Three Essential Portable Bike Accessories
Bringing your favorite two-wheel ride on the road is as easy as bringing your family.
Having a bike handy on your vacation weekend is not just fun, it's convenient. Instead of having to take the car to grab a few things, you can hop on the bike and take in the scenery while getting a little exercise. Of course, for that to happen you need to bring your bike, and keep it running. Here's how.
No bike rack? No problem. Installing a temporary bike rack on almost any vehicle, whether you've got a modest hatchback for the city or an off-roading pickup, is a simple process. Find a rack with durable construction, padding to keep your car off your bike and your bike off your car, and straps to secure both the rack and the bike. Then put it on, securely tie it down, and get rolling.
A flat tire can be a huge problem, so make sure you've got a repair kit and a pump on you at all times. Fortunately, cyclists tend to be inventive people, so small but mighty pumps that you can strap to your bike frame or toss in your bag are widely available. Make sure the pump will fit your tire valve, and remember to bring a full patch kit, in case you lose both the tube and the tire.
Speaking of a backpack, bring something that straps tightly to you and has a low-profile design. Anybody who's been on a bike going against the wind can tell you it's a miserable experience, and big, bulky bags offer plenty of surface area to catch that wind. Something low and close to your back will give you plenty of space to keep your stuff and bring back what you need from errands, and not hold you back on the road.