1 Introduction

---

This week I've suddenly been feeling lazy again, and I don't feel like using my brain at all. But writing one article per week is a rule I set for myself, and it feels like a waste of time to stop writing just because I'm lazy.

So I decided to change my mindset—since I don't feel like thinking anymore, I might as well write about the cycling accessories I've been using. This serves as a way to organize and record my experiences, and also as a way to reflect on how much I've wasted on this road of "equipment upgrades."

A side note: The accessories mentioned or captured in this article are just a few. When I looked through my purchase history on Taobao and JD.com, I discovered many more duplicate or obsolete accessories I haven't included. If you include what I wear, like the helmets, gloves, goggles, jerseys, pants, face masks, sun sleeves, and so on I've unknowingly bought multiple sets—the picture is so beautiful I can't bear to look at it.

As for the conclusion, who hasn’t been naive when young?

---

When it comes to exercise, some people are passionate about it, while others stay away from it. Those who enjoy it will find their own rhythm and joy in different forms of exercise, while those who don't like it will find it a form of self-torture.

Personally, I'm the type who's "too lazy to move, but doesn't want to be completely still." Compared to the breath-taking exhaustion of running, cycling is a form of exercise I can tolerate (or, more accurately, "not quite hate"). It's not as tiring as running, nor does it require the same willpower as strength training. With the right form, it's also not very taxing on the knees. Even better, you can enjoy the scenery, feel the breeze, and just let your mind wander while riding. Occasionally, you might even encounter a little surprise (like a beautiful rider in cycling shorts?). Of course, all this assumes you're riding on a greenway—if you head to a city thoroughfare, you'll mostly be greeted by exhaust fumes and dust.

I have bought three bicycles:

• The first one (2012) It was a Dahon 26-inch folding bike I bought offline. I have long forgotten the specific model, but I only remember that it was "very heavy". The reason I changed it was that I made a hanging rack on the wall of my bedroom, but I couldn't lift it because the bike was too heavy.
• Second car (2020) This is the so-called "German EROADE" bought on Taobao:
  
  
  
  Now think about it, it is really a black history - switching from a big brand folding coin to a small brand folding coin seems to be an upgrade, but in fact it is a step backward. After all, I was too naive at that time.
• The third car (2022) The real entry point: Giant XTC SLR 3, also known as the "Three Princesses" by riders:
  
  
  
  After buying a new bike, the "modification addiction" naturally sets in. Just like new car buyers always want to add all sorts of accessories, cyclists who buy new bicycles inevitably fall into a buying spree: brighter lights, a more comfortable saddle, a more user-friendly bottle cage... Each item may seem inexpensive, costing just a few dozen, but it adds up. This is especially true for those of us who "buy first, then regret"—if something doesn't work for us, we'll buy a new one, over and over again, and the money we waste could buy half a new bike.

For example, the accessories of the so-called "German EROADE" period:

This is just the tip of the iceberg - I changed several rounds one after another later, and it hurts to think about it now.

It wasn't until I switched to the Giant "Three Princesses" that I really figured it out. With the experience of paying the price the first two times, I finally stopped buying random things this time and optimized them step by step, slowly building a configuration that I felt comfortable and comfortable with. So I thought I might as well write these experiences down as a reference for those who come after me.

Of course, as the old saying goes, "one man's meat is another man's poison." Everyone's riding habits, body types, and usage scenarios are different, so I don't think a good thing will work for everyone. This article is just a summary of my own mistakes and experiences, and if it can help you avoid some of the pitfalls, that would be great.

Of course, I also have a personal principle: beauty based on personal aesthetics. Many accessories I've used before weren't unusable, but simply felt low-quality and didn't suit my style, which is why I replaced them. There's no other way around it; just looking at online sellers' pictures doesn't give you a true sense of what they'll look like.

Here are some pictures of my three princesses in their complete form from different angles:

2 Accessories Introduction

2.1 Overview

In fact, strictly speaking,There is no one cycling accessory that is "must have"Look at the shared bicycles on the roadside. There is almost nothing on them. Don’t countless people ride them to go to get off work or buy groceries every day?

However, shared bicycles are more for short-distance travel, and when you startMedium- and long-distance cycling (often tens or even hundreds of kilometers)When it comes to riding, seemingly insignificant accessories often make the difference between a good and a bad experience. For example, a convenient bottle cage, a shock-absorbing seat, or an adjustable bike computer holder—these items may seem insignificant individually, but when combined, they can greatly enhance the practicality and comfort of the entire bike.

