Accessories

I've always said that one of the things I love about bike riding is that it’s basically free.  Oh, sure, there is the initial investment, and yes, there are some maintenance items that you have to consider.  But it’s not like golf, where you have to pay $50 every time you go out.  I can hop on my bike, ride out from the house, and get in 2 or 3 hours of very good exercise/therapy for virtually no cost whatsoever. 

Now that’s not to say that cyclists can’t spend money.  Just stop in to a local bike shop sometime and see what else they sell besides bikes.  I recently bought a new set of wheels (the lesson there is that you can only adjust spokes so many times on stock wheels before you just plain need to upgrade.)  As I was looking I saw wheels for anywhere from $200 to $5,000.  Yes, that’s $5,000—just for the wheels.  (And no, that doesn’t include the tires.)  It’s amazing what we can spend on stuff besides the bike.

Starting at the top, it goes without saying these days that you need a helmet.  But in addition, there is also the skull cap (or sweat-soaker-upper) that goes under the helmet, and the rear-view mirror that mounts to the side of the helmet.  Then there is the apparel—you need at least a couple of short-sleeved jerseys, it’s nice to have a long-sleeved jersey, and if you’re like me, a sleeveless jersey is also a must.  The problem with the long-sleeved jersey though is that as the morning warms up, you’re stuck in long sleeves, so another good thing to have is arm-warmers—sleeves that you can wear with a short-sleeved jersey, and then take off as it gets warmer.  You also need the bike shorts--a must-have on 2 counts: 1) the tight, non-flapping fit, and 2) (more importantly) the padded butt.  And don't forget the gloves.  (When I started riding I thought the gloves were more for show—after my first ride without them I learned better.)  Then there are the shoes.  When it comes to road riding, shoes are a whole science in themselves because they become an integral part of the pedals.  The shoe-cleat-pedal combination is a whole other subject. 

And besides the personal accessories, there are the accessories for the bike.  You need at least a computer.  This might be as simple as something that just gives you your speed, distance, elapsed time, average speed, and maximum speed.  Or, it might be as complicated as something that also gives you your time splits (as frequently as you want them), your GPS location, a map of your route, your heart-rate, your power output, your calorie expenditure, and your oxygen intake.  (I think they’re working on a model that will also give you the amount of glycogen in your blood, the weight of the sweat in your socks, and the number of servings of lasagna you’ll be able to eat after the ride without gaining any weight…)

And all that is not to mention the lights, tire pumps, chain lubes, flat repair kits, saddle bags, Allen wrenches, handlebar tape, bar ends, map holders, water bottles, and water bottle cages.  But really, one of the great things about cycling is that it’s basically free…