These bike accessories may not necessarily be essentials for getting out on the road, but they can make the entire riding experience that much better.
Biking is a very technical sport because it doesn’t just involve your body — it involves some form of machinery, too. Choosing a bike alone can prove to be a challenge, especially for beginners in the sport. And after that, there are a lot of other pieces of bike accessories you may need to consider investing in that could help you become stronger and more efficient on the road.
But whether you’re getting into road biking, mountain biking, or you’re training for a triathlon, there are a ton of accessories out there that can make your ride experience better.
These are some of our favorite ones that we think will help you get stronger (and maybe score some style points on the way too).
Cycling shoes
While you don’t necessarily need to have cycling shoes (also known as cleats) for your first several rides, these are one of the few biking accessories that can actually make a huge difference in your riding experience.
Cycling shoes are designed specifically to connect your feet to your bike pedals. They have cleats on the sole of the shoe that you hook to your pedals. It may sound scary to be connected to your bike, but the main purpose of cycling this way is to improve your efficiency while riding.
When you’re clipped in, you can pedal hard by pushing down with your feet to create power, but on top of this, you can also generate power by pulling upwards, given that your shoe is connected to the pedals. In doing so, you’ll be maxing out as much as you possibly can from every pedal stroke and engaging your leg muscles — perfect for anyone who wants to shred off a few seconds or a few minutes on their time. Plus, these can make taking on those treacherous uphill climbs a little bit easier.
Plus, they also secure your feet to keep them from flying out even when you’re pedaling too quickly or too hard — which, let’s admit it, doesn’t look all that impressive.
Shades
In case you didn’t know, cycling shades are in. Not only are people sporting these big, chunky glasses as bike accessories, but they are also a huge fashion trend right now. So if you’re already in the cycling game and you don’t have a pair yet, what are you waiting for?
The purpose of these is straightforward. For one thing, they help you keep harmful UV rays from your eyes while biking, even when you’re on the road for hours at a time, especially in the tropical weather conditions of the Philippines. Secondly, they prevent glare and flying debris from obstructing your vision as you bike, keeping you safe. And if you buy good quality shades, like those with polarized lenses, they can even make your vision on the road even clearer.
Plus, they are very trendy. So why not embrace the whole cycling aesthetic and get yourself a pair?
Cycling computer
If you use your biking sessions as a way to escape the digital world we all live in, we totally get it. And while this is one reason why biking is a great form of exercise for both the body and the mind, sometimes, you just can’t escape the digital world, not even on your weekend bike ride. But luckily in this case, a digital cycling computer may actually be very useful for you as an athlete.
Bike or cycling computers are small screens you attach to your bike that can boast a whole array of features, depending on how advanced the model is. But typically, most computers help you track your speed, performance, and distance, and can also help you plan routes. These features not only help you track your performance and help you improve in the long run, but they can also keep you safe while on the road, especially if you enjoy biking on your own.
When you become more aware of these aspects of each bike ride, you can track how much progress you’re making every time you clip in.
While it may make more sense to just use your smartphone to do all these things (which is totally viable, by the way), it’s a load off when you don’t need to worry about dropping your phone when you’re going at full speed.
Although these things aren’t necessary, they definitely will add a lot of value to your biking experience. Plus, you’re sure to look like a pro on the road.
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