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Cycling essentials

In reality, you don’t need a lot of stuff.


The least expensive and easiest way to approach cycling and get comfortable on a bike is through indoor cycling studios and classes. All you will need is the motivation, a bottle of water and an entry to the class.

In reality, if you're cycling outdoors many people ride happily in normal clothes with just a rucksack to carry things. But a few items are essential. Some will make your ride easier, safer or more comfortable, and some are simply nice to have.

  • Bike - There are many options from bike rental companies to second hand stores that offer good quality bikes for good prices.
  • A lock - If you leave your bike on the street at all you’re going to need to lock it. In this case you really get what you pay for: good locks are not cheap, but the best ones will prevent your bike from being stolen. (Budget £50–£100 for a lock.)
  • Helmet - Goes without saying that the most important piece is a helmet. It’s not necessary to break the bank for a really fancy one, any EU certified helmet will do the job. Cycling is actually much safer than you might think, especially if you observe a few simple techniques.
  • Lights - Ideally your rides will always take place in daylight hours on a shining sunny day, but while commuting from and to work and on cloudy days, it’s important to have front and back lights. Lights do two jobs: make you visible, and illuminate the road.
  • Multi-tool - We wish you a smooth problem-free ride but in case something wrong happens it’s better to be prepared. Carry a multi-tool, tyre levers, couple of spare tubes and a pump is always a good idea. It’s important to be able to fix basics on your bike.
  • Water cage - This depends on where you are getting your bike from, but you should get a free pair of bottle cages with your bike. If you don’t, first make sure that whatever bike you buy has pre-installed screws for two cages. Don’t worry about going fancy.
  • Padded shorts - As soon as you plan to ride a road bike for long periods you need to be wearing some sort of padded shorts, called bib shorts, to be comfortable on longer rides.
  • Eyewear - Almost an essential, if you have sensitive eyes, especially for summer rides in the countryside where getting a fly in your eye is no fun at all. Choose glasses with interchangeable lenses so you can adapt them to the conditions.
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