Essential Gear for New Cyclists

f you’ve arrived here as a new cyclist or you’re just getting back into it, welcome! 

In this blogpost I’ll be focusing on what I think are essential gear for getting into road or gravel cycling so that you’ll be well equipped for solo rides and even beginner group rides.

I’ll break this down into what gear I keep at home and what I carry with me on pretty much every ride. I’ll also cover some optional things which you don’t have to pick up right away but I have found them to be nice additions over the years. 

What to Carry on the Bike

When you go out riding by yourself or with a group you’ll want equipment that helps you stay safe, be visible, fix a mechanical issue like a flat, stay hydrated, and finally tools to track your ride and/or offer directions.

We’ll dive into each of these areas in the following sections:

Equipment For Safety

Helmet

• For safety you’ll always want to have a helmet when you ride so that you are protected should the unexpected happen. 
• Helmets can cover a wide range of prices but one good thing to note is that cycling helmets have to adhere to safety standards and even the more budget friendly options should provide the necessary protection that you need. 
• What therefore differentiates more expensive helmets from lower cost ones is weight, styling, airflow, and brand.
• You can always check with your local bike shop or retailer for what they would recommend if you have a hard time choosing, but some of the common brands out there are Giro, Specialized, Smith, and POC. 

Sunglasses

• Sunglasses are great for eye protection and dealing with the sun.
• These used to be on my optional list but now I don’t leave the house without having sunglasses on, especially since you can now pick up some without breaking the bank.
• Brands such as goodr offer affordable shades for less than $50. I’ve written about them in detail here if you want to learn more. 

Equipment For Visibility

Lights

• When I go out riding I always have a rear light attached to my bike so cars coming up behind me will notice I’m there.  
• If I happen to be riding in poor lighting conditions then I’ll also add in a front light as well. 
• There are multiple brands out there that offer lights for bikes such as Knog or Cateye. 

Bells (optional)

• A small bike bell to alert people or other cyclists you’re coming up behind them or for people getting out of cars is very handy, especially if you’re riding in a city.
• There are a variety of options out there to fit the look of your bike such as these from Spurcycle which are well made and minimal. 

Tools for Flat Tires and Mechanicals

When you go out you want to be prepared for the occasional mechanical issue such as a flat tire or a chain that has fallen off your gears. This way you can perform your own maintenance and continue riding without having to try and find the nearest bike shop which may not be close by. 

Most bike tires consist of 3 parts, the wheel itself, the actual tire which is the rubber that connects to the road, and an inner tube which inflates with air that sits between the tire and the wheel. 

When you get a flat tire most of the time it’s the inner tube which has either been punctured or torn and as a result the air has been let out and your tire becomes flat.

Dealing with a flat on the road can be a little tricky if it’s your first time but just know we’ve all had to fix a flat on the road and once you do it a couple times you'll become more confident in your abilities to do some basic bike maintenance. 

For those that are really concerned about it, I find that the cycling community is there to help, so don’t feel bad about flagging down another cyclist for some assistance. 

What’s most important is you have the right tools and equipment to fix your flat. Here is what you’ll need:

Spare Tube

• You’ll want to carry one spare tube with you at all times as you’ll need this to fix your flat.
• Inner tubes come in different sizes depending on the tire size on your bike so it’s important to have one that fits your tire size. 
• Most tubes will cover a range of tire sizes. You can identify this by checking your tire size which will typically be labeled on the sidewall as you see below. You’ll then want to ensure the tube you pick up fits this range.
• For example, my tire states 30, and my tubes state a range of 28 - 35 so I know this will fit my tire. 

• In addition you’ll want to make sure the tube you pick up has the same valve type as your existing tube. There are two standards, presta and schrader valves. This will ensure it fits properly with your wheel.

• If you’re still not sure, any bike shop can easily help you find the right tube for your bike.
• If you want to learn about the types of tubes available and even upgrading to lightweight options I cover them in this post. 

Bike Multi Tool

• Depending on your bike you may need a wrench to take the wheel off so carrying a small cycling multi tool is essential for fixing a flat. 
• These tools carry multiple allen keys that are designed to fit the most common bolts found on a bike.
• This tool is also good to have with you for other on the road bike maintenance so I never leave home without one. 
• I currently use this one from Crank Brothers.

Tire levers

• These plastic leavers allow you to actually take your tire off your wheel so you can get access to the tube to replace it. 
• I recommend carrying two as some tires can be a little more difficult than others to take off and having a second leaver can help with the process.
• You can check out brands such as Park Tool which offer a set of tire levers.

Mini Pump

• Once you have your new tube in you’ll need to pump it up so having a small mini pump handy is a good idea.
• These often can attach to your bike in convenient locations such as by your bottle cages or other parts of your frame.
• Brands such as Park Tool and Topeak offer mini pumps.

Saddle Bag

• In order to carry the above tools outside of the mini pump you’ll need some storage on your bike and this is where a seat or saddle bag comes in handy.
• This is a small bag which attaches below your saddle and is designed to hold your essential tools and parts outside of the mini pump.
• Similar to these other accessories there are a variety of brands out there, such as this one from Orucase. 