---

There's also cycling-related gear (wearable items), from helmets, cycling clothing, gloves, to sunglasses. The brands alone are enough to make you dizzy. However, these wearable items are more about personal aesthetics and physical sensations. I just buy whatever I like, and I don't really know much about them, so the cycling accessories mentioned in this article don't include this type of gear.

---

In this chapter I mainly want to talk aboutAccessories installed on bicycles——They are more "mechanical", more "objective", and more playable. Based on my own experience, these car accessories can be roughly divided into three categories:

• Comfort: Make the bike ride smoother and fit the body better, such as seat, pedals, handlebars, etc.
• Security: Improve visibility and control safety, such as horns, rearview mirrors, lights, reflectors, etc.
• Extension Class: Make cycling smarter or more interesting, such as brackets, stopwatches, Bluetooth speakers, driving recorders, etc.

Next, I will talk about the accessories combination on my current car from these three categories - which ones are really useful and which ones are "pitfalls" that I have eliminated, maybe it can help those who come later to save some money.

Note: While specific brands or models may appear in the accessories mentioned below, these are examples of my personal use and do not constitute recommendations. Everyone's riding habits, body types, and budgets are different, so brands can be customized based on individual circumstances. The key is to prioritize your approach and pairing logic, not just "buy the same thing."

2.2 Comfort

2.2.1 Cushion

The saddle that comes with my Third Princess is a sports type, and it looks like this:

It’s actually pretty cool, and it’s not impossible to make do with it. However, considering that long-distance riding should still focus on comfort, I tried to change it to this:

The actual effect is as follows:

However, after being approached several times on the greenway by fellow cyclists asking about the ride quality of the "sofa cushion," I realized it was a bit of a stunner, so I finally gritted my teeth and switched to a thickened, soft saddle from VELO (antibacterial):

I have been using it until now, and the experience is still very satisfying:

Note: People who have just started riding have not yet developed an "iron butt", so they will have requirements for the saddle. However, after riding for a long time and getting used to it, it will gradually become less of a problem.

2.2.2 Pedals

For mid-to-high-end bicycles, it is customary not to have pedals. However, offline stores often give away a plastic "test pedal", similar to this:

I can ride it, but since it's a "test ride," the quality isn't guaranteed (they're only a few bucks a pair on Taobao). I recommend replacing them with regular pedals. I went directly to a brick-and-mortar store and got Giant's "GPRO-1 triple bearings."

However, I personally feel that there is no need to worry too much about the pedals, as long as they are from a regular brand and the quality is good.

2.2.3 Grips

There is not much to say about the grips. I think they have a shock-absorbing effect and are comfortable. Personally, I like to have some kind of sheep horn or ox horn grips, which can be used as a rest grip:

2.3 Security

2.3.1 Speaker

Of course, the use of a horn (or bell) is a matter of personal preference. Many riders believe that shouting is more reliable. As for me, if it is just a horn (or bell), I may not be willing to use it. After all, I have used wired electric horns before:

The handlebars have both a horn and a button attached to them, with wires connecting them, which looks quite low-end. And if it were an ordinary hand-dialed bell, the sound wouldn't be much louder, and it might even be worse than shouting yourself.

However, later I saw this separated structure:

The speaker on the right can be tied to the seat post under the seat, while the control part on the left can be fixed to the handlebar. This makes it look much more beautiful. In addition to the ringing function, it also provides arming (trigger alarm), disarming, and manual alarm functions. It feels immediately more advanced, right?

2.3.2 Rearview Mirror

to be honest,Is a rearview mirror necessary?This issue has always caused disagreements among cycling friends.

Some people refuse to use it, and the reasons are very simple: first, it affects the appearance of the entire vehicle, especially the smooth lines of a road bike, and installing a rearview mirror always feels "incongruous"; second, a rearview mirror of poor quality is prone to shaking and the picture is blurred, which will distract attention.

But another group believes that:The most important thing about cycling is safetyEspecially when riding in cities or on highways, being able to see oncoming traffic at all times is more important than appearance. After all, even a single glance back can cause you to lose balance or miss what's ahead. Having a suitable rearview mirror, even just a sideways glance, can give you a greater sense of security.

I have tried several different types of rearview mirrors over the years:handlebar endAdjustable; installedHelmet or glassesDifferent designs have their own advantages and disadvantages: field of view, vibration stability, and aesthetics all vary significantly.

Finally, my personal conclusion is: if you mainly ride on greenways and riverbanks, where there is less traffic and the environment is safe, you can actually do without it; but if you often commute in the city and occasionally walk on the main road,A suitable rearview mirror can really make you feel more relaxed..

