stevenlsmith87

Hey Everyone,

So I am looking to buy some accessories for my Trek DS. Currently I ride a very stock Dual Sport with Ergon GP2 Grips. I am looking to add some other features to it, but don't know what are the necessities to have with the bike. I am assuming a hand pump, spare tubes, etc....but there is just so much stuff out there that I do not want to be buying items that I will never use. What are the must haves that you take with you on your hybrid, and what do you like to take them in?

TakingMyTime

I carry a mini pump, a spare tube and a patch kit, moist towelettes, tire levers and a multi headed hex wrench. I also carry my cell phone in case all else fails.

blue_cheese

On my DS i take: water in bottle holder, helmet, headlight, taillight, a cheap speedometer from walmart, and a cell phone.

I have a hand pump, but don't really see the use for bringing it any more than for carrying a spare tube. Unless you completely blow a tube, even a small leak takes time to leak out and notice, by then you are home and have plenty of time to first notice it and then replace it. I would consider a nice case for carrying camera, but haven't found one that is sufficiently big and tucks away. I find that on rougher terrain, the less things you have on the bike the better.

stevenlsmith87

I don't really drive over to much rough terrain. I think on my daily rides, and if I start to commute to work....it would be about 80% road and 20% off road. Looking at the topeak explorer rack with their MTX trunk bag for commuting....but I still question how often I will commute to make it worth the money

Rootman

I suggest a mirror, vital to keep you safe.

Also some nitrile gloves to keep your hands clean should you have to work on greasy parts of the bike.

Tire levers and a multitool.

A valve core tool for schrader valves if that's what you run, you can yank the core and blow on the tube with your mouth to test for leaks, faster and easier than a pump - which you should also carry.

If your pump does not have a pressure indicator on it then carry one.

A few small plastic bags come in handy to store small parts in so they won't get lost - I recently popped the valve off my water bottle and the O ring went flying, I stuck it in a plastic bag to carry it home so it wouldn't get lost.

Reading glasses if you need them, nothing mre agggrivating then not being able to SEE what you are doing.

Spare battery for your (pick one) headlight / taillight / bike computer / other gadget - that's IF they can take a spare easily.

Credit / debit card and drivers license and cell phone. Many bikers I know carry NOTHING. Your cell phone (if they carry it) may be locked and if you become disabled and someone finds you unconscious there is no way to tell WHO you are let alone who else they should contact. An ID bracelet or tags is a good alternative. The debit / credit card will get you food, water and maybe even a replacement tube or part if you are lucky to break down close to a store or service station. And the cellphone may be better off in your bag rather than on your your HIP, should you fall you might land on it, breaking the phone or worse yet, make an injury to you WORSE by landing on it rather than spreading the force of the fall over a greater area. Nothing like wiping out and needing to call for assistance and finding your phone destroyed in the process.

WATER - even if it's cool you are still exerting yourself and need to replenish lost water. Get a good bottle, I personally prefer stainless steel bottles as the water in plastic bottles always tastes funny to me.

caffein8ed

This is something I'm struggling with presently. I can't figure out a reliable, convenient way to store and transport a pair of reading glasses when I ride. I keep them in a hard case, and wish to continue doing so in order to prevent them from getting damaged. But I don't have any pockets large enough to comfortably hold the case while I ride, and its' far too large to fit into my seat wedge bag.

I'm very curious to learn how others handle this situation...

Rootman

I went to Wal-Mart and got a pair of folding reading glasses sorta like these: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Folding-Re...-2.-0/28676674 although the ones I got have a small hard case about the size of a tic-tac box. It fits in my pocket but could fit into the smallest bag, I'm sure.

niuoka

+1 to rootmans post.
As far as mullti tool, Ive seen that used for two differnet kinds of things, both of which I carry. One is a flat bar that has all the cutouts of all the most common nuts/bolts that you will find on most bikes. the second is the folding style, mine has all the hex wrenches that will run into on my bike, plus has a flat head and a Phillips head.
I also carry a very small swiss army knife, Basic, has one blade, one scisssors, a tweezer.
A few bandaids, a few alc wipes, and a couple of antibiotic foil packs ( like the alc towlets)

no1mad 

Lots of options. A bento box/top tube bag should be big enough for your glasses case. You could also get a larger seat bag, something that has an expansion feature.

