LowCel 

I'm pretty happy here. I like peace and quiet though. I also like to be able to outside and grab something out of my unlocked car but that's just me. As far as DC goes, I've been there twice and have absolutely no desire to ever go back.

bbattle

One for the Freds:

bbattle

old idea new again:

Cjzoller

So much hostility in this thread.

Demit

I normally don't carry on with spats like this, but since you started name calling and your argument is so flawed, I have one question for you.

How many tubes do you take on a ride?

WV has some great riding but you don't need to be told that, you live there. This time of year I carry a Red LED which I can attach to my jersey or bike. I guess it helps with cars but mostly I use it to help the people I am riding with see me if it gets really dark. Also, bib shorts are the best but I imagine if you are a little chunky they could be less comfortable than plain shorts. One more thing too, tire levers.

mascher

I was one of those types who didn't even see the point of cycling shorts or shoes and spent a summer as a courier wearing the same pair of swimming trunks (I had at least figured out synthetic was good) and several pairs of one dollar sneakers.

Then I wore shorts for a few years, finally figured out the marque I liked (Pearl Izumi Attacks), and on a whim bought a pair of bibs because they were ultra cheap for midrange ones.

Now I wonder why I never tried bibs before that, besides that they didn't sell them at MEC and they seemed a little esoteric. I find them to be much more comfortable given that I've always had a bit of a belly. I'm in the process of switching over entirely and sort of wish I'd tried them first.

I like to reply to threads like these because I'm still basically a noob, and I didn't know anyone who rode, plus was broke for years, so it took a long time to figure out I needed/wanted this stuff and why.

Basically every "accessory" (read: vital item) will vary in fit and quality based on price and brand. Being a cheapskate I tried every cheapo brand, and with the exception of MEC's house brand, I've found a Name Brand in specialized equipment like bike stuff is always better. I didn't used to ride with any of this stuff; on the other hand, I used to walk my bike home if I got a flat

Stuff I can't believe I lived without for years: gloves, clipless pedals/shoes, shorts/bibs/tights, jerseys (instead of cotton tee shirts... shudder). I have never tried road shoes or pedals because even if I'm not going to be walking a lot, there didn't seem to be any huge advantage over the mountain stuff that could serve double duty on my mtb, so don't be afraid to go for mtb pedals and shoes, though afaik most mountain and road shoes aren't interchangeable because of the cleat drillings.

Saddlebag: mine has a spare tube, three tire levers, a patch kit (with glue, I had no luck with name and off brand glueless patches), a metro token (guess you don't need that in WVA), $20 (that stays in there, if I know for sure I'll need money, I stuff another bill in a pocket), a multitool, 2 co2 cartridges, and a little piece of paper with my name, address, blood type, phone, email, emergency contact phone # (and insurance carrier in the USA).

Jersey Pocket: combo pump/co2 inflater (though I just got that, I always used a Crank Bros Power Pump until now), 15mm wrench (depending on the bike), cellphone in a ziplock (for sweat, learned that here, but I'm a cell n00bz too), one or two pieces of fruit (heh, inspired by the picture in the Zinn books of the dude with a banana in his jersey)

Second a good floor pump, all steel with a long chamber and a gauge

Helmet: one that fits. all bike helmets except tt ones pass the same safety stuff, so don't faint if you don't have the scratch for one of those $200 ones. I wear the cheapest ones that come in individual sizes because one size fits all ones (the cheapest ones) don't fit me.

Bottles/cages: whatever's cheapest, I have as many cages as brazeons on all bikes, and 24oz bottles

Tools: I'm getting "real" ones as I need them, but a good multitool is useful for quickie stuff. I don't recommend those all in one tool kits from nashbar etc, but I'm a little hamfisted too

Shorts/bibs: that fit very snug without being tight or constricting. Loose drawers will chafe you and snag on your saddle

Gloves: vital because if you crash or even do the 0mph crash when you're learning clipless, you'll probably put your hands out to break your fall unless you took like years of jiu jitsu. I prefer mtn gloves with no padding and fake leather palms because leather absorbs moisture, padding makes my hands feel too thick, and heh I can't get slip on roadie mitts on my hands without a fight. Like everything else it seems, I wear them as snug as possible without restricting movement, I can't stand loose full-fingered gloves especially.

