| Cargo Trunk |
Cargo trunks go on the rear racks. They should
be large enough for a sack or two of groceries, a coat, a laptop computer,
or your rain gear. Many soft-sided trunks are available, and several
detach quickly. |
| Panniers |
Panniers are generally mounted to the sides of
the rear rack. Some mount to the sides of the front wheel, but these are
usually used for long distance touring. Most panniers have a quick release
so that they can be carried away from the bike fully loaded. Except for
wire baskets, all panniers we are aware of are soft-sided. |
| Cargo Trailer |
For more cargo or larger bundle a trailer
makes good sense. Most have quick disconnects, but many of them will only
attach to diamond frame bikes. There is even a trailer that converts to a
pop-up camper with room for one person to sleep. Several trailers collapse
for easy storage or transporting. |
| Town Bike |
Town bikes, or some hybrid bikes, have street
tires and an upright riding position. These are a better choice to start
with than a mountian bike or a road bike. Some, like Breezer Bikes, come with headlamps
and dynamos installed. Breezer also offers many accessories to enhance
daily use bikes. |
| Headlamp |
The need for a realiable headlight is very
important for a daily rider since it is not always known how late a rider
may be out. Battery powered lights require some level of scheduled
charging or changing of the batteries since they may not be used on a
regular basis. For random use, a generator, or dynamo, should work better,
but then there is the issue of the light going out at a stop. The better
solution is a generator system with an energy storage device. These units
are now hitting the market. Also, LED lights use far less energy but have
not been as bright as the more expensive halogen lamps. |
| Taillight |
Tailights suffer from the same issues as
headlight in many cases. But the flashing LED tailights use so little
energy that they can last for months of intermittent use without a
recharge. Many small LED flashers are given away as promotions - it would
be wise to pick up one of these to carry as a spare in case your main
taillight fails. |
| Bell or Horn |
In many urban areas it is suggested, or
required, that a cyclist be able to give an audiable warning to
pedestrians and other cyclists. A pleasent sounding bell or horn is best -
one that can easily be recognized as a bike sound but not loud enough to
scare walkers. |
| Fenders |
Whether you ride in the rain or you
accidentally run through water puddles, fenders are worth it for a daily
rider. They can keep the splash from your front tire from hitting your
legs and the splash from the rear tire from drawing a skunk stripe down
your back. |
| Brake Light |
Brake lights can let the cars and cyclist
behind you know you are slowing or stopping. This can be very important if
you ride in traffic. There are a couple of brake lights avalable that are
actuated by the braking system. Some have switches in the brake levers,
and some are actuated by the brake cables. There are also units operated
by separate buttons. We are testing the Multi-Function Rearlight for
Bike from Pioneer. It is a five function LED light with a brake light
switch that attaches to the rear brake cable. |
| Chain Guard |
Few bikes have chain guards these days. Most
of the time we just put on clips to keep our pants cuff out of the chain.
One problem is that this does not work for shoestrings. Believe it or not,
federal law requires chain guards for single speed bikes. |
| Street Tires |
There are two important reasons to use street
tires on a town bike. The first is that a knobby mountian bike tire can
have twice the rolling resistance of a higher pressure street tire,
requiring twice the energy to pedal at slower speeds. Second, knobby tires
tend to slip easier on concrete while turning, causing the front wheel to
slide out from under the bike. |
| Rear Rack |
Rear racks are probably the most used item on
a town bike. They are needed to carry panniers, trunks or the Cargo Cache from Otivia.
Most rear racks are limited to ten or twenty pound loads. (Five to ten
kilograms) |
| Front Basket |
There appears to be a comeback in front
baskets. They are showing up in wire, wicker or cloth. They are very handy
for items that require quick access, such as a cellphone or
map. |
| Mirror |
A good mirror is essential if you ride on the
road. Many are too small and many shake so much they become useless on
anything but the smoothest roads. |
| Seat Leash |
A seat leash is a cable that keep your seat
from running away. Used on bikes with quick release seat posts, a seat
leash allows the seat to be adjusted but keeps the seat from being stolen.
|
| Tool Kit |
A handy little tool kit and tire pump are good
to have even for in town bikes. The tradeoff is that they are easily
stolen unless secured with something like the Cargo Cache from Otivia.
|
| Lock |
Bike thefts appear to be up these days. There
were over $1m worth of bikes stolen last year. Many bikes are recovered
but not returned to the owners due to lack of information. Check out the
National Bike Registry
|
| Substantial Kick Stand |
If you have ever tried to use a standard
kickstand to hold up your bike as you load it with groceries, then you
already know the problem. Better kickstands are needed for town bikes. Two
leg kick stands appear to be a solution and we will be testing some
soon. |
| Lighted Turn Signals |
Over the years (decades) there have been
lighted turn signals. We have not seen a system yet that we would use on
our bikes, but we will keep looking. |