7 Non-Bike Products Essential for Bike Commuting

I have been commuting by bike for about seven years now and I was recently thinking about some of the products I rely on for my commute - products that are not necessarily "bike" products.  Sure I carry bike specific products like a hand pump, inner tubes, a multi-tool, a lock, etc. each and every day, however there are some other products not specific to cycling that greatly enhance my commute.

Seven products that I rely on every day are described below.  I would be interested in what readers might have to say as well so if you have non-bike products you rely on for your commute, feel free to comment or send us an email. 

1. Lip Balm

This one is pretty simple - I hate dry lips and one of the best ways to dry your lips out is to commute by bike.  Your face takes the brunt of wind when you ride your bike and it does not take long for dryness and cracking to set in.

I actually relied upon lip balm on a daily basis long before I started to commute by bike - dry lips have been a huge pet peeve of mine for a long, long time.  I think I've tried every lip balm on the market.  Burts Bee's, Carmex, Blistex, and a host of others have been in my pocket at one time or another  but I always find myself returning to Chapstick.

Maybe it's because of those great Suzy Chapstick commercials from the 1970s - there, I dated myself.

 

2. Baby (or similar) Powder

Another "body product" I use each and every day is baby powder, or some version of powder.  We received a product from those over at Anti Monkey Butt and I still must complete a review of the powder they sent (in short, it's good stuff - and they have a woman specific powder as well). 

The obvious use of powder is to help keep shoe stank at bay.  Even though most bike shoes have some sort of mesh or built in airflow to help keep you feet from overheating, if you commute in a climate that features rain or snow, shoes can get wet and start to stink.  A daily splash of powder helps to make sure my commuter bike shoe (a pair of Shimano SH-MT21 MTBs that I have had for about four years) do not scare off people who visit my office at work. 

Cycling shorts also have a way of heating up your private parts and I never ride without a healthy splash of powder "down there."  I keep a bottle of some sort of powder at home and at work and it serves the dual purpose of keeping me comfortable as well as not upsetting the olfactory glands of anyone around me.

3. Bandanas

Bandanas for me are an essential item for me for two reasons.  First is protection - from my helmet.  It might sound funny, but I never let a bike helmet touch my head.  This may seem especially weird since I will wear a merino wool shirt multiple times before washing it, however the thought of helmet pads that have been subject to daily doses of sweat and heat touching my head, hair, or forehead freaks me out.  It probably has something to do with the fact that helmet pads rarely, if ever, get washed.

My solution in temperate weather is to put a bandana on my head to separate my head from my helmet.  In cooler weather either a balaclava or hat serves the same purpose. 

The second purpose of bandans is for use as a towel.  Every morning when I get to work I take a commuter shower.  I do not have access to full shower facilities so I have to get creative in the bathroom at work.  After a few commuter showers I felt very guilty because I was using copious amounts of paper towels.  I thought about trying to cut down on paper towel usage and a bandana was the perfect solution.

Bandanas are light, dry quickly, and are easy to wash.  I am partial to the color orange and I have like 30 pretty much identical bandanas that will get me through a few weeks of commuting. 

4. Battery Charger

Most of the year my evening commute takes place in the dark and I do everything possible to make it impossible for a car to not see me.  Taking all my lights into account, I use 10 AAA batteries and 6 AA batteries. My bike resembles a space ship and my set up is probably overkill, but I like it.  I ride with -

1. A headlight (features steady and flash modes)

2. Two rear blinkie lights (multiple flashing patterns)

3. A Monkey Light

4. A Flashbak

5. A Bike BrightZ

 

With the light show I put on there is no way I want to keep purchasing disposable batteries and thus a charger is an essential product for me. 

5. Army Surplus Storage Vest

I covered this in another post but it fits in well with this list.  Long ago I grew tired of how I was going to carry stuff - like lip balm, batteries, and bandandas among other things - on a daily basis.  The moment of enlightenment for me came in an army surplus store.  I saw of bunch of different vests.  I had been thinking for a while about trying to find a shirt with a bunch of pockets for the same purpose but could not find one I liked. 

In the surplus store I stumbled upon a vest section that had all sorts of options.  I was able to find one that was light weight and featured tons of pockets.  I immediately bought two of them and now I commute with one and also use one for travel.  It's a great way to keep all of your valuables on you without having to use a separate bag.  A button up shirt or light coat covers it up so you do not look like a someone embarking on a fishing trip. 

6. Podcasts (NPR Preferred)

I am a total honk for NPR.  I love their programming and listen to Podcasts on a daily basis while I commute.  While this is not a physcial product, it is a service that makes my commute more enjoyable.  If case you are wondering, yes, I have responded to pledge drives so do not sick Ira Glass on Bike Hacks. 

