rack on your bike, and if you don't you could use a seatpost pack, or failing that a saddlebag. A racktop bag will affect the handling of your bike, but so will the (unloaded) rack, so I don't consider that an argument against. Considering that you can also use panniers if need be (very useful), I find that the positives outweigh the negatives, and I count myself among those that don't like the effect on the handling.

OK, lecture over.

And as for saddles, as the poster above me rightly says, it's a matter of what works for you, not what's highly rated. I'm still on my first upgrade saddle, a Charge Spoon, and that seems to be working really well for me. Some people prefer it to much, much more expensive options and others can't stand them; the same goes for all saddles. I opted for the Spoon as it was cheap and it was the shape I thought I wanted. I was right and therefore very fortunate, but if I were contemplating spending more money, I'd definitely try out some options before buying.

Sorry for the essay.

unixnerd

The TorTecs are highly regarded and cheap

TorTec velocity, only 20 quid and 390g - works for me!

Agreed about the charge spoon too. I have the Spoon on my mtb and the lighter Knife on one of my road bikes. But I was astounded by how comfortable the Specialized Body Geometry saddle on my new bike is.

the_cyclist_of_catan

I used a backpack for the first time today. Let me say that if there's any way at all to avoid doing so again, I will. In future, I'll stick to panniers on the commute and a saddle bag plus jersey pockets on proper rides (done several audaxes with pockets stuffed full; don't need a backpack for them or sportives).

The backpack impedes rear visibility, affects balance, adds weight, gets you hot, encourages you to carry too much stuff and is generally a Bad Idea. Hydration packs might be slightly less bad, but bottle & cage is almost universal for a reason (MTBers only use hydration packs because the bottles bounce out of the cages on very rough stuff).

simon_masterson

unixnerd wrote:

The TorTecs are highly regarded and cheap

TorTec velocity, only 20 quid and 390g - works for me!

Agreed about the charge spoon too. I have the Spoon on my mtb and the lighter Knife on one of my road bikes. But I was astounded by how comfortable the Specialized Body Geometry saddle on my new bike is.

Nice!

I'm not at all surprised about the BG saddle though. I've heard nothing but good things about most of the line.Been using my BG mitts for about 7 years now; the padding's knackered and the palms wearing through so I owe myself a new pair, but they are superb.

essjaydee

I use to commute using a 10L expandable pannier bag and rack, but you end carrying all sorts of stuff that you don't need, and it really upsets the handling of the bike having added weight out the back of the bike.
Now use a 10L cycling specific backpack. It's small, light and hardly notice it on the bike. Big enough to carry the essentials, but not too big to fill full of crap you don't need!

Would never use a rack and pannier again, unless I went touring and wanted to be fully self sustained. For commuting and general riding, including sportives you don't need a rack or panniers.

Essential tools, spare tube, multi-tool etc, will go into a small saddle bag, 2 bottles and small pump fit on the frame, and energy bar(s), banana(s), energy gel(s) etc go into shirt pockets, along with another spare tube, phone, bank card and some cash.

Travel as light as possible with only the essential tools, spares and minimal high energy foodstuff.

BlakeysFC

Thanks again everyone.

I'll give the backpack/camelbak and Saddle a miss then and see how I get on with the stock saddle. As for the lights I'll probably pick up a front/back combo by the end of Summer but I'm not going to be riding late/in the dark until then so I can probably hold off buying them until the end of September now.

From what you've all said it'd be best to get two pairs of bib-shorts so I'll probably purchase a couple of decent pairs of those instead of just the one pair I initially considered.

As for the bike rack, I apologise as I should've been clearer in previous posts really. I meant a Car Bike Rack that goes on the back of the car rather than the roof (as my car doesn't have Roof-Rack bars) and thought £60-£80 for one of these should get me a decent one to transport my bike around.

navrig

If you are planning December sportives you will, eventually, need overshoes and winter longs or leg warmers.

slowbike

Navrig wrote:

If you are planning December sportives you will, eventually, need overshoes and winter longs or leg warmers.

I was waiting for someone to mention the overshoes - I bought some late this winter - brilliant bits of kit ... Before my feet would freeze up, now they're much warmer and I can push harder for longer in the cold'n'wet ...

nickel

I'll just throw in that you should get some arm warmers, one of the single most useful pieces of clothing. Don't have to be expensive either, got my dad some 8 quid ones from Prendas and the quality seems fine.

BlakeysFC

I picked up my bike earlier and got:

2 x Endura Jerseys,
Bontrager Trip-4 Wireless trip computer,
2 x Bottle Cages,
2 x 800ml bottles
and a Bontrager Circuit Helmet all included in the price.

I left the Saddle, Backpack and SPD Shoes/Pedals for the future when I get more used to riding a road bike. Going to get a couple of pairs of Assos Bib-Shorts, Car Bike Rack, Gilet, maybe a Jacket and a couple of technical base layers tomorrow when I visit my local Evans.

ShutUpLegs

Simon Masterson wrote:

If you've got two 750ml bottles on the frame plus 2-3 more in your rear pockets, you should have more than enough for 50 miles, and that's before you add all of the other places you can put them (handlebar, behind saddle, seatpost, etc). There's only so much fluid that's useful to you, though I'll leave it to the sports scientists to tell you how much that is.

Could be handy if you need to put out a few fires on the way :?: