Designmindz

Hi Everyone,

Well, I've almost got my bike kitted out with accessories (still need to get one more front light), and I've attached a few pics.

I've got front and back COB flashers, an Airzounds horn which is crazy loud, a pump, decent D Lock (and cable), and a saddlebag with bike kit, spare tube, multi-tool etc.

The first thing I've noticed is the bike seems a lot heavier... for those laughing at me, yes I'm starting to appreciate what all this fuss about the weight on a bike is. The bike is steel, so wasn't super light, to begin with, but it does seem heavier. I've taken off the D lock which has some heft to it, but the bike still seems heavy. It has a metal drink bottle cradle, the multi-tool weighs a bit, but not that much so I was a bit surprised. The Airzounds canister rattles away in the holder, so I need to muffle that with some cloth.

At the end of the day, it's not a problem for me as I'm strictly a recreational rider and will never be competitive on a bike (except against myself).

One other thing I have not expected is although I have this big chunky D Lock, I'm still reluctant to leave the bike locked up while going into a supermarket etc as it means I also have to take all the other accessories off as well, which is a bit of a hassle to pop into the shops. I may seem hypervigilant, but I live in a small city where meth addiction is rife and addicts will rip off whatever they can to sell for drugs - I also don't currently have insurance for the bike which is a huge factor and I'm keeping it in the house.

I think I need to check my tyre pressure as when I'm out of the saddle and leaning over the bars I can see the front tyre spreading under the weight, or is this normal?

Anyway, that's my bike with all the bits added and I'm pretty happy with it.

cb400bill

A small amount of compression is normal. I check and if needed I pump up my tires before every ride.

BobbyG

AirZound FTW!

mstateglfr 

You don't have a spot for water.
I can't imagine riding in an area where I felt an airzound was necessary. That, to me, seems like a feeling of having to ride a bike versus wanting to ride a bike.

That bike, others than no water, looks like its ready to do battle with the world.

Baldy1953

A slight compression of the tires is normal under load. With a tire gauge , it is simple to check and make sure they are properly inflated. I check mine a couple times a week. Better to check than to get a pinch flat and have to repair on the side of the road.

Bike looks nice and ready to ride. That is where all your preparations will pay off.

woodcraft

A couple more horns/bells,

& you can play a tune!

Designmindz

I probably don't need the horn, I just wanted it coz I thinks it's pretty cool tech.... I'm likely to swap it for water bottle in serious rides

rseeker

I like it! I love the look of a capable bike, ready to go any place, do any thing.

One question, I don't know if you ride while it's getting dark, but does your seat bag cover your rear reflector/flasher? What if you're going uphill?

I have the same problem when I lock my bike to go in the store, I have to strip the accessories off. I ride with a pack so I just stuff it in there.

Last time I was in REI they had a barrel of cheap little packs up front, the kind of thing a first-time day hiker might choosr, like $10 or something. It would compress up really small. Maybe a way to carry your accessories into the store.

Maelochs

Couple things---do you have a horn, and a bell? Bells are to scare pedestrians so they leap into your path of travel and, as such, are useless. Horns are routinely ignored by drivers---shoot, a lot of drivers don't notice when emergency vehicles with 115-decibel sirens and horns and full flashing lights, pull up behind them. A l lot fo people choose to ride with the windows up and the heat or air on, and lot of people choose to drive in some invisible personal bubble in which they are they only vehicle on the road.

As such, horns are useless.

i tis cool, though.

Also ... for me the most important light is the tial light. I want cars to see me from at least half a mile away (given straight roads. If I am at the bottom of a hill and a car is coming down from the op behind me, and my seat bag blocks view of the light .... I'd spend money for a good tail light ($35 or so for a Cygolite HotShot I think) And make sure Everyone knows you are ahead.

headlights are less important for safety .... cars often ignore bike headlights---and often ignore motorcycle headlights, which are like 3000 lumens---and while I always run them, head-on traffic is in the other lane, and I don't trust cars pulling out of side streets to see my headlight no matter how bright it is (I have a pair, with about 1250 lumens if I use both.) Headlight is handy but a good flasher is really all you need unless you ride unlit roads at night (which is why I have so much light available---riding on unlit roads on moonless nights is pretty risky otherwise.) For most roads, i get by with a Light and motion Urban 500 set on Low--250 lumens.

