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When you buy a new bike, it's easy to get carried away by the wide range of cycle accessories currently available. The same is true when you get out your old bike for summer excursions and want to add a new gadget to motivate yourself to use it more. But are all these cycle accessories really necessary?
We asked cycling expert Jonas Forss from Cykloteket, and his answer was "No, you really don't need every cycle accessory". These days, there are loads of accessories intended to help cyclists with everything from taking the kids to school to being on the start line for the Tour de France. A good bicycle shop will stock accessories for mountain bikes, racers, commuter bikes, tourers, rain and snow, hot days and cold days, downhill, BMX, night-time cycling, safety, aerodynamic cyclists, comfortable broad cycle saddles, children, adults, maintenance and storage.
In fact, there's probably no other sport that has so much equipment and so many accessories to choose from as cycling.
Make sure you choose the right accessory for you and your bike and the type of cycling you're going to be doing. With the right accessories and equipment, your experience in the saddle will be better – which normally leads to you cycling more. One tip for beginners is to start cycling and add accessories afterwards, as this increases the chances that you'll pick the accessories you really need.
If there's one must have, it's a bicycle lock – and it's something you shouldn't skimp on. Quite simply because good locks are more difficult to break than cheap, simple ones are. And a really good lock, used correctly, is pretty much impossible to remove. Of course these bicycle locks cost a bit more to buy, even if it's ultimately a good investment. Because buying a new bike is generally much more expensive.
One that can't be removed using external force such as bolt cutters, compressed air and a hammer, pick or saw.
Otherwise the thief can simply pick up the bike and carry it away.
Good locks that can't be opened with external violence can still be removed using a jack. But a jack needs space inside the lock to do the job. So if you fill up the lock with the frame and wheel of the bike together with the post it's attached to, the jack simply doesn't have space to work. Ta-da! A good night's sleep guaranteed!
Some of the best bicycle locks currently on the market come from Abus, who also have a lock guarantee that compensates you for any thefts that do occur. Look for D-locks, folding locks or chain locks if you want a good bicycle lock.
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