mlau

Dear Bike Forum,

I bought my wife a Specialized Roll 3.0 along with the custom fenders.
We found the local potholes/roads not too good for her Brompton.

Do you have any recommendations for add ons?

I'd like her to be able to enjoy our neighborhood, and fall in love with biking.
I'm thinking of maybe a rack? Baby carrier? Coffee cup holder? Maybe a cute bell?

veganbikes

What does she want or need? I don't know your wife but she would be the perfect person to ask about it!

For me personally it would be Ergon grips but I don't run flat bars without Ergon grips. Beyond that a PDW animal (Bird, Good Dog, Happy Cat, Owl, Otter...) or King Cage and a Spurcycle bell However she might want something different and that would be the ideal question for her.

mlau

Thanks for the tips!

I put on a foldylock on the main frame. Will install fenders later. Rear light is coming soon. Front light mount will be installed tomorrow.

Will likely try to figure out a coffee cup holder

Any tips on a good rack?

Duragrouch

I love having racks and panniers, and if planning a kid carrier long term, buy one capable of that. But I would not carry any age child on the bike until she has plenty of bike experience. And then, make the child carrier as safe as possible, including helmet, good harness, and hopefully rollover protection. And, a kickstand that stably supports the bike with kid and carrier, you might need a double-stand. If the bike frame is not a step-thru, a rear carrier can be very difficult for rider to mount bike. Better I think is a child trailer, harness, and rollover hoop; The bike can fall and the trailer is still on both wheels, right side up.

veganbikes

You are welcome

If you are looking for a proper folding lock make sure it is an ABUS Bordo. They invented the thing and know how to make it secure. Cheap copies don't do well.

For racks I would look at Tubus if I am looking to carry just standard panniers or would go Racktime if I wanted a good system. Basically any Racktime or MIK/Basil accessories will fit on the rack so long as you use the right bottom plate.

PDW makes a coffee holder called the Bar-Ista works well.

mlau

update: got handlebar grips (pdw, cork ergon clones); tried fenders (wife keeps leaning bike iver, bending them); got a coffee cup/ phone holder. Added an emergency pump (decathlon clone of Lezyne from Lee Valley)

Need to find a good rack.

I tried the Topeak Tourister 2.0 disk, but it was too narrow.

Duragrouch

I LOVE having a fully racked and panniered bike, because then I can do errands with it, not just exercise. I have racks and panniers front and rear, plus a trunk bag for tools (I fix others stranded more than me). I can food shop, I just wheel through the grocery (I no longer chain bike outside, bike theft is too bad despite really good locks, they can grind through anything), put food in store hand basket, pack in panniers after checkout. I can pick up parcels. I can picnic. I can bring backup warm or wet clothing.

My bike is a folder with short chainstays, so it was critical to get a rack that hangs the rear panniers behind the rear axle center, for sufficient heel clearance. Yours will be less critical, but still verify before buying rack.

I really like bar-ends for a second hand orientation, though bar-ends are out of fashion because I think perhaps banned in some MTB racing.

A bell is nice instead of having to yell for people to make space to pass, it's way more polite.

Good rechargeable lights are cheap now, as well as rear red flasher, if any chance of being caught out after twilight.