General Cycling Discussion - Favorite mod or accessory

I`ve got a few bikes and they`re all different and each has its own charm, But switching from one to another really brings to my attention some small but important differences and there are some things I`d do to any bike in the future and some accessories that I`d add to more than one bike. I`m sure everyone with more than one bike has their own favorites and I`d like to hear about them.

Cut down flatbars:
Since I`m driving in the city and don`t need the mechanical advantage of wide bars - the bars on my mtb and hybrid have been cut down to the minimum possible width. There`s just enough bar left to mount controls, grips and bar ends. Makes getting through doorways easier, makes the stance more aero and doesn`t affect stability at all. I`d do that again!

Taped over bar-ends:
Ended up taping over my barends with roadie bar tape and found the result more comfortable in both hot and cold weather. I`d do that again!

Ergonomic grips:
Tried a few different kinds of ergonomic lock-on grips and aren`t interested in going back to regular grips ever! My favorates are Ergon GC3s which incorporate their own bar ends which are even better when taped over. I`d do that again too!

*ding, ding, ding* an incredibell on the handlebars *ding, ding, ding*

I switch off using different types of bikes. I HAVE to have ergo grips - rapid fire shifters are the way to go for shifting bikes - no cranky cranks. I sold my crank forward bikes because it took too much adjusting to get used to it again each time I rode any of them. I'm thinking about trekking bars for a couple of my bikes......

I have a vintage GT Xizang mountain bike, and on her I do have the Ergon grips with the carbon bar ends. I also have the carbon riser bar with Shimano Rapid-Fire XTR shifters, and they're all great. I even have a Brooks titanium Pro saddle on a carbon post. And yes, I have a ding-dingy with a built-in compass, plus a Night Rider computer out there on the carbon bars. Shimano XTR SPD pedals with plastic platform inserts on one side of each. All the good stuff.

But probably my favorite item is my custom-built titanium rear rack. About a year ago, Black Sheep Cycles in Ft. Collins, Colorado built a rear rack for me, out of thick gauge titanium tubing. I've been studying the thing for a year now, and I still can't find any flaws or imperfections. And the thing is so durable, a 300-lb. friend once sat on it and the only thing that happened was the front wheel tried to come up!

Yeah, a custom-built rear rack has made my prized bike perfection in metal.

One of my favourite accessory is a front mudflap... feet stay much drier but more importantly there is far less crap in my chain now. I went the homemade route but I've seen fancy leather ones for sale.

I love fiddling with my bikes. Nothing stays stock for very long.

My all time favorite was putting a compact double crankset on my Klein road bike. That took away a couple of high speed gears that I never used and replaced them with a couple of hill climb gears that I desperately needed.

I'm also a fan of incredibells for bike paths. I find they are about 75% effective while remaining unobtrusive.

I was interested in the comments about the Ergon grips. My beater may get a set of those. I'm thinking they might also let me cut an additional 3/4" off each end of the handlebar.

Fenders, Lights and racks. All the bikes I ride regularly have dyno powered LED lights on them. My other favorite accessory is the AXA Defender rear wheel ring lock with the plug in optional chain. I treat many of my bikes like a second car, I want them ready to go at a moment's notice in any kind of weather at any time of day or night. I also love Brooks saddles...

Aaron :)

By far, my favorite mod is putting on a crankset with 170mm pedal arms. Bikes in my size tend to come with 175mm crank arms, and changing the crankset makes riding a whole lot more comfortable. After stumbling across this by chance (a friend had done this to one of his bicycles) I've done it to two used bicycles I've bought in the past two years, and an older bicycle I was rebuilding.

Other favorite mods depend on what a specific the bike is used for; drop bars on my MTB and SS, and fenders on my commuter.

A mirror and crank brothers pedals.

Dinotte zombieburners front and back.

my trekking bars. that or my coffee cup holder. its a toss up between the 2.

By far, my favorite mod is putting on a crankset with 170mm pedal arms. Bikes in my size tend to come with 175mm crank arms, and changing the crankset makes riding a whole lot more comfortable. After stumbling across this by chance (a friend had done this to one of his bicycles) I've done it to two used bicycles I've bought in the past two years, and an older bicycle I was rebuilding.

Other favorite mods depend on what a specific the bike is used for; drop bars on my MTB and SS, and fenders on my commuter.
My most comfortable road bike has 170mm cranks. And a 66cm CTT Seat Tube. Super comfortable over long distances.

Lights are the most important accessory for me. I ride on lit roads, so I only need see-me lights, but in the busy Northeast Corridor, they're a must when commuting in the dark or in marginal light.

Hub generator in the front wheel..

I reached in my spare parts box and put my SPD SL pedals back on after swearing off of them. I think I like them better now! I also like my new Catseye Velo 5 speedometer.
When I bicycle around the lake, I sometimes get tired and fall in behind a rider ahead and end up playing follow-the-leader. The speedometer lets me know that I'm slowing down and I need to pick up the pace.

The custom made lay back seat post really made my Cruiser easy/comfortable to ride.

Funny thing is for the good a lay back post can do in making a bike easy to ride quality post are very hard to find which is why I had to have one made to my specs.

My absolute best of the best no-regret accessories:

Brooks B68 saddle
http://www.brooksengland.com/en/ResampleImg.ashx?imgurl=../images/shop/shop_saddles/Classic_Saddles___City___Transport/B68/colors/B68_Black.jpg&Width=344&Height=280&format=jpeg&bkColor=FFFFFF&vAlign=bottom&halign=left

Mountain Mirrycle mirror
http://www.mirrycle.com/product%20images%20large/mtn-mirror-web.jpg

Power Grips:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41m-kT6NooL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Kenda K-Rads
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41-HGWveasL._AA300_.jpg

ODI Rogue Grips
http://www.westernbikeworks.com/productimages/images450/oergl2-1.jpg

Bell Muni helmet
http://www.bellsports.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/640x347/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/M/u/MuniMatteBlack_2_1.png

Pearl Izumi Elite Tri Shorts
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31OD1toOXKL._AA300_.jpg

Dakine Apex hydration pack
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41vsdd0uiYL.jpg

Planet Bike Comp floor pump
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Z921N4BQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Brake Boosters
instant additional brakeing power, but why doesn't anyone manufature the anymore....

I cannot really nail down a single favorite mod since they all serve a useful purpose, and each one can be my favorite depending on the time and situation.

1. Brooks saddle
2. Kickstand
3. Fenders

Fenders, especially this wet, wet spring. A good headlight lets me ride as fast at night as I do in the day.

Oh yeah mudguards too :)