I had a few setbacks on commuting this week. Over the weekend I let someone borrow my bike for a race here in GR. During the race the chain broke. Thankfully we were able to get them another bike in about 15 min. I felt bad that the chain broke, especially since they were in the middle of a race.
However, this put me without the bike until I could purchase a new chain. In the process of getting a new chain, I got a few other tools and items for commuting.
To replace the chain I needed a chain tool, which I promptly busted using the first time. I was able to make it work but it took twice the time. I always tend to forget about the chain on my bike. The chain was the original one and had taken a beating. This time around I got a bottle of White Lightning to make sure that I keep the chain lubricated and cleaned.
I then purchased a seat post rack. My intention is to not have to carry a backpack. I installed the seat post rack but now I have to figure what to use on the rack. My current backpack is too large and spills off the side. I also had to remove my rear flashing light and now don’t have a place to mount the light. I’m not too sure that I really want to commute in the dark without the rear light. I’m working on a solution at the moment. In addition to the other items, I also got a bike computer. On my road bike I mainly use the computer to track speed and distance. I realized last week while commuting it was hard to see how fast I was going, and to also note how far I had gone. Because I have an older rock shock on the bike it was a pain to add the sensors.
Anyone have other suggestions for accessories when biking? Are you a backpack or rack / panniers type person? I’d love any feedback on ideas.