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I commute to work on my hybrid, but I also own a road bike and like to cover some distance too.

In terms of lights, I just got a set of these for myself (think mine has a slightly better back light, but it's basically the same) and my girlfriend. So far they've been fine in the rain and I've been fairly impressed with them for the price. I only use one pair, although people say two is better in case one fails - fair point, but I tend to risk it.

If you're going to be in the rain, get a decent light waterproof jacket. I've got a fairly cheap yellow one from mountain warehouse which does the job.

If you're doing long distances, you'll probably want some padded shorts (and possibly some tights/leggings to go over them in the winter), I picked up a pair from an Aldi cycling sale for about 8 quid. Some decent ones can be had from places like Wiggle for around £20 (dhb tend to be decent quality for a decent price).

For things which are less essential: fingerless gloves are good when it's cold/windy and clear (or yellow-ish) glasses can be great for stopping things hitting you in the eye (e.g. I cycle along a beachfront most days so when the wind is up I tend to get sand in the face).

Another thing you might consider if you want to take stuff with you: a rack and panniers. That gets the weight off your back/shoulders. On top of that you could consider some mudguards.

These are all things you'll probably just naturally progress to as you start going further and cycling in less than optimal conditions - it's a nice gradual creep into your wallet :P

In terms of safety: just get yourself some lights and make sure you keep your bike maintained (clean & lubricate your chain regularly, make sure your brake surface is cleaned occasionally, learn to adjust your brakes as the pads wear down, etc).

Hope that helps!

I have this one. It's OK. It's quite noisy - a deep, bassy whirr - but a) I don't know if it's any noiser than the next one. and b) I can watch TV ok while training; it's not that loud. I do worry about my neighbours, though - and I live in a terraced house, not a flat. However, the noise is also a good indicator of how you're riding: you can hear your flat spots really clearly, and try to correct them by ear.

In terms of quality, it's decent; good and sturdy, and easy to set up. It comes with a special QR spindle that you need to replace your current back wheel spindle with; then you can easily clip in and out of the trainer with a quick flip/lock. On this basis, it's no good if you can't/don't use a QR back wheel for whatever reason.

If you're planning on doing more than just a short commute, you'll want to get:

• Some padded shorts. Bib shorts are the best as they don't have a waistband to dig into you, but you could get 'baggies' if lycra is not your thing. I use these but I'm not over impressed with the quality, though they are inexpensive compared to most.
  
• Some cycling gloves. They'll stop wind chill, stop you grazing your hands if you fall and reduce hand numbness. Typically people use fingerless ones for the summer and fingered ones for the winter.
  
• Water bottle. I use these ones as they're dirt cheap and big.
  
• Pump. I quite like this one.
  
• Spare inner tube. I bought my last batch from Ribble.
  
• Patch repair kit. I tend to get cheap ones from Wilkinsons.
  
• Tyre levers. I have both plastic and metal ones and the plastic ones are better.
  
• Multitool. I use a cheap one I got from Sainsbury's.
  
• Saddle bag (for carrying the spare tube, mulitool and patch kit). I use this one and I'm pretty pleased with it.
  
  That's the bare minimum, I'd say. You can ride with less but it'll be less comfortable and more inconvenient when you get a puncture. You'll also need lights if you ride at night, of course. A proper cycling jersey is also really nice and a massive improvement over a t-shirt but you don't need it.

I did a bit of research on this last year (before ultimately deciding to just keep it in the garage!) and for a few months had a bike tent.

Worked fine but eventually toppled over one windy day.

My budget was only around £50, but I did consider one of these (which seem to be considered the best option).

Ultimately I decided against it, and kept in the garage instead (insurace policy was only £50 more a year to keep it on the driveway, so the cost of a shed for the bike wasn't really justified).

The next thing up seems to be a purpose made metal locker, but they run as £400+

Like I say though, the plastic sheds you can get seem to be best bang for buck. All I would say is though I feel like having a shed/plastic storage is almost advertising that theres something to steal in it.

