When you buy a new bike or ebike, there’s certain bicycle accessories you’ll want to add on to make your ride safer, comfortable and more fun. So, let’s cycle in style with this compilation of add-on bike gear that will turn your two wheeler into a pedaling dream machine!

Budget Friendly Bicycle Accessories & Bike Gear

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Bicycle Accessories – Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

Bicycle Helmet

Your bicycle helmet is the most important piece of bicycle gear you’ll ever own! 

Regardless if you have a manual pedal bicycle or a pedal assist electric bike, a bicycle helmet should actually be the very first bike equipment you should buy. Because wearing a good quality bike helmet will help save you from serious head injuries should you get into a bike accident.

There’s all different styles, shapes and colors of bicycle helmets on the market. And, they range anywhere from $25 to hundreds of dollars, depending on brands, colors and other options. 

Our son, an avid ADV motorcycle rider of StrykerADV, introduced us to Sena helmets. They are the industry leader in bluetooth communications in both motorcycle and bicycle helmet that are equipped with intercom systems. But if you prefer your own helmet, the do also have state of the art intercom headsets and communication systems.

Our Sena M1 Evo bicycle helmets allow us to communicate with each other and up to 4 other riders. We can alert each other of passing motorists, pedestrians ahead of us, loose dogs or obstacles to look out for or just talk to each other to discuss where we want to stop for lunch. An added feature is their aft red flashing light for night riding.

That said, whichever head protection your choose, protect your noggin with a reliable and properly fitting bicycle helmet.

Our Bicycle Helmet Recommendations

Other Bicycle PPE we recommend:

• • Eye protection (safety riding glasses)
  • Hi-vis reflective riding vest
  • Cycling gloves
  • Sturdy closed-toe shoes

Bicycle Accessories – Comfort Riding

Bicycle Seat

Anytime you buy a pedal assist ebike or manual pedal bicycle, the bicycle seat it comes with is going to suck. Seriously, your bicycle seat is going to make you or break you. If you’re not comfortable, you’re simply not going to ride.

But here’s the thing, just like mattresses, bicycle seats are a personal preference because everyone’s butt size is different. And, if you have lower back issues, you’ll want that extra padding to cushion your spine when you ride over those bumpy surfaces.

But, the good news is, whether you require more cushion or need a seat that is ergonomic, there’s quite a selection of bicycle seats out there. Our personal favorites and most recommended bike seat brands are Cloud 9 and Bikearoo. You can get oversized bicycle saddles, racing bike seats, cruiser saddles, with or without suspension springs and memory foam bike seats.  

By the way, since these bicycle seats fit on standard universal seat posts, you can also use them on your Peloton, exercise bikes, mountain bikes and road bikes. 

Bicycle Seat Suspension Post

Unless your bicycle is newer that is already equipped with a good suspension, you may need a bicycle suspension post that connects your bicycle seat and bicycle’s post assembly. It essentially acts as a shock absorber.

Most bicycles, especially older bikes typically have a stiff suspension. What that means is anytime you hit a bump or pothole, you’re going to feel your teeth bite your tongue or it will jar your spine. So, once you feel you’re ready to soften your bike ride, you’ll  want to look into a bicycle suspension seat post.

Look for a suspension post that has a built-in spring coil and damper rubber to absorb the vibration while riding. And, you’ll want it to be fully adjustable so you can apply the bounce according to the riding surface. And most importantly, make certain you get the right one that applies to your bicycle manufacturer’s recommendation.

Bicycle Accessories for Handlebars

Bicycle Bell

One of the biggest complaints amongst pedestrians or other bicycle riders is being rudely surprised by another bicycle rider wizzing passed them. This totally goes against proper cycling etiquette and frankly, is an extremely unsafe practice.

So, be a courteous and safe cyclist and ring your bike bell to alert other cyclists, joggers or walkers. Bicycle bells come in different array of designs, colors, and ‘ding’ sound. And some bells even come with push-button electric sounds.

