14 Essentials to Improve Your Bike Commute in the City
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You don't need to wear special pants to ride a bike, but some pants just work better than others for cycling. These Rhone pants have a "mobility gusset" between the legs—basically a stretchy panel that makes it more comfortable to pedal—and some extra movement in the knees. They're polyester, but they feel softer than I expected, and they don't wrinkle easily. The styling is work-appropriate, too. I can ride to the office in these and walk straight into a meeting. And since they're very thin and airy, they stay much cooler than jeans on a hot day. Men's sizes only.
A wind-resistant fleece like this one is an essential piece of gear for all four seasons, especially if you ride early in the morning before it warms up. The fabric is a mix of nylon, polyester, and Spandex, so it's stretchy, and it's treated with a durable water repellent coating—not a membrane, so it stays breathable. There's a zipper pocket in the back where you can stash your keys or phone, and by sliding your thumbs through the thumbholes on the sleeve cuffs, you can keep your arms entirely covered. Women's sizes only.
I've long admired Mafia's bags. They're made from recycled materials—most often different types of sailcloth from used boat sails and kite-surfing sails. As a result, the bags are very light and work really well in the elements. This over-the-shoulder number was developed in concert with Stanford's Institute of Design, and it's sort of a dual-purpose bag that functions as both a messenger and a tote. When you wear it as a messenger bag, the handles sort of flop over, and a stabilizing strap keeps it from sliding around on your back. Step off the bike, and it's a tote bag. The physical design is the same from bag to bag, but each one's color scheme is dictated by the sails used to make it, so every bag is totally unique. You can pick the exact bag you like on the Mafia website.
The choice to wear a helmet is a personal one, but if you're going to wear a helmet, why not try one that adds extra safety features beyond just coddling your noodle? Lumos makes a light-up helmet that's ringed with LEDs—red lights on the back, white ones on the front, and lights on each side that function as turn signals. To engage the turn signals, you can use a little remote that attaches to your handlebar, or you can use an Apple Watch. The Lumos app for the Apple Watch has gesture recognition, so when you signal a turn using hand signals, the proper directional light blinks. The app works with older Lumos helmets too, you just have to update your firmware. A weird thing to say about a helmet, but there you are.
If somebody really wants to steal your bike, there isn't a lock on the planet strong enough to keep them from doing so. But it sends a strong "stay away" signal if you lock your bike with something that's recognizably difficult to compromise. I have been locking my rides with a Bulldog Mini for what seems like decades. The OnGuard folks keep improving the design, so I keep buying them and recommending them. If you need something simple that isn't heavy or bulky, this is the lock to get.
I prefer cycling in slip-on shoes. That way, I never have to worry about getting a shoelace caught in my chain. After years spent replacing pair after pair of Vans slip-ons, I found these things and changed my shoe habits forever. They're elastic laces—you yank out your tie-up laces and install these in their place. They'll turn just about any pair of regular shoes into slip-ons. It takes five minutes and a little trial and error to adjust the tension so they don't come off easily, but hey, no more chewed-up laces and no more laces, period. They work especially well with cheap canvas shoes like Converse, Vans, and Keds. Bonus: The laces' reflective coating serves as a subtle signal to prospective love interests that you're a cyclist, and a smart one.
A bright light not only illuminates the pavement in front of you, but it helps others see you coming. With 1,000 lumens of power, this bike light checks both boxes. There are four beam settings, and if you're conservative with the highest one, you should only have to plug it into a USB port to charge it once per week. Plus, it has side lights that glow yellow—extra helpful when you roll up next to a car because it makes the driver look up from their phone.
My limited experience with airless tires hasn't left me with good impressions. They are usually pretty heavy, and you have to pedal much harder than usual because of their added rolling resistance. So I was skeptical about trying these new solid tires from Tannus. But I installed them on one of my commuter bikes and they really surprised me. The company claims an increase in rolling resistance of five to eight percent over tires with tubes, and that feels about right. So you have to pedal a little harder, but you'll never get a flat tire if you roll with these. Tannus makes them in enough sizes to fit just about any application. Racing tires, city slicks, off-road, folding bikes. Before you commit, watch the installation video to get a sense of how they work.
If you're one of those people who races on the weekends, get a race-ready helmet that pulls double duty as a daily commuter. The newest model from POC has these giant sluices that push air through the helmet rather than around it, making it more aerodynamic. The safety features are impressive, too. The protective pads inside shift and move if you get into a bang-up, an action which mitigates the brain-jolting forces that can worsen a head injury. I don't race bikes, but I just like wearing this because of how ventilated it is. Also, it weighs only half a pound.
Chrome makes nice, functional cycling bags, and I like this new tote from the company because it's so versatile. There are interior pockets for a laptop, iPad, charger, sunglasses, all my usual daily carry stuff. But then. Then! It converts from a tote bag into a backpack. Unzip the zipper on the back panel, pull out the shoulder straps stashed inside, and attach them to the hidden metal hooks at the bottom of the bag. Insanity. I also like the bag's unassuming looks.
When you search for these on Amazon, you should type "seamless headbands" or "sport scarves." But when they arrive, you should just call them neckies, because that's more fun. They're great for rides in the cold fog or at night. Slip one around your neck to keep warm, then pull it up to your chin for extra coverage. If you have long hair, you can pull one up into a headband. They look great on your dog too. I don't know why I'm trying to convince you—$14 on Amazon gets you nine of these things. Total bargain.
Even if you have a changing room at the office and a backpack to carry an extra outfit, it's always easier to just ride in your work clothes. If your job requires you to dress to impress, I can recommend this blazer from North & Mark. It's stretchy, so it's comfortable to work the handlebars while wearing it. The outer fabric is bonded, which blocks the chilly wind as you zip across the city, and the lining is a soft jersey material. It's also water-repellant, so coffee spills and those "mysterious city liquids" you inevitably have to deal with in the bike lane will roll right off.
Riding every day will knock a few things out of alignment on your bike, so a good multitool is necessary for making those tiny adjustments. This aluminum tool set from Park Tool is loaded with hex wrenches, a Torx bit, and a screwdriver. Even though the screwdriver is a flathead, I've found I can use it to twist the Philips screws on my bike too.
More and more people are attaching Bluetooth speakers to their bikes in the city. I don't mind a little music in the air, and it gives me a laugh to occasionally ride past somebody who's streaming NPR's Morning Edition or some interview podcast. When I want to listen to some electro-cumbia on my weekly ride to the grocery store, I strap one of these to my bike. There's a stretchy loop on the back that lets me easily clamp the speaker to my handlebars, front basket, or the strap of my grocery bag. Remember: You ride a bike because it's fun.
