Introduction

SUMLON has gathered ideas from several road bike cyclists and got a list of road bike accessories, including must have bike accessories list, optional bike accessories list and DO NOT BUT list (the black list) . They can find these topics in the following context:

1. List of Must Have Bike Accessories

Here, we discuss the first part of this series, the list of must have bike accessories for road cycling. This is an article for starter road cyclists. If you have accumulated over 20 hours of ride time or more than 400 km of mileage, check out the optional road bike accessories list. It lists almost all the mainstream road bike accessories you might need and advises you on whether you should buy specific bike accessory.

SUMLON summarizes the recommendations from several experienced road cyclists. If you still need to acquire all of the following bike accessories, it is better for you not to start your first ride. They are bike helmets, goggles, headlights, tail lights, kettles, and cycling gloves.

1.1 Must have bike accessories : Helmet

If you take part in road cycling, a high-quality helmet is the only accessory you have to buy. Wearing a helmet during road bike cycling is crucial for safety, as helmets protect cyclists from head injuries during an accident. Since the head is vulnerable and accidents can occur unexpectedly, helmets mitigate the impact force, reducing the risk of severe head trauma. Additionally, road cycling often involves high speeds and proximity to vehicles and obstacles, increasing the likelihood of collisions. Even skilled cyclists cannot control all external factors like road conditions and weather, which may lead to accidents. Wearing a helmet significantly improves a cyclist’s chances of survival and reduces injury severity in case of mishaps.

In addition, the helmet can slightly reduce wind resistance when driving, but the effect may not be noticeable. The rider’s body contributes to over 70% of the wind resistance on the ride, with more than 20% of the remaining wind resistance coming from the bike and the accessories carried by the rider. The effect of the helmet on wind resistance is minimal. If you want to use a helmet for better wind resistance reduction, an aerodynamic helmet may be a good choice.

1.2 Must have bike accessories : Cycling spectacles/goggles

Road cycling is a high-speed sport. It would help to keep your eyes open; no one can cycle with his eyes closed. At 20 km/h, wind and sun can make it impossible to keep your eyes open comfortably. Goggles are another important guarantee of safe riding. It’s also one of the accessories you need on your way to being a skilled cyclist.

Goggles can block sand, insects, and other debris, protect your eyes from injury, and ensure riding safety. In addition, spectacles/goggles can reduce the irritation of the eyes to solid sunshine and improve visual clarity. Some cycling spectacles also have special lenses, such as UV, mist, and water resistance, providing more comprehensive protection. It is essential to purchase professional cycling goggles suitable for road cycling.

You can choose from a wide range of cycling goggles; SUMLON recommends photochromic glasses, which change color according to the intensity of the sunlight. There are a lot of other good choices, such as cycling goggles integrated into the helmets. It is attached to your helmet by magnets. Theoretically, this is the only option for riders wearing glasses. If you like these magnetic spectacles, you can find one covering the entire face. I don’t know whether to call it cycling goggles or a cycling mask.

1.3 Must have bike accessories : Headlight (front light) and holder

Trust me, even if you just wanted to test your new bike simply before your first ride, you probably could not guarantee that you would return before sunset because you would love the ride.

Headlight provides necessary visual aids at night or in low-light environments to help cyclists see the road ahead and avoid collisions with obstacles, other vehicles, or pedestrians. In addition, headlights can play a significant role in daylight as well. It makes the rider and his bike more visible. This reduces the possibility that others neglect cyclists and helps others on the road detect cyclists and react in advance. This can reduce the occurrence of accidents. In addition to lighting at night and acting as a warning light during the day, headlights can also help cyclists see the road ahead more clearly in rainy, foggy, or other adverse conditions, enhancing the feasibility and safety of cycling. The headlight is an indispensable safety device for cycling at night or during the day.

Remember to buy a suitable holder for your headlight.

