Cycling Accessories Cost Advice

Lemlin

I've been looking at different cyclying accessories and trying to budget for same for when I get a bike on the bike to work scheme.
At the moment, I'm thinking about spending around €600 to €700 on the bike and I was budgeting about €300 to €400 for accessories.
I'm just wondering would I be correct in my estimated values below for accessories:

Mud guards - €15
Front & back lights - €44
Waterproof & windproof jacket - €80
Padded cycle shorts - €60
Helmet - €60
Cycling glasses - €65
Cycling gloves/mitts - €40
Waterproof bottoms - €80
Pump - €30

The above adds up to €474 and seems like an awful lot so I'm wondering am I over estimating anything?
I'm only starting out so wanted to get nothing too professional but wanted to get quality stuff that'll last a while.
I presume I have all the kit there that I need for starting out.

goalscoringhero

Lemlin wrote: »

Padded cycle shorts - €60

In my LBS there's usually a basket with padded cycle shorts for €15 each.
What distances are you planning to cycle? I don't see a need for padding for distances under 20km, so I never wear padding when commuting (12km per leg).

Lemlin wrote: »

Helmet - €60

I have a €15 helmet from Argos, while not spectacular it has served me fine for the past 4 years.

Lemlin wrote: »

Cycling glasses - €65
Cycling gloves/mitts - €40

Usually I get the €5 cycling classes from Aldi/Lidl when they have them, same for the gloves which come at around €10.

kerry4sam

Lemlin wrote: »

I've been looking at different cyclying accessories and trying to budget for same for when I get a bike on the bike to work scheme.
At the moment, I'm thinking about spending around €600 to €700 on the bike and I was budgeting about €300 to €400 for accessories.
I'm just wondering would I be correct in my estimated values below for accessories:

Mud guards - €15
Front & back lights - €44
Waterproof & windproof jacket - €80
Padded cycle shorts - €60
Helmet - €60
Cycling glasses - €65
Cycling gloves/mitts - €40
Waterproof bottoms - €80
Pump - €30

The above adds up to €474 and seems like an awful lot so I'm wondering am I over estimating anything?
I'm only starting out so wanted to get nothing too professional but wanted to get quality stuff that'll last a while.
I presume I have all the kit there that I need for starting out.

- don't yet have mudguards but will do soon though. While I enjoy cycling through puddles, I think it's time I bought some mudguards
- my lights were on my previous bike so can't give a quote there
- wind &water-proof jacket were around the 80euros mark each alright
- I've short and long-sleeved jerseys too that the lowest paid would be 55euros each (have several of each now)
- the lowest I've paid for padded shorts was 50euros in a local shop with the highest being 75euros online
- My helmet was given to me when I purchased my bike, sound sales-man
- I've paid 45euros for glasses, they were in a sale though recently
- Each of my padded finger-less gloves cost me 38euros each
- waterproof bottoms cost around the 70euros mark
- pump came with a repair kit I purchased and have strapped on my bike
- I also carry a first-aid kit in a back-pocket (I like to be prepared)

seamus

Mud guards - €10.23
Front & back lights - €23.05
Waterproof & windproof jacket - €51.23
Padded cycle shorts - €48.68
Helmet - €49.19
Cycling glasses - €19.20
Cycling gloves/mitts - €16.63
Waterproof bottoms - NA (Don't bother)
Pump - €16.63

€235 delivered.

seamus

Sorry, that's not supposed to be a list of recommendations btw, just an example of what you can get if you shop around online.

Slydice

Looks like you're into protection from the rain. Have you looked up overshoes?

C3PO

Spend as much as you can on the bike and as little as possible for the accessories! You can upgrade your clothing etc over time .... much more difficult to upgrade a bike!
Don't get me wrong I've spent a fortune on kit over the years but the bike should be your first priority!

Cee-Jay-Cee

Lemlin wrote: »

Mud guards - €15
Front & back lights - €44
Waterproof & windproof jacket - €80
Padded cycle shorts - €60
Helmet - €60
Cycling glasses - €65
Cycling gloves/mitts - €40
Waterproof bottoms - €80
Pump - €30.

You'll get lights on eBay for less than 10 delivered. The same with gloves, glasses and pump. A good helmet can be had for 20-30 and a good jacket shouldn't cost any more than 50. Shorts can be got for 30 and you don't need mud guards.

