Basic kit suggestions.

[joffy]

Just ordered my 1st hybrid bike so will now need to buy the essentials.

I can't afford to spend a huge amount but will be buying something every few weeks, so suggestions for good value accessories around £30 budget for each item would be appreciated.

So I guess I'd need;
Light set
Locks
Tool kit/pump
Puncture repair kit
Mudguards?

 

[Radius]

Here are my suggestions, mainly based on experiences because I wouldn't really want to recommend anything I haven't used, I will indicate where I am doing so though:

Lights:
Front: I use a Smart 5 LED one, around £15 from Wiggle.co.uk, easily good enough for in city commuting, and can light up a cycle path in pitch black if needs be.
Rear: Blackburn Mars 4.0, again about £15, unbeatable for brightness on 2 AAA batteries. Very good indeed.

Locks:
I have 2 Kryptonite Series 2 D locks, and a cable for the wheels, as well as a combi lock for quick stops. The D lock and cable was about £30 IIRC

Tool kit:
Park tools always recommended, not sure what mine is, seems unbranded but good enough.
Pumps: Topeak and Blackburn have a good reputation, I have a Blackburn mini pump which is great but wont get you to 100psi on road tires unless you're superman, and I have a Topeak Joe Blow track pump, which is very good and not expensive (~£20)

Puncture repair kit: The weirdos (Mickle) wont use anything other than (forgets name), but in general something for a few quid at your LBS will do the job. Tyre levers are more important, people like the steel core park tool ones, but I use this thing called a 'Crank Brothers Speed Lever' which is nifty, cheap, and hasn't failed on me yet. Available on Wiggle.

Mudguards: Depends on the bike. I've got a MTB style crud guard on my hybrid, and SKS Raceblades on my roadie, one was about £15 with no front MG, the other (raceblades) were about £35, but it was front and rear.


HTH a bit

 

[Haitch]

Make choices. With the lighter mornings and evenings, will you be riding in the dark? If not, put off buying lights. A lock and a puncture repair kit/pump are pretty essential, buy them at the same time as the bike and try to get a discount from the retailer (and a free water bottle). You will not need a tool kit in the first few months. If anything goes wrong with the bike, take it back to the retailer to get it fixed. The retailer might also provide a free service after six months/100 miles. Mudguards are a personal choice depending on the type of riding you'll be doing. A cheap pair will not cost the earth.

 

[punkypossum]

Rear light: Smart 1/2 watt - can be had for about 8 quid!

 

[just4fun]

a multi tool/ set of allen keys is hand to have and can be purchased for a small fee from the bike shop. all the virbations can cause bits to become loose (like your saddle bolt)

puncture repair kit again from the bike shop

a decent chain. this should be your main priority imo. look at it as an investment that saves you the value of a new bike.

here is a link the the bargains section of this forum. i hope it helps (silly me nearly forgot to add it)

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=18916

 

[joffy]

Cheers all, most helpful.

 

[MacB]

I bought a Topeak saddle pack with built in toolkit, also carry in there another multi tool, a power link, 2 spare innertubes and a puncture repair kit. Have a full size frame pump fitted and an inexpensive led light front and rear. Also have a Fenix torch for my commute as many unlit roads. Excluding the Fenix the rest came to about £70. For me this is the minimum I want to ride with.

 

[dellzeqq]

Light set - Electron at Madison stockists. Cheap, bright, reliable. Consider a second cheapo rear light - if your rear light is pinched or gives out you don't want to be without.

Locks - not going there. Sorry, but in the end you just take a chance whatever you put on it. The only real consideration is whether, if you insure the bike on the household contents policy, your lock complies.

Tool kit/pump - Park tools - one with Allen keys and one with tools like screwdrivers. I've got a Crank tool and it's fiddly and not as strong. I will never ever buy another Blackburn pump. Topeak are great. One little pump to carry with you, and, as radius suggests, the Joe Blow or even (the horror, the horror) a Halfords track pump.

Puncture repair kit - never carry one. Tyre levers, and spare tubes. The punctured tube can be fixed at home. Sods law says that you'll get a puncture when you're late for work or it's raining.

Mudguards? - up to you. I don't use them on the hybrid

Addtionally - cheapo yellow waterproof (mine is by Freestyle) and reflective ankle bands.

 

[Landslide]

A double-ended allen key like this should cater for 90% of the bolts on a modern bike. If you ask nicely at your LBS, they may have some that come in the toolkits that are packaged with cheapo bikes.

 

[Randochap]

Have look at the "Tackle" page in the Randonneuring section of VeloWeb. There's a tool subsection there you can modify, but I pretty much carry the same (minus spare tyre) for local commuting.

Carry one spare tube and a puncture repair kit, just in case.

Full fenders are in order. SKS are worth it.

I recommend the Topeak Road Morph as the only pump worth carrying. It's like a mini track pump. Get a full sized track pump for home.

Locks? Go for Abus. Worth the expense. Double locking mech. Bombproof.

 

[joffy]

Are the multi-tools like this good?

 

[Randochap]

Are the multi-tools like this good?

Yep.

 

[TVC]

Good for the saddle pack:

Surgical gloves - Keeps the muck off when putting your chain back on.
Wet Wipes - For getting rid of muck & oil.
Lip Balm - Chaffed lips are not attractive.

 

[Llama]

Re the multi-tool - I just have an allen key set - mines from decathlon £6 its fine (edinburgh bike do a similar one for £5) - i don't see the need for a multi tool - I rather have separtare chain tool and tailor it all a bit more.

With regard to lights I got these from Wiggle - there really bring and good value:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Smart_Bspoke_LED_1~2_Watt_Light_Set/5360040003/

Have gone up though I paid £18!

 

[BIGSESAL]

I've got a Topeak mini pump. It's great for when your out on the road and you get a punct**e. My one has a pressure guage on it too, however I doubt it is very accurate.

Bewarned if you aren't too strong a mini pump won't really do, you should try a track pump. Otherwise you will be exhausted before you even go for ride.