Because there is a 5-kilometer road from my home to the greenway, the traffic volume is very heavy, and I really need to constantly observe the cars coming from behind, so I have tried various methods, such as:

However, either it is not practical or too ugly, so I finally chose a compromise solution of handlebar rearview mirror:

The advantage is that it can be adjusted automatically, which does not affect the overall appearance, and most importantly, it does not take up valuable handlebar space:

2.3.3 Lighting

Actually, it’s hard to say about lighting. First of all, it’s only needed for night riding. Secondly, there are too many options. For example, I have bought this kind of headlight:

Later, because it took up too much space on the handlebars, was too heavy, and the power bank function was not useful for short-distance riding, I finally gave up. Then I changed to this:

After using it for a while, I found that the daytime night light function was not useful, the horn took up too much handlebar space, and the charging function was not useful for short distances, so I gave up. In the end, I chose this cycling flashlight method:

The advantage is that it can be easily disassembled and taken home to use as a flashlight when not needed. When needed, it can be directly hung under the handlebar extension bracket. The effect is as follows:

后车灯(警示作用)可以在头盔上，也可以在自行车上。如果在自行车上，又会因为是否有车尾包来划分为装坐杆上还是装车尾包上等等，太多选择了，我最终选择的这种：

因为这种后面有个夹子，既可以通过扎带绑坐杆上，也可以直接夹在车尾包后面：

However, whether it is the front or rear lights, I suggest that you try to choose a method that is easy to disassemble, because when you don’t need it, you can directly remove it to reduce weight.

2.3.4 Positioning

This is purely a personal choice. I bought an Apple AirTag because I wanted to add a positioning function to my third princess. It needs to be fixed to the car, so I bought a fixing bracket:

There are generally several locations to choose from, such as behind the bottle cage, under the seat, etc. I put it behind the bottle cage:

This depends on your needs. If you are afraid of your car being stolen, you can install one. However, it doesn’t take too much time for a thief to remove it after discovering it. So it is mainly a self-comfort. The best anti-theft method is to keep the car out of sight.

2.4 Extending Classes

2.4.1 Overview

This part involves a lot of accessories, such as cycle computers, mobile phone holders, Bluetooth speakers, etc. There are also many choices, and everyone's needs and preferences may be different, so the final combination must be varied. I am just talking about the most reasonable solution I have adopted so far after many attempts.

2.4.2 Mobile Phone Holder

The phone holder is probably the first cycling accessory I came across. I’ve tried many types before, including:

I have also used the front beam bag with a mobile phone case:

But the experience is not good. Either they are ugly, take up the handlebar position, and do not absorb shock (the first two bracket types), or they are inconvenient to use (front beam bag): the touch effect is really hard to describe.

Later I found this quick-release phone holder, the base of which is fixed directly to the front fork seat tube:

The phone only needs to be placed in the matching phone case and can be easily fixed to the base:

To remove it, just twist it:

My experience of using it is very good. It is the best mobile phone fixing solution I have ever used. The only drawback is that the matching mobile phone case only supports Apple series mobile phones.

2.4.3 Computer Stand

For the computer bracket, I chose a handlebar extension bracket (search keyword: multi-function computer bracket). There are many options online:

However, it should be noted that some extension brackets can only be used to install the computer in an upward direction. If you want to install the headlights or sports camera at the bottom at the same time, you need to buy an extension bracket that can also be hung from the bottom.

Another point to note is that some extension brackets are fixed directly to the handlebars, which will take up valuable handlebar space. It is best to fix them with screws from the center front of the handlebars:

2.4.4 Car Bluetooth Speaker

What’s a long-distance ride without music? As a music lover like me, I definitely need a good car Bluetooth speaker. The first thing I bought was this:

To be honest, the sound quality is good, but unfortunately the standby time is too short in my usage scenario. If I remember correctly, it ran out of power in less than 4 hours after playing at a high volume. As a result, I had to use a power bank to keep it plugged in to power it.

Then I got angry and changed it to this:

This one is amazing. It has a battery capacity of 7800 mAh and can play continuously for 8 hours without any problem. The sound quality is also very good. It supports inserting a card to play lossless format songs, supports power bank function, and also supports FM. When I was riding on the greenway, many fellow riders caught up with me and asked me what brand it was.

As for the downsides, there are some. It weighs a whopping 590g! So now I only use this when I'm going on long rides over 100km. For short trips under 50km, I use this:

It weighs only 318g, which is much lighter.

