I got a bike.... now what?

[MrMoneyMullet]

I bought a Trek 730 off of Craigslist for $150 today. It's in really good shape and I think it'll be a great bike for me to become adept in Mustachian Transport.

The bike is in great shape, but it doesn't have lights or other gear. It has a water bottle holder, but other than that I need to figure out what else I need to get to be properly equipped.

I don't plan on biking a lot at night but it's a definite possibility (sometimes I take night classes but it's only a mile to school so I currently walk).

Below are the items I'm planning to get. What am I missing/what's unnecessary/what's the smartest way to acquire these items?

Bike Helmet
Front and rear lights
Sound-producing device (bell or horn)
U-shaped bike lock
Bike maintenance gear (I have no idea what I need)

[fat bruce lee]

Not sure if a bell or horn is totally necessary but its fine either way.

Maybe a rubberband or cinch for your pant leg if you plan on commuting with work stuf on.  And if it tends to rain or get muddy, a mud guard.  Back in college, you know who the freshmen were!

Congrats on the ride, still looking.  Enjoy!

[chardog]

A pack for all your stuff like your books, etc.   Some folks prefer to carry stuff on the bike rather than on their back, but that's a little bit more involved, so stick with a pack for now.

I like to put all my bike repair stuff in my pack so it does not get lifted from my locked bike and it's with me if I use one of my other bikes.

For a repair kit, these are the basics.

Spare tube
mini pump
patch kit
tire levers
multi-tool with chain breaker and hex keys
rag to clean your hands after dealing with dirty bike parts.

I keep the tools and patch kit in a little zip up back in the pack.

You want to be familiar with how to change a flat tube.  Always check the tire for thorns, etc. prior to installing a new tube.  I usually wait to patch the bad tube at home, but you want to have a patch kit with you in case your spare goes flat.

Slime tubes and tire liners as well as puncture resistant tires can help avoid dreaded flats.  You really want to avoid flats as much as possible as they are inconvenient and messy to deal with.

[Paul der Krake]

Find a bike co-op near you if there is one. They're awesome and you will learn a ton. You can sometimes buy stuff from them at cost because they're non profit.

Here is a great light set that dropped an additional $10 since I bought them
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041D4U6C/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use them even in broad daylight in flashing mode because I have noticed that motorists are usually more courteous when I have them.

Bell or horn: unless you go for a sports fan model, you won't be heard most of the time. Use your voice and shout.

Lock: every lock can and will fail. It's a matter of how much trouble you're going to be giving the thief. Raise the bar high enough and they will move on to easiertargets. The amount of lock you need is highly dependent on the bike, your area and where/when you leave your bike.

Helmet: I wear one when out cycling as a workout, but don't bother to run quick errands. Do what you feel confortable doing, better safe than sorry. Practice defensive riding regardless of the amount of protection. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

[chardog]

Bigger tires are nice as the streets can be rough with potholes, manholes, ruts, etc.

Check out The Art of Cycling by Robert Hurst http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...&x=-577&y=-593

which I have read. Lot's of good advice about how to not get hit by cars.

He has also written The Art of Mountain Biking http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...king&x=21&y=15

which I just ordered. (btw, links are to AbeBooks.com which is a great place to order mostly used but also new books for little $ - great advanced search feature for hard to find titles)

[MrMoneyMullet]

Awesome, thanks for the replies!

Looks like there's a bike co-op just a couple of miles from me, and I have several classmates that bike to/from school. I think I'll see if someone is interested in giving me some "on-the-road" guidance. People like  talking about their hobbies, right??

[johnnylighthouse]

I will add another vote for daytime lights, I've had way fewer scary encounters since I started commuting with the headlight, and way more respect from cars turning across my path.  Visibility to cars ahead is key to safety.  As far as tools definitely get what you need to change a tube, then buy what you need as you learn and tackle new projects / maintenance.

[Jamesqf]

One thing I'd suggest for riding at night is one of the LED lights on a headband, in addition to your bike headlamp.  It's so handy to be able to look to the sides, plus it's a good backup.

[GuitarStv]

Always remember to lock your bike right.  Get a U-lock and cable and use them properly!  Loop the cable through the front wheel, then lock the U-lock through the rear wheel and around a sturdy post or something.  Nothing will ruin your experience biking more than having it stolen!  This locks up the most expensive bike parts (frame, rear wheel) and keeps people from walking away with your front wheel if it's on a QR skewer.

[capital]

Bike Helmet
Front and rear lights
Sound-producing device (bell or horn)
U-shaped bike lock
Bike maintenance gear (I have no idea what I need)

You can usually find bike equipment at very low prices online; brick-and-mortar bike stores usually have something like a 40% margin.

I like the Bell Slant helmet for sporty riding and Bern helmets for city riding. Here's a good price on the Bern: http://www.altrec.com/bern/brentwood-summer-helmet-with-zipmold-foam/

Always make sure to remove your bike lights when you're parked! Otherwise they can be stolen.
Here's a good taillight:
http://www.amazon.com/Portland-Design-Works-Radbot-Light/dp/B0030BS30K/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363721326&sr=1-3&keywords=danger+zone
And here's a good headlight:
http://www.amazon.com/Metro-300-USB-Rechargeable-Headlight/dp/B008RM08X2/ref=sr_1_20?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363721356&sr=1-20&keywords=bike+headlight

If those cost too much, this kit is fine if you are riding in an area with good streetlights so you don't need to light up the road:
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Superflash-Light-Headlight/dp/B0015R9PZI/ref=sr_1_31?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363721373&sr=1-31&keywords=bike+headlight

