Trinox

Hello, I am new to Cycling and I am looking for some gear to start out with, I have a few essentials like wicking shirts, and bike shorts. I am looking for a decent helmet, maybe a nice set of gloves, or a good place to get gear that is not overly expensive - looking for budget as much as I can here. Anything else you guys might suggest I am open to it. Glasses, etc. I also need some shoes, my bike has foot holder things (I will attach a photo so you know what I am talking about) - Since I have those should I maybe just get normal comfortable tennis shoes, or get some bike shoes, I don't really know the difference and perks of bike shoes, but if they are a necessity then I will be open to your suggestions.

fietsbob

Gloves so if you crash you wont scrape up your Hands ..

Helmet To absorb head impacts .


shoes and pedals are a contentious subject between devotees and those who dont care.

I have fancy pedal system stuff but I never use it around here.

some shoes with a smooth sole will slip in easier to the toe clip thingies.
add some stiff arch support insoles and tennis shoes can be a good Bike shoe.

You could get platform pedals and not need the TC at all.

'/,

Trinox

Thanks for your input

Hiro11

I'll be specific:
1. Bell Alchera helmet
2. VP Vice pedals
3. Bolle safety glasses
4. Generic tube in the size you need
5. Quik Stik tire lever, watch a Youtube video to figure out how to fix a flat
6. Schwinn floor pump from Target
7. Generic 16g paintball threaded CO2 cartridges from Amazon
8. PDW Shiny Object inflator
9. Medium saddle bag from Target
10. A can of TriFlow from the hardware store
11. This multitool

canklecat

Nashbar and other discounters have great sales all the time. Check out Nashbar's house brand jerseys and shorts for bargains. Their jerseys usually cost no more than cotton t-shirts.

Besides being comfortable in summer, wicking poly/blend fabrics are more comfortable in wet and cold weather. They help minimize chill from soggy clothes. You probably know from living in the south our winters are often not quite cold enough to hinder sweating, but chilly enough to feel miserable when we're sweaty.

My favorite bit of cycling apparel turned out to be a Pearl Izumi baselayer shirt. Helps even with ordinary cotton over-shirts when I'm riding to join friends for social occasions -- I don't arrive soggy and smelling like a wet dog in the summer, or chilled and uncomfortable in winter. Pearl Izumi is pricey but there are less expensive brands of wicking fabric baselayers.

And they usually have a good selection of name brand helmets for under $30, with bigger discounts about once or twice a month.

You can pedal with toe clips with regular casual shoes, but something with stiffer soles may be more comfortable and the pedals won't dig into your feet. Avoid shoes with extra grippy rubber soles and sides -- it can be hard to yank your foot loose in a quick stop, even with the straps loose. There are several brands of shoes designed for cycling/walking that aren't designed for clipless, but also some with the option to go clipless later.

bmthom.gis

I'd start with a quality floor pump and a spare tube - maybe a patch kit and mini pump to carry on your bike if you are planning to ride away from home. Then practice changing a flat.
A helmet might be useful, depending on the type of riding you are planning on doing. I don't think it is essential if you are just on greenways or around the neighborhood. Some people ffeel safer with one though.

Any night time/early morning rides, I would get some good lights. If planning on riding rain or shine, some fenders

I'd probably just ditch the cages on your pedals. They are easy to take off.

That's about it. I would start with a good pump and a way to change out a flat tire and go from there. Pick up a set of tire levers - Pedros are sold by the pair, are super cheap, and very durable. Most shops carry them. I've never liked fancy levers, and plastic is the best.

Regular sunglasses that you probably already own will work fine until/unless you decide to get something different. One thing I don't see, and not sure if it is just the angle - bottle cages. Carrying water on a ride is always a good idea.

Shop the sales at your LBS, check out Nashbar, REI (especially their discount/sale items), fleabay, Amazon for now until you really know what you want.

Once you've been at it awhile and it comes time to clean your bike, you'll need chain lube.

caloso

This doesn't answer your question, but I think your saddle has been knocked askew.

NOLA_Clydesdale

Check Jensen. They have some great stuff on sale right now, and some black Friday deals are starting to roll in.

Jenson USA - Online mountain & road bike parts, clothing and accessories shop | Jenson USA

TimothyH

I'm thinking GoPro Hero5 Black, Garmin 1000 GPS and Varia radar, a few Rapha kits, spare pair of Zip 404 wheels, some of those Motion Pro tire levers, definitely a Silca Super Pista Ultimate pump, some Guerlain chamois creme (on sale at Walmart!) and don't forget a big tube of Campagnolo grease.

Oh, and forget separate glasses and helmet... the Save Phace integrates both and kills two birds with one stone.

That should get the OP started and he can build up ad hoc from there.


-Tim-

kevindsingleton 

Yeah, and your front brakes have been knocked completely off???

