Top 5 Most Important Equipment to Have When Cycling

It doesn't matter if you're new to cycling or a full-time professional, accidents can happen to us at any time when we're out on the roads regardless of our respective skill levels. This is especially more apparent here in Malaysia with our relatively sub-par road conditions and driving ethics in comparison to our more developed neighbors across the pond. The risk is only amplified the further we cycle from home on our occasional solo weekend epic century rides. Whether the fault falls on us, an errant driver. a sneaky pothole or mother nature herself, the best kinds of accidents are the ones we can walk away from in one piece without too much of a hassle. Even though there's no such thing as being too safe, one can still be prepared for the worst. With that in mind, here are my top 5 essential items to always carry without when you're out for a ride (helmets go without saying, duh!).

Identification
In the event something does happen to you *touch wood* and you end up lying by the side of the road, unconscious, it would be best if you carry with a decent amount of information about yourself. Things like your IC (Identification Card), a card with your blood type and other medical ailments such as known allergies and chronic conditions like diabetes mellitus, emergency contact numbers and anything else which you may think is relevant in the unfortunate circumstance you need emergency treatment. This will alert the relevant medical personnel regarding any significant medical history as well as allow them to contact your family or friends and update them on your condition. Most cycling jerseys have 3 pockets at the back, anyone of which would be more than sufficient to hold all your necessary info cards. I'd recommend keeping them in a waterproof ziplock bag or just a plain plastic bag so as long as it's intact.

IC, Blood group card, Organ donor card

Phone
Nowadays, it's hard to imagine being able to get through a day without our phones. They've become such integral part of our day to day dealings. From doing online shopping to GPS navigation (thank you Waze and Google Maps) to mapping our rides on Strava and snapping high-res pictures of our beautiful bikes and posting them on Instagram, all while being portable enough to fit into our pockets. In fact, some would even argue that living without a phone is an entire way of life on it's own. With it's multitude of functions, is it any wonder that a phone is on this list? In the event the explorer in you takes your ride a little too far and you get lost with day light fading away or you've suffered an irreparable mechanical problem, a friend or family member is just a call away or, at the very least, a taxi or an Uber (I'd go with the Uber). As with you're relevant info documents, you can stow your phone away in a ziplock bag into one of your back pockets. Alternatively, you could carry it in a saddle bag or a top tube bag that's not to crammed and cluttered with spare tubes and tyre levers, which brings us to the next item.

Emergency repair kit

A handful of more seasoned riders would say you've not riden you're bike enough if you've never had a puncture before. Regardless if that statement holds any weight at all, being able to mend a simple puncture or replace an inner tube should be within a cyclist's repertoire. After all, wouldn't it be embarrassing to be riding that expensive S-Works but not have a clue about basic bicycle care? If you don't already know how, then fret not for there are thousands upon thousands of tutorials on the mighty interweb, just take a little time and go do some research.

Saddle bag

In the even you're already well versed in the art of the punctured tyre, knowing how to solve your problem won't do you any good if you don't have the necessary tools with you at the time of the emergency. A couple of Allen keys, 2 spare inner tubes, 3 tyre levers and a mini-pump that's mounted onto my bike are what I carry with me all the time, just enough to get me back on 2 wheels and ride home. You may also consider picking up some tyre patches although I personally favour replacing a damaged tube immediately rather than mending it, purely for peace of mind so I don't have to worry about it acting up later on down the road. A CO2 (carbon dioxide) pump with a couple of CO2 canisters are the choice of some riders I know but I'm more traditional. Plus, in the event you don't securely attach the pump to the tyre valve, you may release all that CO2 into the air, wasting an entire canister. In the long run, a mini-pump is more economical. However, if you choose to go the CO2 pump way, make sure you know how to use it first.

Mini pump

3 generic tyre levers and 2 inner tubes = RM50

Apart from tyre complications, there is also the troublesome albeit uncommon issue of chain failure. In the even that does happen, having a chain-breaker along with a couple of emergency links with you will most definitely come in handy. You might not be able to shift through all your gears with the newly shortened chain, but it should at the very least get you home safely, following which you may look into installing a new chain. As I've already mentioned, having your chain snap on you is quite a rare phenomenon and I myself have had mine snap maybe twice throughout all my 12 odd years as a cyclist and because of this as well as for the sake of saving space in your saddle bag or bag pocket, I'd recommend getting a multi-tool with an integrated chain-breaker if you happen to be in the market for one. Even though it will get the job done significantly slower than a dedicated chain breaker, the way I see it, I am more than likely to not have my chain snap on me before it comes time for me to replace it due to wear and bike maintenance. So, I would prioritise portability over saving the additional few minutes in comparison to a dedicated chain-breaker.