My advice is spend the full amount on the bike and buy the accessories yourself online. You'll have everything got by the time the BTW scheme is processed and you get your bike if you start shopping today.

t'bear

I am in the market for front light, there was an excellent review for the Lezyne lights on youtube, not cheap, but I wouldnt scrimp in that area to be honest (no matter how well you know the roads) if you are commuting

lennymc

take your budget, double it and add a zero at the end. We all start off with good intentions of sticking to a budget, but then someone releases something shinier or blingier and then before you know it you've bought it, and some other stuff you didn't think you needed, for that second new bike you've just ordered and justified by using some random made up excuse like "its a winter bike". Its a disease man! There is no escape!!!

hardCopy

Spend as little as possible on accessories and splurge out on the next Lidl/Aldi sale. The accessories will wear out over time and can be replaced with nicer stuff as needed.

53 Degrees North had great Regatta lightweight jackets for €30 a few weeks ago, they may still have them.

One thing you shouldn't scrimp on is a decent lock.

Tonyandthewhale

You don't need waterproof bottoms, especially if you're wearing lycra which dries quickly and keeps you reasonably warm in the wet. Waterproof bottoms will just make you wet from sweat rather than rain.
I'd also say a helmet is not a necessity unless you're riding races or events where helmets are mandatory (although that's a contentious issue) and that if you insist on wearing one then you can get one for less than 60e easy enough.
Don't scrimp on lights if you're going riding on rural roads but if there are streetlights covering most of your commute you can probably get away with a cheaper set.

As someone said, 5e gloves in lidl or aldi will do the trick, maybe not quite as good as the 40e gloves but not 8 times worse.

Cycling glasses, is that sunglasses or proper glasses specifically for cycling? Personally I prefer a peaked cycling gap for keeping the sun and rain out of my eyes and while I don't wear glasses normally I know a lot of people who do who just wear they're normal glasses on the bike. Either way, if you're new to cycling I'd say ride with what you have now and the more you ride the better idea you'll have of what you need to upgrade.

Also, don't forget a spare tube and some tyre irons as well as a mini pump you can carry with you or strap to your frame in case you get a puncture while out on the road.

lochdara

Tonyandthewhale wrote: »

You don't need waterproof bottoms, especially if you're wearing lycra which dries quickly and keeps you reasonably warm in the wet. Waterproof bottoms will just make you wet from sweat rather than rain.
I'd also say a helmet is not a necessity unless you're riding races or events where helmets are mandatory (although that's a contentious issue) and that if you insist on wearing one then you can get one for less than 60e easy enough.
Don't scrimp on lights if you're going riding on rural roads but if there are streetlights covering most of your commute you can probably get away with a cheaper set.

As someone said, 5e gloves in lidl or aldi will do the trick, maybe not quite as good as the 40e gloves but not 8 times worse.

Cycling glasses, is that sunglasses or proper glasses specifically for cycling? Personally I prefer a peaked cycling gap for keeping the sun and rain out of my eyes and while I don't wear glasses normally I know a lot of people who do who just wear they're normal glasses on the bike. Either way, if you're new to cycling I'd say ride with what you have now and the more you ride the better idea you'll have of what you need to upgrade.

Also, don't forget a spare tube and some tyre irons as well as a mini pump you can carry with you or strap to your frame in case you get a puncture while out on the road.

Starter gear on sportsdirect.com. Muddy fox padded gear for 8 euro ish. . Try on in. Reasons first but there 18 there. Aldi glases and gloves are fine

Seweryn

t'bear wrote: »

I am in the market for front light, there was an excellent review for the Lezyne lights on youtube, not cheap, but I wouldnt scrimp in that area to be honest (no matter how well you know the roads) if you are commuting

Get yourself a set like this one. Highly recommended.

t'bear

Thanks for the Recommendation

kingoffifa

Said above:

buy tubes - yes!!
spend as much as you can on the bike - yes!!
the lidl/aldi stuff is grand - yes!!

To give you an idea of what I spent.

Mud guards - €15 two pairs - €10 each - both second hand in perfect working order. one set from a lad renting bikes in Killarney and another from a lad off Adverts.ie for the commuter bike.

Front & back lights - €44 - have had the same lights for 4 to 5 years which cost I think 12 euro off ebay from the UK.
fitzcycles.ie selling a set for €7.50 (not affiliated)

Waterproof & windproof jacket - €80 - only just bought a cycle specific jacket in Dun Loaghaire Tresspass shop for €35. Could do with another bit on the tail. works well and is actually kind of breathable.
But you could get something much better for your 80 euro like Altura.

