Essential parts and accessories

If you read my prior post you would know that the kids and I recently got new bikes. 

We researched what fitted our needs, found in stock and fairly priced bikes. Bought, built and rode them. Bliss. 

I thought that was it. Ride off into the sunset and enjoy!

But then came punctures, returning later that expected at dusk, cleaning and maintenance.

So I went down the next route of stocking up on consumables and accessories 

What spares should be in the home inventory?

• Tyre tubes
• 2x per size, 1 ready to go, the other just in case. Allow time to make it to the shops for a replacement spare.
• Puncture kit
• for out on the road repairs, and attempts at recovering minor punctures [link]
• Brake bleed kit
• one challenge I found with hydraulic brakes was it’s not so easy to disconnect the cable for rerouting, as compared to traditional cable setups
• Band aids
• a little surprise one here. I learnt very quickly that the learning experience comes with its fair share of spills

What accessories to start out with?

Item	Notes
Headlight and tail lights	Legally as well as functionally required for dusk and night-time riding.
Kick stand	None of the quality bikes came with a kick stand, making them not only difficult to store but also a challenge when stopping for a break mid-ride.
Bottle Holders	At least one for each rider. My bike, being the biggest, holds two.
Bottles	Nice big ones, unless it’s a smaller bike with minimal space, of course.
Mini hand pump	Ideally one that mounts to the bottle holder mount.

What I will need in the future?

• Tyres - maybe even a tubeless upgrade
• Grips
• Brake Pads
• Brake fluid (mineral oil for bikes that is)
• Mud Guard/s
• Saddle Bag
• Biking Shoes
• Latex clothes... (lets stop right here)

Key learnings along the way?

1. Make sure your bike pump/s have the ability to pump both presto and Schrader valves
2. Headlights aren’t going to be great, they are more for others to see you more than they are for you to see ahead
3. Never underestimate the need for water.  If you’ve got two bottle holder mounts use them both
4. No name brands Tubes fail quickly. Plan ahead and buy known brands on special, or even at full price will be cheaper in the long run than cheap and nasty products
5. Everything adds weight. Even something as simple as Thorn resistant tubes add more weight than you’d expect. We spend good money on lightweight bikes only to install all sorts of accessories. Keep weight in mind when purchasing. 

Where to buy?

Outside biking I use ebay or amazon for a lot of low value (<$100) online products. For biking I haven't found this as successful. 'Proper' bike stores certainly have better quality products and range, however to get free postage you need to be spending >$50, so requires some planning ahead or physically attending store fronts.

Here are some real purchases I have made recently:

Category	Item	Description
Spares	24" Schwalbe Tubes	Spare inner tubes for 24" bikes.
	27.5" Pirelli Tubes	Spare inner tubes for 27.5" bikes.
	29" Pirelli Tubes	Spare inner tubes for 29" bikes.
On Road Emergency Bag Items	Valve Adaptor - Presta to Schrader	Just in case, for on-the-road emergencies.
	Puncture Repair Kit	Essential for fixing flats on the go.
Accessories	Kick Stand	Fits 24" and 27.5" bikes. Too short for 29" frames.
	Lights	Affordable option from Shein—cheap but effective.

How much to pay?

This is a broad topic, but lets focus on the above:

• Quality Tubes can be found for under $10 each. In fact I managed to pay $6 each for a couple of 29" on special
• Valve Adaptor, $2
• Puncture Repair. Small simple kit <$5 (I got the one above for $3)
• Kick Stands retail for about $30 and up. The one linked above was $7.50
• Lights start from about $10 each. The Shein ones were a crazy $4.50 for a pair.

Final Note

As with most hobbies, they start with a decent measured intentional initial spend, and then keep this going with unintended unplanned incidentals. With a bit of foresight and some light research, these costs can be kept minimal while ensuring the ride continues, into the sunset!

Hit me with your top riding hacks in the comments, and what you keep in your emergency kit!