5 Must Haves For Commuting On A Retro or Modern Bike

5 Must Haves For Commuting On A Retro or Modern Bike

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[jonathanbenn]

35+ years commuting. Stopped having bags of any kind on my back. Use a Shimano Tokyo backpack, bunged to my rack.

[turboseize]

Full fenders, racks and panniers. Fenders make a huge difference if you are riding anywhere where either the air or the ground might get moist; racks allow to carry a lot of stuff including, but not limited to panniers. Panniers make a huge difference in regards of sweat: commuting with a backpack will necessitate a change of clothes at your destination. Not having a backpack on your pack and actually getting air flow there is a huge relief.
The last thing I missed in this video was lights. Car drivers are either malevolent or ignorant; don't give them an easy excuse.

[Destide]

Schwabe marathon plus are my go-to commuter pooter. Pretty indestructible, hold their shape, a low psi comfortable for a 15mph avg commute of mixed road and gravel.
My music go to is a cheap pair of conductive headphones can hear everything around me and my music.

[kylew]

I recommend bone conduction headphones. You can listen to music and still hear what is going on around you.

[kevinfeeney]

I've slowly amassed individual tool kits for each of my most ridden bikes. And the only do-all bag is a handlebar bag. It has my Audter battery powered tire inflator and some extra bits, like snacks (biltong and some fruit strips).

For locks I just use 2, or even 3....all u-locks. And make sure to use the modified Sheldon Brown method of locking to a secure structure.

For luggage I use all kinds of different stuff. Chrome Metropolis...(sadly no longer made)... a couple convertible pannier/backpacks. Two Wheel Gear and a Mammoth Empire roll top (similar closure to your Chrome Barrage). I also have a Green Guru pannier "sling" type bag... conforms to just about any luggage you might need to carry.

For tires, especially commuting.. I pretty much only use Gatorskins....more specifically Hardshells. They're thicker and have a different rubber compound for longevity. (Kinda moot for my fixed gears though...lmao)

As for music/navigation/phone calls....I just use a single true wireless earbud in my right ear with sound set to mono output and volume just loud enough to hear whatever is coming thru said earbud but low enough to hear my surroundings.

[jackandrew]

Dude you need to try some SHOKZ bone conduction headphones they are amazing for ridding in, because they don’t go in your ear you can hear everything around you but also hear your music clearly! Honestly best purchase I ever made 🤙🏼

[andyamos]

I used a backpack for years, but its a bit hot in summer, in Madrid. I discovered seatpost mounted bike racks (Elops 500 from Decathlon) and haven't looked back. I actually have a seatpost with and without. If its a city "will need to lock up" I take the rack. If its a quick ride for fresh air, on goes the normal seatpost. 😁

[hohnline]

Great points! I'm surprised you don't mention rain gear (fenders, jackets, pants, shoe covers). I thought it rains all the time in London😅?

[johnbrann]

I have all the stuff you mentioned for on the road repairs but four sets of them, one for each of my bikes. Becuase I will ultimately forget to transfer the kit and require it on my ride. I don't ride canti's but have in the past, good tip on the 10mm wrench.

[aaronbruckelmeyer]

You should try some shokz bone conducting headphones. Best of both worlds. Listen to what you like, keep ears open for hearing the environment around you.

[bigtsperspective]

Got the job I wanted… I can now ride my bike to work at the bike shop🤪. Found this vid looking for commuter setup. After hearing about your riding style, I subscribed 😎

[sandy_knight]

The one thing I can't commute without is gloves. Specifically mountain bike gloves with knuckle protection to protect my hands from wing mirrors when drivers close pass you. 😜

[borderlands]

My kink is metal tyre levers. Plastic ones are useless on tight tyres. I file mine if they have any corners, and have never had a puncture caused by the levers. In Walkman days I had a cassette on the go, but clear ears is the way forward.

[johnsheetz]

Apache gets good but I think for a long trip I just bring a tube with me. I've changed a lot of tires so it would be much faster than finding the hole in your tube.

[SalmiakAlert]

I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus to avoid punctures. They resist piercing and pinch punctures.

[DIY-DaddyO]

I keep my tools in a ziplock back, and leave an adjustable spanner in the Commuter pannier.
For an added bit of security I've zip tied a vibration alarm to my Kryptonite lock. So I've always got my alarm on whatever bike I'm on.

Tires, Schwabael Land cruisers. 26" X2 good on and off road.

[the_nondrive_side]

I take off all the weird bolts and odd size hex bolts and throw them in the trash. see my golden arrow A105 short cage... with the metric hex bolts pulled from a tourney tx.. holding the guide and tension pulleys the blue anodized tension pulley in said RD... simple swap servicable anywhere. I used the 5 sided axle bolts and made my own tool that has the regular hex but also the tiny one for MRX comp to secure them to the bars and pretty well anything new I add in. I think they're all metric? I took the chain tool off long ago and use the folded trick with quiklinks or I remove the guide pulley and open the cage to take up slack.. the cantilever brakes with the weird mixed wrench is a hard one for me

[KEIRINSTREETS]

Chrome is for sure up there. I always go back to my Bravo night! And got the Kadet on the daily.

[mojojojo]

Your videos are like a fresh breath of air. Uplifting and nourishing.

[micahspilker]

On the music point I recommend bone conductive headphones. Sound quality isn’t the greatest for audiophile snobs but definitely works great to jam to tunes but still be aware of your surroundings. I’ve used aftershokz for years. They also work in conjunction with earplugs for loud environments.