1.4 Must have bike accessories : Tail light (rear light)

Like headlights, tail light provides an essential visual signal at night or in low visibility conditions, making it easier for others to notice cyclists and reduce the risk of collision. The tail light indicates the direction and speed, helping other vehicles to better predict the path of the cyclists, thereby reducing accidents. A tail light also reminds the driver to keep a safe distance in an emergency to avoid a rear-end collision.

In addition, tail lights increase cyclist visibility, particularly in rainy and foggy weather or low daylight during the day, helping others detect cyclists earlier. Purchase a high-quality tail light, such as the LED tail light with multiple modes and high brightness, to provide lasting and reliable service in various riding environments, ensuring the safety of cyclists. A tail light is not only legally required equipment but also an important tool to protect cyclists’ lives, so purchasing a tail light for cycling is indispensable.

1.5 Must have bike accessories : Cycling gloves

Cycling gloves protect you from bruises when you fall, and try to protect yourself by holding your hands on the ground. They also increase the friction between your hand and the handlebar. Riding on bumpy roads, your hands will stay on the handlebar. In addition, manufacturers incorporate a piece of cloth specifically designed to wipe sweat in a particular location, such as cycling gloves. Cycling glasses can remove facial perspiration so as not to block sight lines.

Regarding cushion, the cycling glove has a cushion zone in the palm, making your ride more comfortable. But just a tip: choose gloves with cushioning material that is too thick. They increase the risk of your hands falling off the handlebar.

Some people choose not to wear cycling gloves. They thought using bare hands would result in smaller windage and reduced weight. SUMLON believes that the effect of bare hands on reducing windage is insignificant and almost negligible. For weight reduction, gloves typically weigh more than 50g. You don’t have to worry about this 50g weight increase unless you’re a professional road rider. And guess what? Most professional road bike racers choose to wear their gloves. They also believe that using bare hands gives them a better grip, which helps them to steer the bike better. This is true for some riders. SUMLON recommends that you consider this. But in short, SUMLON still recommends wearing your cycling gloves while starting road cycling.

1.6 Must have bike accessories : Cycling pants (shorts)

It doesn’t have to be a long distance. If the distance of a ride exceeds 10 km, please wear cycling pants. The trousers are designed with unique cushions that relieve stress, reduce friction, and prevent fatigue during cycling. It protects the hips of cyclists and relieves discomfort from prolonged cycling. The rider’s pants are usually made of breathable, hygroscopic, and sweating fabrics to avoid pain caused by excessive sweating. Some also have a tight-fit design that reduces air drag and slightly improves riding efficiency.

BTW, Riders are typically designed with multiple pockets to allow riders to carry small items such as cell phones, wallets, energy supplies, etc. The trousers also protect against skin injuries during crashes, particularly at high speeds or in complex road conditions. Overall, the trousers offer comfort and safety as well as increased efficiency. He has almost no shortcomings, but remember not to put daily underpants in the cycling pants. It was initially designed to be worn alone.

1.7 Must have bike accessories : Kettle and kettle cage

They don’t seem necessary, but they are. SUMLON recommends carrying at least one 500-700 ml bottle of water if a ride does not exceed 25 km. If you plan to ride more than 25 km, please make it two. With them, you may be able to complete a regular ride. The kettle and kettle holder should be classified as bicycle parts rather than accessories because this road bike is barely functional if there is no kettle and kettle holder.

2. Optional Bike Accessories

Here, we discuss the second part, the list of optional bike accessories for road cycling. These are recommendations for road cyclists who already have some riding experience. This article will discuss almost all the road bike accessories we have ever seen. If you have yet to find a discussion here about a specific road bike accessory, it’s likely a must-have, or we strongly don’t recommend buying it. Please try to find it in the other two discussions (the list of mandatory bike accessories for road cycling and those that must not be purchased for road cycling).

SUMLON has summarized the advice from many experienced road cyclists: if you already have some experience and decide to participate in more activities, you should consider buying some of the road bike accessories we will show and discuss next. They are a cycling jersey, odometer, clipless shoes, clipless pedal, an action camera, a spare tire, a pump, a power meter, a cadence sensor, a heart rate strap, bone conduction headphones, and a carbon fiber saddle.

