sharkey00

So my GF is going to start bike commuting in 2 weeks. So I am setting up another bike to be commute worthy. In doing that I get a second chance to buy all new commuting gear. I learned a lot of lessons last time but not all of them.

First thing I bought was another rear (red) bike light. Last time I bought a cheap light. It works I leave it on my bike no problems. New bike was stolen in 1.5 days.... ::Grumble:: Are there any bike lights that are not quick releasing? My other option is to strip the quick release mechanism (try to wrap your brain around that one light theif).

My other main concern is a lock. I am set on the Kryptonite New York U lock. From what I can tell it is the best lock I can get and if they want my bike that bad no lock is going to stop them.

So if anyone has and hard learned lessons there I would love to hear them.

girljen

I would have skipped the trunk bag. I carry *way* too much for it to be an effective commuting bag (though it does make an awesome diaper bag when I take the kiddo in the trailer). I also would have skipped the backpack. Panniers all the way!

paulwwalters

I wouldn't have bought my mountain bike, I would buy a Surly Cross Check instead. That said, my MTB costs $420 and the Cross Check is about double that, so I would have had to wait a while longer to afford it.

But my point is, I hardly ever use my MTB now that I have my road bike, but if I had a Cross Check it would be used a ton.

Sixty Fiver

My shopping list for new commuters:

riding clothes for the climate you live in
good quality lights for front and rear
reflective tape and reflective stickers for everything
reflective vest / riding jacket
full fenders
basic tools and a patch kit...and the ability to use them.
rain gear.
bell / horn
rack and paniers
water bottles / cages

Buy the best gear you can afford as it will have to take a lot of day to day punishment and buying something once for a little more is far better and more economical than replacing a sub par product when it fails to work as expected.

lil brown bat

There is no "basic" list so basic that everyone will need everything on it. For example, if you don't stop to do errands and if you have a secure place to park it at work, you don't need a lock. If your commute is convenient to public transportation, you need little or no repair kit. If you have a rain jacket, you don't need to buy specialized bicycle rain gear. If you don't carry a ton of stuff, you don't need a rack and panniers. If you never ride at night, you don't need lights (although I think they're a good idea in case you get caught out). You really have to look at the needs of your commute, not take somebody else's list as gospel.

huhenio

Never a hybrid bike.

Good titanium frame (for what i spent on other bikes, long story)

titanium milk crates

knucklesandwich

Pay particular attention to gearing vs. terrain. The one gripe I have with my bike is that I have never needed the triple crankset. Should have gone with a double (or, if I was buying it solely for commuting, and didn't need it for weekend rides, a 1x9.)

Like they said above- don't cheap out on lights.

ok_commuter

+10

I've been commuting with a backpack the last couple of weeks and I HATE IT. The consolation is that I knew that b/c I've always done it and always hated it... but the new bike needs an Old Man Mountain Sherpa and they've been out of stock until... well, until TODAY in theory. Gotta call them when the west coast wakes up.

So I know the rack part, and I've chosen fenders, and I've accepted that getting it all glommed on is going to be a disc-related trick... but the rest of the thread, bags and such, I'm very interested in.

Can't wait to get this sweaty backpack off for good...

evan_phi

rack and panniers. i'm getting annoyed with my backpack.

meagreresource

fitted a rack and hated it so much went straight back to a backpack

the bike felt horrible to ride and looked rubbish to boot.

i rode my bmx to the train station for a couple of years before gettin a road bike to do the full 25mile round trip to work so i`m used to having a sweaty back

i may do a bit of bike camping over the summer and put the rack back on but other than that i`m steering well clear of paniers (and mudgaurds i`ll just get a wet ass then change my shorts before work)

CastIron

I would have spent the big money on good lights off the bat. I easily spent more on dsiposable blinkies than my DiNotte tailight. The dividends in my HID paid off in other ways.

Quality gear for daily use still costs way less than a car.

DataJunkie

+1 on the lights comment.

Plus, I would have purchased my rack trunk first. I carry way too little for panniers.
However, panniers are lovely for large loads. So, the third item would have been to invest more money in panniers than what I did with my novara ones. Something like arkel.

timdoug

Fenders: I got the ones that just barely fit. Everything has to be just perfect or they rub. Mud gets up there and acts like a brake.
I would have purchased the wider fenders.

I have yet to find the perfect bag and/or rack combination.

Pig_Chaser

I regret going cheap on some of my equipment, it meant buying things twice so it didn't save me anything.

KoYak

+1 on lights. Rechargeable batteries are a must. I like my Dinottes because I can use both rechargeable and alkaline AAs.

pedals - Platform on one side, clipless on the other...I have em now but went through 3 sets of pedals to realized this is what I needed. Nice to hop on my bike and do errands without having to get in gear.

Jacket that converst into vest....spring and fall in DC area has big time temp difference from morning to afternoon. all I can think of now.

