What are the essentials for bike commuters?
 

I'm curious what accessories and add on people use for bike commuting. What are the things that really make it easier/better? What would be the first thing you recommend to a fellow bike commuter?

Thanks
Peter

IMHO:

Grippy, puncture resistant tires
Full fenders
Lights (good lights!)
Rack(s)
Waterproof pannier(s)
Basic tools
Spare tubes
Some reflective elements
Airhorn :D
Extra clothing if you live in crazy climate

In order of importance (my list)

Basic tools
Spare Tube
Lights
Hi Vis Vest
Fenders
Rack
Pannier
Wool undies

^ Add a pump and that sums it up. I haven't shelled it out for the panniers/trunk bag yet. And I don't think I'll get a horn. The necessity of lights and what type depend on the commute.

i like to keep things as simple and lightweight as possible.

for me, the only real essential is a really fast road bike. other things that are nice to have:

spare tube
CO2 pump and cartirdge
tire levers
multi-tool
water bottle and cage
lights (small lightweight blinkies) i ride in the city, so illuminating the road is not important for me
backpack for change of clothes and other small personal items

that's it for most days. for inclement weather i have my old mountian bike that is equipped with fenders.

just a bike really. anything else is extra.
Fenders, you only need if you think you will ride on streets if they are not dry or during rain/snow.
Lights, you only need if you ride at night or when visibilty is poor
racks you only need if you have things to carry and don't like to use back-pack or msg bag.
spare tubes/tools are really only necessary if a) your commute is longer than 1 mile/ or if you like pushing your bike or have transportation alternatives in case you have mechanical problems.
Special clothing only becomes necessary if your commute is longish (over 6 miles, I'd say - others may have different standards)
Lock is only necessary if you don't have an other way to secure your bike at work/or wherever you bike to.

^ A minimalist. You'll put the LBSs out of business.

I always have my cell phone. In the contact list are the numbers for police and sheriff Depts in all the jurisdictions in which I ride. That came in handy when I got hit by a car four months ago. I crawled over to my bike, dug out my cell phone, and dialed the city police, lying on my back on the pavement as the driver stood over me asking "are you allright?" I was badly bruised but nothing broken, and he got a ticket for careless driving.

One if my equipment essential for new commuter is to keep a positive thought on your commute regardless of how many cars wish you are off the road. Several years ago before I started commuting, one person I knew who used to commute in the city gave up after spending tons of money on a bike and equipment. She sold her bike and stuff and went back to driving and only kept her recreational weekend bike. That alone delayed me from taking up commuting because it kinda scared me for a while.

You need to have a bike, and you need to have a commute. Pretty much everything else depends on circumstances.

Commonly needed accessories include lights, fenders + rain gear, and a tire patch kit + mini pump.

But the number one thing to make your commute better is a better bike. Lots of people use Walmart/Costco POS bikes, often poorly maintained, and I can see that biking is very hard for them. A decent bike that fits properly, uses quality components, and gets regular maintenance (clean and lube the chain, pump up tires to ideal pressure) goes a long way.

A desire to ride to work and back is all you need. Oh yeah, and a bike. Everything else is extra, and costs a bundle, so why bother? "Keep it simple" is my motto.

Appropriate clothing for the climate. Everything else is standard.

Pretty much like everyone has stated. I also throw in 10/15 minutes of extra time in case of flats or breakdowns.

Depending on the length of your commute, something to eat! I go 18.5 hilly miles one way and ocassionally don't eat enough during the day and can start to feel the bonk coming on going home. So I keep a payday bar and a couple of hammer gel packets in my bag just in case.

The longer your commute, the more self-sufficient you need to be. If you are only going 1 mile, you can always walk if something goes wrong. If you are going >10 miles, you need to at least be able to change a flat by yourself, be able to call someone for help, or have an alternative (like public transportation stops) that you know will be available.

I commute 23 miles round trip (11.5 miles each way). I wouldn't do it without the following: flat repair kit, tire levers, pump, spare tube, bike lock, headlight, taillight, multitool, fenders, a cell phone, and some type of bag to carry it all in.

I think you also need a job to commute to.

Commitment, and the perseverance to follow through on it.

Other stuff can be nice, but without these three, you don't need the other stuff.

A friend's ex was really inspired by my commuting. He bought all the goodies-more than was really required by his 2-3 mile commute--then just couldn't do it without the Volvo. Since then, I tell new commuters to work on these three before buying more stuff.

If the commute is short and the commuter is in a city or there are bike stores near the route or public transportation, all they really need is a bike.

I have a 4 mile commute each way, when I started out I had the bike and a backpack and that was it. There are 2 bike stores along my route (plus two more next to my condo). So if I get a flat there is a bike store within walking distance. But I do have tools , a spare tube, and a few CO2 cartridges in an under-the-seat bag. That's about the only necessary thing if you can't rely on a nearby bike store or bus.

But once I started riding a while I upgraded things. Got fenders, lights, a rack and panniers, performance clothing. All things to make it easier on me. But when I started, I had no idea what would happen, so I got my old bike out of storage (no tuneup or checkup) and threw stuff in a backpack and started riding.

As colleen c points out the biggest thing is to get started and have a good attitude.

If you will be commuting in cycling clothes I recommend keeping a spare pair of underwear in your desk at work. It has saved me more than once on those days I was rushing out the door and forgot to pack them with my clothes.

If you don't have showers at work, keep some baby wipes at work for a quick clean up.

on my light and fast (nothing I do is really fast) commuter I have

air pump
extra tube
light/front and rear
saddlebag
computer mount
water bottle
tire tools


on my daily use bike I have all that plus a back rack, panniers, lock, more tools. I carry lunch and clothes and other work stuff on a daily basis. And on the clothes at work reccommendation, I always keep everything I need at work, in case I forget everything. Which could happen.

All of the above and a helmet!

yep, forgot to mention that and bike shoes

Many workplaces have a strange attitude to cycle commuting and if you are late you can often get far more noise from your boss than if you had car problems.
A better bike was mentioned but since the main cause of problems are tyres, better tyres are pretty useful. Puncture resistant tyres keep your puncture rate to perhaps 1/year and enable you to arrive on time every day.
Depending on the distance, Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres will keep your ride on time every time.

My commute is 23 miles round trip. I carry a full change of clothes in one of my front panniers. In the other pannier are a change of shoes, lunch, wallet, cell phone, etc. We have shower facilities at work, so I leave soap/shampoo there.

My commuter has a rear rack and front low-riders. I run full fenders, and have an assortment of lights (dyno- and battery-powered). I carry a spare tube, patch kit, mini-tool, and pump. Tires are Vittoria Randonneur Hypers which have protective shielding.

Without bags, my bike tips the scales at ~32 pounds. I chose everything with a nod towards reliability, however. It gets me to/from work rain or shine, day or night.

A hair dryer and a private spot at your workplace to dry the buttsweat out of your tighty-whiteys.