Padded cycle shorts - €60 - I have a set from Aldi 4 years which were a tenner i think. They work. i have done 100 km spin in them. Can see myself investing in some dhb gear from wiggle which seems to have good reviews and an ok price considering the ridiculous nature of cycling extras.

Helmet - €60 - Helmet with light in lidl 12 euro - looks horrific but i'm not looking at it

Cycling glasses - €65 - two sets - oakley jawbones 150 - bought on holiday - pair i wear everyday? 4 euro in aldi
Cycling gloves/mitts - €40 - mitts - 5 euro lidl. gloves for winter 5 euro lidl. Aldi sale soon because Lidl just did one. Some bits still there in most shops I reckon.

Waterproof bottoms - €80 tresspass again. €20. good buy for commuting, zips down the side and supposedly breathable. better than the set from Aldi I bought for circa a tenner.

Pump - €30 - have a track pump that cost €45 from Halfords 4 years ago. So €30 sounds ok but I could be wrong. People seem to not rate Aldi or Lidl ones.

lochdara

got a track pump with guage in halfords a few weeks ago for €25. works both valves

Mcofferon

Hi

Have you already got a lock, thats one area where you dont want to scrimp on. Even if you store the bike at home all the time, it should be locked

Lemlin

Thanks for all the info lads. Some of the prices are very cheap compared to the cycling store itself that I was in. For example, the cat's eye lights that the store had were €44 but yet are €23 above.

From looking at the above, I think what I'll probably do is spend €800 on the bike and get my clothing and helmet in the shop. I figure the clothing would be easiest to get in the shop as it'd be hard to know sizes.

Then I can get the glasses, mitts and pump online or in Lidl/Aldi.

Someone mentioned to try on muddy fox gear in Reasons. Where is Reasons?

lochdara

Lemlin wrote: »

Thanks for all the info lads. Some of the prices are very cheap compared to the cycling store itself that I was in. For example, the cat's eye lights that the store had were €44 but yet are €23 above.

From looking at the above, I think what I'll probably do is spend €800 on the bike and get my clothing and helmet in the shop. I figure the clothing would be easiest to get in the shop as it'd be hard to know sizes.

Then I can get the glasses, mitts and pump online or in Lidl/Aldi.

Someone mentioned to try on muddy fox gear in Reasons. Where is Reasons?

That would be heatons. Stupid phone. Reason been it's 18 euro there so try in for size and buy on sportsdirect fir 8 euro

Lemlin

lochdara wrote: »

Lemlin wrote: »

Thanks for all the info lads. Some of the prices are very cheap compared to the cycling store itself that I was in. For example, the cat's eye lights that the store had were €44 but yet are €23 above.

From looking at the above, I think what I'll probably do is spend €800 on the bike and get my clothing and helmet in the shop. I figure the clothing would be easiest to get in the shop as it'd be hard to know sizes.

Then I can get the glasses, mitts and pump online or in Lidl/Aldi.

Someone mentioned to try on muddy fox gear in Reasons. Where is Reasons?

That would be heatons. Stupid phone. Reason been it's 18 euro there so try in for size and buy on sportsdirect fir 8 euro

Thanks for the tip. There's a Heatins close so I will nip in tomorrow. I presume the stuff is in the Sportsworld part of Heatons?

lochdara

Lemlin wrote: »

lochdara wrote: »

Lemlin wrote: »

Thanks for all the info lads. Some of the prices are very cheap compared to the cycling store itself that I was in. For example, the cat's eye lights that the store had were €44 but yet are €23 above.

From looking at the above, I think what I'll probably do is spend €800 on the bike and get my clothing and helmet in the shop. I figure the clothing would be easiest to get in the shop as it'd be hard to know sizes.

Then I can get the glasses, mitts and pump online or in Lidl/Aldi.

Someone mentioned to try on muddy fox gear in Reasons. Where is Reasons?

That would be heatons. Stupid phone. Reason been it's 18 euro there so try in for size and buy on sportsdirect fir 8 euro

Thanks for the tip. There's a Heatins close so I will nip in tomorrow. I presume the stuff is in the Sportsworld part of Heatons?

