Essential Bike Accessories
Accessorizing your bike properly can make riding much more comfortable, increase safety, and expand its functionality.
This traditional horn ensures pedestrians and drivers hear your approach with its quick screw adjustment mechanism attached directly to your handlebar.
This fun police officer toy allows children to imagine being law enforcement officials as they pursue criminals. With flashing and non-flashing options, this unit can easily attach to any bicycle with a standard water bottle cage.
Water Bottle Cage
Water bottle cages are one of the easiest and most essential bicycle accessories. They hold your water bottle securely over rough terrain without it shifting around or falling out.
Traditional cages consist of metal tubing or plastic that encases around a bottle’s neck to prevent it from dislodging from its surroundings. There are various sizes to accommodate different bottle diameters.
The Lezyne Flow Cage SL features strong ribs and a bottom tab to secure bottles securely, even over rough terrain. Furthermore, its lightweight construction and budget price make it an excellent option for casual riders who don’t wish to spend an arm and a leg on gear.
Cargo Rack
Cargo racks allow you to transport gear efficiently while protecting it from the elements. There is a wide range of sizes and types, from smaller racks designed for occasional hauling duties up to larger models specifically tailored for long distance tours.
Most rear racks work in concert with panniers (also called saddle bags). You have many different attachment options available to you for attaching panniers; simply choose the system that meets your individual needs best.
Front racks that attach directly to the seatpost are ideal for commuters as they maintain a load centered over each wheel while not hindering steering ability. Many front racks include hooks for attaching baskets or panniers on top; rack trunks offer another convenient alternative that provide storage of extra clothing, tools or food supplies.
Bike Lights
Bike lights are essential pieces of gear when riding at night, both to stay visible to other road users and navigate dark trails safely.
There is an array of front and rear bike lights with various features available to choose from, but visibility should always be the top consideration when making your selection. When looking for lights with high lumen values and even beam patterns, they will provide greater safety to riders on the road.
Lights should also feature an easy quick release to make mounting and dismounting from your bike quick and straightforward, with clip-on lights designed specifically to attach quickly to clothing or backpacks – perfect for quick trips to the store or night time trail rides!
Bike Basket
A bicycle basket can be an indispensable addition to your ride, especially if you want to use it to carry groceries or small items. A basket can be securely fastened using hooks or clips, while some models also feature straps which you can direct around the handlebars for extra maneuverability.
Bicycle baskets come in various forms, from rear and front baskets. Rear baskets may provide greater stability due to being close to the center of gravity of your bicycle; front ones, however, allow easier access while riding.
Choose between bolt-on or lift-off baskets when it comes to shopping carts. Bolt-on baskets provide additional security against thieves who could unbolt them easily while lift-off baskets make installation and removal effortless – perfect for short trips!
Odometer and Speedometer
Odometers and speedometers are essential parts of any bicycle, providing valuable information that allows riders to track distance, mileage, fuel economy calculations and when it is time to have the bike serviced.
On the dashboard of a car, a speedometer is an instrument which measures and displays its current speed in miles per hour or kilometers per hour. It works by tracking rotational speed of different components such as wheels or transmission and translating that rotation into electrical signals which the speedometer displays on a dial; as speed changes, an indicator needle moves on this dial, giving drivers real-time monitoring of their vehicle’s movement.
Early mechanical models used a rotating flexible cable; today’s electronic designs typically use magnets or toothed metal disks that pass beneath an indicator rod to indicate when magnets pass underneath it.