I appreciate this isn't the most helpful post, but as noone else has posted yet it's at least something!

Me (and my partner) use a DBPOWER 4K ... £29.99 as I type this.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DBPOWER-Waterproof-Underwater-Rechargeable-Accessories-Black/dp/B071L3QRP8

Pros I've found is it comes with loads of attachments and a spare battery. (I find one battery covers me perfectly fine for 8 miles with charge to spare - never really had the need to record for much more than an hour so no experience here)

Cons - I don't think the image stabilisation is that great (but have no experience with another camera so can't give anywhere near an experienced opinion on this one)

When I pause a video, so far, the number plates have always been clear to my eye so I'm content enough with that.

Edit

It doesn't come with a MicroSD card, so maybe you'll have to factor that into the price as well.

I have that exact bike. It's a great entry level road bike! Done around 2,500km on it and it's still going strong. I've used it as a commuter with some security quick release skewers (so your wheels don't get stolen easily) and a Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Mini (possibly the strongest U-lock you can buy, other Kryptonite locks are worth a look too though, for less money).

I have this rack for it. As long you're physically able to climb the hill then the bike will. ;-)

Bright LEDs have gotten a lot cheaper recently so £50 will easily get you some good lights. Kind of hard to list the best lights as there are so many of them.

A cheap set like this on Amazon should be fine for most people. I picked up these planet x ones a while ago although swapped the back one for a knock off Fly6 camera light from Aldi.

This one costs more but I use it for shopping, it can be used like a hand trolley as well:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/b-tourist-Shopping-Trolley-Wheels-porte-vã/dp/B0081EAE0S/

The bag can be removed if you want to tie larger items to it.

Thanks for the advice. That guide is really useful thank you!!

What do you think of these?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B018XEWKS4?pf_rd_p=bc486a6a-c166-4c68-a130-177a4d56ba70&pf_rd_r=20PT6FNG0KZ4T4SYHGJB&th=1&psc=1

They look pretty good! Quite a bit lighter than the Marathon Plus (which is their biggest criticism) which is a good thing, but of course a thinner puncture protection.

A Marathon Plus in 700x32c is only £24.48 with free delivery here on Amazon

That is what I would get for only £1.59 more.

if you wear a suit, then Henty Wingman suit bag is great if a bit pricey.

To be honest I'd really consider a rack and panier if you are regularly commuting. A back pack is pretty horrible to ride with esp when its hot. You can get ones that come with straps to also carry like a backpack off the bike.

I bought a pretty neat dynamo bike tail light that's inexpensive and works well. It's not as bright as the ones with batteries or built-in battery, but it's good enough to be seen. I don't need to worry about turning on the light at dark since it flashes automatically as I ride. Here's the link https://www.amazon.co.uk/LykusSource-Battery-Free-Dynamo-Powered-Recharge-Installation/dp/B071JTMB9F

Somthing like this or this is what you're after.

Just make sure to check it's OK for you to start installing things in a communal area.

Something like this or this will cover most bases out and about. You can pick up a proper chain tool for a few quid, and they're a bit easier than the ones on multi-tools.

I've got a few multi-tools from various manufacturers and they all do the same job equally well. There's no one I'd specifically recommend.

My bicycle light comes from a Chinese seller. It has an intelligent sensing function. When the distance between my bicycle light and the driver is getting closer, my bicycle light will automatically weaken according to the brightness of the opposite driver's headlights until the bicycle light has no light. When the driver's car has passed, my lights will light again, which will solve the driver's anger and my safety, and this bicycle light is cheap and easy to use, I will recommend it.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H23SL9R

Quad lock

Quad Lock Bike Kit for iPhone 6/6s https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OY6NKLW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VxC-Bb34SCY33

£43 so need to find another 3 quid. But it’s excellent. Use it in my car as well.