What are you best and most useful bike accessories?

I say basic gloves with the regular padding. I did a 62 miler with gel padding a couple months back where the gel actually balled up, or shifted, or whatever it does, but it caused a really sore spot on my palm that was killing me at about mile 55. I had used gel gloved before with no problem on 100 milers but these made me realize they are actually worse than regular padded gloves when they shift. The gloves are Serfas brand gel gloves, they suck!

Front and rear lights to be seen at night as well as a tricolor ankle reflector band.

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Rear red blinkies, I use 2. One on saddle bag and one on my helmet rear side.

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Also some little alum hb mounts I got on ebay. 2 for $7. Alum screws to attach lights and recorders, much better than the plastic go pro [censored] plastic screws and mounts.

Also the little black adapter part on the light also fits onto a go pro helmet strap and j hook so that I can carry a second light on my helmet. I actually like the helmet light better than the hb mounted light placement.

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The helmet strap and buckle/j hook set up for the helmet light.

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The go pro hb mount for making cycling videos.

Believe it or not, got the mount on ebay 2 for $12. 8 years ago I bought the exact same thing with the K Edge brand name on it for $60. The ebay version I got 2 blue and 2 black for about $20. Free fast shipping. The blue screws, 3 for $9, various colors, I have about 50 screws now ha ha!

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And of course, the Garmin, can't ride without it!

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Oh! Ice cream! Gotta have ice cream! 😄

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Oh oh oh, the wife! People will not believe how useful a cycling wife can be. Many times we are driving down the street and she will see a bike shop and suggest I get off and take a look around, OK!

Other times I am getting ready to order a tire online then she will say, "you should order 3!". OK, who am I to argue?!. 😄

38 miles at 17.4 average speed, she doesn't hold me back on rides.

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A set of small allen keys held together with an elastic band. Forget multitools, a set of 4" long allen keys are easier to use, weigh less and are cheaper. When I mean cheaper I don't mean something from the dollar bin at the local car parts store - buy something good that'll last and not round off the hex bolts or break when you need them in the middle of nowhere. That said, with the exception of a seat height change after a mid ride crash and ride back home, I can't remember then last time I used them. I take a chain tool and pin with me for the first few rides after I put a new chain on just incase - so no need for that built into a tool. Can't be doing with small chain tools either. Go big or go home.

Big Park Tools tire levers.

As for gloves - I prefer thinner gloves and add padding under the bar tape where necessary. That way you can have less bulk under your hands when on the brake levers but more padding when riding on the tops or on the transition area down towards the brake lever hood and on the drops too.

So many that it is hard to say. Safety wise I would say my rear and front blinking lights to get the attention of cagers.

Other things are my CO2 tube inflator rather than using those annoying frame pumps that are impossible and never work like they state.

Luxury items however are another story.......cyclometer; power meter pedals and way over-priced saddles and wheel sets are just a few.

I have found this sport or hobby or lifestyle whatever you want to call it, can be as cheap as you want or as costly. Manufacturers will undoubtedly find a way to make even “free” rock collecting expensive if they can find a angle!

Strange how many people disagree on CO2. Back in 05, I did 23 centuries. I had a triple crown ride partner that I did a few centuries together. He swore on CO2 and actually dissed my big long Zefal carbon looking full frame pump. I thought it was cool.

He carried 4 cylinders of CO2. He had a flat about 60 miles into the ride. Then he realized a mile down the road that he had a second puncture he didn't notice. THEN, he botched the job and flatted again about 1/2 mile down the road. THEN, he had a front flat about 15 miles down the road. There went his 4 cylinders.

Believe it or not, he had another flat. Bad luck I would say. So he had to bow down to my pump ha ha! I'm pretty sure he was really happy that I carried the full size pump. Easy to hit 120 psi with the pump.

Good technique makes the pump an easy tool to use. I have a crouched stance with my back arm up against my back knee that works great. An old guy way back in 1996 showed me how to efficiently use a frame pump. God rest his soul!

So never had a problem but I have seen some clowns, my ride partners try to use a pump and they honestly have no idea. Once clown stood straight up holding his rim with pump straight up pulling down on the handle side. WTH! Some have been so comical that I have just taken the job from them and completed it so that we could be on our way. I mean after 20 minutes of clowning around, forget about it, just let me do it!

I used CO2 in the past but been let down a couple of times so I don't depend on it. Once on the tandem, over 100 degrees, I inserted the CO2 and maybe it was the difference in temps, the stem froze around the rubber and actually snapped off. It hardened the rubber and it just broke. Another time I got a dud. That sucks!

I did like my full size frame pump and still carry on the tandem. But my latest roadie has a sloping top tube with a radius so the straight pumps don't fit right in the frame. I did get a Lyzene small frame pump that fits alongside the water bottle. It works OK, up to 90 psi which is good enough to finish a ride but not like the full size.

It also has a screw on hose attaching to the presta valve so no worries about it slipping off or breaking the stem.

