If you want to prevent your cycling trips from being ruined, ensure you have the essential accessories recommended in this article.
Before we start looking at accessories, ensure your bike has been checked and is in good condition and that you have the right clothing, a helmet, cycling glasses and water and food for your planned route. These are the basic essentials you need to worry about. You can get more information from our related articles and videos at the end of this article. And if you're missing any of these items, you'll find the best range and the top brands at mammothbikes.com/en/.
In addition to these essential items, it is advisable to always carry a charged mobile phone, your ID and information on your blood type and possible allergies.
Now let’s focus on the essential accessories to help you get the best from your cycling trips and ensure you are able to cope with the most frequent problems.
This is essential for the vast majority of emergency repairs on the road. The tool should include: l2-8mm Allen keys, a 25 mm Torx spanner and a flat and Phillips screwdriver, at least. The more fully-featured multi-tools also have a chain hook, a chain breaker, a spoke spanner and even a chain remover.
Even if you have tubeless tyres, it is advisable to always carry at least one inner tube, making sure that it is the size and valve type of your wheels (26", 27.5" or 29", and with a thin or fat valve).
These are essential for inflating and repairing a tyre. We advise carrying both because, while the cartridge conveniently inflates the tyre in just a matter of seconds, if it runs out, you will need to use a pump. To expand your options, it is also useful to carry a thin to fat pump adapter, which is tiny and easy to pack, but can get you out of a tight spot or allow you to use a petrol station compressor with a thin valve.
This includes tyre levers, a few traditional or self-adhesive tube patches and, if you have tubeless tyres, a tyre repair system with plugs, repair paste or inner patches. In this video, we show you the most common mechanical emergencies related to wheels and how to repair them: Emergency Mechanics - Wheels
Chainbreakers, pins and chain plates are the basic elements for mending a broken chain. Bear in mind that the pins and plates differ according to the number of speeds on the bike and practice using the tool, before an incident occurs. You can watch how to repair a chain in the video below How to change and repair a bicycle chain.
The derailleur hanger, or hanger dropout is a sacrificial component that forms a link between the frame and derailleur and prevents damage in the event of impact or a fall. If the hanger is twisted or bent, it becomes misaligned and may prevent you from continuing your ride. The only option is to cancel the derailleur, shorten the chain and leave the bike in a fixed combination (singlespeed). For this reason, it’s useful to carry a spare hanger and learn how to replace it, but even if you don't know how to, there is always a chance someone can help fix it, providing you have a spare. Hangers are not standard, so you need to find the right one for your bike. In this video we talk about the different types of derailleur hangers and, in this other one, how to make the bike singlespeed in the case that you do not have a spare hanger or if the derailleur breaks.
All the accessories we have seen can be attached to the bike itself with specially designed brackets or with the modern integration systems offered by numerous accessory brands such as Specialized, Syncross (Scott), Giant and Topeak. These pioneering brands, which can be found at Mammoth, have developed storage systems that attach to the frame, the bottle cage, handlebars, head tube and even on the bottom bracket (Giant).
However, if you don't have these systems and don't want to distribute everything in your jersey pockets, a saddle bag or a backpack is highly recommendable.
Whether you use a MTB, urban or road bike, you can carry all the basic tools in a saddle bag so that they are readily available on the bike. On the road, in particular, it is common to use a tool bottle instead of a bag. And if you have a backpack or hydration waist pack, you can carry all your accessories.
It is useful for all cyclists, even beginners, to have a device to record activity.
Smartphones can also be used to record activity with the navigation functions, which have numerous applications for cycling. They are more fragile than specific devices, but their use has become more widespread. If you opt for this option or simply want to keep your phone in sight, we recommend choosing a smartphone handlebar mount that offers the greatest possible security.
If you are going to be cycling on the road or if there is even the slightest chance of it getting dark on your route, we recommend carrying lighting and visibility equipment. If you are cycling at night these items are, of course, essential and compulsory.
This video includes all the ways to make yourself visible when cycling and you can find a wide range of lights and reflective gear at mammothbikes.com/en/ to guarantee your safety.
These 10 accessories for your cycling trips will ensure maximum safety and will solve the most common breakdowns and incidents. But you should also practice using everything at home rather than waiting until it is needed in an emergency.
You can find more information about the basic equipment mentioned and all the accessories we have seen and more in the videos and articles detailed below:
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