College campuses are usually hotbeds for bike theft. Get a u-lock and cable and learn how to use them: make sure to lock your frame to a thick metal object firmly secured into the ground or a building, not a piece of wood or something that can be removed with a wrench. Also tie up your wheels with a cable. This is a nice setup:
http://www.amazon.com/OnGuard-Bulldog-U-Lock-4-Inch-5-52-Inch/dp/B008K3NSLM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363720868&sr=8-2&keywords=onguard+lock+bulldog
Here's some pictures of how to lock your bike up tight:
http://velojoy.com/2012/05/03/how-to-lock-up-your-bicycle-on-nyc-streets/

This multitool has just about every tool you need to work on your bike:
http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-MTB-3-Rescue-function/dp/B000S6HZBI/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363721235&sr=1-1&keywords=park+tool+mtb-3
To complete a basic bike maintenance kit, also get chain lube.

If you start going shopping on your bike, a rack and panniers or baskets are very helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Rear-Road-Bike-Black/dp/B00165PA08/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1363721595&sr=8-15&keywords=bike+rack
This fits a grocery bag:
http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Metro-2-0-Shopping-Pannier/dp/B00165Q8ZO/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363721689&sr=1-1&keywords=grocery+pannier
So does this, but it's ugly :)
http://www.amazon.com/Wald-Folding-Bicycle-Basket-12-75/dp/B0012DZEBY/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363721730&sr=1-1&keywords=folding+bike+basket

If you want to ride in the rain, fenders keep you much drier:
http://www.amazon.com/SKS-Longboard-Coverage-Bicycle-Fender/dp/B004I91WQU/ref=sr_1_15?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363721775&sr=1-15&keywords=bike+fenders

That's pretty much all the equipment I have, and I use my bicycle for daily transportation.

[MrMoneyMullet]

Thanks for all the tips!

I have been riding around a bit the past few days, and today my helmet, lights, and ankle strap/reflector came in the mail! I bought a U-lock and patch kit in person and the cable will be arriving tomorrow. I'll add a bike rack, fenders, and panniers at a later date.

Biking is really fun! - it is a tiny bit of adventure added to your day, and it gives me a new way to think about and explore my city.

I am a bit worried about getting hit by a car, but I am much more afraid of heart disease or other consequences of a sedentary lifestyle!

[MrMoneyMullet]

Forgot to mention: I have "The Art of Cycling" on hold at the library and will be picking it up tomorrow, and I'll head over to the bike co-op sometime in the next couple of weeks to check it out!

[StarswirlTheMustached]

I see a lot of people telling you not to waste your time with a horn or bell, but you should check with your co-op: some cities require you to have one, by law.

[boy_bye]

I see a lot of people telling you not to waste your time with a horn or bell, but you should check with your co-op: some cities require you to have one, by law.

i ride a lot of trails, and i get tired of saying "on your left!" all the time to pedestrians, so a bell was a no-brainer for me.

[The Taminator]

I see a lot of people telling you not to waste your time with a horn or bell, but you should check with your co-op: some cities require you to have one, by law.

I second this. My city requires it.

[Paul der Krake]

Wow. I had no idea towns took the time to write laws for bicycles. Turns out that it is illegal in my town to ride a bike that has not been registered with the town authorities, and operating one without a helmet is only allowed if over 16 of age.

State law (NC) also requires a head lamp and a rear reflector when riding at night. That's pretty sensible.

[GuitarStv]

Laws for lights and reflectors make sense . . . but frankly, bell laws are kind of stupid.

I bike on the road all winter long.  There is a 0% chance of a bell ever being heard by someone in a car with windows closed doing 60.  If a pedestrian were to jump off the sidewalk into the road in front of me, it's a lot faster, louder, and safer to yell than fumble around for a bell that you literally never use.

[m8547]

I highly recommend Reelights. They are a bit pricey, but they are basically daytime running lights for your bike. You will never forget to turn them on/off, they don't require any batteries, and they don't add any friction.
www.amazon.com/dp/B0017GA09W/

Full fenders are amazing if it ever rains where you live. Once you have them, you can ride in the rain or on wet roads without getting hit by any road spray. All you have to worry about is keeping yourself dry if it's raining.

In terms of bike maintenance, you should start out with a few basic tools. The following will let you fix probably 90% of problems:
-Topeak Mini 9 multi tool ($13). The only things it's missing are spoke wrenches, a chain tool, and a flat blade screwdriver.
-A patch kit or two. Get the kind that comes with a little tube of rubber cement and follow the instructions carefully and the repairs will be permanent.
-A couple tire levers.
-A bottle of chain lube
-A good maintenance book such as Zinn and Art of (Road/Mountain) Bike Maintenance
www.amazon.com/dp/1934030988/

[MrMoneyMullet]

I'm reading "The Art of Cycling" and I have been doing a bit of cycling each day this week! Thanks for all the tips!

I highly recommend Reelights. They are a bit pricey, but they are basically daytime running lights for your bike. You will never forget to turn them on/off, they don't require any batteries, and they don't add any friction.
www.amazon.com/dp/B0017GA09W/

I added the Reelights to my Amazon wish list and will keep an eye on them or buy them when/if the lights I already bought happen to break.

I also started a thread over in "Ask A Mustachian" about trailers or bike seats for toddlers, please head over there if you have any opinions to share!

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/for-a-toddler-bike-trailer-vs-bike-seat/

Thanks!