Bicycle Mirrors

Bike mirrors are an essential part of your ride that helps keep you safe from overtaking and passing motor vehicles and other bicyclists. You can get easy detachable bike mirrors or permanent-mount bicycle mirrors for your handlebars.

We have taken a liken to LWPITTY bicycle mirrors that plug into the ends of our Boogie ebikes handlebars. They swivel for easy adjustment while riding, parking in a public bike rack and when stowing our bicycles on our Jeep’s RockyMounts Swing Away bike rack.

However, if you’d rather not have such appendages cluttering up your handlebars, you could opt for a bicycle helmet mirror instead.

Bicycle Mirror Recommendations

Bicycle Cellphone Holder

A quality bicycle cellphone holder is a good piece of bike gear to mount on your handlebars. Especially for those who use bicycle trail apps or using your phone’s GPS  in busy locations, a cellphone holder that mounts easily onto your handlebars will make your ride much more comfortable and safer.

The bicycle cellphone holder we prefer attaches to our handlebars and enables our phone to snap in securely, swivels and pivots easily. It has no stretchy bands than can degrade or wear out.

Bicycle Speaker

Whether you’re commuting for work on your bicycle or leisurely ride, you may want to listen to your favorite beats or podcast. However, we strongly  dissuade bicycle riders from wearing earbuds as they impair your hearing of what’s around you.

So, to still be able to enjoy music or ebooks, we recommend either carrying a pocket-size portable bluetooth speaker or a specialized bicycle handlebar bluetooth speaker. They come as simple or as high tech as you want.

Just a side safety note, be conscious of the sound it projects. You need to be able to hear traffic and what’s around you. But also, it’s bad manners to blare your tunes through neighborhoods or on the trails.

Bicycle Accessories – Lights

Bicycle Headlights & Taillights

Even though our ebikes are equipped with lights, we still wanted to make ourselves more visible on the road by mounting a set of rechargeable headlights and taillights onto our bikes. We can easily program our lights to flash or beam steady depending on where we’re riding or what kind of traffic we’re in. And, when it comes time to recharge them, we simply take them off and charge them with a USB charging cord.

Two important things to keep in mind when buying bicycle lights is how many lumens they put out. You want the most lumens for best visibility; for daytime or night riding. And, you’ll want to take into consideration of how long with the battery power last between charges.

Bicycle Lights Recommendations

Decorative Bike Lights

If you’re a night rider, it’s fun to ride with colorful and festive lights. Some come in solid colors while others change colors as you ride. And while they are just fun to adorn your bike with, they also provide additional visibility to motor vehicle operators, pedestrians and other bicyclists.

We have SpokeLit lights that clip onto the spokes of our bike wheels. We can program to stay one color or cycle through all the colors. They look pretty cool as we pedal down the road. And though they are fun,  they also add a great visibility factory when riding at night.

Bicycle Festive and Fun Lights Recommendations

Bicycle Accessories – Baskets, Luggage & Cargo Bags

Bicycle Panniers & Bike Saddle Bags

Whether you’re going on a two-hour bike ride, an all-day mountain bike adventure or fun weekend trip, it’s a good idea to have some sort of bike luggage to keep your gear in. Bicycle pannier bags or bike saddle bags are just the ticket. Not only are they roomy, they can be detached from your bike to take into your hotel room or garage.

They’re perfect for packing your weekend clothes, cycling gear, rain gear, bike took kit and other important bike riding essentials. Look for bicycle saddle bags that are waterproof, can easily attach or detach and come equipped with a tote strap for off-riding carry.

Bicycle Pannier Saddle Bag Recommendations

Bicycle Luggage Rack Tail Trunk

Bicycle trunk bags are a great way to carry snacks, water bottles, tools, cellphone, maps and other cycling essentials safely inside. They secure nicely on your rear fender luggage rack. Some bicycle trunk bags are even large enough to store your helmet when not in use.

