Touring is one of the great joys of owning a bike. No matter if you are going on a short ride or on a long tour, it is equal fun, no matter what. But when it comes to travelling longer distances, you happen to be prepared to expect the unexpected. And that is why it is not such a bad idea to get yourself accessorized accordingly to make your life a little bit that extra easy. So here are top 10 bike accessories for you and your bike before going on a long trip. Make a note that I have not mentioned things like helmets and bike gear because that is something vital and not an extra accessory.
Saddle Bag:
Carrying luggage on back sacks works most of the times, but when it comes to carrying lots of luggage if you happen to be travelling on a longer tour or just don’t like to give any stress to your back, a saddle bag comes a lot handy to store your luggage.
Tank Bag:
Tank bags are not something that is totally required, but you have to agree the practicality it offers in terms of carrying small luggage items which you can easily reach like your cell phone, wallet, camera, other small accessories, etc.
Bungee Cord / Octopus:
You can have all the bags in the world but it never hurts to keep some extra cord on hand to secure your extra bags so that they do not fall off or move around making the bike instable due to the weight shift.
Spare Fuel Can:
This is especially handy if you are travelling to Ladakh or such places where access to fuel is not always that easy. It still doesn’t hurt to have some extra fuel handy anyways because you might never know if you reach a fuel station and that station is not in order and you are left without fuel with no other station for a long duration.
Fog Lamps:
Travelling long distances means there are issues and no one is able to keep to schedules properly. That means no matter what you always do end up travelling in the dark at some point and the headlights on our bikes is seldom enough. So it is always a good idea to get our bikes equipped with fog lamps so that you are not left blind. But do take care if the battery of your bike can handle it.
Swiss Knife / Multi-tool:
Apart from the amazing tax laws and chocolates, Swiss have done something great and that is the Swiss knives. They have a lot of small handy tools like blades and screwdrivers and they can always come handy in many cases. Else the bottle opener always comes handy after a long ride; (wink!).
Torch:
When riding to faraway places, you don’t always just ride. You do get off and explore some other places, and if there is darkness you cannot always rely on your cell phone flash. Plus if you do happen to be caught in the middle of the road and need repairs, then a torch comes handy to illuminate. But do prefer going for the new white light LED torches.
Tyre Repair Kit:
Getting tubeless tyres fixed up is an easy job today if you have the proper tools for it. So it is always a good idea to have a kit ready with you. If not that then you can always get the tyres filled up with sealant if you would prefer that. Also Motul has a nice tyre repair solution available for about INR 500/- and works for a single use.
Mobile Charger:
Using GPS sucks a lot out of your phone and being stranded at any time without any access to communication is even worse. So it is always a good idea to get a portable charger for your phone in terms of a power bank or a bike charger. BOLT is one such good option among many others.
Chain Lube:
As much as everything else, a lubed up chain is that much more important for a smooth ride. A dirty and dry chain means issues like breaking and transmission loss. So get a small can of lube and keep your bike chain lubed up every 300-400 kilometres for a smooth ride.
So this is a nice and handy list of bike parts and bike accessories for you to consider before going on a nice long trip. None of these items are really mandatory other than the lube and a proper tool kit and then you always need your regular biking gear as well. So do consider the options, ride safe and have a lovely one.
Leave a Reply