My trusty Crankbrothers m17 multitool with chain-breaker 

Lights
In the event you commute to work regularly or enjoy going on night rights, chances are, visibility will become an issue, even on the most well lit of streets. Regardless of how much we spend on our bikes, kit or gear, none of that matters against a 2 ton lorry coming at us at upwards of 90km/h. Now, I understand that there is no guarantee lights are going to prevent us from getting hit by other road users or vice versa, but they will certainly reduce the risk, and as the saying goes, there's no such thing as being too safe. Investing in a decent front bicycle lamp that shines standard bright white light will illuminate your path ahead, allowing you to keep an eye out for potholes and other potential obstacles, enabling you to make the necessary steering corrections in time while a back lamp with a standard red light will warn motorists behind you of your presence. A fluorescent jacket or vest wouldn't be too bad as well, styling issues aside.

Cash
That epic ride: You set out before sunrise, route already pre-planned or programmed into your Garmin or smart phone, energy bars and gels fill up your back pockets, saddle bags packed with the necessary tools, bike in tip top shape and you're wearing your best kit. Two hours in, you're out of water, starving, you've eaten your last bar, you're not even half way done but you're miles from home. It's happened to me before and I'm sure I'm not the only one out there. Being a little overambitious isn't necessarily a bad thing when you're out on a ride as it is ambition that pushes us further and allows us to climb higher, so as long as you have a right resources should you need them. In this case, carrying a little cash with you while on the road will allow you to purchase extra food and drink and, in the event it's absolutely necessary, hail a cab to get you home or stay at a hotel for the night. I plan my rides a little better nowadays but I still do carry a small amount of cash with me in the event of an emergency and if I want to stop and get a small snack along the way, local homemade kuih (traditional cakes) and goreng pisang (banana fritters) can be quite appetising after a long ride, with a nice coconut to wash it all down!

A cool little trick that some cyclists do is remove the cap at the ends of your handle bars, roll up some cash tightly, then slot them into your handle bar. Replace the cap afterwards. This is a nifty little trick if you don't like carry cash on you in fear of being mugged. At least this way, once you've emptied your pockets and the douche that robs you leaves, you've still got some cash with you. If he does decide to take off with your bike though, well, that just can't be helped.

Remove the handlebar cap

Roll up some cash

Insert cash into handle bar

Replace cap

There you have it, my top 5 most essential items to have with you when you're out riding. Now, I will admit I took a little leeway with some of the points, so they're not exactly five, but I deem them all to be important nonetheless. Did I miss anything or do you think there are other things that more important than any of the 5 I've mentioned? Do let me know and leave any questions or comments you have in the comment section down below and I will try my best to reply. Thanks for reading!

Shop Tour - Specialized Concept Store (Petaling Jaya)

As the cycling culture in Malaysia continues to grow, one can only expect more and more bicycle shops to sprout up like mushrooms after the rain to cater to the ever growing demand for good hardware, equipment and service. Unfortunately, as a result of this rapid growth, there are parties out there looking to take advantage of the inexperienced among us solely to make some quick cash. In response to this, I thought it would be a good idea if I made posts on the various bicycle stores I visit, tell you a little bit about them, share pictures of gorgeous bicycles with you as well as my unbiased opinions on the store in general.

The first up is the Specialized Concept Store in Petaling Jaya. Here's a link to their Facebook page, Instagram page, their website and their location on Google Maps. Located in 10 Boulevard along Jalan PJU6A, along the SPRINT Highway, about 1-2 kilometers east of the Damansara Toll Plaza, the store sports a large array of some of the latest Specialized gears and bicycles. From the outside, there is a rather unassuming sign board in bold red with 'Specialized' on it but step inside, and you may lose yourself as your eyes are greeted by the rows of beautiful bicycles astride the entrance. 

The outside of the store

The store is very welcoming, greeting customers not only with it's wide array of bikes but also with a down-to-earth sort of feel thanks to it's furnishing.

Frames or trophies?

Frames galore

Beautiful row of Tarmacs

From the front > The latest 2017 Roubiax, a Tarmac and an S-Works Venge

Their wide range of road-specific apparel

Aero > Climbing > Endurance

Specialized Evade and Prevail 2.0 helmets.