I am sure there are positive and negatives for both but I prefer a pump. Haven't had one fail me yet.

Hardly noticeable on my bike. Good mounting bracket lined with rubber so no slip etc.

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Hand pumps for me have not been very good and I have a nice one. OTOH, I have had success with the CO2 route. If this world was perfect, I would have a SAG vehicle every corner for my needs! LOL

Mr. Beanz said:

Strange how many people disagree on CO2. Back in 05, I did 23 centuries. I had a triple crown ride partner that I did a few centuries together. He swore on CO2 and actually dissed my big long Zefal carbon looking full frame pump. I thought it was cool.

He carried 4 cylinders of CO2. He had a flat about 60 miles into the ride. Then he realized a mile down the road that he had a second puncture he didn't notice. THEN, he botched the job and flatted again about 1/2 mile down the road. THEN, he had a front flat about 15 miles down the road. There went his 4 cylinders.

Believe it or not, he had another flat. Bad luck I would say. So he had to bow down to my pump ha ha! I'm pretty sure he was really happy that I carried the full size pump. Easy to hit 120 psi with the pump.

Good technique makes the pump an easy tool to use. I have a crouched stance with my back arm up against my back knee that works great. An old guy way back in 1996 showed me how to efficiently use a frame pump. God rest his soul!

So never had a problem but I have seen some clowns, my ride partners try to use a pump and they honestly have no idea. Once clown stood straight up holding his rim with pump straight up pulling down on the handle side. WTH! Some have been so comical that I have just taken the job from them and completed it so that we could be on our way. I mean after 20 minutes of clowning around, forget about it, just let me do it!

I used CO2 in the past but been let down a couple of times so I don't depend on it. Once on the tandem, over 100 degrees, I inserted the CO2 and maybe it was the difference in temps, the stem froze around the rubber and actually snapped off. It hardened the rubber and it just broke. Another time I got a dud. That sucks!

I did like my full size frame pump and still carry on the tandem. But my latest roadie has a sloping top tube with a radius so the straight pumps don't fit right in the frame. I did get a Lyzene small frame pump that fits alongside the water bottle. It works OK, up to 90 psi which is good enough to finish a ride but not like the full size.

It also has a screw on hose attaching to the presta valve so no worries about it slipping off or breaking the stem.

I am sure there are positive and negatives for both but I prefer a pump. Haven't had one fail me yet.

Hardly noticeable on my bike. Good mounting bracket lined with rubber so no slip etc.

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Full sized frame pumps are great but I don't have a way of attaching one to my frame... I still have a Zefal pump from the late 80's/early 90's.

I have a ~12" Leyzne that works really well. Not as effortless as a bigger frame pump but it gets the job done every time.

A funny world we live in - we think of bicycles as "green" but carbon fiber is derived from oil and CO2 in the tires? Might as well go drive that 67 Camaro... LOL

CO2 suck!

Consumable cartridges which is a cost issue if you have to fill up often. No backup if you patch a flat and don't get it quite right, you don't have a way to fill up anymore. You could carry extra CO2 cartridges, but then you could lose the weight advantage. Limited on what tires they work with; big tires will get less pressure. if your friend gets a flat and you've got one cartridge, will you loan it? If you've got a pump it's no problem at all. I've helped out complete strangers with my pump before. CO2 seeps through the tube a lot faster than air, so you'll have to top off the tire sooner than if you'd used a pump. it's very possible to explode the inner tube when using the CO2 cartridges on a road bike.

One possibility to consider is a combo/hybrid unit. Lezyne makes the best one, but then you could lose the weight advantage.

If you're racing then get CO2 for the race, if not, don't bother and use a pump. Lezyne makes the best ones and will reach your psi level you want easier and faster than any other if you get the long version, plus the air is free to use as much you want, and you don't have to go home and remove the CO2 air and refill with a pump with regular air! I hate doing twice the work, it's not an efficient way to spend time.

Oh yeah, I have noticed the price of CO2 carts has gone sky high. :eek:

Mr. Beanz said:

Oh yeah, I have noticed the price of CO2 carts has gone sky high. :eek:

My price for air hasn't gone up at all, it's still free!

Froze said:

My price for air hasn't gone up at all, it's still free!

I get the feeling that when the air quality is once again acceptable in Commiefornia, they’ll start taxing the cleaner air.

[LEFT]

swampy1970 said:

I get the feeling that when the air quality is once again acceptable in Commiefornia, they’ll start taxing the cleaner air.

[/LEFT]

[LEFT]And you know what happens when that happens... the rest of America will tax our air too in about 5 years after California does. I lived in Commiefornication for 20 some odd years, I'm so glad I left; don't get me wrong, I loved the weather and mountains for cycling, I loved the ocean for swimming in, but those were the only things I liked. My lifestyle has improved dramatically since I moved to Indiana, though my cycling isn't as good as it was back in Commie; but I would rather be financially comfortable in my old age so I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, go wherever I want.[/LEFT]

They will have to tax the air to pay reparations for the idiots.

