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Outfit my new bike (and life!) with bike stuff
Skoal Cat
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I just got a new bike
A Marin Kentfield Hybrid. I'm going to use it to commute to work (9 miles, flat, bike paths for most of it) and go out with my son. To hold the tyke, I got one of these
A Wee-Ride Kangaroo seat, its pretty boss. He loves it.
I also got front and rear lights for if I'm out at night
and a standing bike pump for maintenance
We also have helmets that fit properly
(insert generic helmet here)
I have nothing else, and that seems wrong. I know I need a lock, but what kind? I have quick release tires so. I won't be locking my bike outside for long periods of time. I can take it inside at work and at home. I want to hang the bike on the wall somehow, and a basket of sorts to hold neat things? A better seat? Padded shorts?
Please tell me how to spend money.
Please also tell me how to properly care for my bike.
A Marin Kentfield Hybrid. I'm going to use it to commute to work (9 miles, flat, bike paths for most of it) and go out with my son. To hold the tyke, I got one of these
A Wee-Ride Kangaroo seat, its pretty boss. He loves it.
I also got front and rear lights for if I'm out at night
and a standing bike pump for maintenance
We also have helmets that fit properly
(insert generic helmet here)
I have nothing else, and that seems wrong. I know I need a lock, but what kind? I have quick release tires so. I won't be locking my bike outside for long periods of time. I can take it inside at work and at home. I want to hang the bike on the wall somehow, and a basket of sorts to hold neat things? A better seat? Padded shorts?
Please tell me how to spend money.
Please also tell me how to properly care for my bike.
Skoal Cat on
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Also, tube patches, tire levers and a mini-pump. Getting a flat and walking home 9 miles isn't fun.
As for hanging the bike, I use rubber coated hooks that you can get at home depot for like $3. Screw it into the ceiling or wall or whatever and hang the bike by one of the wheels.
Put the D-lock around the rear wheel, seat tube, and a solid object (or if you can't get the lock around the frame and the rear wheel, put it around the rear wheel and the solid object inside the rear triangle of the frame). Put the cable lock through the front wheel, frame, and solid object. That's about as safe as you can make a bike. If you only carry one, carry the D-lock.
I've always liked the look of this bike rack: http://www.ikeahackers.net/2008/02/stolmen-bike-rack.html
but I've never got around to building one.
Baskets you should be able to find at any bike shop that doesn't cater exclusively to road racers and MTBers.
Saddles are very much a personal preference thing. Most people who ride will find something that is comfortable and stick with that or that brand. The key thing is the distance between your sit bones. Some Specialized dealers that do their Body Geometry stuff have a machine for measuring this. Don't buy a saddle without having sat on it (edit: I mean the saddle, not the measuring machine).
Padded shorts if you need them. Honestly for nine miles you should be OK as long as your usual underwear doesn't have seams anywhere that'll rub. If you're buying them anyway, or for longer rides, bib shorts are more comfortable than non-bib, but they do make it more difficult to pee (roll up one of the legs). If you aren't keen on the power ranger look, most gear aimed at MTBers is cut looser and looks a lot less weird when wandering around off the bike.
For maintenance advice, Park Tool have an excellent website and also publish a book called the Big Blue Book, which is very good. Other people swear by Zinn and the Art of Bike Maintenance, which I have never used.
Fenders. You need fenders for when it rains or the road is wet because it rained not long ago. Since the bike is commuting and not sports I recommend full length permanent mounted fenders rather than those you click on.
Reflectors. Since you plan on riding when it's dark you need more than lights to be safe plus there may be some traffic laws about as well. Here in Denmark where commuting on bikes are common the year round the law requires, roughly, the following:
- White reflector pointing forward
- Red reflector pointing backwards
- Orange reflectors on the pedals pointing forwards and backwards.
- Orange or white reflectors on the wheels to be visible from the sides. Some tires have this, else these are good without looking totally stupid.
It may sound like a lot but I highly recommend the reflectors
Breathable rain jacket. A normal rainjacket may keep out the rain but you'll just be wet from sweat instead if you ride in one of those. A rain jacket made for cycling is much better (but unfortunately often a bit expensive).
Bell. A cycle bell mounted on the handlebar within reach of your thumb is good safety equipment. One ring will be enough to alert most pedestrians not looking and not hearing you because bikes are silent. Do note that some will find repeated ringing annoying or maybe even offensive.