Tylox

I probably wouldn't have gotten a hybrid..or if I did still get a hybrid, I would've gotten one with dropped bars and a double instead of at triple. My bike came with front suspension as well...which I only used for 2 days before locking it permanently. All-in-all, I should've gotten a road bike.

+1 for the racks and paniers!

newbojeff

Things I use now that I've aquired over the past 8 years that I love and am surprised it may have taken me a while to get around to getting:

• Road Bike
• Fenders
• Rack and Panniers
• Clippless Pedals
• MTB Shorts
• BRIGHT, expensive lights (2 in front, 2 in back; not necessary until September)
• Mirror
• Cycling Glasses

Not cheap, but if you are a regular commuter, this is stuff I use with pleasure mostly every day.

sping

-1

I have to say I don't much like the feel of my panniers - with a laptop, tools etc. in one bag, it's off-center weight and I can feel it flex. In every other way it's great. Having a bare back is a real feeling of freedom. While there isn't much about Leeds weather to be really happy about, you can certainly be happy about avoiding the heat and humidity that some others have to deal with.

As for mudguards, well, function trumps form* every time for me there. It doesn't just keep me dry and clean, it keeps the drivetrain and brakes clean as well. ... but then I have a wife and kids, so no longer care how stupid I look. I'm wearing sandals with socks and shorts right now! so the mudguards and rack pale into insignificance...

* and anyway, I don't think mudguards look bad. I see a bike without and I think it looks impractical, which is a kind of ugliness to me.

HOV

I regret buying my quick-release seatpost-mounted rack.

Most useful, best quality accessories I have purchased:

- DiNotte headlight
- Nashbar suit carrier
- Nashbar deluxe tail rack trunk
- Planet Bike fenders
- Mirror
- Kryptonite NY U-lock

I'm glad I got my Sirrus. It's a nice roadbike mule.

sping

+many

I can't imagine riding without it, particularly in traffic. I rode a motorbike for a while, and felt blind without it on the bicycle. You know whether to worry about that vehicle approaching behind you, you get to plan ahead much better... That's about the first thing I'd recommend to anyone, particularly because I don't hear it recommended much otherwise.

I have one on my folder which my (nervous rider) wife occasionally rides, and it was a revelation to her too, made her much more comfortable.

HardyWeinberg

I would get ortlieb panniers w/ the shoulder strap instead of the ones I have which I carry like a satchel and they hang off-center.

meagreresource

i agree, kind of, i think its more a case of having tried the wrong ones, i bought a set of those daft quick release things with the huge plastic clamps that fit to the frame - they really were ugly no matter how functional.

i think come the winter i`ll be doing whatever i can to stay dry, just find somethin a bit prettier that will set off a dayglo cyling cape

i`ve also found my lower back gets stiff when i dont ride with a back pack, i`m sure that s soemthing i could fix with different clothes tho

KoYak

More stuff...same as others.

Mirrors - Prefer handlebar mounted
Fenders. I was cleaning my bike the other day and a dried up worm fell off of the inside of my fender...It could have ended up on me but the fender saved me.

Eagle Creek Pak-It Folder. Great system to keep work clothes pretty much wrinkle free.

Kind of early to tell but, I like my Specialized Nimbus Armadillo Tires...i ride everyday, for the last two weeks, through broken glass on my commute. So far, no flat.

madhouse

-- Flat handlebar road bike
++++ Recumbent
++ Topeak rear rack with QR trunk bag... they make one with fold out panniers if you occasionally need extra space.
+++ Back-up front and rear lights (was caught with low battery halfway through the commute twice!)
+++ High quality regular lights
++ Mirror
- Fenders (I rarely commute in the rain)

MichaelW

My setup is pretty well settled but totally worn out. Im getting a new bike because its cheaper than a rebuild so I get a 2nd chance.
The keyword for me is integration; everything should work with everything else and not interfere. A great example of total bike integration has to be the Tout Terrain, overkill for a commute but a real inspiration.
I am going for hub generator lights, SKS fenders. With fenders you dont need a top plate on a rear rack. With generator lights you need a protected location, ideally behind the rear rack on a welded bracket. Hollow tube racks can be used for running electrical cable. Bolted-on dynamo lights are in practice resistant to theft.
My current setup has the lamp bolted to the rear fender but this is exposed to too much damage. I will save this location for an old rubber-housing rear reflector.
My shackle lock lives on top of the rack so I need a rack with a raised front stop, a clean top surface and a place for attatching bungie chords.
My 3x7 transmission takes up too much maintenance and cleaning so Im going Alfine 8spd hub with perhaps a Hebie chainglider.

If theft is an issue think about the use of QR skewers; use nuts or pitlocks.
Those who complain of panniers being flexy or wobbly, you need better quality panniers. Good ones lock to the rack and dont shift.