GravelMN

Save a few bucks on the safety glasses. You can get ANSI certified safety glasses for about $10 at any big box home improvement store or at WalMart. I found a three pack that had a smoke, dark amber and a clear set. They look pretty much the same as the brand name wrap around sun glasses. I also bought a pair of Remington yellow shooting glasses, also about $10 for those cloudy, rainy or foggy grey days. As long as you stay away from the super cheap glasses the optical quality is good. They will not be as scratch resistant as more expensive glasses but as long as you take decent care of them they will last a long time. My favorite pair for several years came from Menards and said Dewalt on the bows. They were comfortable for hours with no noticeable distortion, had UV A/B protection and were polarized. I think they cost me about $12 and they lasted a few years until I managed to lose them.

Spurge a few bucks on a good helmet, something brand name and molded in the shell. You can get good helmets for about $40, maybe a little less.

Just wear any decent sports shoe and use the pedals you have to get started. The toe straps are an optional thing. Some people like them, I personally don't. Don't worry about swapping pedals or anything for now as long as everything is working properly. A good helmet and riding shorts are your first investments. Gloves are also a good idea, don't worry about high end gloves to start with. Any brand name glove that fits well will do until you start riding long distances.

Watch the discount racks and bins at your LBS and the closeout sections of on-line bike retailers. You can get some pretty good deals if you aren't too picky about brand, color, etc.

Here's a hint for getting some nice cycling jerseys for just a little leg work. The American Diabetes Association and some other charities that host bike fundraisers have good quality jerseys that you can earn for meeting fundraising goals. It's for a good cause.

baldilocks

A mirror. Turing to look behind you causes some riders to steer into traffic. It's nice to glance and see traffic coming up on you.

Paul Barnard

It's not gear, but this should be required reading for anyone who rides on the road. It's simple yet spot on for getting started.

https://bicyclesafe.com/

Paul Barnard

Welcome fellow New Orleanian.

thumpism 

See his thread in Bicycle Mechanics forum about Trek 730 fork replacement, and there was another before that asking about what a shop might be telling him about his bike needing further work after a repair estimate had been given. Subject under heavy discussion.

Hang in there, Trinox. You got a good bike to start with but you're getting exposed to the steep portion of the learning curve; new bike, repair of new bike with surprises, figuring out the gear, etc. Keep in mind that we all have our outrageous opinions, all of us are entirely right, and we'll all been exactly where you are now. The riding makes it all worthwhile.

mrodgers

I found a very old pair of gloves in a box in my garage. Old as in I had them when I had a bicycle in the early 90's. I wore them. I went down. They didn't do a thing for my face bouncing along the pavement and the fact that I could see my upper lip blown up 3 inches in front of my nose, but the gloves shredded completely and I didn't have a scratch on my hands. I landed on my hands, my face, and my left side. The palms of the gloves as I said, completely shredded. I was glad I had them.

Helmets, polystyrene (aka. Styrofoam(tm)) is polystyrene. They all conform to the standards for impact protection. Some have more holes for more air flow, some have visors you can attach a mirror to (Take-a-Look mounted on my visor I prefer), some don't have visors so you can be cool (as in awesomely elite looking, not cool in temperature. That's what the larger holes in the foam does for you.) They all will fit different though, it's a personal preference on how they fit your particular noggin. Just a cheap $20 Bell at Walmart fits super comfortable for me so that's what I have.

Shoes and pedals - You have toe clips. Those are OK. I started riding a lot more in traffic with traffic lights and didn't like having to constantly flip and wiggle my foot into the toe clips with cars wanting to floor the gas pedal all around me. I took them off when I started riding closer in traffic. Those basic metal pedals without the clips are lousy though. Without the clips, your foot will slide all around. I bought a pair of mountain bike platform pedals with replaceable pins. These pedals in particular: Forte Convert. There are quite a few other varieties from other brands. My feet stick like glue on these pedals. I love them.

As for the shoes, I started out just wearing what I had, which is New Balance running shoes. They have a soft sole. Not ideal. I had a lot of pressure points and my feet would go numb. You want a stiffer sole. You could do bicycle specific shoes but I am on the hunt for a pair of hiking shoes. I don't want just a single application shoe as I want to start hiking as well. I'm having a terrible time finding extra wide or wider hiking shoes. I do have a pair of composite toe safety shoe that I just bought for work that have a pretty stiff sole so I've just been wearing them. They are comfortable, not terribly heavy and it's what I have so it's what I use. The are a ton better than the running shoes.

Or you may decide to go clipless and the matched bicycling shoe. I don't have any experience on that. Obviously it is a viable option and would be most recommended here.