Pump. You need one for use on the road if there is a puncture. Most punctures will let you drive several miles with one inflation so a pump mounted on the bike or a mini-pump in the bag can let you ride home even if the get a puncture.
On the saddle thing. Saddles that look like big comfy sofas may be fine for going to the cafe around the corner but nothing more. On the other hand saddles for normal commuting should not be like the racing saddles either but something a bit like a racing saddle with more cushioning is a good choice. Regardless of the saddle expect to feel a bit sore the first week you ride. If you feel numb then adjust the saddle position, maybe tilt it a bit or lower it slightly.
Shorts: GOOD padded shorts are great, though not absolutely necessary for 9 miles each way. I'd recommend getting them if you decide you like riding and want to go longer distances. I'm a slut for Pearl Izumi in this category. Do not cheap out on these, and note that it's perfectly fine to buy dedicated spandex, then wear board shorts or similar over it.
Jacket: Get a good, high-viz bike jacket. Protects you from the rain and makes you look like a gigantic traffic cone.
Glasses: At the very least, get a pair of clear safety glasses (should be cheap). Last thing you want is random shit in your eyes.
Pump: I'd actually recommend CO2 here, as it will be a lot quicker than a hand pump. Also buy commuting tires, which will have slightly larger casings (comfier ride) and tougher material to resist punctures.
or
That way you can remove them when you don't need em, or take them inside with you. You also have the option to go to bigger/smaller ones down the road, instead of being stuck with a big, heavy and awkward basket on the back of your bike.
Also CO2 is good for emergencies, but I'd still invest in a small frame mounted pump or one that fits in your pannier bags. If you happen to use your CO2 but miss the thorn/glass/whatever and your tire goes flat again, you could be S out of L. Plus those little bastards can get expensive. I use them for racing, but if I'm not pressed for time I use a hand pump.
I'm used to riding mountain bikes. How bad is it for a hybrid to go off a curb of standard curb height? I'm not going up over a curb as I don't want to flip over.
Bike gloves are different from regular gloves, though. They have extra padding where your fingers meet your hand and in the palm (the areas with the most pressure when you're holding onto handlebars), and will look something like this:
My ass on the other hand, ow.
I'm excited for the panniers to arrive, the worse part about my ride so far is that my backpack causes my back to sweat an extra-ordinary amount.
Hybrids and road bikes can take a decent bit of abuse provided you don't have your hands over the front when it drops (IE, push your weight back so it lands lightly, like landing an airplane). I love bunny hopping railroad tracks on my road bike.
I'm going to drop the whole thin back off at the shop I bought it from and just have him take care of it. I hate not being able to do simple things like this, even if there are legitimate problems beyond my control. Aaaaargh.
as far as the wheel goes its pretty straightforward.
you have 2 sides with quick links on the hub. the are essentially bolts on a screw. if you turn it clockwise it will bring the wheel towards it. if you loosen the opposite one it will center rather than tighten
if the right side of the tire is rubbing, tighten the left side and loosen the right, once it seems centered, tighten both equally until the quick link closes snugly, it doesn't need to to be crazy tight
give the wheel a good fast spin.
if its still rubbing, pop open the quick link again and redo, if not, enjoy
edit: And if the hole is stripped? Drill it out and tap for a larger bolt? Use a smaller bolt with a nut? Use a zip tie?
If the wheel wobbles like that, either the wheel is fucked in some way, or you tightened it down before it set completely in the hole (really hard to do).
i have had that happen to me and if there is any play in the caliper it can be moved out of alignment
That's most likely what's going on here. It's not uncommon for the wheels to go a little out of true after your first bit of riding, as spokes seat themselves and everything gets worked in. That's why most shops offer a free 30-day tune-up, for small adjustments like wheel truing and cable stretch.
Chain rivet extractor with rubber handle for easy grip
Chainring nut wrench
Y hex key wrench (4, 5, 6mm)
Cable cutter
8mm hex key
13, 14, 15 & 16mm hub cone spanners
2 in 1 cotterless crank tool for use with square tapered, ISIS and Shimano Octalink
Cassette lockring remover
Folding tool with 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8mm hex key spoke wrenches, 3.2mm Phillips and slotted screwdriver
Chain whip (for 9 or 10 speed chains)
Bottom bracket wrench
15mm pedal wrench
Spoke wrench
3" stainless steel magnetic collector tray
That, plus a shimano bottom bracket socket and a big adjustable wrench is everything I need to literally completely dismantle and rebuild every bike I own. I bought it principally because it was cheaper to do that than pick up the more esoteric tools (cassette lockring tool, crank extractor, etc) individually.