Some are even insulated to keep cold drinks or your lunch cool inside. We love our Patgoal bike trunk bags that we keep on the backs of our Boogie bikes. They can be easily removed and carried by hand or slung over our shoulder with their detachable shoulder strap.

Now, when shopping for any type of bike luggage, look for cargo bags that fits your needs and style. Pay attention to features like extra pockets, a water bottle holder, bungie strap to stuff your sweatshirt under, rain cover and even lockable zippers.

Other Bicycle Trunk Bag Recommendations

Bicycle Basket

If you’re going to carry an extra bag such as a purse, groceries, or even your cute little dog or cat, a bicycle basket will pay you forward for many trips around the sun. There are several different types of baskets on the market; nostalgic wicker bike baskets, steel mesh bicycle baskets, pannier type saddle bag baskets and pet carrier baskets. All of which are great for carrying your gear, bags, farmer’s market produce and flea market finds.

Bicycle Pedals

Like your bike seat, your bicycle pedals are a personal preference. If you’re a serious bicycle rider or long distance rider, you’ll probably want to get bicycle pedals that have stirrups that fit over your toes and tops of your feet. Other bike pedals have better grip pegs or non-slip treads for safer foot placement; especially for mountain bikes.

Water Bottle Mount

Staying hydrated is important while riding. And, keeping your water bottle within safe reach will help allow you sips between stops. But, water bottle mounts can be a little tricky depending on the size and shape of your bicycle’s frame and/or location of where you’re going to mount it. Some may include their own prescribed water bottle. Or, they may be a universal fit that accommodates most any water bottle.

Bicycle Accessories – Repair & Maintenance

Bicycle Accessories Tool Kit

Every bicycle rider should be equipped with a decent bicycle tool kit; especially for long trips away from home or civilization. Because you never know when you’re going to need to tighten a bolt or screw.  Bicycle tool kits can be as complex with several different tools or simple with just a few. My suggestion would be to keep a more complex bike tool kit in your garage or RV and a simple tool kit to carry on your bicycle.

Bicycle Tire Repair Kit

Just the same as it’s important having an accessible bicycle tool kit, you’ll will definitely need to keep a bicycle tire repair kit and a mini bicycle tire pump on your bike.

Most bicycle tire punctures are caused by sharp stones, wood splinters or objects. Or, if you’re in the desert region, sharp cactus spines and prickles set you off the trail if you  don’t have a tire repair kit. Generally, the puncture hole is about 0.2 inch. But, if you have a bicycle inner tube repair kit, you’ll master making the bicycle tube intact within 30 minutes. Then, you can inflate your tires to continue enjoying your bike ride.

Bicycle Accessories – Storage

Bicycle Lock

Bicycles and ebikes are at the top of the list of most stolen items in the United States. So, to protect your bicycle or ebike from theft, you’ll need to lock your bike to a solid stationary object such as a bike rack or pole. 

But, not all bike locks are the same. They range from cable combination locks, key opening locks, code bike locks to bicycle locks equipped with bluetooth alarms. Be aware though, while a cable bicycle lock may present itself as a theft deterrent, they may not be enough depending on where and when you’re going to lock your bicycle. Kryptonite U-Lock bike locks are rated to be the best theft deterrent locks on the market.

Bicycle Cover

When your bicycle or ebike is not in use, it should be covered to protect all of the mechanisms from weather and dust. Also, a good quality bicycle cover will also camouflage your bike’s identity or brand. Thus, making it somewhat a theft deterrent. Make certain it’s UV protected and waterproof.

And lastly, when storing or transporting your bicycle, secure a large bungee cargo net over your entire bicycle cover. This will keep your bicycle cover from flopping around or even flying off down the road. Also, an elastic cargo net adds a little more security to those who may be tempted to just remove the cover and steal your bikes.

Final thoughts on bicycle accessories that won’t break your budget

As you see, you can add as many bicycle accessories to your ride for comfort and for fun. We hope these suggestions get you on the trail or that cool bike ride with your family and friends. Enjoy your ride and always ride safe!

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