Yeah. They have long and short padded pants. High viz tops and a few other bits. Check out website I posted above for price comparison

pdstck

Hi
I have been cycling for about 2 years now and only this year bought a decent light it makes a huge difference, cars actully dim their lights when they see me now and light only at 70 per cent, its a sigma light that cost 82 euro on bikediscount.de have seen some on done deal since, if you can buy first set of gear from shop where you can try them on first and go online after you have figured out your size. Aldi sale coming up on september 28. Also when you can afford it get a decent set of tyres i'm on my second set of contientals which cost 40euro each and haven't got a puncture yet (touch wood)

Seweryn

pdstck wrote: »

Hi
I have been cycling for about 2 years now and only this year bought a decent light it makes a huge difference, cars actully dim their lights when they see me now and light only at 70 per cent, its a sigma light that cost 82 euro on bikediscount.de have seen some on done deal since, if you can buy first set of gear from shop where you can try them on first and go online after you have figured out your size. Aldi sale coming up on september 28. Also when you can afford it get a decent set of tyres i'm on my second set of contientals which cost 40euro each and haven't got a puncture yet (touch wood)

Yeah, a proper set of lights is hugely important. I wouldn't waste any money on basic lights and would only go for something decent, i.e. the set I mentioned in my previous post is really good.

In bad weather, a good tyre is another safety factor. Continentals are great. I use the 4000S Grand Prix and find them very durable, puncture proof and they provide excellent grip in all conditions.

chippys

Hi

You can call into any shop for a quote that is doing the bike to work scheme, some of the local shops will give you a better deal than the bigger shops as you can really haggle with them, just remember you cant buy anywhere, the most important thing is your employer has to make the payment directly even though you might see cheap helmets etc inc other shops (ie Lldil) does not mean you will get them at the same price, i got my bike last year in the sales plus lots of accessories for less than i expected, its well worth it, because only knows this budget might be the end of it?

Lou:)

Lemlin wrote: »

I've been looking at different cyclying accessories and trying to budget for same for when I get a bike on the bike to work scheme.
At the moment, I'm thinking about spending around €600 to €700 on the bike and I was budgeting about €300 to €400 for accessories.
I'm just wondering would I be correct in my estimated values below for accessories:

Mud guards - €15
Front & back lights - €44
Waterproof & windproof jacket - €80
Padded cycle shorts - €60
Helmet - €60
Cycling glasses - €65
Cycling gloves/mitts - €40
Waterproof bottoms - €80
Pump - €30

The above adds up to €474 and seems like an awful lot so I'm wondering am I over estimating anything?
I'm only starting out so wanted to get nothing too professional but wanted to get quality stuff that'll last a while.
I presume I have all the kit there that I need for starting out.

fixie fox

I dunno why you need 'cycling glasses'. If u want to budget I'd knock them off the list.

tfrancer

fixie fox wrote: »

I dunno why you need 'cycling glasses'. If u want to budget I'd knock them off the list.

The wraparound glasses give some protection from the wind.

lochdara

tfrancer wrote: »

fixie fox wrote: »

I dunno why you need 'cycling glasses'. If u want to budget I'd knock them off the list.

The wraparound glasses give some protection from the wind.

I wear bolle glasses that I also used or airsoft just to keep bugs and the occasional stone away. Or my aldi ones. Bolle was 25 euro and they were rated to stop a airsoft bb travelling at 330 fps.

cdaly_

lochdara wrote: »

I wear bolle glasses that I also used or airsoft just to keep bugs and the occasional stone away.

This. Nothing worse than the feeling of a midge trying to crawl out of your eye as you descend at speed...

Lemlin

I was in Heatons earlier today and they are selling Muddy Fox led light sets for €16. They are reduced but not sure from what. Would they be decent enough quality or would I need a better set?

They also have Muddy Fox gloves that are waterproof and breathable reduced from €20 to €14. Problem is they only have extra large in my local Heatons and I'd imagine large would be a better fit as the extra large were a tiny bit big. Would it make much difference if gloves were a tiny bit big?

lochdara

Lemlin wrote: »

I was in Heatons earlier today and they are selling Muddy Fox led light sets for €16. They are reduced but not sure from what. Would they be decent enough quality or would I need a better set?

They also have Muddy Fox gloves that are waterproof and breathable reduced from €20 to €14. Problem is they only have extra large in my local Heatons and I'd imagine large would be a better fit as the extra large were a tiny bit big. Would it make much difference if gloves were a tiny bit big?

Sportsdirect.com have the same gear for half of there price

wonga77

beat me to it,
http://www.sportsdirect.com/
they have a big enough range of stuff and dirt cheap too

Nicknamed

Dear all.
I'm looking to buy bIke gear in a similar situation to the OP as a new starter for about 16 km commute daily in total.
I will appreciate recommendations.
I have spent heavy on bike and hoping to go easy on accessories.
I haven't bought any accessories yet.
Thanks