Specialized is a giant as far as the global biking scene goes. They've had a hand in a good number of international race wins over the past decade and have sponsored the likes of Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan and Alberto Contador. For the 2016 Olympics, they wanted something a little special, more eye-catching for their athletes as well as to commemorate the great games. As a result, the released their range of bikes and gear with heat-sensitive paint. In a relatively cold environment, say an air-conditioned room, the paint remains orange. Once heat is applied, say from the palm of a human hand, the paint changes to a smiley-face yellow.

I was fortunate enough to play around a little with the paint on one of their Tarmacs.

Helmets and shoes (Evade and S-Works 6) in-keeping with the orange and yellow theme

The store organises a weekly group ride every Saturday morning at 7.15 am. There are no participation or registration fees whatsoever, just show up with your bicycle (preferably a road bike), bring a couple of spare tubes, tyre levers and a mini pump, bottles with water in them and last but by no means least, the most important piece of equipment you'll need, a helmet and you'll be good to go.

The route starts from their store, passes through Ara Damansara and eventually reaches the Subang Jaya Airport. From there, it's a few extra kilometers until the exit onto the Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE). Once on the GCE, we cycled northwards until just after the Lagong Toll Plaza where we made a U-turn to head back to the shop. All in, the route is just over 60 km.

I've had the opportunity of riding with them twice now. During both rides, I got to know a gentleman by the name of Jonathan who works at the store (name card at the bottom of the post). He manages the group and ensures nobody gets lost.

In the event you want to get a couple of extra miles done this week or would like to train yourself on how to cycle in a group, what better way than to join the party. Riders of all skill levels are welcomed.

Someone limited edition Peter Sagan S-Works Tarmac. What a beauty!

Gloves, handle bars, bar tape and other knick knacks

Muc-Off products and other bike cleaning equipment

Aero goodness

Overall my time spent in the store admiring the merchandise as well as talking to the staff was most favorable. They definitely know their stuff and are more than willing to help you out should you have any queries. This is definitely one of the better bike stores I've been to, especially in terms of customer service and PR.

The work station....

.....and the mini-fridge

Cabinet of Oakleys

They carry a wide range of Shimano groupsets for both road and mountain bikes

The current World Champion

Nobody climbs like Contador

More Sagan gear - Limited edition Peter Sagan S-Works 6

The following are a couple of pictures of the latest Roubaix and Venge (previous generation). 

The latest iteration of the Roubaix has a mini shock absorbers integrated into the stem. As the bike was designed to be an endurance bike, the shock absorber, in theory at least, should smoothen out the roads more and reduce the amount of fatigue experiences by the rider, especially in the wrists and shoulders. Shock absorbers have never been too popular on road bikes as they add extra weight and designs in the past have always hampered power transfer from the cyclist to the cranks as the absorbers of yesteryear were usually in integrated either into the front fork or the frame in some way and would compress upon regular to heavy pedalling, thus inhibiting optimal power transfer.

Specialized has claimed to have found a solution to that by integrating the shock into the stem. This keeps the frame stiff as well as maintains side-to-side stiffness for those race winning sprints while bestowing large amounts of comfort to the rider. Only time will tell if this is just another gimmick the bike industry is pitting out there or a pioneer design for future bikes.

Here we have the gorgeous S-Works Venge, which in my opinion, is the most beautiful bike in their entire line, trumped only by the soon to be released disc brake version. If you didn't know, Specialized gives the term 'S-Works' to all their top of the line models. So, in the event you're buying say a fully completed Venge that's an S-Works, it will come with a higher grade of carbon frame compared to the regular Venge, making it stiffer and lighter as well as groupsets (Dura-Ace) and wheels (usually Roval aero wheels) to match.

And that's about it. I hope you enjoyed the pictures, I know I enjoyed taking them. As the store deals exclusively with Specialized bicycles, they of course carry Specialized mounting bikes as well but those were located upstairs and at the time of my patronage, the store had just opened and the lights upstairs had not been switched on yet so I couldn't get any decent pictures. I'll update this post soon after I pay them a visit again with some more bicycles and gear. 

Here are a couple of business cards in the event you want to give them a call.

Jonathan, fixing a cup of coffee

Of course, what bicycle shop would be complete without a coffee machine. Specialized PJ was no exception. Did I mention it's free of charge? 

Pick your poison

My lovely cup of magic bean juice.

 I'll continue doing these small overviews of local bicycle shops as and when I'm fortunate enough to visit them. There are quite a number of them around where I stay so I don't think I'll be running out of shops to visit anytime soon. Stay tuned if you want more content.

Once again, thanks for reading. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comment section down below and I'll be happy to respond. Until next time!