My 6 Favorite Cycling Accessories
January 27th, 2009 • Cycling/Fitness, My Thoughts
-Photo by Andy Hay on Flickr.
Cycling is a great sport. Its a great workout, fun, social, and can take you to places you would never go otherwise. Another plus for a gadget-junkie like me, is that cycling is a very gadget conscious sport. Whether it be cyclometers, tools, bags, or any other type of accessories, the possibilities of cycling related products are practically endless. Below are some of my favorite, which I use almost every time I cycle. They’ve helped make my cycling this past summer and this winter even better than it would have been.
Portable DVD Player
-Photo by dno_1967 on Flickr.
Living in New England means I have to deal with long, cold, and harsh winters. This means no outdoor cycling. As a result, I switch to indoor cycling for the winter months. While I love riding road bikes, itjust isn’t the same inside. Without the scenery, passing cars, houses, and wildlife, riding indoors can be pretty mundane. Thankfully, my portable DVD player helps me to get through indoor cycling with ease. It’s nothing special, just a simple portable DVD player that works remarkably well for cycling entertainment. not only do I now watch more movies, but I cycle more because it is more fun.
I do wish my particular DVD player had a slightly larger screen, but even at 7″, it is still sufficient for my uses.
iPod Touch
Check out my full iPod Touch review, here.
-Photo by Вася Артёмов on Flickr.
I love my iPod Touch. It is slim, classy, powerful, can hold plenty of music, and the App Store makes it even better. I listen to music to keep me motivated riding both indoors and out, track my rides with programs such as iMapMyRide, track my calories with the Livestrong Calorie Counter and the great weather apps, keep me informed of incoming storms so I can avoid them on outdoor cycling ventures. With a case and a good set of headphones, the iPod Touch just may be the perfect cycling accessory.
Mini-Pump
-Photo by gl_theWhite on Flickr.
My mom picked me up this little Topeak Mini Morph mini-pump at the bike shop one time, and I never expected it to be as useful as it is. The pump is extremely powerful for its size, and I can get tires up to an acceptable pressure with just a minute or so of pumping. Furthermore, it can mount onto the frame so that I can take it everywhere without having to rely on C02 pumps. My Topea mini-pump has come in handy more times than one both in my house and on the road in the result of popped tubes.
Metal Tire Irons
When I first got into cycling, I carried nothing on my rides. A flat tire 30 miles from home changed that. At first, i got some plastic tire-irons which were light, simple and easy to use. However, they were also flimsy. My first flat tube. I truthfully had no idea how to use them, and ended up breaking all three without getting my tube changed. Since then, I will not carry anything other than metal tire irons. They are a little bit heavier than the plastic ones and can make a lot of noise sometimes, but if you wrap a rubber band around them, it solves that problem, and their durability is definitely worth the trade-off.
Saddle Bag
-Photo by fishermansdaughter on Flickr.
When you get heavy into cycling, your rides can easily surpass 50, 60, 70 or even 100 miles. As a result, serious cyclists need to bring more with them than which can simply be put into jersey pockets. This is where saddle bags come in. The small, compact and light travel cases attach normally to your seat post and allow you to carry extra supplies with you in the case of an accident or a bike malfunction. Most riders are pretty personal about what exactly they carry in their saddlebags, but here are some crucial things that I always have in my saddle bag.
- Metal Tire Irons: If you get a flat, tire irons are crucial in helping you change your tire. Plus, the metal ones are more durable and last longer.
- CO2 Pump and Extra Cartridges: While a mini pump is a great long term and dependable solution for tire inflation, CO2 pumps are so much quicker to use. Plus they can get the tire up to a higher PSI, making them a necessity in my saddle bar.
- Extra Tube: All the tools, CO2 and air pumps do nothing for you when you have a flat tire, unless you have a spare tube. I always take one, if not two, on every ride.
- Cell Phone:Sometimes you reach a point where you just can’t make it home. Either your sick, tired, or your bike is broken and unusable, sometimes you need a ride home. I always take a cell phone with me to ensure that I’m never alone no matter where I am.
- Clif Bar: Clif Bars are a nutritional and all natural energy bar perfect for cycling. I always make sure to have at least one on me for longer rides in case I need an extra boost of energy.
Action Wipes
I was first contacted by the owner of Action Wipes on my twitter account. After trying out a few, I fell in love with them! You can read my full review here, but essentially they are eco friendly, reusable and all natural wipes which you can use to clean up after any type of vigorous exercise. Perfect after a long summer cycling ride. They are a crucial part of my cycling gear and now that I have found them, I can’t live without them!
Those were mine, what are yours?
So those are my six favorite cycling accessories, I love them and use them every day. Without them my cycling experience would not be the same at all. But what are yours? What pieces of cycling gadgetry do you use day in and day out? Let me know in the comments.
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