Best Cycling Gear for Bikes
The first step you need to take before stocking up on cycling gear is to get yourself a bike! A mountain bike is the obvious choice if you know you'll be hitting especially tough terrain, but if you're mostly planning on riding the streets, paved areas or well-kept trails, a road bike is right up your alley.
The Bahamut carbon fiber bike from Dragon Bicycles is a great choice, offering premium construction at an affordable price. These bikes include an ultra-light yet exceptionally sturdy carbon fiber body and parts from SRAM and Shimano, which are widely recognized as top-quality brands in the biking community. Not to mention it's super simple to find the perfect fit for your body dimensions and riding style thanks to our Easy Fit Tool!
But before we get too carried away talking about how much we love our Bahamut, let's dig into all the ways you can equip it with road cycling gear for safe and comfortable journeys in the saddle.
Bike Lock
If you're planning to use your road bike for travel, it's important to have a good bike lock to ensure it isn't stolen while you're at work or shopping. You can choose a simple U or D lock, or pair it with a cable lock or chain to give potential thieves even more trouble. Bike locks usually carry Bronze, Silver or Gold security ratings, with Gold being the highest quality. It's an essential piece of cycling gear for bike security!
Bike Lights
A front white light and rear red light are actually legally required if you're planning to cycle in dim or dark conditions, so make sure you always fit them to your bike frame when riding at dawn or dusk. We recommend choosing front lights between 500 and 1000 lumens, which will make you visible without accidentally blinding anyone, and rear lights around 30 lumens. Remember to keep them charged or stocked with fresh batteries!
Water Bottle Cage
Easy access to hydration is a must when biking, especially in hot weather. A simple, lightweight water bottle cage is an essential piece of cycling gear. Fit one to your bike frame within reach so you can keep your water bottle securely attached and available at all times.
Cycling Pedals
Even though several top-quality road bikes are expensive, many of them come without pedals included. Pretty lame, considering you can't operate your bike without them (unless you really like pushing it). All Bahamut road bikes come standard with alloy body pedals and a Wellgo CRMO axle, so you won't have to delay your first ride while searching for great pedals. If the bike you've chosen doesn't come with pedals, however, we recommend checking out the offerings from Shimano.
Bike Repair Kit
This section includes several pieces of road cycling gear that can be total lifesavers if your tire happens to spring a leak far from home.
- Multi-Tool: A device with screwheads, clamps and more to help with seat and gear adjustments if you need them during your ride. It's a Swiss Army knife for bikers!
- Air Pump: Keep a portable version with you to get your tires to the optimal pressure before riding or inflate a spare tire during travel.
- Spare Tire: Unlike a spare for your car, spare bike tubes come deflated and compactly folded to easily fit in a saddle bag or backpack.
- Chain Oil: No one likes a noisy chain! Having a good chain oil or lube on hand will keep your bike riding smoothly and quietly, so apply it regularly or as needed.
- Saddle Bag:Having a saddle bag or other carriage installed somewhere on your bike will give you the perfect place to store all your cycling gear for maintenance and repairs. Make sure it's sturdy, weatherproof and water-resistant to keep your items safe!
Bike Computer
If you're getting truly serious about biking or want to bike competitively, adding a cycle computer to your ride is a must. While it's possible to use your phone for a similar purpose thanks to biking apps, a cycle computer is usually much more weather resistant and has way better battery life. These handy devices can be attached to many places on your bike, but if you want to easily monitor your progress, we recommend fitting one to the handlebar stem. Bike computers can track time, speed, distance, altitude changes and even how many calories you're burning, among other features. Tracking your progress and setting goals has never been easier!
Best Cycling Gear for You
Now that your bike is totally decked out, it's time to shift focus to the operator. Just like with any athletic activity, there are certain items designed for the unique action of biking.
Helmet
The most important piece of cycling gear of all: the helmet. Even if you're only going on a short trip, you should wear one — accidents don't have a schedule. You don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars to ensure your brain stays safe in the event of a fall or wreck; many great styles are under $100. Just make sure the helmet you choose fits properly, matches your style of biking and is well-ventilated.
Cycling Shoes
To ensure you always have a good grip on the pedals as you ride, you may want to invest in a pair of cycling shoes. Be sure to match the shoes with the pedals you have (clip or clipless). You can also choose from Velcro straps, laces, buckles and more to keep them secured to your feet. Cycling shoes are stiff, lightweight and sometimes cleated to help your feet stay right where they need to be. However, if you plan to walk often during biking, you may want to choose a cleatless pair.
Cycling Shorts
Biking shorts are a bit like compression shorts, but come with extra padding around back to give you more protection against hot spots, chafing and other discomforts caused by sitting on a bike saddle for long periods of time. You can buy them as regular waist shorts or as bib shorts, which use shoulder straps to stay in place and alleviate pressure on your waist. It's often recommended that you don't wear underwear with padded cycling shorts, so you may also want to wear running shorts over top of them.
Cycling Jersey/Jacket
A good cycling jersey or shirt is a great piece of personal cycling gear for long rides. These shirts are usually made of wicking fabrics to keep you dry when the sweat starts flowing, while also helping you stay warm in the cold and cool in the heat. Having a light waterproof jacket is also good for cold or wet weather; they're usually quite breathable but close fitting to keep you warm.
Gloves
Keep a good grip on your bike handles, even at your sweatiest, with a good pair of leather biking gloves. Similar to weightlifting gloves, they are lightweight and fingerless. Cycling gloves also often have extra gel inserts in the palms to limit how many vibrations you feel while riding.
Water Bottle
A good water bottle should be a standby for any cycling trip. Dragon Bicycles carries Premium 500 mL Tacx Shiva water bottles that are BPA-free, extra grippy and designed to last for years of biking to come. The Dragon water bottle will fit well in any water bottle cage so it's secure and out of the way while you're riding.
Get Your Dream Road Bike at Dragon Bicycles
The carbon fiber bikes offered at Dragon Bicycles are designed for years of casual and competitive riding. Choose yours and view the rest of our great cycling gear online so you're ready to ride the moment your Dragon lands at your doorstep.
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