2.1 Optional bike accessories : Cycling Jersey

Unlike professional cycling pants, a regular fast dry suit will work for you if your weekly plan does not include a 50 km cycle. However, if your ride will exceed 50 km, you should consider wearing a professional suit.

A cycling jersey is designed to improve ride comfort. These are typically breathable materials that help dissipate heat and absorb perspiration, making the ride more comfortable. At the same time, the cycling jersey can provide better performance. The tight-fitting design reduces wind resistance, making the ride smoother and more efficient. Riders are generally elastic, providing a better fit to the body’s contours, reducing air drag, and increasing speed. In addition, it can help improve riding safety. Some are designed with bright colors and reflective strips to enhance the visibility of cyclists on the road and reduce the risk of collision with vehicles. Overall, wearing a cycling suit not only improves comfort and performance but also improves safety. You can ride without it, but it can make every ride different.

2.2 Optional bike accessories : Odometer and holder

The odometer can monitor the riding speed, mileage, time, and other real-time data to help cyclists understand their riding conditions and progress. These data are essential for planning the ride, adjusting the training intensity, and achieving the ride objectives. Riders can set targets such as speed, mileage, etc. In addition, some odometers are equipped with GPS navigation, which can help riders find the right direction on the unknown route and increase the fun of exploration.

Most importantly, when you have completed multiple rides, the odometer can help you analyze your ride data, identify potential problems, and improve. By studying the speed, heart rate, climb height, and other data, cyclists can understand their own cycling status and physical reaction and timely adjust their cycling strategy to improve the efficiency and comfort of cycling.

2.3 Optional bike accessories : Cycling socks, Clipless shoes, and Clipless pedal

The professional design of the cycling socks uses breathable, hygroscopic, and sweating materials to effectively keep the feet dry, reduce discomfort and friction caused by moisture, prevent bacteria from breeding, and reduce the risk of foot skin abrasion and infection.

Clipless shoes keep the rider’s shoes tightly connected to the pedals, ensuring that you are in the correct pedal position and do not use the wrong pedal position. Its existence ensures that you use the power of the front foot, reduce unnecessary accidental injury, and do not worry about the safety problem caused by the pedal falling off from the foot due to too high pedal cadence rate. At the same time, clipless shoes and pedals prevent inadvertent foot slip, enhance ride stability, and reduce the risk of falling due to foot separation from the pedestals, particularly on high-speed or complex road conditions where clipless shoes and clipless pedals are more critical.

2.4 Optional bike accessories : Action camera

The action camera can record the beautiful moments and scenes during the ride. By taking videos or photographs, cyclists can leave valuable memories and share their experiences with others. During cycling, sports cameras can record traffic or other accidents, provide compelling evidence for cyclists, help them safeguard their rights and interests, and provide legal support if necessary. In addition, action cameras can be used to improve ride technique and posture. By watching their cycling videos, cyclists can discover their shortcomings, improve their riding technique and posture, and improve their efficiency and comfort. If your budget is adequate, action cameras are a good choice.

2.5 Optional bike accessories : Crowbar, Spare tube, and Electric pump

The crowbar, spare tire, and inflation pump provide the emergency preparation. Tired tire blowout is typical during the ride, and cyclists may be trapped on the roadside without a spare tire or pump. Carrying a spare tire and a pump allows cyclists to quickly change tires in the event of a flat tire and continue the ride, avoiding unnecessary trouble and delay. In case of low tire pressure or air leakage during riding, the pump can immediately pump the tires. The spare tire and pump will not occupy too much space, and they are light and easy to carry, which is especially important for long-distance cycling or exploration.

It should be noted that SUMLON strongly does not recommend you purchase a portable manual pump. Its efficiency is extremely low. It is challenging for you to increase the tire pressure above 100PSI in 10 minutes. This is meaningless energy consumption. An electric pump can solve this problem well.

