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Cycling Getting Started: Required Items
Helmet
A helmet should always be worn not just because its required by law, but also because it can save your life or save you from suffering head injuries in the event of an accident . Choose a helmet that has styling and colour that appeals to you. Make sure you get the correct size a helmet by measuring your head around the crown , .
Most helmets come equiped with adjustable sizing allowing you to quickly and easily change to the helmet's headband making the helmet a snug fit . The helmet shouldn't move anymore than 1 inch in any direction and can't be remove from your head without unbuckling the strap.
A helmet that moves around will not prevent injuries in the event of an accident
Water Bottle or Hydration Pack
You should always keep well hydrated even on cooler days you need to keep drinking fluids as you ride, even when your not thirsty by the time you are thirsty your body is already dehydreated. Proper hydration will make your ride alot easier and allow for a faster recovery.
A basic guideline is to drink about 600ml for every hour of riding. However depending on the temperture and your condition you may require more fluid.
Bottles
attach to your bicycles downtube by means of a bottle cage and mounting points on the frame.
Hydration Packs
Hydration Packs are a back-pack with a water filled bladder and a drinking tube that runs out of the bag to the back pack strap. At the end of the tube there is a valve that allows water to flow out when you bite down.
The bladder for the back coming in sizes rangting from 1 litre to 3litres. Not only do Hydration Packs carry your water supply but they also provide room for you to carry tools, repair kits, or extra clothing, meal bars and and other bits and pieces that you might wish to take along
Eyewear
Your eyes are the most imporant thing, so its always best to protect them from and road debris getting flung up and any other wind borne dust floating around. Most Protective ycling eyewear have polycarbonate lenses that are impact resistant, meaning that in the event of an accident the glasses will stand up to the pressure and not smashing causing even more injuries
Pumps
You should always check the pressure on your tyres before every ride and if needed re-inflate to the required pressure this is a good step in preventing flats.What is the correct pressure you ask? Best way to find that out is to experiement and find out what suits you and the terrain Look for a pump that works with the type of valves on your bike either presta or schrader valve(see pic) , schrader is similar to a car tyre valve and is the most common(see pic)
Floor Pumps-
A floor pump inflates tires with a minimum of effort. Floor pumps being a taller pump with large diameters are able to move a greater amont of air with each pump. Where as FloorPumps with a smaller diameters will pump the tyre to a higher pressures with less effort. Most Floor Pumps on the market will come equipped with a Pressure Guage so you can see how much pressure is in your tyre
Portable Pumps-
A Portable Pump is handy to take with you on your ride , it may come in use and save you a walk home or from searching for service station. Portable pumps come in different sizes and styles, there are 3 main styles
1) A frame pump, normaly around a foot/30cem long and about 1 inch in diameter.Due the size and shake it mounts along a frame tube. they are larged and weight a little more then other Portable Pumps but they are rather reliably and inflate high pressure road tires to near full pressure.
2) A Mini Pump is around 10 inches long and around an inch in diamerter. The small size of a Mini Pump allows you to throw one into your backpack/hydration pack without taking up much room
3) Inflators for a quick tyrw fill with little effort inflators use replaceable CO2 cartridges which are one use only before you need to replace the cartridge which means that you should carry a few in your kit to keep you going. Inflators are small and about the same weight as a frame pump.
Repair Kit
A few tools to carry with you that will cover most things that might happen in the middle of a ride:
Helmet
A helmet should always be worn not just because its required by law, but also because it can save your life or save you from suffering head injuries in the event of an accident . Choose a helmet that has styling and colour that appeals to you. Make sure you get the correct size a helmet by measuring your head around the crown , .
Most helmets come equiped with adjustable sizing allowing you to quickly and easily change to the helmet's headband making the helmet a snug fit . The helmet shouldn't move anymore than 1 inch in any direction and can't be remove from your head without unbuckling the strap.
A helmet that moves around will not prevent injuries in the event of an accident
Water Bottle or Hydration Pack
You should always keep well hydrated even on cooler days you need to keep drinking fluids as you ride, even when your not thirsty by the time you are thirsty your body is already dehydreated. Proper hydration will make your ride alot easier and allow for a faster recovery.
A basic guideline is to drink about 600ml for every hour of riding. However depending on the temperture and your condition you may require more fluid.
Bottles
attach to your bicycles downtube by means of a bottle cage and mounting points on the frame.
Hydration Packs
Hydration Packs are a back-pack with a water filled bladder and a drinking tube that runs out of the bag to the back pack strap. At the end of the tube there is a valve that allows water to flow out when you bite down.
The bladder for the back coming in sizes rangting from 1 litre to 3litres. Not only do Hydration Packs carry your water supply but they also provide room for you to carry tools, repair kits, or extra clothing, meal bars and and other bits and pieces that you might wish to take along
Eyewear
Your eyes are the most imporant thing, so its always best to protect them from and road debris getting flung up and any other wind borne dust floating around. Most Protective ycling eyewear have polycarbonate lenses that are impact resistant, meaning that in the event of an accident the glasses will stand up to the pressure and not smashing causing even more injuries
Pumps
You should always check the pressure on your tyres before every ride and if needed re-inflate to the required pressure this is a good step in preventing flats.What is the correct pressure you ask? Best way to find that out is to experiement and find out what suits you and the terrain Look for a pump that works with the type of valves on your bike either presta or schrader valve(see pic) , schrader is similar to a car tyre valve and is the most common(see pic)
Floor Pumps-
A floor pump inflates tires with a minimum of effort. Floor pumps being a taller pump with large diameters are able to move a greater amont of air with each pump. Where as FloorPumps with a smaller diameters will pump the tyre to a higher pressures with less effort. Most Floor Pumps on the market will come equipped with a Pressure Guage so you can see how much pressure is in your tyre
Portable Pumps-
A Portable Pump is handy to take with you on your ride , it may come in use and save you a walk home or from searching for service station. Portable pumps come in different sizes and styles, there are 3 main styles
1) A frame pump, normaly around a foot/30cem long and about 1 inch in diameter.Due the size and shake it mounts along a frame tube. they are larged and weight a little more then other Portable Pumps but they are rather reliably and inflate high pressure road tires to near full pressure.
2) A Mini Pump is around 10 inches long and around an inch in diamerter. The small size of a Mini Pump allows you to throw one into your backpack/hydration pack without taking up much room
3) Inflators for a quick tyrw fill with little effort inflators use replaceable CO2 cartridges which are one use only before you need to replace the cartridge which means that you should carry a few in your kit to keep you going. Inflators are small and about the same weight as a frame pump.
Repair Kit
A few tools to carry with you that will cover most things that might happen in the middle of a ride:
- A multi-tool with 4, 5, 6 mm allen wrenches, and a Phillips head screw driver.
- a chain breaker, cutting blade or knife, and a flat head screw driver.
- 2 tire levers
- Tyre patch kit
- spare inner tube(or 2)of the correct size
- A bag/wedge/saddle bag, to hold all your tools so you are unlikely to forget them.