Bike Gear

[Grey]

Figured this warranted it's own thread.

What are the must haves for bike commuters edc, clothes and maintenance?

[trailrunner]

A couple of thoughts:

- As i said on the other thread, I've yet to find a breathable rain jacket. I currently have a couple of jackets from Showers Pass. Neither breathe that well, and they wind up retaining heat and moisture on the inside. Even when it's cold (say, around 40F) and raining, after a few miles I can feel myself getting damp from my trapped sweat. The good thing is that the jackets keep me warm. So if it's a summer rain, I won't bother with a jacket. If it's colder, then I dress to stay warm, but not necessarily dry. A cycling cap under my helmet when it rains keeps my head warm and keeps some of the rain out of my eyes.

- During the fall and spring, arm warmers and a vest are very versatile. You can wear them in the morning, but if it's warmer in the afternoon for the ride home, stuff them in your pocket or in your bag. If the ride starts out chilly, wear the arm warmers, and if you start to get warm, push them down to your wrists. A vest works great to keep your core warm. In the winter, use base layers. On the coldest days, I'll use a neck gaiter that I bought for snowboarding, or even a simple bandana, around my neck, and pull it up over my face when I'm going down a hill.

- If you're going to ride in traffic, put reflective tape on your bike. I also put a bunch of smaller pieces all over my helmet, which is a bright yellow-green. One of my bikes also has tires with reflective sidewalls.

- I have a helmet-mounted light. I like that because I can point it to where I need light. If a driver is getting too close to me, I can bring the beam closer to them to get their attention. On the other hand, I'm also very careful not to shine it directly in their eyes. I also have a front blinky light, and have two rear blinky lights. The usb-rechargeable lights are good. We've come a long way from the heavy batteries that I mounted in my water-bottle cage.

- Keeping the feet warm in the winter can be a challenge. I have some fleece socks, and a long time ago I bought some fleece socks with some sort of windstopper, and those work well. I've also used my snowboarding socks. Some people like booties. I also have a pair of winter bike shoes. They work fine, but they're a pain to get off and on.

- For carrying my gear, I'm currently using an Arkel pannier. It was a little expensive, but it's good quality, and good for an office setting. I've used Ortlieb panniers, which have a lot of room and are water tight. In the past I've also used a backpack and still use a messenger bag if I don't have much to carry.

- I carry my tools in a container that goes in my water bottle cage. It's easy to move from bike to bike. I carry a multi tool, one tire lever, CO2, two tubes, patch kit (never used it on the side of the road), and a boot kit (I had a sidewall failure one morning). I also carry a frame pump on most of my commuter bikes, and only use the CO2 if I'm lazy. If you do fill a tire with CO2, when you get home, let out the CO2 and fill with air.

- For chain lube, everyone has their favorite. I prefer a light lube, and have been using ProLink Gold (or something like that) for a long time. But everyone has their favorite.

[Grey]

Great stuff! I might need a bigger bag, I find my stuff barely fits these days.