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Interested in cycling but intimidated by the huge assortment of gear and accessories? Assuming you have a bicycle already, here is a quick run down of what you need.
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| -An absolute requirement, and possibly required by law in some areas. Choose a helmet that has styling that appeals to you. Brighter colors are nice since they are cooler in the sun, and increase visibility to other road and trail users. Size a helmet by measuring your head as shown.
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| Most of today's helmets have an adjustable sizing mechanism that allows quick and easy changes to the helmet's headband.
To fit the helmet
- Open the sizing band all the way.
- Place the helmet level on your head.
- Slowly tighten the headband until it is snug but comfortable.
- Adjust the straps so they meet just below your ear.
- Tighten the front strap if the helmet is tilted too far back. Tighten the rear strap if it is tilted too far forward.
- Once the side straps are adjusted properly, tighten the chin strap to be comfortably snug.
When finished the helmet should move no more than 1 inch in any direction and be impossible to remove from your head without unbuckling the strap.
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Water Bottle or Hydration PackEven on cool days you need to keep drinking fluids as you ride, proper hydration will make every ride easier and allow for quicker recovery. A basic guideline is to drink about 20oz. every hour you ride. Your personal physiology or warm may temperatures require more fluid.
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| Bottles attach to your bicycle with a bottle cage. Bottle cages usually attach to special hard mounting points on the frame with 2 bolts. Bottles come in 2 main sizes, standard which are either 21 or 22 oz. or large which are usually 28oz. Standard and large bottles fit in most bottle cages. Some extra large bottles will come with their own special cage or mounting bracket.
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| Hydration Packs are back-pack like devices with a water filled bladder and a drinking tube. The tube has a special valve on the end that allows water to flow when you bite down. Packs range in size from 50oz. to over 100oz. Select a pack that holds enough water for your longest planned ride, plus room for tools, repair kits, or extra clothing that you may want to bring. Hydration packs are preferred by off road riders because the drink tube rarely gets dirty, and is easy to let go when you are finished.
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Protect your eyes from debris and wind borne dust. Contact wearers will need a sunglass that has more coverage. Most cycling eyewear has polycarbonate lenses that are highly impact resistant.
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PumpsInflating your tires before every ride or every other ride is a good step in preventing flats. You will actually need 2 pumps. One for home and one to take with on your bicycle. Look for a pump with head that works with the type of valves on your bike.
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| Floor Pumps-A floor pump inflates tires with a minimum of effort. Daily pressure top offs only take a few seconds. Tall pumps with large diameters move more air with every stroke but may not be suitable for people under 5 feet tall. Pumps with small diameters will inflate to higher pressures with less effort.
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| Portable Pumps-A pump or inflator to take with you can save you a walk home. There are 3 main styles of portable inflation. A frame pump is usually over a foot long and about 1 inch in diameter. It typically stores along a frame tube-thus the name. Frame pumps are larger and weigh more than other types but they reliably inflate high pressure road tires to near full pressure. A mini-pump is similar in construction to a frame pump but is 10 inches or less in length. Mini-pumps are small and light and usually fit in a hydration pack. Inflators use replaceable CO2 cartridges to fill a tire quickly with minimal effort. They are small and about the same weight as a frame pump. Remember to carry enough refills to keep you going.
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Repair Kit-A few tools cover most things that may need adjusting or tightening in the middle of a ride. For most bikes you need the following:
- A multi-tool with 4, 5, 6 mm allen wrenches, and a Phillips head screw driver. For off-road riding it is best to have a chain tool, cutting blade or knife, and a flat head screw-driver as well.
- At least 2 tire levers
- A patch kit
- A spare inner tube of the correct size
- A bag or wedge that attaches them to the bicycle so you are unlikely to forget them.
Special tools that you may need to consider: special fittings or chucks for your particular suspension fork, a torx wrench of the correct size for disc rotors or chain-rings, a wrench of the proper size for a bolt-on type rear wheel.
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