My favorite Pocast is Marketplace but there are lots of offerings to choose from.  I like to be educated while I commute and NPR keeps me in touch with the world.  A directory of NPR Podcasts can be found here.

7. One Earbud

While I certainly enjoy listening to NPR podcasts on the way to work, I also enjoy staying out of emergency rooms.  Some of you might have flinched when I said I listen to news while I ride, but there is a caveat - I always have one ear free to listen to what is going on around  me. 

I received my worst grade every in my high school physics class and I cannot tell you scientifically why it is not good for a cyclist to run into a car - but simply speaking cars weigh more than I do - by several tons.  Thus it is wise that I avoid them as well as joggers, dogs off their leash, children, bouncing balls, Frisbees, blowing trash, etc. 

As it happens, I had a set of ear buds but one bud stopped working so I just chopped it off.  Alternatively you can just leave one bud out and store it in an extra pocket. 

What non-bike specific products are essential to your commute?  Comment or email us. 

Comments

[Seth]

obvious additions to the list would be nail polish to touch up scratches on the frame and milk crate baskets.

You know those crummy plastic belt clips that come when you buy a cheap case for your mp3 player? I used to have one on my handlebars to mount my mp3 player (which I use with open headphones designed for runners -- but I might try the one-bud idea, too). worked pretty well.

[Devin]

It's actually illegal in New York to ride with "headphones". I suppose wearing one 'headphone' would leave interpretation up to a cop, and ultimately a judge.

[Matt]

Hmmmm . . . drivers are also supposed to be subject to fines of up to $250 if they honk their horn in Manhattan. Every single day I hear a minimum of 30 horn blasts on my commute and you know how many tickets I have seen issued in seven years?

Zero
Nada
Zip
None
Zilch

=)

[lexica510.livejournal.com]

I recently came across a recommendation for something called One Good Earbud (onegoodearbud.com) which apparently solves some of the problems involved with using only one earbud (stereo mix becoming unbalanced, other earbud dangling annoyingly, etc.). Haven't tried it yet, so no personal experience to relate.

[Nate]

I've rigged a pair of small, battery-operated, water-proof speakers on my handlebars to get around the biking w/ audio issues - and they get a lot of compliments, too. I'd probably market them if I had some investment capital...

I also use a small neoprene case to keep my cyclometer-sized, Walgreens mp3 player easily in thumbs reach on one of my bar-ends. This bare-bones $40 player has itself proved remarkably durable. Its simplicity and placement help minimize in-transit fumbling, and I don't sweat the likelihood it may bite the big one like I did with my iPod.

Another necessity in my commute is coffee, but I cringe at the thought of taking a new paper cup with a new paper sleeve and a new plastic lid, every, time, I buy a coffee. An absolute must, therefore, is the bottlecage-sized stainless steel not-actually-thermos-brand thermos I use daily. It's easy to clean, way more green, and I'm charged for a 12 oz though it holds more than fifteen.

One more for ya - just about any old shower cap with an elastic mouth will serve as perfect helmet and/or seat protection for those of you riders on the storms.

Every day cycling!

[Bethany]

I was going to suggest a shower cap, too. I take them when I leave hotel rooms, but I've seen packs of them in dollar stores.

The other thing would be a small camera, if you don't have one on your phone, or if you don't carry a phone. Useful in some situations, but also fun.

[Sam]

I'm surprised zip ties aren't on this list. But I guess their practically a bike component at this point.

[Sam]

They're, stupid typo.

[close interval surveys]

I totally go along you! I have often felt that way but nobody really would like to take it as seriously as we do apparently. Excellent blog anyway, I am going to have to stop by more frequently.

[Emma]

Found this site via Make, really cool stuff! I've recently begun bike commuting (although it's only a few miles) and I love it. Thanks for the practical advice.

I wanted to mention that solid cognitive science research suggests that driving while intently listening to someone talk dramatically increases the risk of getting in an accident. The idea is that you have a finite amount of attention to deploy to the tasks at hand, and so as more mental resources are being devoted to what you're hearing, less are available to process and react to what you're seeing. I would imagine that the same concept applies to bicycling, and so I implore you to be careful. I understand that it must get boring doing the same commute day after day...but the consequences of not paying the fullest attention on a bike are much more severe than getting into a fender bender during rush hour.

[Dominic Caraccilo]

The quality of life and security for the citizens has been largely restored and we are a large part of why that has happened.

[gadgettown.com]

The other thing would be a small camera, if you don't have one on your phone, or if you don't carry a phone. Useful in some situations, but also fun.