General Cycling Discussion - merchandise

Have you noticed this?
My dad recently bought himself a motorcycle and me a performance mountain bike. He's buying lots of of accessories for his motorcycle, whereas I can't buy anything but pegs for mine. Why aren't there very many accessories for bikes? It's not really fair... My bet is there are more bicyclers than bikers. I have made some cool accessories like bike radios and stuff, but other than that, there arent mant other accessories.

One smart accessory I saw while on vacation in the US was a small mirror on a flexible mount that plugs into your handlebar end.

The larger, rigid kind are actually dangerous; if someone passes you and touches the rigid mirror, your handle bar moves as well and you have an accident. I believe that small mirror on a flexibile mount was about $3 or so. I've never seen them in Europe.

An old friend of mine in the US (who biked long before it was fashionable) has a little mirror mounted to his eye glasses. I have never seen them sold anywhere. He might look a little silly, but it does work.

Originally posted by davehorne
An old friend of mine in the US (who biked long before it was fashionable) has a little mirror mounted to his eye glasses. I have never seen them sold anywhere.

They're from Third Eye, they run about $10, and they work very well.

And when you're in lycra and jersey and helmet, how's a little mirror going to make you look silly? :eek:

Other good bike accessories are racks, panniers, water bottles and bags, bar-ends, car racks, night-riding reflective vests, lights, fenders, better-quality seats and components, helmets, bike magazines and books, tool kits, bicycling videos...

Heck, Shadow, if you are having trouble spending money on your bike, come shopping with me, and I'll show you how it's done. :D

No accessories for bikes? Then where has all my money been going?

same here. I was wandering where has my money gone,, new gloves, new tires, etc.,

New Skid lid, new Camelbak, new tools....

i meant like things to make it look better like chrome parts and stuff

Better looking rims/wheels (possibly carbon wheels).. lights HID.. Carbon Cranks..good set of fenders.. protective gear.. new jersey.. There is about $2000+ in accessories right now.. nothing

Originally posted by ShadowRider
i meant like things to make it look better like chrome parts and stuff

Hmmmm....I'm imagining big, oversized chrome fenders, tanks and headlight, like on one of those 50's Schwinns that were made to look like the illegitimate offspring of a cross between a jet engine and a Studebaker....

Originally posted by Inkwolf
Hmmmm....I'm imagining big, oversized chrome fenders, tanks and headlight, like on one of those 50's Schwinns that were made to look like the illegitimate offspring of a cross between a jet engine and a Studebaker....

Pee Wee Herman's bike! It's got all that and "spy" stuff, too.

Here's some stuff for you, ShadowRider!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2170068924&category=420

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2170372520&category=35961

one prob: dad doesnt trust ebay :-/

The bicycle was the least expensive part of the purchase. All the accessories really add up in a hurry!

If the bicycle industry were truly savvy, they would provide about three times more attachment points for accessories. Dropouts would have three threaded holes for accessories instead of one or two. There would be threaded bosses along the sides of all the main tube, light attachment points along the seat stays, etc.

Few of us would be able to resist buying one or more accessories for every attachment point on the bike even if we don't actually use them all. (admit it, you know this is true) Since accessory markup is much higher than the markup on bikes, the LBS and manufacturers sell lots of new accessories, make more profit, and stay in business. You get even more toys to choose from and lots of discussion on the boards over which on-bike beer brewing system works best.