Road Cycling Accessories You Shouldn't Be Without

Here are some accessories that are essential for any avid road cyclists. Some are basically gadgets & some are parts of cycle itself that will help in ensuring your safety on the road and keeping your cycling performance at its peak.

Cycling Helmet

This is one accessory that I think is really important. I cannot stress enough how essential it is. After a cycling mishap myself, landing head-first from a crash, I believe in helmets even more. My head could have been seriously damaged if I weren't wearing a helmet.

Accidents do happen, and they are sometimes simply unavoidable and unpredictable. Protecting your head is the least you could do to minimize the damage of an accident.

Basically, any helmet that has been certified by any major safety regulation body is considered good (eg Consumer Product Safety Commission, Snell). The more expensive helmets generally only provide you more comfort, more aerodynamic shapes, unique colors and designs, or better air flow. They generally do not mean more safety, so bear that in mind if you are shopping on a budget.

Eyewear

Some wear it to look cool, but I'm advocating eyewears not for style, but rather for eye protection. Dust, debris, and flying bugs can get into your eyes if you do not wear eye protection, and could cause pain or even eye infection.

If you find yourself riding a lot in bright sunlight, sunglasses double as ultraviolet rays protection as well, and also prevent distracting glares. I highly recommend photochromic lenses as they adapt to overcast days or even night cycling.

And if you are a fast rider, an eyewear protects your eyes from the rushing wind.

Cycling Jersey

Beginner cyclists may think that cycling jerseys are overkill. But they really do offer several advantages over normal sportswear:

1. Cut long in the back to accommodate the bent-over position when riding road bikes.
2. Pockets at the back so contents won't spill out as front pockets do.
3. Front zippers that allow opening up when the rider gets hot.
4. They are usually tight fit To reduce wind resistance and flapping.
5. Uses materials designed to wick moisture from the skin, which isn't anything special nowadays and are found even in normal sportswear.

Hydration System

Hydration is key to maintaining constant performance and preventing dehydration in any sport. And when it comes to cycling, we have two choices: Water bottles with cages or Camelbak.

The advantage of a cage and water bottle system is price. It costs little to get a cage attached to your bicycle and a simple bottle costs next to nothing. The disadvantage is the need to grab the bottle with one hand for a drink, which is prone to slipping and dropping the bottle. New cyclists may find it a tough feat to perform too, and having to stop to have a drink may discourage necessary hydration.

So we have the innovative Camelbak for those willing to pay a little more. Camelbak allows easy hands-free hydration to encourage frequent drinking, which is key to combating dehydration. Bigger Camelbaks also allow more water capacity than two typical water bottles.

Cyclocomputer

A cyclocomputer is an indispensable piece of gadget for any serious cyclist. It gives you decodes such as your current speed, average speed, trip distance, total distance, cadence, and more. I especially love being able to know if I've improved in terms of speed or stamina (distance).

More expensive cyclocomputers can even include chest-strapped heart rate monitors to give you heart rate decodes.

Stopping a bicycle safely is perhaps one of the most important aspect of safe cycling. Every now and then, you might find yourself having to stop or slow down fast, or otherwise land yourself in some dangerous situations.

Safer Braking

When asked, many cyclists would naturally assume that the fastest way to come to a stop is by using both brakes, and that the safest way is to use the rear brake only.

Both assumptions are wrong. Using both brakes at the same time can cause fishtailing, and using the rear brake alone takes twice as long as the front brake alone to come to a stop.

The answer to safer braking is using the front brake alone.

Flying Over The Bars

When asked to use the front brake alone, many would immediately think of the possibility of flying over the handlebars. This happens, but usually only when one, in moments of danger, grabs hard on the unfamiliar front brake. The key is modulating the braking. ..

Try it in a park or carpark. Use only your front brake by tapping on it lightly. You will immediately notice the greater braking power compared to the rear brake. Gradually, learn to use only the front brake to stop or slow down, and you will notice how you can now brake better than ever.

What about situations where you have to come to a stop immediately? It is important to understand why one flies over the bars at all when emergency braking. It happens when the bike comes to a sudden stop, but the rider continues to move forward due to inertia, until the weight of the rider shifts forward so much that the bike no longer supports the rider and flips.

Therefore, to decrease the chances of flying over the bars, use your arms to brace against the deceleration, keeping your weight where it is supposed to be. the feel for it.

Practice!
Nothing prepares you better than actual practice and experience. So go out there, embrace the winds, and practice braking!