Most Useful Piece of Cycling Equipment for commute

inchydoney

Whats the best bit of kit you have on your bike. I cant recommend the airzound horn for the bike enough. http://www.cyclesurgery.com/brandlist/mcs/brand/Air+Zound/

You can get the m for between 20 and 30 euro in most bike shops.It is so loud that cars can even hear it - 115 decibels. It has helped me so many times avoid collisions with cars and especially pedestrians. Great fun also cycling behind pedestrians and scaring the bejaysus out of them.:D

cyclopath2001

inchydoney wrote:

Whats the best bit of kit you have on your bike.

Experience, defensive road use and common sense combined with properly fitted lights & reflectors.

Gadgets are just a distraction.

Ghost Rider

Some distractions can be useful e.g. airhorns!

cyclopath2001 wrote:

Experience, defensive road use and common sense combined with properly fitted lights & reflectors.

Gadgets are just a distraction.

Mucco

I'm not convinced about these horns. By the time you've moved your hand to press the button, you've wasted valuable braking time. Much better to look ahead to foresee idiots and take a good road position.

M

Hagar

I find the saddle quite useful.

rubadub

Mucco wrote:

I'm not convinced about these horns. By the time you've moved your hand to press the button, you've wasted valuable braking time. Much better to look ahead to foresee idiots and take a good road position.

M

I wouldnt mind it. Only place people really get in my way is cycle lanes. I can be going 50km/hr down a stretch and see people sauntering along oblivious, some actually look at you as though you are in the wrong, cycling on their path! I see them a very long way off.

Raam

I find my cycle computer to be very handy, it helps me keep pace

youcancallmeal

Gloves tbh

SimpleSam06

King Raam wrote:

I find my cycle computer to be very handy, it helps me keep pace

Whats that? Like a digital speedometer? I'd say mp3 player except for that it would be suicidal on Irish roads...

Raam

SimpleSam06 wrote:

Whats that? Like a digital speedometer?

yup, that's exactly it. It also keeps track of how far you have cycled in total.

SimpleSam06

King Raam wrote:

yup, that's exactly it. It also keeps track of how far you have cycled in total.

Handy little gadget that, I must get my hands on one...

Sneaky_Russian

some useful commutting equipment.

1). a good bag for you gear.
i have a Berghaus FreeFlow II. it has a rib which arches away from your back and allows air in to keep you back cool (works too). Enough room for a change of clothes and a towel. Has it's own rain cover which keeps it dry when its raining

2) Rain Gear. invest in a good set. breathable rain jacket and rain trousers.
also a pair of water proof overshoes to stop the rain running off and soaking your feet.

3) Lights and Sam Brown/Iluminus gear. BE SEEN.....and remember all drivers are idiots.

4) Mudguards.....sometimes i wish i had some

5) A good wicking base layer if your gonna get sweaty on your commute.
byrnje string vest type layers are excellent.

6) Helmet of course.....

daymobrew

Sneaky_Russian wrote:

1). a good bag for you gear.
i have a Berghaus FreeFlow II. it has a rib which arches away from your back and allows air in to keep you back cool (works too). Enough room for a change of clothes and a towel. Has it's own rain cover which keeps it dry when its raining

I have the FreeFlow II bag too. It does a good job of keeping my back cool (well, relatively - I cycle hard so even with no clothes on and a northly breeze blowing I'd still be sweating - but it a huge improvement on the regular bag that I used to have). I'm lucky in that I can leave my towel and shower gear in my desk locker at work. The arch bit does reduce the capacity a bit.
I also run with this bag - the chest and waist strap mean that the bag is held firmly against by back, and not bouncing around.
I also added 2 reflective stickers to the rain cover as the bag covers my Sam Browne belt.

Sneaky_Russian wrote:

4) Mudguards.....sometimes i wish i had some

Definitely worth getting. I've added rather unattractive mud flaps (made out of a doormat) to the end of both mudguards to make them much better (I'll never understand why mudguard manufacturers make them so short - they obviously never test them in the wet).

Sneaky_Russian wrote:

5) A good wicking base layer if your gonna get sweaty on your commute. byrnje string vest type layers are excellent.

I wear Nike Pro tight shirts under my other gear. Keeps me warm in winter and cool in summer (by taking sweat off my skin quickly).

For a speedometer, I have the CatEye Mity 8. I like it a lot.

Civilian_Target

Gloves, mudgaurds and reflective jacket.

rabbitinlights

An Abus lock.