Birthday Present for Newbie Cyclist
Buddy's birthday is coming up, he recently (2 months) took up cycling, and it looks like he's serious about it and is sticking with it. I would like to get him something for his new hobby. All he has is the outfit, helmet, and mount for his phone which he uses for gps and music. Anything else fancy or cool I can get him, may not be essential, but just nice to have? Something between $50 and $100, but willing to spend up to $150 if needed. Thanks.
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You'd want to get the right sizes for your buddy's bike.
Mudguards / fenders can suddenly make it possible to cycle in a lot more different conditions, if that's an issue in your part of the world.
A decent floor pump (I have the Topeak Joe Blow) will make dealing with flat tyres a lot less annoying; if he's planning on doing longer rides, then a decent compact pump / portable tool kit is another great way to help with that. (compact pumps come in two sorts; really teensy ones, that are small but a pain to use, or slightly-bigger ones (topeak 'morph' series, for instance) that have a fold-out foot that lets you inflate tires without cursing so much).
If he's commuting, a cycling-specific backpack can be very nice, or racks + panniers if his bike'll take those, though both of those are a bit of a personal preference thing. If he's riding at night, then definitely lights, and there's a lot of ways to make yourself more reflective as well; I have a generic cheap worksite safety vest I sewed a bunch more reflective tape to, but NiteIze sell a pretty fancy vest that comes with lights built in, which my wife has, and she is noticeably more visible than I am as a result.
I use one of these to actually see the trail (aimed down):
http://www.rei.com/product/891681/niterider-lumina-750-bike-light
Something like this blinking to draw attention on the front:
http://www.rei.com/product/884836/seattle-sports-blazer-usb-front-bike-light
One of these on the back:
http://www.rei.com/product/864822/cygolite-hotshot-2w-sl-usb-rear-bike-light
These so I can be seen from the side:
http://www.rei.com/product/888524/nite-ize-spokelit-led-bike-wheel-light-package-of-2
It's not as necessary during summer when it's not as dark, but during the winter it's worth it. Just tell him to cover up his headlight whenever he passes a cyclist going the other way.
That horn seems like a good idea too.
It certainly makes the bike more visible, but I have STRONG doubts about the light's ability to actually light the path ahead well.
Yeah, good high-lumens lights are not very cheap. It's probably good for cities where streetlights exist, but not for real darkness.
The Blaze lights have managed to get themselves to be used on the Boris Bikes in London, which suggests they at least work reliably, though I don't know how visible the bike-shape-on-the-road actually is.
And BikeSnobNYC seems happy enough with the Knog lights they've sent him, though those are from Australia so may be more expensive to buy depending on where you are.
I commute in DC, but in the true darkness of winter night where I should be well enough lit, it's good to be able to look for potholes in the shade of a tree or whatever.