Mr. Beanz said:

They will have to tax the air to pay reparations for the idiots.

What pisses me off is that the commies in Commifornication are so fast to want to pay reparations to blacks but did you notice they don't mention paying reparations to the American Indians? The Indians had it FAR FAR worse than the blacks did, so after all these years we still don't care about the Indians, I wonder why? Do you think votes may have something to do with it? Well, let's take a look at the numbers. There are 2.9 million Indians in the USA today, there are 35 million blacks in America today...so the answer is very obvious.

Froze said:

What pisses me off is that the commies in Commifornication are so fast to want to pay reparations to blacks but did you notice they don't mention paying reparations to the American Indians? The Indians had it FAR FAR worse than the blacks did, so after all these years we still don't care about the Indians, I wonder why? Do you think votes may have something to do with it? Well, let's take a look at the numbers. There are 2.9 million Indians in the USA today, there are 35 million blacks in America today...so the answer is very obvious.

Honestly, I grew up around plenty of blacks. If I ever had trouble, it was the blacks and I'm Mexican. What did I do to blacks that would encourage them to steal my sheot as a kid (basketballs, bikes etc)

Jews had it far worse, not everybody grew up in Disneyland. Watching 18 yo black kids complaining about racism is silly. Sorry man, maybe I sound racist but I'm so fed up with their crying. I was born in 63, in my hometown, my parents were not allowed in the local Ford Cafeteria right in the middle of town, 1 mile from our house. Mexicans have had their share of trouble, everybody has, so listening to black whiners, I'm freaking fed up with it.

Honestly, I'm a racist to many ha ha! Mexicans from Mexico are terribly racist and as a Mexican American (Grandpa here since 1908), I can't stand the Mexican invasion. My grandfather went to Mexico to visit, my parents as well and they take a lot of [censored] from Mexicans.

So if you ask me, they can put all the cry babies in a big pot and burn them. Man, I hate talking politics because there are too many idiots in the world trying to get something for nothing.

F#CK, I'll stop here before I go out and hurt someone ha ha! But if you ask me, if black protesters show up at my doorstep, I'm pulling out the shotgun.

I'm hoping after they get the suckers to vote for them, they'll give up on the reparations thing. Just like they thought Obummer was going to buy them a house.

Stupid people fall for stupid tricks then they pull the carpet out from under them after they get what they want. Get some votes then pull the reparations carpet out ha ha!

Oh, again, who snatched my wife's purse at the mall? Black boy about 19. Idiot thought I couldn't run. Chased him for 1/4 mile till he tossed the purse to get me off his heels. So this is one of the Negros who deserved to be paid because one fo his descendants was a slave?

Idiots, did them a favor by bringing them over! They should be paying the US!

BTW Froze, I spent an hour walking around our hood last night taking down addresses of these illegals who come here for a better life but degrade ours. Live bands, tubas, trumpets, blasting till 2 am by a bunch of illegals who think our residential area is their concert hall. I call dispactch and online complaints, seems to be helping.

Ah the joys of reparations. I guess we often forget that whilst many blacks were sold as slaves, they were rounded up in Africa and sold by other blacks as well as Brazilians that settled there on the slave coast.

Again, more commonality when we look at the Barabary slave trade. Africans often marauding Southern European cities to capture men to sell. More blacks rounding up slaves - this time on the north of Africa.

Let’s not forget about the East Coast and Egypt. The mass use of slaves by blacks that ruled the land.

But what do I know - I’m just evil whitey that came to the US to take allz your monies and stealz all your wimin folks.

swampy1970 said:

Ah the joys of reparations. I guess we often forget that whilst many blacks were sold as slaves, they were rounded up in Africa and sold by other blacks as well as Brazilians that settled there on the slave coast.

Again, more commonality when we look at the Barabary slave trade. Africans often marauding Southern European cities to capture men to sell. More blacks rounding up slaves - this time on the north of Africa.

Let’s not forget about the East Coast and Egypt. The mass use of slaves by blacks that ruled the land.

But what do I know - I’m just evil whitey that came to the US to take allz your monies and stealz all your wimin folks.

I am 57 and remember marching down the street, home from school with my buddies chanting "HEY HEY GET OUT OF MY WAY, JUST GOT BACK FROM THE USA!!!! 😎

Those were the days people still understood how this country was built, the sacrifices, the lives lost to gain and keep our freedom.

Now, I'm the evil whitey too because I understand my country is more than a place where illegal immigrants, idiots, drug addicts, and lazy mother F*****s should come and see what they can get for free.

BTW, just deleted a black friend on instagram. Cyclist posting plenty of ride pics and we liked pic in exchange.

Today he posted a black health matters post. All black cyclists, the importance of black cycling. WTF! Here we go, can't even ride a fricken bike without getting racial. Goodbye dummy!