Unless you're planning on tackling big jobs, I'd agree with the above: a set of proper allen wrenches (multitools are nice, and handy in an emergency, but a bit of a pain) and tire levers.
I'd maybe suggest a chain tool as well, because a new chain is probably the first "big" maintenance job you'll come across.
while the majority of your list is useful if you know what you are doing, its probably not worth it for the OP
You still need a chain tool if you're replacing a chain, even if it uses quicklinks (which are fantastic for emergency repairs, incidentally), because they need to be cut to length.
Things are great, but my helmet makes my head sweat an incredible amount. Are there any high airflow/low sweat inducing/cooling helmets available?
Love,
Skoal Cat
A padded seat and then I put a gel padded seat cover on it. If you damage the blood vessels near your junk it can cause sexual problems. shifting around on an uncomfortable seat is to be avoided as much as possible.
Two very bright halogen lights facing forward on mounts that let you direct them independently. I can usually freeze wildlife in one to keep it from running right out in front of me at the last second. The rechargable battery pack has velcro straps to mount it so you can remove it when recharging. This system keeps me from leaving my bike anywhere unguarded but it is safe.
Nice pedals that are all metal. These have protected my feet more than once when I misjudged a curb. They also don't let their reflectors shatter the first time you hit something.
I wanted to get a little radio because music on rides is so nice but headphones can lead to trouble. I always wanted a basket too but a backpack got the job done.
Overall I put about 500$ into my bike and then moved to a place with no sidewalks and fast moving traffic. Sucks, I used to stay in shape without even trying because bike riding was so pleasurable that it didn't seem like working out. It sits in a shed with rotted tires now.
You'll never find a helmet which does not block airflow a little but there is definitely a difference with regards to how much different helmet blocks. There seem to be somewhat of a fashion to helmets used by the general public and lately the fashion is helmets which were originally for skating like this one:
Which I imagine must be really hot except perhaps in the winter.
The best cooling helmets is really the ones targeted at mountain biking because that is where one needs it the most. Cross country mountain biking is often a very high intensity workout with a relative slow speed so the air flow is limited. Look for something like this:
Good brands are: Giro, Bell and Specialized to name a couple. The main thing is you get a helmet that fits, is light and is certified. And also do make sure to wear it right because many people get that wrong!
http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-60102538-Hexus-II-Multi-tool/dp/B0037N32VG/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1305670873&sr=8-12
Is it missing anything that I should really make sure I have?
Allen Wrenches: 2; 2.5; 3; 4-2 piece; 5; 6; 8-millimeter
Spoke Wrenches: 15 and 14 gram
Chain Tool: Cast CrMo Steel
Chain Hook: Steel Wire
Tire Levers: Two Engineering Grade Plastic Levers
Screw Drivers: Phillips and Flat Head
Torx Bit: T25
For sure, but it is so worth it :-)
Now just wait till you start needing upgrades either because something wears out because there is something that needs adjusting (lots of stuff on bikes is adjusted by replacing parts).
When that happen then remember the best place is to save weight is the wheels and that opting for lightweight tubes and tires is by far the cheapest way to save the most grams per $. After doing that and a whole lot more you may get into having more specialized bikes, like say a single speed, a jump bike, an enduro bike and a super light weight racy one. And then there is a cycle cross bike plus a road bike for variety and build up of stamina... no one I know that is into mountain biking has less than four bikes :P
Yeah, the key is just to find something that fits your sit bones. That+a good pair of bike shorts = endless bike happiness. Gel is not the way, otherwise you'd see all the tour de france guys on it (as you can make bikes lighter than the legal minimum weight now).
My shirt got ruined at work and I rode home without one the other day. It was glorious. I usually ride in a white cotton undershirt, but having nothing at all was just... well...
you know.
Do those special fancy biking shirts approximate riding naked? Riding to my son's school and then to work without a shirt just isn't in the cards.
In fact cotton is pretty much the worst fabric in which to do anything energetic. If you're feeling fancy and aren't keen on the power ranger look merino wool is also nice, although warmer. I tend to just use a long-sleeve merino top in the winter. Look for end of line stuff, I don't think I've ever paid full price for cycling clothes ever.