General Cycling Discussion - what to buy first off with my bike?

i'm purchasing a bike next week and was wondering, what should i buy along with it right away?

for instance, if i were to buy a cd-burner, i'd buy some blank cds.

i don't know much about bikes, so i'm not sure what i need. essentials.

i figure maybe some lube or something for some parts? i have no idea about bike maintenance. i figure for most of my maintenance i will be bringing it to the bike shop.

any input would be great thanks.

A good floor pump
Tube patch kit
3 tire levers
1 or 2 extra tubes
Cleaning brush kit
Lubricant (I like TriFlow for everything)

...and depending on your bike and riding style:
Bottle cage(s)
Water bottle(s)
Padded shorts
Jersey
Saddle bag

Enjoy!

Helmet
Padded cycling shorts
Gloves

Multi-tool (i.e. Topeak Alien)
Tubes
Patch kit
Tire levers
Pump (i.e. Topeak Road Morph)
Spare tires

Seat pack to put it all in

Helmet
Spare Tube or two
Tire Levers
Pump

Get the rest in a few weeks when you need to be more comfortable and start cleaning and stuff

The above and a GOOD lock if you are planning to leave your new bike unattened. By good lock I mean one made by one major lock producers such as Kryptonite or On Guard. The U-Lock style is much stronger than the cable style. Cable locks offer little protection against bike theft. If you do a search on bike lock you'll have plenty to read about! Happy riding!

The above are all good suggestions. The only thing I might add is either a small pump (ones that fit on bike itself) or a CO2 pump (which can be kept in bag). I prefer the CO2 pump, myself.

i don't know much about pumps. i also don't know much about tubeless tires. can somebody give me quick rundown? what is tubeless? how does it work? is it still filled w/ air?

i guess i'll get a patch kit with a co2 pump. i don't nkow much about co2 pumps either. i don't see how one small cartridge of co2 can fill up a tire. how many cartridges does it need?

For pumps look no further than the Topeak road morph. C02 used to supplement a pump not replace.

Do not buy just a c02.

i don't know much about pumps. i also don't know much about tubeless tires. can somebody give me quick rundown? what is tubeless? how does it work? is it still filled w/ air?

i guess i'll get a patch kit with a co2 pump. i don't nkow much about co2 pumps either. i don't see how one small cartridge of co2 can fill up a tire. how many cartridges does it need?


http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_tp-z.html#tubular

Sheldon Brown's site is the definitive great reference if you've not come across it already.

And something to carry all those necessities.

i guess i'm all set. i'm just going to get the topeak alien tool, lock, and gloves.

i have no idea how tire fixing works. i know on the tires in my car, if they get punctured, i just find the leak, patch it, and then pump air back into it again.

with a bike tire, from what i read, it's rubber on the outside, and then there is a tube on the inside that actually fills with air.

so, what i understand is:

if i get a flat, it will most likely be from a puncture, probably from a nail. to fix this, i would need the tire levers to pry the rubber off the rim and then reveal the tube. then i need to find the hole, patch it w/ the patch kit, and then put the rubber back on. after this i can air it back up and the hole in the outside rubber piece doesn't matter. also, i would buy an extra tube in case the hole is too big to patch, in which case i would have to totally replace it.

is this correct? i'm a serious noob. if i'm totally off just pretend i didn't say anything at all. =P

i guess i'm all set. i'm just going to get the topeak alien tool, lock, and gloves.

Don't forget the helmet and Topeak Road Morph pump as well.





with a bike tire, from what i read, it's rubber on the outside, and then there is a tube on the inside that actually fills with air.

Right.





so, what i understand is:

if i get a flat, it will most likely be from a puncture, probably from a nail. to fix this, i would need the tire levers to pry the rubber off the rim and then reveal the tube. then i need to find the hole, patch it w/ the patch kit, and then put the rubber back on. after this i can air it back up and the hole in the outside rubber piece doesn't matter. also, i would buy an extra tube in case the hole is too big to patch, in which case i would have to totally replace it.

is this correct? i'm a serious noob. if i'm totally off just pretend i didn't say anything at all. =P

You are on track. :)

1. Flats can be caused by a whole bunch of different things - sharp rocks, broken glass, nails, little wires, and even from not filling the tire up properly. But especially broken glass. Avoid it like the plague.

