What equipment/accessories do i need?

waddup12350

Hi all. I am about to buy my first road bike (BTWIN triban 3, have read into it alot and this seems the right bike for me in my price range. But after finding plenty of help on picking the right bike i am now wandering what equipment i need to get with it. Do I need a tool kit? do i need any proper cycling cloths? etc pretty much all i need to know is what kit did you get when you started cycling? Sorry if this is a little long winded but thanks for reading and i hope to hear from you soo

night_porter

A lot of what you need depends on the type of riding you intend doing,

If you will be riding in the winter or the summer? This determines the level and type of clothes you may need.

If you are commuting? Club riding? Riding solo? etc.

You will need a puncture repair outfit and a basic multi tool, something to clean it and a bottle of chain oil. Whether you need a full toolkit depends on your level of expertise, skills and motivation. It also depends on whether your bike has problems I know people that never repair their bike because they never need to.

Tell us what type of riding you are going to do and how much you know about fixing bikes and you will get some good answers, otherwise you will get everyone listing what they have and that will not necessarily be best for you!

I know people will almost die with shock but you can ride a bike without lycra and you do not need to spend a small fortune buying things that rarely get used. Loose clothes can get caught in a bike chain or wheel and may not wick seat away as effectively as some cycling kit but as long as you know (and accept) this then you can still ride your bike.

diy

A multi tool is a good purchase. You don't need to spend a fortune the £5 multi-tools will do almost as much as a £25 one - minus a chain breaker normally.

Helmet
Lights (a tail flasher is a good idea even in day light)
if you are going spd, then shoes/cleats
Bibs cycle gear from Aldi/lidl is pretty good.
gloves

the rest you can cobble together from sports/outdoor/ski gear.

spare inner tube. Tyre levers there is a knack to fitting road tyres particularly cheap ones with wire beading. You will need levers to start and you may even break a few

LittlePlums

I'd question the need for a puncture repair kit. They cost in the region of £3-5 and can repair say half a dozen punctures. Maybe I'm lucky, but I don't have punctures that often and I figure I can afford £5-6 for a new inner tube once every 6 months or so (and I commute in ALL weathers). My time is worth more than salvaging some rubber that doesn't owe me much. But that's a question largely determined by your own pockets/constraints on time.

My advice would be to concentrate on the contact areas with your bike (obviously after the basic safety elements such as helmet & lights).

I'd suggest some clipless pedals and shoes would be pretty high on the agenda. It'll be weird at first and you only have to look at other threads to see that most people have the occasional "timber" moment before they get used to them, but once you do, you'll never go back.

As for the Lycra comment, you can go cycling without it, in the same way that you can play football in hobnail boots. People wear it because it is fit for purpose, ie not baggy, keeps out the worst of the chill factor, wicks away sweat etc. You will find padding helps if you intend to ride an hour or more. If you're brave enough jump straight into bibs - if you stick with the sport you'll end up wearing them anyway and it'll cut out the stage where you realise that waist length shorts and leggings could be improved upon.

You might also consider some gloves to keep your hands warm in this weather, with decent padding to take away a bit of road buzz that can be uncomfortable and give pins and needles.

Oh, and a final thought: With all this kit you'll be buying how about British Cycling membership? It gives you discounts at Wiggle and Halfords and others and comes with valuable liability insurance if you cause an accident.

Gizmodo

As others have said, it depends on what riding you are going to do. Helmet is a good idea and lights depending on when you intend to ride. What about a bike lock - essential if you intend to go in shops/cafes on a ride.

I can't believe no one has mentioned a track pump with pressure gauge, something like a Joe Blow so you can pump up your tires.

If you don't want to get stranded miles from home then a spare inner tube, tire levers and a method of inflating your tires (pump or CO2) to carry with you.

As others have said, cleaning and lubrication. Then clothing to suit your riding and the climate you live in.

wavefront

You needn't go wild and have to go and buy everything.

I think a spare tube /punc repair patches, a couple of tyre levers, mini pump, helmet, rear flashy light are essentials. A bottle cage/bottle are also a very good idea, but it does depend on the length of your ride. If you can't get a simple toolkit make sure you carry your phone and some cash for those times you need to be 'rescued' !

Then I'd see what clothes you already have, and go for a few rides and see how they work out for you. A pair of jogging bottoms may suffice just now, or anything that is tight around the ankle so material doesn't catch on the front cogs. But you'll soon find out Lycra actually makes sense, and that you'll eventually need many types of clothing for our highly variable climate. If you're planning on cycling this time of year just make sure you keep warm!

Shoes and clips are a good investment, but I'd argue that they can come later as funds allow, and if you have a limited budget warm and appropriate clothing is the priority.

tetley10

I'd definitely second the pet that suggested padded shorts. They made a massive difference when I started wearing them.

chrisaonabike

I reckon a really bright front light during the day would be good as well. When I started using one, I noticed a distinct reduction in the frequency with which cars would start to pull out of side turnings, and then stop when they saw me.

