These are other tidbits I usually take with me on a ride or things I attach to my bike to make riding more comfortable and/or safer. At the end of the day what you put on your bike is up to you. Anything that makes you want to ride your bike more, or makes your bike ride more enjoyable, or makes your ride safer is all good in my book.

Bluetooth Speaker/Horn

This is another one of those things that is personal preference. I prefer to play music through a speaker opposed to my earbuds because it allows me to be more aware of my surroundings. The point can be argued to death, this is just my personal preference. When playing music through a speaker, just be considerate of the people around you, where you’re riding, and the time of day.

What’s cool about the speaker that I use is that it doubles as my horn. What isn’t cool about the horn is that it has only one volume which is annoyingly loud. Yes it makes it easier to be heard, but it’s also a bit too loud, so I generally stick to verbal noises instead.

I’m looking into getting a much more mild horn/bell as not to annoy the hell out of people on my commute.

Water Bottle Holder

There’s millions of different brands, colors, and styles of water bottle holders. It’s best to find one that works for you and fits your water bottle. The way I have my water bottle cage mounted I am unable to easily access it while riding. It was purely an aesthetic choice to mount it parallel to my seat. I have the option of mounting it on my down tube but had issues keeping the mouth of the bottle clean.

It’s a hassle to stop every time I need water, so I just make sure to have a drink before and after a ride. Luckily I’ve never been in situation where I’ve absolutely needed water so whatever.

Phone Holder

I like having a phone mount because it allows easy access to things like GPS, action cameras, and phone calls during commutes and group rides.

Battery Bank & Charging Cables

Having a battery bank is important for me to have since I use a number of devices whether I am commuting 90 minutes to work, or if I’m recording sweet sweet group ride footage. Devices I always have with me are my smartphone, GoPro, and Insta360 One R.

Side-View Mirrors

I’m a commuter in San Francisco, so having mirrors is important to me. One should always be aware of cars, trucks, motorcycles, pedestrians, and other cyclists and mirrors make it easier to know when moving objects are approaching you.

I prefer handle bar mounted mirrors because they don’t add any additional width to your handlebars. Ones you that stick into the end of the handlebars might occasionally make contact with other riders or their bikes. At the end of the day it’s up to what you like and what works best for you.

Anti-Glare is excellent for late-evening and night time rides.

Cycle V3 Turn Signals

The ones I have are installed on the end on my handlebars. These aren’t as effective during the day, but at night they help to improve my visibility. Using these turn signals in addition to your hand signs help vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclist anticipate when and how you’re going to move on your bike.

These add about 1″ to the end of your handlebar (2″ total). There are fancier option available, but most of them require an external power source, or running wires from your handlebars all the way to the back of your bike. Those options probably offer better visibility, but I think these are more practical.

Depending on how often you use these turn signals they can last anywhere between 2-6 months. The only maintenance with these turn signals is replacing the battery (it’s a watch battery so very inexpensive)

Flashing Safety Lights

I use two different types of lights on my bike. They both add flashiness to my bike without sticking out like a sore thumb. It’s always a challenge to be seen by other cyclist and vehicles, so anything you can do to improve your visibility is important.

USB Rechargeable Safety Lights

I use these ones for a few reasons: 1) They attach easy to my eBike 2) I can recharge them easily 3) They come in a variety of colors and match my bike

Although I hate increasing the number of things I have to keep charger, I made the compromise for a bit for safety and visibility. I usually charge these every other week; not once have I ever ran out of battery on these, so I don’t really know how long they last.

These puppies really shine when it’s dark out and you have to make a road-side repair. These lights have various blinking speeds that range from solid, to a heartbeat, to fast enough to cause an epileptic seizure.

Light Up Stem Caps

These are basically useless during the day, but work really well at night. I found these bright enough to act as “fog lights”. They lit up the ground around my tires which I thought was pretty useful. The stock headlight on my eBike is good, but not great.

The one thing I came across when installing these stem caps was that there were too many threads on the cap which made them push against the valve and let air out. Using small washers I was able to eventually get them to stop letting air out, but I ended up taking them off because it ended up being a process to fill my tires with air. Another drawback is that for these lights to work you have to be moving. Still a cool piece of gear to have on your bike.