If you are going to play in traffic, I highly recommend a mirror. I use a Take-a-Look eyeglass mirror that I mount to the visor of my helmet. It takes a little getting use to having a mirror out there near your eye but I love it. I recently knocked it off my helmet and lost it and the local shop didn't have any so I bought another usually recommended mirror for the end of my bar, the Miracycle mirror. I do not like it at all. With the helmet mounted mirror, I could do almost a 180° sweep of what is behind me with just a bit of head movement. I have adjusted to it to where I can glance up with my left eye to look behind and still be able to see ahead with my right eye. I'm not completely focused on what's ahead, but it's much better than taking my view completely away as I turn my head and look down at the handlebar end mirror. As I said, I lost mine and just received my new one the other day. I'll leave the bar end mirror on for rail trail riding but can't stand riding the roads without my Take-a-Look.

You want to be able to fix a flat and not be stranded. You need to carry with you a spare tube, patches, tire levers and a pump or CO2 inflator. I got the highly recommended Topeak Road Morph G. At first, it was my only pump and I used it all the time before I got a regular floor pump for airing up before the ride. It will easily pump up my 100psi tires as I have done it many times. I have it mounted to the seat stay on my hybrid. It has a little foot and little handle that folds out so you use it pushing against the ground similar to a regular floor pump and is much easier than the mini pumps that you use 2 hands to pump.

Other tools you may want is a multi-tool which will give you various allen head and screw head drivers to tighten or adjust bolts on the bike. Since I've been breaking spokes lately, I am adding a cassette tool to be able to remove the cassette, a spoke wrench, and spare spokes so I can fix a broken spoke out on the road that will get me going again until I can get the wheel to the shop to have it checked out.

VegasTriker

If you have no front brake and the seat is not right, what else is wrong with your bike? If you know someone who is competent at bike maintenance, have them check the bike over. I've refurbished a lot of bikes and most of them come to me with something not right, particularly brake problems and poor adjustment of the axle cones. Costs little to fix but makes the bike work a lot better.

The very first thing you ought to do before buying anything else is to buy and install a front brake on your bike. The front brake supplies more than 50% of the stopping power for brakes according to most estimates I've read. You can read a good article by Sheldon Brown here: Braking and Turning Your Bicycle. In a panic stop if you have only a rear brake, you will skid and lose traction. Then you have NO BRAKES. Lots of the other stuff is personal preference. I use an inexpensive Snell or CPSC approved helmet. Nothing fancy as I need to replace them occasionally because they get scuzzy from riding in the heat. I use ordinary shoes and strapless toe clips - similar to the ones you have but don't have the leather straps. I have a $9 Bell handlebar bag https://www.walmart.com/search/?quer...andlebar%20bag to hold a multitool, tire irons and spare tube. I carry a pump similar to this one for $10 https://www.walmart.com/ip/90PSI-6BA...tible/51496007. It's inexpensive, lightweight, rugged, and works just fine plus you don't need to carry a bunch of CO2 cartridges as you do with the CO2 pumps. It's nice to have a bike headlight and taillight for night riding. I use a simple 1000 lumen CREE XML-T6 flashlight and holder for a headlight plus a 100 lumen USB rechargeable taillight. The two together were under $20. Of course you can spend hundreds of dollars for the "best" headlight and taillight if you choose. Spend a lot or spend a little, it's up to you but fix those brakes.

kevindsingleton 

Thanks for the info. Great post.

Trinox

Thanks for the info, I took my bike into the shop and got a tune up, all they found that was wrong was the front fork where the brake mounts is broken. Everything else has been tuned up and is ready to ride. As far as the seat goes, in the photo the angle makes it look slightly crooked but I have made a minor adjustment and should have it seating right now.

hcgaloi

I bought a few super inexpensive cycling shorts, long pants, jerseys, and jacket from Wish app (iPhone). The stuffs are made and shipped from China, and would take 3-4 weeks to the U.S.

However, you need to go a couple sizes bigger because their sizes are different than here. For me, I would buy one then wait until I receive it to check on quality. Then, I would order more. So far, everything (clothing) seems to be good.

Sy Reene

Not having front brakes, nor having a means of putting them on your bike, is not a minor issue (IMO).

1989Pre 

Get trail running shoes with the firmest soles you can find. This will give you a more powerful pedal stroke and make the cycling easier. Also, Get a good pair of
cycling gloves. They will protect your hands in case of a spill. Inexpensive ones include Louis Garneau, Answer and Serfas.

idiotekniQues

Lights
Lock
Helmet

everything else is superfluous. you can always find an old pair of kicks to ride in and clothes to wear.

bulldog1935

if there is a brake bolt hole in the fork crown, try a long-reach caliper front brake like a Tektro R559
Because of weight transfer on braking, front brake does a lot more work than rear brake, and your bike is not safe without one.

NOLA_Clydesdale

Thank you, Sir! Today I realized that NOLA should advertise that they have plenty of MTB singletrack in the miles upon miles of horribly crappy back roads and side streets within the city. It may not be dirt, but it's all the bumps and challenges.