The Lock Loop
A proper lock is paramount if you don’t want your afternoon commute to be worse (as in bike-less) than your morning commute. The Loop-Lock is a set of steel bars that fit through your front and rear wheels and attach to your normal bike lock. Because wheelie-ing all the way home is just embarrassing. ~$US35.
Adamo Time Trial
You wear a helmet to protect your head, so why not use a seat that protects your… er, you know. The Adamo Time Trial has a cut-away centre that allows for increased hip rotation (which means a stronger stroke and faster speed) with reduced nether-region numbness. $US225.
Morpha Tool Roll
If there is one constant in bike commuting, it’s that you will get a flat every time you’re late for a meeting. With the 10-pocket Morpha bag cinched under your seat, even if you do spring a leak, you’ll have a convenient way to stow the tools you need to get it patched and get you back in the saddle. $US44.
Takeout Basket
Unless you ride a fixed gear or have really monstrous mitts, you’ll likely need two hands to to work your front and rear brakes. So how do you effectively ride and carry a six-pack at the same time? With the Takeout Basket, obviously. Just attach the basket to your front handle bars; the included roll top bag holds five burritos’ worth of gear and secures with a snap. $US120.
Bikelit Lights
The problem with rear lights that clip onto your belt or your bag is that they can easily be obscured by clothing and the like. Bikelit lights avoid that problem entirely by clipping to the underside of your seat, away from your coattails. With an LED that can be seen up to a mile away and two glow settings, the Bikelit will let everyone on the road know where you’ve been. $US14/set.
Outlier Blazed v2
Look, you’re going to get a bit sweaty when you ride and that’s fine (expected really), unless of course you’re en route to your office for a big sales presentation. If you need to look top-notch the moment you get off your ride, then you’ll want to take a look at the new Blaze2 dress shirt from Outlier-Feit. It’s designed to maximize sweat resistance and breathability without looking like a cycling jersey. The Blaze2 also incorporates a patent-pending Pivot Sleeve design that grants you more flexibility and freedom of movement as you ride – great for those of us not built like the average 175cm, 60kg Tour de France rider (you know, with shoulders). $US175.
Chrome Kursk Pro Heroes
Clip-in shoes are fantastic… until you have to get off your bike. Then you’re waddling around like an inbred penguin. The Kursk Pro Heroes from Chrome solve this issue by sinking the SPD clips into the sole of the shoe. On the bike, they work like standard clip-ins. Off the bike, they work like normal sneaks – no more hobbling about, no more need to drag a second pair of shoes everywhere you ride. $US95.
Top Art courtesy of Shutterstock
Lucas
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 8:46 AMI made an audible guffaw when I read the summary.
As a regular public transport user and pedestrian, I see more red light-running cyclists in a day than I see red light-running drivers in a year!
Sam
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 9:27 AMYeah, the majority of bike riders give the minority a bad name
mogwai
Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 10:03 AMDont get me started about pedestrians just wandering about the city like retarded oompa loompas looking at everything but where they are going and steping straight out into bike lanes, j-walking, disobaying traffic lights and generally making out like they are the only people in the universe.
Theophilus
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 9:51 AMI made an audible guffaw when i read your post Lucas, i’ve seen more jay-walking pedestrians get killed by red-light running drivers in a year than by cyclists in a millenium.
Ion
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 10:25 AMNo rego/insurance you shouldnt be alowed on the road. Dicks.
Pedal
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 11:02 AMA very good point Ion,
Lets charge everyone with a bike rego and insurance.
“I’m sorry John, you need to pay this $250 fine as your rego is out of date…. you’re only 6? Bad luck then cause you are off to jail!”
I let you be the policeman there, you could be Snr. Sergeant Dick!
Ian
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 11:33 AMNo internet etiquette being narrow minded and being a troll you shouldn’t be allowed to use a computer.
bri_cheese
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 12:21 PMI’d gladly pay in proportion to the facilities provided, damage caused (environmental and third party personal) and increased road wear due to my bike.
Where to I pay my $2?
Patrick
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 12:29 PMThat’s a very extreme view. I wonder are you the sort of person that complains about trains being crammed at rush hour, grid-lock, smog or maybe your tractor getting stuck in the mud?
jason
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 3:18 PMfirstly i do pay rego for my car and drivers license anyway.
BUT
If i was required to pay a separate bicycle registration or license and it guaranteed me a bicycle lane or roads wide enough for cars to comfortably overtake, or just not to have stupid f%^&%^$g deep storm water drains 500-700mm into the road then i would be first in the line to pay it even if it were the same as my car costs.
Blake
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 11:09 AMYeah the opening paragraph seems a might bias.
No one has any problem with cyclists that obey the law.
People have problems with cyclists that see the being too busy and then mount the curb into a pile of pedestrians. Then decide that that isn’t convient enough and then run a red and go up a one way street directly into traffic.
Again the majority if cyclists do not do this. But it is far easier to assume that every cyclist wants to run into me than to not.
Really I’d just prefer it if they stopped riding on footpaths and stick to cycle paths or roads.
Henry Baird
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 1:07 PMJust like motor vehicle operators are required test and some qualifications (I use some, because Au is tests are very lax), cyclists also need some lessons and learnings about road rules and riding on roads with cars.
Sure red lights are meant that you stop for cars, but where in the rule books for bike riders say that they are meant to stop as well?
And you answer common sense? I LoL that, because clearly riding down a 1 way street is not common sense, however it is 1 way traffic for motorized vehicles, does it relate to pedestrians? people on skate boards? bikes?
Pedal:
And if your 6 years old and riding out on the streets unattended, I’m thinking you don’t go to jail, but go to the nearest welfare agency to find some responsible parents.
And yes, I will be Sergeant Dick there as a 6 year old kid on the road does raise some serious safety concerns would you think not? (Foot path for something 5foot high is not any safer, without the knowledge or experience).
I have seen numerous accidents involving cyclists and parked cars, where they have swung in too close to a parked car cracked mirrors, scratched cars and ridden off as if nothing happened. Sure the same thing happens with car on car action, but at least you have a licence plate that you can use to take to the police if the situation demands.
In short, proper education and accountability there shouldn’t be a minority giving a majority a bad name, (car/cyclists) everyone should use the road with respect for each other.
My daily commute is done a bike, and there is no one side is worse than the other, idiots stand out everywhere, car/bike/pedestrian.
Author was probably relating to a similar experience where a pedstrian steps out on to the road of a one way street looks in the direction traffic should be flowing while crossing, ignoring oncoming traffic.
Dan
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 6:15 PMUmm … sorry, but drivers running red lights kill people, including cyclists. They’re a much bigger problem, by any reasonable definition of “problem”.
Next time you’re inclined to lecture a cyclist on lawfulness, ask yourself whether you ever (as in, ever) speed, run a red light, drive in a bike lane, etc. In recent years, as both a cyclist and a driver, I’d say the honours are about even when it comes to lawbreaking. It’s just that drivers give each other a free pass which they’re not prepared to extend to cyclists.
David K
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 9:46 AMI totally agree with you Dan