taz777

I’m after some tips and tricks that can be employed to declutter a bike so that it looks a little more stock, yet still has all of the essential accessories that are needed on typical rides - lights, bottle, bell, etc.

I’ve thought about mounting the front light upside down under the handlebar but some front lights cannot be mounted this way due to the lens pattern.

So, I was wondering whether anyone else has tried to declutter a bike purely for aesthetic reasons and what they came up with.

Kontact 

I have quick release lights and a quick release rear fender. I only mount them as needed.

Wildwood 

I don't ride this bike at night. Big water bottle, everything for a flat tire repair, chain break, or minor problem

rydabent

The most clutter free bikes were made in the middle to late 80s when they had down tube shifters. BTW they were almost totally friction free too, and seldom went out of adjustment.

taz777

Very nice. This is the look that I'm after.

_ForceD_

wolfchild

My bikes only have the essentials which I find useful...A bell, full fenders and water bottle cages...Lights are seasonal and I only mount them and use them in the fall/winter. During spring/summer I take my lights off... I don't have any bike computers or smartphones on my handlebars because I find them annoying and distracting.

f4rrest

We could start with the assumption about what's truly "essential."

fietsbob

Only A roadie concern, obviously..


Nothing.. weighs less than a part not installed....

BobbyG

I commute, therefore I clutter.

01 CAt Man Do

I think everyone likes a decluttered bike, particularly if its a super light-weight $5K racing bike. I think most people will use a some type of bike computer though because people who are serious about cycling simply want to able to see all the stats that pertain to their riding. My bike is very cluttered but it is no light-weight racer bike so I don't worry too much about how someone else might think it looks. I suppose if I wanted to I could remove half of the stuff without jeopardizing my safety. I could remove my full fenders but then if it rains you have to deal with the spray flying up off the wheels. Not to mention taking full fenders on /off is not something I would want to do on a regular basis because they aren't the easiest things to install. I don't always ride in the rain but I do ride if the roads are just wet. I also mount a frame bag on my bike ( which I hated doing ) but realistically I needed a place for carrying a spare tube, tire levers, a small hand pump, a CO'2 inflator, a small cable lock, my ID and keys. Yep, I could go without a lot of the stuff I carry on my bike but I don't worry much about the aesthetics anymore.

wphamilton

I found that it's easy to just take everything off of it, except the under-seat bag and maybe bike computer, when I have a second bike ready to go with all that stuff on it. So if I want fenders, rack, light and so on, I can always grab bike #2 without feeling that I've compromised by cluttering or else doing without.

BobbyG

+1

woodcraft

Bell mount to underside of stem.

Tiny pump in saddle roll.

FrenchFit 

Why in the world would anyone need a bike computer, other than someone training for competition.

Are you being graded on your ride?

Crazy, a sign of the times.....

rgconner

Is that a Cinelli B-Grove stem?
If so, that is the only other bike I have seen one on. =)

I hate having to use a tailbag, it looks horrible on the bike.
I have been searching for a handlebar bag or a top tube bag but have not found one that looks good on the bike, or stays out of the way when out of the saddle.

Some bikes just looks better with nothing on them at all.

Ironfish653

Get a dedicated commuter bike. That way it can carry the lights, racks, fenders, etc all the time, and your other bike doesnt need more than a water bottle and a patch kit.

taz777

I'm slowly turning my hybrid into a sort-of commuter bike. Rack going on this week, for example.

As for an example of cluttering, here's the cockpit of my mountain bike:



On my fatbike I've decluttered a tiny bit by getting a clever dual-mount from Garmin that takes my Garmin Edge up top and a light (Garmin Varia UT800 which is Go Pro mount compatible) underneath it like this:

RGMN

Clutter? What clutter?

Wildwood 

Wildwood 

rgconner

1 1/8, but it was a B-grove.

Sadly, I stripped a bolt and had to replace it.

ctpres

If bell needed this one is hard to see takes up very little space and works pretty good. Ring bell

Ironfish653

The cockpit on my townie / path bike is pretty clean. Single bottle cage and a small seat bag. Pretty much everything I need for any ride that's not a commute or training ride