2.6 Optional bike accessories : Power meter

Power meters can help riders train more scientifically. By monitoring cycling power in real-time, cyclists can learn about their exercise intensity and endurance level and adjust their training plan to improve their efficiency and results. Power data can also help cyclists assess progress and set reasonable training objectives. By analyzing the power data, cyclists can understand whether their ride techniques and postures are effective, identify deficiencies, and improve, thereby improving ride efficiency, reducing energy loss, and making long-distance rides or climbs easier. During the competition, by monitoring their power output in real-time, riders can adjust their cycling strategies according to the track’s characteristics and the opponent’s situation to control physical consumption and improve competition competitiveness effectively. By monitoring the power output, cyclists can avoid fatigue and injury caused by excessive force, adjust their riding strength promptly, maintain good physical condition, and reduce the risk of accidents caused by fatigue.

2.7 Optional bike accessories : Cadence sensor

Cadence is essential in road cycling. It affects the energy consumption and comfort of the ride and directly relates to the speed and efficiency of the ride. By monitoring the number of pedals rotated per minute, cyclists can understand their cadence level and adjust the cadence to achieve the best riding effect. By documenting the cadence data, cyclists can perform targeted training to improve their cadence level and durability.

The cadence sensor can also be used with equipment such as a heart rate monitor to conduct comprehensive cycling data analysis, develop more effective training plans, and improve the cycling effect. In addition, the cadence instrument can help cyclists monitor their ride status and progress. By documenting and analyzing the cadence data, cyclists can understand their ride habits and skills, identify weaknesses, and improve upon them to improve their ride skills and experience.

2.8 Optional bike accessories : Carbon fiber saddles

Carbon fiber saddles are lighter than conventional metal or plastic saddles, reducing the bike’s overall weight and improving ride speed and efficiency. This means cyclists can climb the ramp more easily, accelerate and maintain a steady speed, and reduce fatigue. Carbon fiber materials have excellent strength and rigidity, providing good support and stability. The carbon fiber saddle can better adapt to the size and posture of the cyclist, reduce the pressure on the hip and pelvis of the cyclist, and improve the riding comfort and long-time riding experience. Although very stiff compared to silicone saddles.

2.9 Optional bike accessories : Heart rate strap/band

The heart rate band helps cyclists monitor and control the heart rate. By monitoring the heart rate data in real-time, cyclists can understand their exercise intensity and cardiopulmonary load, adjust the ride intensity, avoid excessive fatigue and injury, and keep in the appropriate training interval. SUMLON recommends maintaining a heart rate between 120 and 180 beats per minute. A well-planned exercise program based on heart rate data can help cyclists with targeted training to improve cardiopulmonary function and durability. By adjusting the training intensity and duration, cyclists can achieve their training objectives more effectively and improve the riding effect and results. Continuous monitoring of heart rate data can detect abnormal or irregular heart rates, find potential cardiovascular problems promptly, and take corresponding preventive measures to protect your health.

2.10 Optional bike accessories : Bone conduction earphone

You may need to answer the phone, listen to music, navigate, or communicate with team members for long journeys. In these cases, you need a headset. This earphone must keep the ambient sound away. Bone conduction headphones then become a perfect choice. Unlike conventional earplugs, bone conduction headphones do not completely enclose the auditory canal, allowing cyclists to sense still the sound of the surroundings, including traffic and other cyclist warning signals, thereby reducing the risk of accidents due to hearing impairment. Listening to music is an excellent way to maintain cadence; bone-conduction headphones can help you.

In addition to the road bike accessories discussed above, SUMLON recommends purchasing portable combination tools, parking racks, and car washing tools.