clipless pedals: my first cheapos convinced me not to ride clipless for a year because I could pull out of the wellgo spd clones very easily. Once I tried Time ATACs I never looked back and have four pairs of them.

clipless shoes: I like them to fit as snug as possible with maybe a little less than a cm at the toe. My normal width feet take a mega in Sidis, a normal in Lakes and Specialized. The only cheapo pair I had (Exustar or something like that) totally sucked and were a waste of $20

Blinkies: for a few bucks each, you might as well get a front and back blinkie for when it gets dark, but I come to roadieing from being a year round commuter. I just dropped $200 on lights for seeing (instead of being seen, which is what blinkies are for), but only because I caught a big sale.

I bought a computer, but I never installed it because hmm, I guess I don't know why. I don't really train, I just like to go I guess.

You can probably experiment a bit buy buying a bunch of this stuff right now before the season is in full swing.

Dang, this is really long now and there's probably pages of replies more valuable than this by now.

In any case, enjoy yr bike!

mascher

I find them comfortable exactly because they have suspenders to keep the chunk from pushing down the waistband.

stevesurf

Nice list.

I would only add a handheld GPS for the "breadcrumb trail" or to find nearby services.

Machka 

Bento Box.

Demit

I always thought that would be uncomfortable. Kinda funny, I wear bibs because I lack chunk to keep shorts from just sliding off. I guess there must be some middle ground where bibs bind but do not aid.
All the more reason to suggest bibs.

I think ieatrats pretty much covered everything including a plastic bag for your cellphone which I never thought of.How much should you spend on each item?

I would go as high end as possible on shoes followed by shorts and everything else can be pretty basic. The most expensive item will be the shoes.

Shoes: If you are a casual riding I would go mountain or treaded shoes, so you can walk around in them and probably eggbeater pedals because they are surefire and cheap, $50. The only reasons to go with standard road shoes is if you are racing or really like a certain pedal type. Right now a lot of racers I know are using mountain shoes anyways because of the weather. You really should buy your first pair at a bike shop because they really need to fit well and cleats can be hard to put on the first time. Popular pedal systems are Look, Speedplay, Shimano and crankbrothers. I highly suggest crankbroher's eggbeaters and if you have knee issues, speedplays.

Shorts: Sizing is pretty simple, they come in S through XXL. Shorts should fit snugly, you don't want any slipping or sagging as you pedal. I generally buy shorts which cost between 50 and 80 dollars depending on sales and what not. In the winter I wear unpadded tights over my normal shorts. Performancebike.com is a good place to look. I like Pearl Izumi Attacks. I only buy clothing online.

Other good sites are Nashbar.com Probikekit.com Pricepoint.com and sierratradingpost.com

Also, get leg warmers and arm warmers which will extend the amount of time you can wear you warm weather stuff.

DScott

IMO, best accessory evar is time to ride. The more the better.

Good luck with that one!

umd

I've ridden about 40K miles with only C02 and never once been stranded because of it. Once I had to call for a lift because my spare tube was bad and I didn't have a patch kit.

umd

I always wear a base layer... under the bib straps. Bibs are the greatest damn thing ever, deal with it.

Edit: After I posted, my avatar reminded me that a skinsuit is better than bibs, but not everyone can pull it off, and its probably best left to short races.

bbattle

This Saturday, I had a flat due to the stem separating from the tube. After I pumped the tire up, I pulled the valve right out of the stem!. Another rider loaned me a tube and we used his CO2 to air the tire up. Worked great and much faster. The group had been waiting but left after the first tube died. After I replace my frame pump with something that won't rip out the valve, I believe I'll get myself a CO2 pump as well. And another tube. If I hadn't been with a group, I would've had to call my SAG vehicle to come pick me up or thumbed a ride. I was a good thirty miles from anyplace that sold bike tubes.

-b "Mr. Fred" battle

merlinextraligh

West Virginia:



DC: