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>It’s easy to buy a bike, but it’s often a lot harder to actually ride it. Bikes have a lot of advantages over cars, but ease of use is not one of them. If you don’t have a strong biking habit, a lot of excuses can and will creep in. “I don’t want to wear different clothes.” “What if it rains?” “I need to stop by the grocery store and don’t want to carry my groceries on my handlebars.” Let these excuses win often enough and your bike will end up in the dusty corner of the garage or basement until you sell it on craigslist for $50.00.
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>I worked at a bike shop, and I built up a commuter bike to remove as many inconveniences as possible, so all I had to do different to take my bike instead of my car was throw on a helmet on and maybe a jacket. While my coworkers were bragging about how they reduced the weight of their bike by 20 grams, I was adding kilograms to mine to make it more suited for running errands in all kinds of weather. I’m sharing my process on how to remove as many excuses as possible and make your bike as convenient as a car, so you will be prepared to take your bike out in more situations without a whole lot of extra planning for every single trip.
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>Couple things to point out: Most of what I’m going to recommend here is adding accessories to your bike to make it more convenient. So some of these suggestions will get a bit expensive. I am also linking to a few websites, including amazon, to better show you what I am talking about. These are not necessarily specific endorsements. If I don’t mention a particular brand, then it is probably just the first search result I found that looks like it meets my criteria. I do not have an affiliate program with any of these websites and I am not receiving any sort of compensation from them. And of course, all the information here does not replace actual research on your part or advice from a bike shop. I will point out any tricky situations I am aware of, and all of these accessories are designed so the handy home-user can install them easily. A lot of these accessories don’t come with instructions, so look up a tutorial online before installing. And if you don’t feel confident in your DIY skills, take it in to a bike shop for installation.
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>First some essentials: I’ll get into specific issues with bike commuting and how to fix them in a minute. But before you start adding optional accessories, here’s a couple things every serious cyclist should have on hand:
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> Helmet: Duh. Always ride safe. If you haven’t been happy with helmets previously, consider going to a bike shop and getting a nicer one that will fit better.
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> Pump(s): Check your tires at least once a week. Biking on low tires takes a LOT more effort. I’d recommend a nice floor pump with a gauge, and a frame pump in case you run into trouble on the road.
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> Patch kit/spare tube/tire levers: If you’re going to be biking for reasons other than leisure and need to be somewhere on time, make sure that a nail or shard of glass won’t bring your day to a screeching halt. Keep either a patch kit or spare tube with you, and learn how to take the tire off BEFORE you have to do it in a real-life scenario. Also make sure you know how to use your frame pump beforehand too.
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> Tools (optional): Buying accessories for your bike can be expensive. Paying your local bike shop to install them will be more expensive. Most accessories I talk about here will go on with normal hand tools. EVERYTHING ON THE BIKE WILL BE METRIC! The most common tools you will need for these accessories are 3,4, and 5 mm Allen keys, various wrenches from 8mm to 15mm, and some screwdrivers. If you are planning to do bike maintenance yourself, a great place to start would be getting a good set of metric Allen keys, sizes 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10, and metric wrenches, sizes 6-17. There are more specific tools out there, but these will get you started.
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> Chain lube: The most missed maintenance issue is chain lube. You should be lubing your chain once a week. This will keep the chain from squeaking but also extend the lifespan of the chain and your gears. Make sure you use a bike specific lubricant like this one. Spray lubricants like WD-40 can actually blast contaminants INTO your chain’s bushings, and if you’re not careful, they can get elsewhere and cause trouble. If you have disc brakes, be especially careful of getting anything on the rotors or brake pads. I once had to replace $60 worth of brake parts on a brand new bicycle because the customer got careless with WD-40. Apply the lube by hand and wipe the excess off with a non-linty rag.
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>The weather When I vowed to ride my bike more, I had a long and wet June while I waited until I could afford a new bike. That meant a lot of days pedaling in the rain and daydreaming about all the accessories I would get to make riding in rain easier. Here’s what I got, in order from highest to lowest importance:
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> Wet lube: In the essentials, I recommended dry lube. It works great, but it does wash off easily, so if you are going to be biking in wet weather, it’s good to use wet lube. It’s thicker, more viscous, and keeps the water out of the chain bushings. Since it stays on your chain more, it does attract dirt more. So I recommend wiping your chain down after your ride and relubing it with dry lube before too long.
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> An impermeable saddle: If you’re thinking of biking in wet weather, think about that when you choose a saddle. Most regular saddles have no problems with rain. It’s only leather and perhaps the fuzzy gel ones that can be trouble. Consider that before throwing down for a leather Brooks saddle. In a pinch, you can throw a plastic bag over your saddle, but that takes away the aesthetic appeal a bit.
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> Rain coat: Pretty obvious, but while you can get away with just a regular coat in the rain if you’re just running from the car to the store, you will get absolutely soaked if you do the same on the bike. If you’re buying a new rain coat, consider getting a hi-visibility one. With a little bit of digging you can find some reflective options that won’t make you look like you should be directing traffic. Also look for one with vents, since you’ll be exercising while out there and a rain coat can’t keep you dry if you’re sweating under it.
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> Fenders: Keeps the rain off your back and knees. You can get a clip-on rear fender for pretty cheap that works well, but if your bike is there to get you around no matter the weather, it’s worth considering shelling out for a permanent set. Short of grabbing a rain coat, there’s no extra step before hopping on the bike. If your bike has disc brakes, make sure the fenders you get are disc brake specific. Your fenders should come with specific installation instructions.
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> Waterproof pannier: Make sure any panniers you get are waterproof. Again, it just eliminates one step and one excuse to keep you from hopping your bike if there’s a light rain. See the Running Errands section for more details.
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> Lights: I researched several different lights when building up my bike. My goal was to have lights that would always be on my bike, with no risk of theft. In the end, after weighing all the pros and cons, I stuck with a conventional set of headlights and taillights. If you are going to be biking at night, I’d recommend something with at least 450 Lumens for the headlight. Anything less and you’ll be relying on streetlights to see your path. Most places in the U.S. require the lights to blink to be street legal.
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>You can buy theft-proof bike lights but the brightest light they have is 300 lumens, which in my opinion not bright enough for biking at night or in really bad weather. I’ve tried solar powered lights that need a special tool to be removed. The manufacturer’s website claims you can charge them up during the summer and ride all through the winter, but I barely managed to get them fully charged to survive a single round trip biking to work in the day time and biking back at night. And the light isn’t strong enough to light your path. I’m curious about lights that use your bike wheel as a generator, but they don’t work with disc brakes. Probably the best bet would be to get a dynamo hub and build up a wheel around that to your permanently mounted lights. Then you can have light anytime you’re moving without ever having to think about it and with no chance of someone swiping your light because you forgot to pop it off. It would require building a wheel from scratch, which in parts alone would have cost as much as the rest of my bike. That was more than I was willing to do/spend, so I just went with a 700 lumen headlight and have to remember to bring it with me.
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> Cycling cap: A small brimmed cap that has a low profile to go under your helmet. Helps keep the rain out of your eyes, and doesn’t add much hassle. Just put it on before donning your helmet.
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