Originally Posted by
Bertha
Can I get some opinions on what is absolutely essential for a casual, few-times-a-week commuter with a short ride to have vs. the things that are NICE to have but not absolutely required? Of course I can acquire this stuff little by little over time, but since I've blown my budget on the bike & tune-up, I was hoping to not have to buy anything else other than the basket, spare tube & pump, new handlebar grips (and maybe new pedals? The stock platform pedals that came with the bike are usable but a little chewed up?) right now. Any advice or encouragement would be appreciated, sorry for the super long post!
Commuting on your bike is very doable, and you don't need much to get started. For my first six months, I didn't really buy anything except a rack because I wanted time to assess what I really needed. So, I would recommend putting a rack on your bike and then finding an old milk crate or something similar to zip tie onto the rack. You might want to use a couple of bungee cords criss-crossed over the top of the milk crate so that nothing bounces out, but I didn't find that necessary. Blackburn makes some very nice, affordable racks.
If you want new pedals, that's fine too. They are pretty inexpensive and easy to install yourself. I use MKS Lambda pedals, which give a nice big platform. Grips are also cheap and easy to install.
Here, in order, are the other things I ended up getting after my six month trial:
1. Panniers to replace the milk crate (not necessary, but nice to have).
2. Fenders because it rains in Memphis a lot.
3. Blinking front and rear lights for extra visibility.
4. A $7 high-visibility vest like road workers wear (I actually got this before the six month trial was up).