Wildside recommends. W wildside-online.co.uk P [01892] E A 77/83 Camden Road, TN1 2QL

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1 Wildside recommends Whether you re just getting into cycling or you ve been doing it for years, you will probably have realised that there is a never ending list of products, clothing, components, upgrades and additional costs that you could be looking at. And as much as we would all love to be able to splash out on all these lovely extras, unfortunately cash flow [and our partners who for some reason would rather spend 500 on something else other than the latest Lupine light set!]. Therefore to help you out we ve come up with a list of what we consider to be the most valuable cycling essentials. Once you ve bought all of these essentials then you can start looking at treating yourself to those more luxurious additional purchases top-end lights, carbon bottle cages, additional clothing, the list goes on! Pump When looking at pumps we usually recommend that you look at owning 2 pumps; a mini-pump and a track pump [see below], however when you first get out on the bike it is recommended that you get a mini-pump. These come in both MTB and road types and are very useful for taking out with you on the bike so if you do get a puncture then you can put air in your tyre and get home! Gloves One common problem with cyclists is discomfort in the hands. A good set of padded gloves [short fingered] can not only reduce the risk of blisters and tough skin but can also prevent your hands from going numb by providing padding over key nerves within your hands. Shorts Padded shorts are another hugely valuable item of a cyclist s wardrobe. A good set of padded lycra shorts [or under-shorts] can maximise comfort and reduce numb-ness, especially over long distances. Repair kit/ tube One of the most common problems when out on the bike is punctures. You can get various tyre sealants, punctureproof tyres and other innovations to help prevent punctures, however at the end of the day getting a puncture is still a possibility and it s always useful to carry a repair kit or spare tube [see your tyre for the correct size]. Carrying these items [along with a mini-pump] means you ll be able to deal with punctures on the side of the road and you won t have to call up your spouse for a lift every time you ride over a thorn! [Wildside top tip keeping your tyres at a high pressure can also reduce the risk of a puncture.]

2 Helmet A new helmet should be at the top of the list for any cyclist whether you re riding 2 minutes to the shops or going on a day long MTB trip. As much fun as it is there is also a dangerous side to cycling and we definitely wouldn t go anywhere without our helmets on! Bradley the safety squirrel says be a tough nut to crack wear a helmet! Shoes/ pedals Clipless pedals [despite the rather misleading name, clipless pedals are actually the ones that you clip into the name comes from the fact that the pedals don t require toe clips!]. If you re already using clipless pedals then you will know how good they are they help with performance, balance and because of the stiff soles on most cycling shoes you will also experience better power transfer. A must have for anyone starting out in the world of road cycling! Bottle/ cage This is probably one of the most basic bits of kit you can get but is also one of the most useful. Being able to attach a water bottle to your bike means you can carry a drink wherever you go and always stay hydrated! Jersey Cycling jerseys vary in price [see our clothing advice column for more information] however they all offer the same basic functions. A cycling jersey will work well to wick away sweat and stop you getting too over-heated on the bike. Most good cycling jerseys will also come with small pockets in the back great for storing your wallet, keys, phone, mini pump, gels and bars! Light set Multi-tool A small multi tool with a few allen keys is really useful for making small adjustments to your bike. Allowing you to change your saddle height, adjust the handlebars, brake levers and other parts. Although these are the bare essentials, there are some items that you may want to purchase for winter/ poor weather riding: Lights are really useful for winter riding. However they can be useful for 2 reasons; firstly a bright front light is good for seeing where you re going in the dark! Secondly both front and rear lights are good for helping vehicles to see you when visibility on the roads is low. [See our lights advice column for more information].

3 Jacket Jackets are really useful in poor weather conditions, whether you get one for wind, rain, showers or warmth, they can make winter riding a much more pleasant experience. [See our clothing advice column for more information]. Mudguards Base layer Base layers are good for very cold weather. Especially when combined with a weather proof jacket they work really well to trap heat and keep you warm [see our clothing advice column for more information]. If you re worried about getting caked in mud whilst riding your local trails or if you don t want spray and grit from the road getting all over your new white jersey then mudguards are the solution, whether you have a mountain bike, a cruiser city bike or an out and out race bike there will be a set of mudguards to meet your needs! [See our mudguard advice column for more advice on choosing the right mudguards]. Warmers Arm and leg warmers are a cheap and easy way to keep your arms/ legs warm in cold weather without having to splash out on new jackets and tights! [See our clothing advice column for more information on warmers]. Gloves When you re cycling in bad weather it s fair to say your fingers take a lot of abuse; wind, rain, dirt and they hardly move at all! Long winter gloves are great for keeping the weather off and keeping your hands warm in the winter. As well as these winter essentials there are a few other cyclingaccessories which you may want to look at purchasing at some point, although they re not necessary at first it may be useful to look into purchasing them at a later date: Cleaner/ brushes/ lubricant Keeping your bike clean and lubricated is the best way to make all the components last longer. This is especially important throughout the winter if your bike and components get grit, dirt and mud all over them and you don t clean it off then they re going to wear out quicker [it also doesn t look very nice having a dirty bike!] [See our maintenance advice column for more information].

4 Lock If you re ever going to leave your bike on alone it s highly advisable to get a lock. We would say the stronger the better however the stronger locks are also more expensive and much heavier, so you ll have to weigh up want your willing to spend/ carry around against the cost of losing your bike! Tools As well as multi-tool you may want to invest in some other more specific work shop tools at a later date. Tools such as pedal spanners, chain tools and hex keys are among some of the more common tools people buy however what you buy depends on how intensely [and frequently] you re going to be servicing your bike. Car rack Car racks are a useful purchase they allow you to transport your bike without having to take it apart and cram it into your boot each time. We highly recommend Saris racks simple and highly flexible. See the Saris website for more information on what racks will fit your car. Insurance Sunglasses Cycle insurance can be useful if you re worried about your bike being stolen [expensive bikes are not covered by home insurance so it s worth checking this first. Check out Cycle insurance for an instant quote. You might find that your eyes are watering when you go too quickly or you might even be getting the occasional bug in your eye! Either way, a light pair of cyclingspecific glasses can be really useful. Also dark lenses can reduce glare in highsunlight and coloured lenses [orange/ yellow] can improve visibility in dull weather! GPS If you have a sense of adventure then a GPS computer is great for exploring new areas and planning new routes, without having to stop every 5 minutes and check a map! Computer Whether you re a professional racer or a complete novice, we all love to know our stats, so we can go to the pub later and tell our friends how we cycled 50.3miles today and averaged 16mph and at one point even went up to 39mph! Cycle computers can give you all this information so whether you want to train and improve your performance or if you just want to tell your friends how fast you went down Yalding hill cycle computers are for you! [Check out or computers advice column for more information].

5 Track pump Although a mini-pump is great for emergency repairs on the side of the road, they generally won t give you a high enough pressure for everyday riding, a proper track pump allows you to pump your tyres up to full pressure much more easily and quickly than with a mini-pump. Turbo trainer If you re a fair weather cyclist and you don t fancy going out in the cold, wind and rain but at the same time you don t want to waste all the cycling you ve been doing over the summer then a turbo might be the answer check out our turbo trainer advice column for more information.