3. Bike Accessories That You Should Avoid – The Black List

Here, we discuss the third part of this series of topics, SUMLON, which summarizes the advice from many experienced road cyclists and strongly recommends buying some road bike accessories, especially for novices. Some of these accessories are attractive. However, SUMLON does not recommend that any road cyclist purchase and equip several road bike accessories discussed below. If you have purchased several of them, please discard them. They’re mobile phone holders, kickstands, mudguards, locks, saddle covers, portable manual pumps, and travel bags.

3.1 Blacklist: Mobile phone holder

Mobile phones may be damaged on bumpy roads. Bicycles often pass herky-jerky roads, and the mobile phone holder cannot effectively prevent the mobile phone from being damaged by bumping, which may cause the screen of the mobile phone to be cracked or damaged. In addition, many odometers provide navigation functions, so you don’t need a mobile phone to navigate for you.

3.2 Blacklist: Kickstand 

Kickstand adds extra weight and air drag, reduces ride speed and efficiency, and affects the ride experience. Pursuing speed and efficiency is an essential objective in road cycling, and using kickstands is counter to this objective. The kickstand may shake or generate noise during the ride, which may affect the stability of the ride and increase the risk of falling. In addition, road bicycles are often less likely to use kickstands when parking. Long journeys and cyclists usually dominate road cycling, and cyclists tend to stop and rest at places such as restaurants, coffee shops, or attractions on the way rather than at the roadside. Therefore, the need for a kickstand is low. If you’re using a carbon-fiber frame, the kickstand can damage your chainstay.

3.3 Blacklist: Mudguard

Like the kickstand, the mudguards add extra weight and air drag, reducing ride speed and efficiency. Road bicycles usually ride in dry weather and are less susceptible to rain and mud. As a result, the actual demand for mudguards on road bicycles could be higher, and the installation of mudguards may be redundant and affect the vehicle’s overall aesthetics. In rainy conditions, all the mudguards you can buy on the market do not effectively prevent dirty water from being thrown onto your suit by the wheels.

3.4 Blacklist: All kinds of locks

Road bicycles are expensive commodities. To our knowledge, more than 90 percent of road bicycles are locked when stolen. Placing your bike in a position you don’t see shows that you don’t take your bike seriously. Instead, road cyclists who do not purchase and use locks will always keep their road vehicles within sight. Most importantly, take into account the ability of the thief to unlock. A thief can easily unlock most locks without a key.

3.5 Blacklist: Saddle cover

The saddle cover may change the design and shape of the saddle, resulting in incorrect riding posture. The saddle of a road bike is usually carefully designed and ergonomically designed to provide the best support and comfort for cyclists. The use of saddle covers may damage the original structure of the saddle. In addition, saddle covers may increase friction and discomfort during cycling. During prolonged cycling, the cyclist’s weight is continuously applied to the seat cushion, and any gaps or rubbing between the seat saddle cover and the seat cushion may cause skin abrasions or pain. SUMLON believes that if you’re a novice user and can’t tolerate the pain of a thin saddle, you should buy a pair of cycling pants as soon as possible.

3.6 Blacklist: Portable manual pump

Portable manual pumps are typically small and must meet the requirements of high-pressure tires for road bicycles. Road bike tires usually require high air pressures to maintain the efficiency and comfort of the ride, and portable manual pumps may not be able to achieve the necessary high pressure, resulting in the tires needing to be fully pumped up. Portable manual pumps are usually slow and may take longer and longer to complete. During cycling, cyclists may need to be pumped up frequently to maintain tire pressure, and if the pumping speed is slow, it may increase the time and energy consumption of the ride and affect the riding experience and efficiency. SUMLON considers an electric pump a suitable replacement for a portable manual pump.

3.7 Blacklist: Travel bags

The cycling jersey will provide multiple pockets. You have enough space to carry spare tubes, supplies, pumps, and cell phones. A travel bag’s presence can affect a road bike’s aerodynamic performance. SUMLON does not recommend buying a travel bag.

By the way, SUMLON has been manufacturing bicycle parts for over 15 years. Contact us if you are looking for a bike parts factory or a one-stop wholesaler. Peace