Back on topic- the minimum I carry is tube and patch kit, a way to inflate (I prefer non CO2 myself), a Park MT-1 for truly minor adjustments/snugging rack/fender/water bottle cage bolts, and all that goes in the seat wedge. I used to carry that in an old water bottle, but it rattled around too much.

Lights are essential for night time use and the cheap computer is a luxury.

I always carry ID, debit card, and cell phone whether I'm on the bike or not.

giantcfr1

Around town I only carry a lock, wallet and mobile.
In the mountain roads I carry a small cable lock, gas, tube, levers, couple of alan keys and a boot. All carried in a tool bottle. In my pockets my mobile, some small first aid items and coins

10 Wheels

$3.00 thrift shop camera bag, ty wrapped to the bars can hold stuff.

niuoka

clever with the camera bag, gonna add that to my list next time im in a thrift store. Since my cables are on top of my top cross tube, I cant use one of those styles that hangs on the tube, well maybe I can, I just assume it would interfere with my cables.
also I don't recognize what light bar that is, looks very compact, or is it something you made up or modified from the thrift store

10 Wheels

That one is :https://www.amazon.com/Minoura-4-5-In...d_sim_sbs_sg_3

I like this better:https://www.wiggle.com/topeak-bar-xte...bar-extension/

caffein8ed

I was aware that folding reading glasses existed, but I had no idea that they made them so compact! Thanks for the info - I'll be picking up a set of them very soon.

As for the thread's main topic, below are the "bike extras" that I ride with. Granted, some of these things probably aren't essential, but I'd really rather not be without any of this stuff:

Planet Bike Protégé 9.0 wireless computer
Planet Bike Beamer 3 headlight
Planet Bike Blinky 3 taillight
Mirrycle Bar end mirror
Avenir Mini toe clips
2 bottle cages & bottles
Axiom Thompson Deluxe EXP quick-release seat bag, containing:

• Park Tool VP-1 patch kit
• Planet Bike Lunar Levers
• Topeak X-Tool multi-tool
• Genuine Innovations CO2 inflator
• 2 CO2 cartridges
• Presta-to-Schrader adaptor
• 2 small cotton rags
• Small adjustable wrench
• A few wire ties
• Plus a small first aid kit containing:

Jeez, when I list it all out like that, it sure looks like a lot! But, all of the seat wedge's contents fit in this relatively (to me) small bag, without having to open up its extended bottom:

Rootman

I looked closer at mine and saw that they are Foster Grant RCT34 folding reading glasses like these: https://www.ebay.com/bhp/foster-grant...eading-glasses

Pretty good quality and as sated, pretty dang small when folded and temples are telescoped in.

supremekizzle

I carry a tube, tire levers, hand pump, chain links, chain tool, rubber gloves, patch kit, and various Allen wrenches. I prefer carrying the loose Allen wrenches and chain tool separate, because multitools are a pain. They're too bulky to get into small places. I carry all of this in a tennis ball can wrapped in vinyl electrical tape. Fits awesome in my bottle cage and looks better than a seat bag IMHO.

caffein8ed

^^ The only thing about that solution that doesn't work for me is that I drink an absurd amount of water when I'm riding, and I need both cages to hold bottles. Other than that, the idea seems awesome, and gave me a "Why didn't I think of that?!" moment.

supremekizzle

Yeah most people prefer two bottles. I usually drink a bunch of water pre and post ride, so I only need one. They also make seat tube bottle holders for carrying extra h2o.

stevenlsmith87

Problem for me with the tennis holder is that I only have on Water Bottle spot on my Trek DS....

Bill Kapaun

I carry a Schraeder to Presta adapter on my key chain.
IF I get a slowish leak, I'll top off at the nearest gas station(s) while heading for home.

fietsbob

Mudguards and lights.