Designmindz

Hi Guys, thanks for the replies... so the rear flasher I bought was my most expensive light as I wanted a 'chips onboard' flasher (COB) as I have read they are the brightest. I have ridden a few times at dusk and it does seem effective as car give me a wide birth on the road. The city I am in is very much pro cycling and there are bike lanes everywhere which are great, so cars seem used to seeing and avoiding cyclists - not that I would ever trust a vehicle on the road. My front flasher is also a COB light and seems decent enough at 80 lumens. The reason I have this is for vehicles, but also for pedestrians as I ride a lot of bike tracks which are shared by both pedestrians and cyclists. I have a 1000 lumens front light on order which will be just for me seeing the way as a lot of areas I ride have poor or no lighting, eg bike tracks. I will run both the flasher and 1000 lumens light together. I've passed other cyclists with one or the other and they are very noticeable on the track, so I expect to be very visible with both. I'm excited to get my 1000 lumen light and see how much it lights up in the evening as the 80-lumen flasher doesn't really cut it in the dark.

I have both the standard bell and the Air Zounds horn. The bell actually works very well in my area and I use it all the time on the pedestrian track to let people know I am approaching from behind. They generally move over when they hear it. I have not blasted anyone with the horn yet as I envisage this being used for situations where a collision may occur, eg mobile phone zombie walking on to the road, or a car pulling out on me or being doored. The positioning is not great for the horn as you can see it is almost too far across to use quickly with a thumb, but I'm glad it's there.

Regarding the positioning of the rear flasher under the seat bag... I know what you mean as it is lower than I would like, but I have checked it from distance and it is clearly visible above the wheel (and below the bag).

The next thing I've got to start looking at is a toddler carrier. Something easy to put on and take off as we'll be going for family rides soon, but I also want to get out and do my solo runs without that gear on the bike. I don't like panniers or mudguards as I prefer the clean look of a bare minimum bike. Not sure I have achieved that with all my accessories, but I'm happy with it.

Maelochs

You have a nice bike and it is well equipped. I am sure you enjoy riding it.

All your choices seem personally pleasing and well thought-out. No reason for me to say more, except .... enjoy the ride, if you like.

Ross520

Please don't run that front flasher at night, all you'll be doing is dazzling motorists and fellow cyclists. A bright, constant-beam light is more than sufficient.

philbob57

I generally ride alone, and I can't imagine riding without a lock. I usually use a lock when stopping for lunch, and I want it in case of mechanical failure that I can't fix. The plan would be to lock the bike, get myself home, and drive back to pick up my bike. I no longer trust a cable lock. It's not that my bike has such great market value; rather, it could cost a lot to replace it with a new bike of equivalent riding quality.

Where would you be locking your bike? Middle of a big city, maybe not. In a suburb or small city, I think I'd trust my bike to that lock for a trip to buy food. Not overnight, but for 30-45 minutes in broad daylight, I'd probably take the risk.

rseeker

That sounds ominous .. did something happen?

philbob57

Sorry - nothing ominous. I used to ride with the lock bungeed to my rear rack. I took the rack off and hung the cable lock from the seat rails via a velcro strap. I didn't notice when the lock fell off. In looking for a replacement, I read too many negative comments about cable locks and saw one too many videos, so I went with a highly rated U-lock.

Maelochs

A determined individual could probably saw through most cable locks in ten minutes ... but not many people want to steal a bike want to work that hard.

I wouldn't trust a cable for an extended stay in a place where someone sawing away wouldn't attract a lot of attention .... but for a short stay outside a supermarket or something ...

philbob57

Maelochs, My head agrees with you. I ride mainly on Chicago's North Shore, where people don't have to steal to maintain their habits. I think the decision on a lock probably ought to be based on the impact of a loss - big loss means big lock; smaller loss means smaller lock.

SethAZ 

Well, the air horn and bell are a bit redundant. Just get a rear hub that's loud when freewheeling and you'll never need to bark at folks for them to hear you coming*.

