£40 burning a hole

Tashman

I'm a newbie and have just got a shiny but not so new Defy 1. This is pretty much all i have apart from a helmet, puncture repair and a small pump.
My question is i have a £40 voucher for Amazon. Is it worth buying from there? and if so, what to buy?
I'm picking up some Shimano A530 pedals later as I currently don't have cleated shoes.
I'll be riding primarily for fitness/knee rehab

singleton

Once you have a bike, I think my priorities would be:
Pedals / Shoes
Spare tubes / pump
Bottle cages and water bottle
Clothing to allow you to ride in all conditions
Lights

pottssteve

You can get a decent pair of bib shorts - will make your ride more comfortable.
Some spare parts - tubes? New tyres, if required? Multi-tool?

Welcome to the bottomless pit of cycle-related spending

Man Of Lard

What else do you (think that you) need?

Lights? Only if you're out and about in the dark (although a flashing rear might get you noticed by the driver who hadn't otherwise spotted you)
Bottle & cage?
Rainwear?
Glasses?
Gloves?
GPS?

Is it need vs want?

keef66

Given the weather at the moment I'd have thought that bottles and bottle cages would be an essential purchase. I use Camelbak Podium bottles and some Lezyne Flow cages which have a grip like a gorilla, but the world's your lobster really.

arlowood

My suggestion would be a decent track pump. Invaluable for topping up pressures pre-ride and also when switching or fitting new tyres.

I've had a Lezyne Floor Pump for several years and it's still going strong -can't fault it

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lezyne-Steel-F ... rds=Lezyne

tangled_metal

Lights, at least a rear blinky, is worth getting. In the dreich you can get in summer the extra visibility is a good idea. Lights aren't just for night rides IMHO.

Tashman

Thanks all, I have a bottle cage and bottle already (cage was fitted - Bottle was living in my cupboard - do i really need a £10 bottle?) I think lights and a track pump sound like a good starter and should easily extinguish my £40

wishitwasallflat

Tashman wrote:

Thanks all, I have a bottle cage and bottle already (cage was fitted - Bottle was living in my cupboard - do i really need a £10 bottle?) I think lights and a track pump sound like a good starter and should easily extinguish my £40

IME new good quality bottles are well worth it cause everything tastes way better. My current faves are camelback podium. Try tasting filtered water out of a new good bottle compared to an old one if in doubt.

supers

My Spd shoes don't correspond to my normal shoe size, so be careful if ordering from Amazon. If you can go down to your local Aldi, there are no cycling special buys on at the moment but my local one still has some stock of Muc-off cleaner, lube and team GB kit
it's a case of searching. I've also bought a floor pump for about £7 from them as well.as some tops and a tool kit.

cougie

I kind of object to paying for water bottles. Hang round at any long distance triathlon and you can pick up new that day water bottles for nothing at a feed station.

Or go see a pro bike race.

Flashing LED lights seem to be handy for rainy summer rides as much as winter now.

Gilet. Buff. Mitts. Shades. GT85. Mucoff.

Tashman

I do have a couple of London 2012 bottles obtained roadside from the Olympic road race (1 nearly took me out as i crouched to take a pic) i could use these, but not sure i want to!

keef66

I've had loads of free bottles but they generally leak and the nozzles get chewed up quickly. The Camelbak Podiums suffer from neither of these problems, and the silicone nozzle is more comfortable to drink from.

Money well spent IME

I'd keep the London 2012 bottles as souvenirs

Tashman

Picked up a bottle so now looking at a track pump and rear light. About £20 apiece if anyone has any recommendations?

keef66

Topeak Joe Blow 2 is what I have. Used on 3 bikes for the past 8 years and it's still functioning perfectly.

Can't recommend a rear light; my trusty Cateye is still working after 9 years but is no longer available In any case in that time much better and cheaper ones have appeared

isotonik

Singleton wrote:

Once you have a bike, I think my priorities would be:
Pedals / Shoes
Spare tubes / pump
Bottle cages and water bottle
Clothing to allow you to ride in all conditions
Lights

this.

Tashman

Any Recomendations for tubes? I've seen plenty of tyre talk but is there variation in tubes? Excuse my newbie questions!

mrb123

Tashman wrote:

Any Recomendations for tubes? I've seen plenty of tyre talk but is there variation in tubes? Excuse my newbie questions!

Not really. You can save a few grams if you spend a bit more on the lightweight ones but they are more fragile and easier to pinch when you're fitting the tyre.

Tashman

MrB123 wrote:

Tashman wrote:

Any Recomendations for tubes? I've seen plenty of tyre talk but is there variation in tubes? Excuse my newbie questions!

Not really. You can save a few grams if you spend a bit more on the lightweight ones but they are more fragile and easier to pinch when you're fitting the tyre.

Thanks, I'll pick up a couple of spares to carry

keef66

I generally buy whatever's cheapest. Though my last batch of Vittorias seem to have thin spots near the valve so probably wouldn't get them again.
If you do buy Continental tubes with the removable valve cores, always tighten them before use. If one starts leaking out on the road they are near impossible to tighten with a multitool and nothing else. Doubly important if you use a pump that screws onto the valve stem; it's all too easy to unscrew the valve core itself when removing the hose. (had one go shooting past my ear once when topping up my tyres the day before a sportive! - never did find it)