No guarantees, obviously, and of course I may have imagined the change, but I have two bright front lights, one flashing.

jane90

Hi waddaup,

I started cycling 6 months ago and bought a Triban 3 for my first bike too. This is what I've ended up with:

Helmet
Glasses
Winter jersey
Waterproof jacket
Shorts
Winter tights
Mini seat-bag
Multi-tool
Spare inner tube
Mini-pump (bolts onto bottle-cage mount on the bike)
Track pump
Rear light
Bottle cage
Water bottle
New Saddle

The Triban 3 comes with flat pedals & toe-clips, so I didn't buy any cycling shoes and I just started off wearing trainers. It also comes with a (poor quality) set of lights. The back one fell off in the first week and the front one isn't what you'd call bright, but then I only ever cycle in broad daylight. It also comes with a multi-tool but it's bulky and doesn't have a tyre lever on it.

waddup12350

night_porter wrote:

A lot of what you need depends on the type of riding you intend doing,

If you will be riding in the winter or the summer? This determines the level and type of clothes you may need.

If you are commuting? Club riding? Riding solo? etc.

You will need a puncture repair outfit and a basic multi tool, something to clean it and a bottle of chain oil. Whether you need a full toolkit depends on your level of expertise, skills and motivation. It also depends on whether your bike has problems I know people that never repair their bike because they never need to.

Tell us what type of riding you are going to do and how much you know about fixing bikes and you will get some good answers, otherwise you will get everyone listing what they have and that will not necessarily be best for you!

I know people will almost die with shock but you can ride a bike without lycra and you do not need to spend a small fortune buying things that rarely get used. Loose clothes can get caught in a bike chain or wheel and may not wick seat away as effectively as some cycling kit but as long as you know (and accept) this then you can still ride your bike.

First of all thanks for every ones comments and the speed at which they came!

I plan to start riding 50 miles per week and steadily increase up to around 200 per week. It is just recreation at the moment but I am planning to kick on and see where it takes me. I dont have very much in the way of knowledge of the bike or how to fix it but i have a friend who fixes bikes and he will help me along the way. I plan riding all year round starting within the next month. Oh and for the most part I will be riding solo. Thanks again for every ones time!

Careca

Depending on where you live it is also worth considering riding with a club. Not all clubs are scary and intimidating as there are many that are more focused on having fun, without an emphasis on racing, and so will have rides to sort all levels.

You'll learn a lot more riding with people and there will always be someone who can show how to fix/adjust things as they go wrong.
It's also a lot more motivating to ride with others, and even if you don't do club rides, you'll meet people to ride with on unofficial rides.

Mikey41

When I started out with this road bike, I already had some Endura Humvee baggy shorts with the padded liner. If you get nothing else to begin with, get some padded shorts. If you are wary of the skin-tight look (it's intimidating at first) the Humvees are excellent... and have pockets.

If you are OK with the skin-tight look then currently you'll want a pair of warm padded tights. You will generate quite some heat when you are riding, so you don't need to wear as much as you might think.

You can easily get away with using regular T shirts or polo shirts. Purpose-designed cycling kit is better though as it is shaped to fit properly when you are sitting on a bike, which will make it more comfortable for longer distances. I just use polo shirts for my 20min commute.

Other than that, I would see these as essential:
Helmet
Glasses
Lights
Spare inner tube and some patches
Multitool and tyre levers
Small saddle bag (to hold previous 2 items)
Small pump
2 bottle cages & bottles
Track pump

Clipless pedals and shoes do have advantages, but they can easily wait, other clothing is much higher priority IMO.

Good luck!

simon_masterson

You need to have the means to change your inner tube and reinflate your tyre: Pump (framefit is best but largest; mini ones fit in pockets or on the frame), tyre levers, spare inner tube.

It's a good idea to carry a puncture repair kit but repairing by the roadside is something to avoid (and if you get more than one puncture on your rides on a regular basis then you may need to consider some more suitable tyres); certainly you should have one at home. Throwing tubes away because the patches won't hold up to the pressure is pure ignorance (a patch held in place with vulcanising rubber solution should be stronger than the tube is), and not bothering is lazy and irresponsible. And a track pump is essential for maintaining proper tyre pressure.

You should also have a chain tool; a fairly basic thing that doesn't cost very much. You can buy multi tools that incorporate these, as well as allen keys and spanners; they can be quite expensive, however. Some of the features can be useful on the road (eg. Allen keys for adjusting brakes and seatposts, spoke key for basic wheel truing, etc), but don't bother with an enormous thing with lots of tools you won't use, as they are heavy and bulky to carry around and if you do find yourself in want of those tools at home you aren't going to want to use the multi-tool in preference to your tool kit. I have a little thing with some Allen keys and screwdrivers, that came from a little Halfords kit that some friends of mine bought for me for my birthday one year. I carry that, a chain tool, a couple of tyre levers, some self-adhesive patches (which I hope not to need to use!) and an ancient multi-spanner since I don't have QR wheels. Works well.

Other than that I moreorless second the clothing suggestions. I'd get some better pedals though; the ones that the Triban come with have no straps, which is stupid. Either proper clips and straps or clipless pedals are much better.