What Next?
 

After you buy a road bike, what do you need next? Do I need a jersey? The seat isn't comfortable, how many of you bought a new seat? Did you change out tires for a different set? Did you buy a rear fender, front deflector/fender? A new bike lock? New grips? Bars? What to get next?

Pedals.

I would recommend this.

Wow-wow-wow-wow! Is this the end of the budget year and you have to spend it all? :)

Are u gonna load it down with MORE WEIGHT? <gasp>

Ride it as it, spend some quality time here, THEN maybe u'd know what to get. Anybody seen a propeller helmet? :D

Floor pump & frame pump.

Go ask the guys at your local bike chain. They'll know exactly what you can't live without.

Just because you are holding a can of troll spray doesn't mean you are not a troll. Now contribute constructively, or go troll another thread. This is a legitimate topic.

Indeed it is.

I always swap out tires for something with kevlar lining. So far I've done that with every bike I've ever purchased since it seems few come stock with kevlar tires.

If you don't want to go the spandex route, manufacturers make a spandex liner short (dont panic yet - sentence not over) that you wear under your regular clothes - gym shorts, jeans, whatever. However, both regular cycling shorts and liners are meant to act as underwear. It could be extremely uncomfortable to wear underwear under your shorts.

Also, a helmet might help you some day.

You can find less expensive jerseys in places on the internet. However be warned that if you come across nashbar.com or performancebike.com be prepared for slow shipping. You could also check your local bike shop's clearance rack. Probikekit.com is UK-based but they have extremely fast shipping (from what I've heard - not experienced yet) and US pricing. There might be a small currency conversion fee, but it's no problem. I think their shipping is free too.

New Jersey!

Right now in New Jersey you should be riding with NO jersey. :lol:

Also, shoes and pedals. There's a lot of options out there - do some research.

Bingo!

Since most people probably buy complete bikes, ride it and see what you don't like. Pedals will most likely be needed, then probably the saddle. After that, it's what ever you think you need.

Ride it until something happens that makes you have to walk home, then buy whatever you need to keep that from happening again. Repeat until you stop having to walk home and have a bag full of tools under your seat. That seems to be how the commuters in the San Fernando Valley do it.

Just to make it clear how germane this point is: on Monday I got my first flat in eigth months of bike ownership. I was four miles from home but had a spare tube, tire levers, and a pump, so I was ridiing again in five minutes. I avoided learning the hard way because of the time spent on BF.

As for equipment, the list would go like this, from my pov:
1. lights if you ride at night -- this is a safety issue. You can read a lot about lights in Commutings and the Electronics and Lighting forums.
2. a lock if you leave your bike unattended/outside for any period of time.
3. So-called clipless pedals and shoes, which I think are a big improvement over toeclips.