2. The "rubber" you are prying off the rim is commonly called the "tire".

3. Here's the process, and you might want to try this in the comfort of your own living room before you run into a problem out on the road:

-- Go get the necessary tire changing equipment (levers, new tube, pump, patches, boots, new tire - and no, you won't have to use it all during this learning process, but it is good to know you've got it all)
-- Remove the rear wheel (because it is harder to remove than the front one)
-- Release the air in the tire
-- Remove the tire and tube together
-- Mark the tire where the valve on the tube is located as a reference point for later
-- Pull the tube out of the tire
-- Find the hole
-- Keeping track of the hole, place the tube loosely inside the tire using the reference point you made
-- Check the tire near the spot where the hole in the tube is for possible bits of broken glass or wires or whatever ... it is preferable to do a visual check first so you don't cut yourself, then you might try cautiously feeling for something. Chances are you will find the cuprit. Remove it
-- Take a look around inside the rest of the tire for any other foreign matter that may cause another flat.

And I think I do this next part differently than others, but ...
-- Fill the new tube a bit (or in this learning case, you would use the original tube because it is still OK), and tuck it inside the tire
-- Put the valve through the hole on the rim
-- Start tucking in one side of the tire, taking care not to pinch the tube
-- Start tucking in the other side of the tire, also taking even greater care not to pinch the tube. You may need to let a bit of air out of the tube during this process if it is really tight, and you will likely need to use the levers right near the end to get the last bit in
-- Check to make sure it all looks even and that there are no pieces of tube sticking out or caught between the rim and the tire.
-- Pump the tire up to about 6- or 70 psi, and do another check to makes sure it all looks OK
-- Finish pumping tire, and replace on bicycle.

And you are done! Repeat a few times till you feel more comfortable with it, and then when you are stuck out in the middle of nowhere, you won't be in a complete panic.


Since most flats are caused by tiny shards of broken glass, the hole in the tire won't be very large and so the tire will be OK. But if it happens that the hole in the tire is large enough to see through clearly, you will want to use a tire boot, on the inside of the tire, to block the hole and prevent the tube from pushing through. If the tube pushes through, you'll flat again, and that type of flat is called a pinch flat.

ewf, kinda complicated. but i pretty much understand. guess i need to add patch kit, pump, boot, levers, and tubes to my list.

what about the co2 pumps? i dont' know anything about pumps. what is that all about? back in the day when i was 10 or so, i just had a regular pump where i would step on both sides of it and pump up and down. now i see co2 pumps and i'm wondering why people say they are better and how they work.

ewf, kinda complicated. but i pretty much understand. guess i need to add patch kit, pump, boot, levers, and tubes to my list.

what about the co2 pumps? i dont' know anything about pumps. what is that all about? back in the day when i was 10 or so, i just had a regular pump where i would step on both sides of it and pump up and down. now i see co2 pumps and i'm wondering why people say they are better and how they work.


Once you've done it a few times it starts to flow, and isn't that complicated anymore.

I've never used CO2 pumps, just the regular kind.

Number one thing a helmet

Then all the other stuff people have been suggesting plus a book on bike repair that will tell you how to fix the bike. Once you have a problem you can read up on it and then decide if you want to fix it or let the LBS fix it. Then there is if your stranded where you have to fix your bike at least your will have read something about it. I read my bike fixing books sections on emergency repair all the time to keep fresh then I will read the section I need for major repairs before I try the repair.

Oh it not if you get a flat tire it is when you get a flat tire it is going to happen. Get someone to show you how to patch a tire. It is easy to do, the LBS should show you how to do this they will get to sell you a floor pump, a frame pump, and a patch kit.

Joe

Joe