Optional on the Bike Accessories:

Patch kit

• Tire patches are small sticker size adhesives that you can use to patch an inner tube puncture.
• You’ll still have to take the tube off your wheel, but these can be good quick fixes if you don’t have a tube handy or if you already used your spare.
• For example this one from Park Tools.

CO2 Pump

• This is a mini pump that’s designed to quickly fill a flat tire without having to spend the effort to pump it up manually. They use a small CO2 cartridge of air which after one or two uses will need to be replaced. 
• These pumps are composed of two parts, the inflator which is the metal top of the pump and the CO2 cartridge. When you need to pump up a tire after a flat, you’ll screw the CO2 cartridge into the inflator and then pump up the tire. 
• If you carry this instead of a standard mini pump it’s a good idea to have at least two cartridges with you. 
• There are a number of brands that offer CO2 pumps such as this one from Lezyne. Note you may still need to buy the cartridges separately in some cases. 

For Hydration

Water Bottle

• Having at least one water bottle is a good idea to keep yourself hydrated while you’re out on the bike. I would recommend two as you start going out on longer rides.
• There are many options out there and it really just comes down to personal choice. A lot of cyclists like to match their bottles with their bikes or outfits so have some fun when selecting them for your bike.
• Competitive Cyclist has a large selection which you can preview here. 

Bottle Cage

• Now that you’ve picked up some water bottles you’ll need a way to hold them on your bike.
• An aluminum or plastic bottle holder will generally do the job.
• If you’re looking for something more specialized there are also bottle cages made out of carbon or titanium but these are significantly more expensive.  

For Navigation / Tracking Your Rides

Strava App (optional)

• Part of the fun of cycling is recording where you have gone and seeing some of the metrics behind it as well. This is where apps such as Strava come into play as it’s a cycling app you can have on your phone which records your rides and then posts it to their site.
• I find this app to be helpful as well for learning new routes as it offers the ability to copy other riders routes if they made them shareable. 
• As you ride more this app can help you see your own progress and connect with other cyclists.

Cycling Computer (optional) 

• This is not required when you're just get into cycling but they can be very helpful if you want to see your cycling stats as your ride without having to worry about depleting your phone's battery life.
• These computers can also connect to useful accessories like heart monitors if you want to track more data on your rides and can tell you helpful information on your ride such as how much feet are left in your climb or your average speed.
• Popular brands here are Garmin, Wahoo, and Hammerhead.

What to Have at Home

Now that you’re familiar with what to bring with you on your bike rides there are a couple of things that I recommend having at home. These are:

Floor Pump

• Having a good floor pump with a built in tire pressure meter is very helpful to ensure your tires are not over or under inflated when you ride.
• The right pressure is a highly debated topic but each tire will have a pressure range or max indicated on the sidewall so make sure to check before pumping to ensure you’re within the range and not exceeding the max.
• Having tires inflated to the appropriate pressures will help ensure you’re rolling quickly and efficiently on the road.
• Many modern pumps have heads that support both schrader and presta values, however make sure to check the pump has the right value for your bike. Most road bikes will have presta valves while some commuter or electric bikes may opt for schrader.
• Floor pumps are one area I’d suggest investing a little more in as a good pump will last you years and provide more reliable tire pressure readings.
• I currently use Topeak JoeBlower pump, which has adjustments making it easier to pump low and higher pressure tires, which is helpful for me as someone that rides road tires and gravel tires. 

Chain Lube

• Ensuring your chain is lubricated is important for keeping your bike working well and it only takes a few minutes to actually apply the lube.
• There are many great videos on YouTube on how to lube your chain but it’s worth picking up a bottle from your local bike shop as they can recommend a lube for your riding conditions.
• You don’t have to apply the lube on every ride but adding some at least once a month is a good place to start and then more frequently as you ride longer and more often. 

Additional/Optional at home bike accessories:

Bike Stand

• Having a little floor bike stand at home I found is very helpful over the years.
• There is much less chance that your bike will fall and get scratched or damaged, and it frees up your hands if you’re doing some basic maintenance like lubing your chain.
• They also just allow you to place your bike wherever you want so you’re not limited to a wall. 
• I currently use the Feedback Sports bike stand and have liked it so far.

Chain Checker

• This is a simple metal tool which you use to help check the wear on your chain. 
• As you ride your chain will stretch over time and at some point it may stretch enough where it can actually actually cause harm to the other parts of your bikes drivetrain. To avoid this you just need to replace your chain which is quick and relatively inexpensive for any bike shop to do.
• The chain checker helps you know if your chain needs to be replaced and it only takes a couple seconds to use it, so it’s nice having one of these at home.
• I currently use this one from Park Tools. 

In Conclusion

I hope this was helpful and feel free to let me know if there are any other essentials I should add to the list. 

As you become more familiar with cycling and your bike there are some additional equipment I can recommend for further bike maintenance and care for your bike. I’ll touch more on this in a future post.

Until then enjoy riding and the greater cycling community out there!

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