Gear

Six of the best products for commuting by bike

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As the nights draw in again, and season slowly changes, finding the time to ride and keep your summer fitness up can be difficult.

However, your commute can become an important part of your training routine – but it’s important to be prepared if you ride your bike to work.

With that in mind, we’ve picked out six of the best products to kit you and your bike out ready for the ride to work.

And if you want to ensure you’re getting the most out of your time in the saddle, head this way for our top training tips on making the most of your commute by bike.

But, without further ado, here are the six of the best commuting products for the dedicated roadie.

Sprintech adjustable mirrors

Safety is a key consideration when commuting, or whenever you are riding in traffic for that matter, but without eyes in the back of your head it’s difficult to keep a close eye on everything going on behind you.

Sprintech mirrors are designed to fit in place of your existing handlebar plugs and – blind spot checks aside – eradicate the need to be constantly looking over your shoulder.

Designed specifically for drop handlebars, the Sprintech Racing mirrors will set you back £23 and weigh just 20g each. You can pick them up at www.sjscycles.co.uk or find out more at www.sprintech.eu.

Jetvalve Smart System Repair Pod

There’s never a good time to suffer a puncture, but halfway through your commute with a 9am meeting looming is far from ideal.

But with compact puncture repair kits like the Jetvalve Smart System Repair Pod available, there’s no excuse not to be prepared, and have the tools to get back riding quickly.

The kit contains patches, tyre levers, a CO2 inflator and spare cartridge, and will slip easily into a backpack, saddle bag or jersey pocket. Yours for £24.99.

Widget reflective mudguards

We think it’s a good idea to use mudguards through winter, regardless of whether it’s on the ride to work or the club run.

Mudguards will help keep both you and your bike clean, and will help stop you arriving at work caked in mud and grime.

As well as regular mudguards, Widget’s range also includes part reflective and fully reflective ‘guards to help keep you seen out on the road – a sensible option if you ride regularly under cover of darkness. The part reflective set costs £36.99, with the full reflective mudguards coming in at £39.99.

Exposure Flash Flare light set

Lights are another commuter essential, especially once the clocks go back at the end of October.

This Flash and Flare set from Exposure costs £67.49 (they’re also offered separately) and, despite their small size, pack plenty of punch, putting out 110 lumens and 75 lumens respectively.

They’re easy to fit, too, thanks to the secure quick release bracket, and are also simple to use, making these lights ideal for the commute to work.

Stolen Goat Climb and Conquer jacket

Over the last couple of years, clothing manufacturers have come around to the idea of producing smart, stylish, performance-led kit which incorporates more and more reflectivity.

Take the Stolen Goat Climb and Conquer jacket, for example, which is waterproof, windproof and thermal – but also includes stacks of reflectivity.

That’s thanks to the excellent Pixel 1000 fabric used across the jacket, including on the pockets. We were big fans when we reviewed the jacket and it’s easy to see why.

Spurcycle bell

It may not be the ‘done thing’ to have a bell on your road bike, but if you commute regularly in a busy urban area, having an effective bell can help warn wayward pedestrians (and other cyclists) of your presence.

The trouble is, most bells don’t look particularly great on the bike, and many aren’t even that loud, but that’s where the Spurcycle bell comes in.

It’s made from brass and stainless steel to ensure it not only looks smart, but puts out one hell of a ‘ding’, said to last three times longer than other bells. It will fit both standard and oversized handlebars, too, and is available in either a raw metal or black finish.

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Gear

Six of the best products for commuting by bike