I'm waiting for someone to come out with the bicycle equivalent of curb feelers.

*that's said only half in jest, btw. It actually does work.

Designmindz

I respectfully disagree with this statement. Fixed lights tend to blend in to the environment and could be mistaken for a street light or shop light. Flashing lights can been noticed a long distance away and get people's attention. I drive and ride in an area where alot of cyclists use flashers and don't find them dazzling. I do immediately recognize that it is a cyclists and give them the appropriate space when required.

veganbikes

I disagree highly with this statement. PLEASE STOP FLASHING! Seriously I have to cover my eyes when riding past people which is dangerous. It makes it hard for me to see. I would much rather deal with your bright solid light then a flashing light especially those discotheque lights that some people run. If you think that a bike light is a ship you probably ought not to ride on the ocean and if you think it is a street light then you must be blind from all that flashing light. Street lights aim down usually from high above and occasionally in a beacon-ish fashion but still usually high up. A bike light is going to be moving or stopped and not coming at you and probably generally off to the side or visible when you come closer to them where you can say "coming through please move".

A bicycle is a moving vehicle and like other moving vehicles should be solid. You don't see cars and trucks with flashing lights unless they are emergency or police vehicles and those can be dangerous and disorienting as well but at least are usually speeding past to an emergency or to skip a red light or for donuts. I have never mistook a bike light or a car light for a street light or the S.S. Minnow. That is just a ridiculous proposition. I have almost run off a trail once thanks to some idiot flashing a bright light in my eyes and me swerving out of the way.

If you want to be annoying do it in a safer manner. The only time one should ever flash is if they are wearing the appropriate trench coat on top of their finest birthday suit. Other than that find a less harmful and damaging way to annoy people. Sing Nickleback at the top of your lungs or attach a baseball card to the spokes and get the motorcycle sound or something like that.

Designmindz

LOL - Wow, I think someone has had too much caffeine today... capital letters and all. I will continue to use my front and rear flashing lights, every time I ride, like most cyclists I see on the road.

Seeing the flashing light while driving, cycling, walking or whatever does bother me in the slightest. If it bothers you as much as you say, I suggest you go and get your eyes checked.

SethAZ 

Not that this is a democracy or anything, but I'll side with veganbikes about this flashing light issue, if not about our preferred cuisine. I find a cyclist at night with flashing lights difficult to look at. And if they're difficult to look at, it's difficult to be solidly aware of what they're doing to make sure I navigate safely in their vicinity. They're on the other side of the road if I'm seeing their headlight, but I'd still rather be able to look at them without being dazzled.

Anyhow, this isn't a hill I'd die on or anything like that, but if we're exchanging opinions, there's mine. I hope it was worth every penny you paid for it.

Designmindz

So I took my new 1000 lumens (non-flashing) light for a spin tonight and rode in an unlit area after dark. The light is very effective at lighting up the pathway.
I also had my flasher on the bike and tested it with the 1000 lumens light on by viewing the bike at a distance, by standing in front of the bike.

The 1000 lumens is so bright it effectively cancels out the flasher, so I have decided I will run the solid light at night and use the flasher as my daytime running light. Rear flasher running day and night.

probe1957

They're really not redundant. Bell on the MUP. Horn on the street.

veganbikes

No, I don't really do caffeine I just hate rude cyclists. My eyes are fine they just don't do well with bright flashing light in the dark. When riding my bike on the road I don't expect to see Discotheque Fréd coming at me. I am on the road every other road user has solid headlights why would I expect something different the hundred cars I pass or that pass me on the way home all have solid lights no disco there so why am I so special that I need to get a bright flashing light at night? I could understand if we were at the club listening to Frankie Knuckles but I am on the road.

If you are seriously telling me that you cannot tell a bike from a boat from a street light you must be on something and should share with the rest of the class so we can all "trip balls" as the kids say. Seriously I have never had that problem of figuring out what is what. I am surprised that it is so hard and my eyes need checking?

Info on Boats

Info on Streetlights

Info on Bike Lights

Wait I just realized are you the President? If so can get some free money? I am currently doing research into seeing if eating delicious chocolate will cure COVID-19 and I could use a grant