Just bought first bike!!!! Need help with equipment

woolley2002

Hi,

I have just bought my first road bike a Giant Rapid. I would now like some help with what equipmet I will need ?

I guess I will require a helmet, gloves and lights. Does anyone recommend places to go for these ? and what make etc to go for ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Craig

tiredofwhiners

Either support your local bike shop, and pay a bit more, or try wiggle.co.uk and go wild.

Mikey41

Helmets and gloves are things that really need to be tried on to get the fitting right, a local bike shop is best for this. Everyone is different, what one finds comfy, another will find horrendous. I use a Specialised helmet, one of their cheaper ones, because it fit the best. I have some Endura full finger gloves, which fit very nice, but equally I got some Bell mitts from Asda that are also very comfy and very cheap.

Lights: massive selection out there, and it depends where you will be riding. If you ride only under street lights, then you only need lights to be seen with, which is easier on the wallet I have Cateye lights, two rears and a single front.

Good luck!

marksteven

decathlon are ok to begin with , cycle kit generaly comes up small eg, shoes etc, so try b4 u buy

k3vinjam3s

Halfords

Gizmodo

Your question is a bit vague. For a start do you live in a warm climate or somewhere like the UK? Do you plan to ride all year or just when the sun is shining? Are you looking to commute to work in town or ride country lanes at the weekend? Do you plan to ride during the day only or also at night?

The first things you normally need is pedals and shoes. Are you planning on flat pedals or clipless? If you go clipless then you will need cycling shoes.

Then a helmet and lights if you plan to ride in the dark.

If you plan to ride in the cold you then I would recommend bib tights, a base layer, a windproof long sleeve jersey and a gilet. You can get these from places like your local bike shop, Wiggle.co.uk, chainreactioncycles.com, planet-x-bikes.co.uk, Aldi, Lidl and thousands of other web sites.

If you plan to ride in warmer climates then I recommend bib shorts and short sleeve jersey. I also recommend knee warmers and arm warmers for cooler mornings that become warmer days.

Then there are tools, both at home and for on the bike. You will need a track pump for home and either a frame pump or CO2 for the bike. A multi-tool is always useful as is a spare inner tube and tire levers - so you will need a bag to keep them in on your bike. Cleaning products and lube are a must.

You will also need hydration so a biddon an bottle cage or cages.

If you plan to ride when there is the chance of a shower of rain then a waterproof pack-able coat is a good idea.

Edit - I should add that you do not need all of this at once, you will build it up a bit at a time.

simon_masterson

I will second Gizmodo that your parameters are a tad vague, but I can recommend Specialized as my preference in mitts. Been using them for about 7 years now.

Finlaz22

Anything personal e.g. Helmet, spd shoes etc I'd encourage going to your local bike shop. Accessories like lights you can get super cheap online http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/

woolley2002

Hi,

Thank for all the info.

I will be mainly riding during the day in the uk.

I am planning on going to my local shop for a helmet and will get gloves, water bottle etc on line.

I am going to get a pair of padded cycling shorts does anyone recommend ones to go for not looking to spend to much at the moment ?

p1tse

If you're buying online you might as well check out the likes of wiggle (note not always the cheapest) but has a good website, range low and high end budget, range of all gear

I'm going to say budget will dictate
I haven't ordered anything from wiggle but do like reading some reviews on products on their

I'm in the same boat, I more or less know what I need or should I say want but budget doesn't permit all at once

MichaelW

Aldi do sales of cycling gear and some it it is quite OK.
Cycling shorts are worn as underwear so need washing between each ride. Get at least 2 pairs.
Met helmets use a nylon band to adjust to your shape as well as size. The new years sales are a good place to search.
You need full gloves for winter and fingerless mitts for summer.
A bright coloured windproof outer shell with reflective stuff is always useful. Dont use a waterproof for a dry condition windproof, they get clammy and cold. In wet conditions, obviously....

Rhe Rapid takes full length, bolt-on mudguards such as SKS Chromoplastic (P35?) Fit them to keep the dirty road splash off you and the bike.

ForumNewbie

woolley2002 wrote:

Hi,

Thank for all the info.

I will be mainly riding during the day in the uk.

I am planning on going to my local shop for a helmet and will get gloves, water bottle etc on line.

I am going to get a pair of padded cycling shorts does anyone recommend ones to go for not looking to spend to much at the moment ?

At this time of year, you will also need leg warmers to wear with padded shorts, or alternatively buy a pair of padded long trousers. I bought a couple of pairs of these for about £10 each from Aldi a few years ago and they are still going strong - they are tight to the legs and fleecy on the inside. Unfortunately Aldi only have cycling sales a couple of times a year, but you may be able to pick up a pair elsewhere, although may be a bit more expensive.

rozzer32

You'll find out very soon that this cycling lark becomes pretty expensive.

smoggysteve

+1 on that score. Makes me laugh when I look back at people (including myself) who set a budget, then go on a mad spending frenzy for clothes, shoes, peddles, helmet, lights, computer, wheels, tyres, cassettes, chains, bottles, pumps..........

smoggysteve

End of the day, all you NEED to go cycling, is you and the bike. The rest is just added comfort/convenience.

lotus49

k3vinjam3s wrote:

Halfords

If you are going to Halfords, sign up for British Cycling first and you'll get 10% off. Have a look at this viewtopic.php?f=40013&t=12896460 thread. It shows you how to do this for only £12 and there are plenty of other benefits as well.

Samvan77

Hi

I am new to road cycling as well, I have found these guys to be hard to beat on price for cycling accessories http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/

woolley2002

Thanks for all the advice so far, very much appreciated.

I have now bought a Helmet from my local shop. I have also got padded shorts, water bottle & cage and tyre repair kit for the bike.

The next things I am looking at are:

Winter Gloves - Anyone got any suggestions ?
Clipless pedals for Giant Rapid 4 - Anyone got any recommedations for entry level ?
Shoes to go with above pedals - Again ideas needed.

Thanks

simon_masterson

Shoes and pedals will depend on the application; if you have any intention to use your bike for commuting or otherwise going to places (one of cycling's greatest pleasures), you really have nothing to lose in opting for SPD pedals and shoes with recessed cleats. Forget any notions of 'road' branded kit being essential to road cycling, and/or 'MTB' branded kit being unsuitable, and/or 'MTB' pedals being slower than 'road' ones. They aren't.

These pedals (below) would be a good choice; they are the most common I see. Like most of the SPD range they are double-sided, which makes them very easy to get into. I can't comment on specific shoes as mine are Shimano but they are old and I'm not sure of the model number. It would probably be a good idea to go into a shop and try before you buy, anyway.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-m540-pedals/

LittlePlums

If you use your bike for popping to the shops/pub, as well as "proper" riding, you might want something more like this:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-m424-spd-pedals/

That way you can get away with wearing normal shoes as well, on the occasions you don't want to be wearing cleats (some of the styling leaves a lot to be desired). They also have the benefit that they offer a nice wide platform if you don't clip in first time, thereby avoiding the painful shin scrapes on the pedal if you miss.

I have some of these on my commuting/pub bike.

That having been said, once you get used to riding with cleats, you will find it hard to go back to just pushing the pedals. I popped around the corner yesterday in a pair of trainers and couldn't believe how much harder it was cycling back up the hill without the aid of cleats.

Mikey41

For pedals and shoes I have the Shimano M540's and Shimano M077 shoes. Works well!