2.4.5 Bluetooth Remote Control

One of the inconveniences of riding and listening to music is adjusting the volume, switching songs, and answering calls. Although Siri can do this, it often fails when riding at high speeds due to the influence of wind noise. If I try to operate the phone with one hand, there will be safety risks. So this time I gritted my teeth and bought a Bluetooth remote control:

The final effect is as follows:

2.4.6 Bottle Cage

Bottle cages are usually given for free when you buy a bike, but they are usually not very good looking. If you are interested, you can change the style you like, such as the one I use now:

However, if you want to install more than one bottle cage, it depends on whether there is a reserved installation position on the frame of your bike. For example, my three-princess seat tube and down tube have reserved positions, so I can directly install 2:

If there is no extra reserved space on the frame, you have to make some adjustments, such as the handlebar water bottle clamp I tried on my previous off-brand bike:

Or quick release bottle cage:

In short, you can only try all feasible options and finally choose one that suits your car model.

2.4.7 Car Pack

Regarding the on-board bag, I think it is still necessary to put wet wipes, gauze, iodine cotton swabs, portable air pump, maintenance tools, etc. I once encountered a situation where the fixing part in the middle of the handlebar loosened while I was riding. If I didn’t have the maintenance tools at the time, I would have had to push the bike out and call Huolala.

However, there are many locations for car bags, and different models have different options. For example, I tried this top tube bag:

There is also this top tube bag:

And the aforementioned top tube bag:

There is also this top tube under the bag:

There is also this front crossbar bag:

There is also this bicycle bag:

There is also this front beam saddle bag:

And this front beam saddle bag:

But for my three princesses, all of them are uncomfortable: either they are in the way, or they are impractical or ugly. In the end, after going around in circles, I still used this car tail bag:

Personally, I think only the rear bag has the strongest compatibility. Of course, although it has strong compatibility, there will also be the problem of whether it is suitable for the cushion, because I actually bought a rear bag before:

But I just can't install it under the Velo seat cushion I'm using now. This "problem can't be seen online, but is discovered during installation" is an important reason why I wasted so much money on accessories. After all, I can't return the product just because I bought the wrong one.

2.4.8 Fenders

Mudguards are a matter of personal preference. I've bought quite a few, such as:

There is also this quick-release rack type fender:

But why don't I install them now? The reason is that I don't usually use them (I definitely don't go out when it's raining), and if they do (it rains mid-road), how much can they block? And why would I care about a little mud when I'm soaking wet? The key is that when it's not raining, these fenders really detract from the car's appearance. It looks very tacky.

The only time I think fenders are really useful is for commuting, but those commuter bikes usually come with very tightly wrapped fenders, such as:

It's not comparable to our half-baked manually installed fenders.

2.4.9 把立增高器

我在第二辆所谓”德国EROADE”加装过把立增高器：

但是，我并不太推荐使用把立增高器：一般来说，只有初学者因为还不太习惯正确的骑行姿势，想把背“打直”时才会需要它。而无论是山地车还是公路车，其实只要逐渐适应了正确的姿势，基本就不会再觉得需要这个配件了。

当然，如果是通勤骑、悠闲骑为主，追求舒适多过速度，也不是不能用，只是要明白它带来的取舍。

2.4.10 多功能延伸架

这个一般是用来解决车把位置不够安装配件时的扩展方案：

不过，这个已经不符合我现在的美学观念了。而且，通过前面将很多配件安装在车架的其他位置，也解决了非要把配件装车把上这个传统需求，所以这个我也并不推荐，大家可以把这个作为万不得已时的一个备用方案。

2.4.11 小结

The choice of accessories varies from person to person, but I think one important point is that the handlebar position is really valuable. If you have a choice, try not to install accessories directly on the handlebars, and keep the handlebars as simple as possible. The first reason is that too many accessories are really unsightly, and the second is that this way, some accessories that must be installed on the handlebars will have space to be installed. Here is a close-up of the front of my current bicycle:

It looks very refreshing (I feel that it will be basically clean if the speakers are not tied to it~), otherwise if there are too many accessories installed on the handlebar, my car speakers will not be able to be fixed on the handlebar~.

Note: Actually, the two aerobars are no longer useful. I used to think it was because of my posture that my hands would often go numb after riding for a long time, so I bought this aerobar. But it seems that the problem has been solved now, so I can find an opportunity to remove them.

3. Last words: Safety always comes first

In fact, cycling accessories are neither important nor unimportant. The most important thing is to go out riding first. Don’t end up buying a lot of equipment but never riding it.

However, don't go to the other extreme: the pursuit of speed. For cyclists who ride for fitness, safety is always paramount. Don't be fooled by those online videos; an accident (whether it's hitting someone or falling yourself) can ruin your life.

After I bought the three princesses, I pedaled like crazy. I could reach a constant speed of 24 km/h for 50 kilometers. I even followed a group of road bikes for 30 minutes (which was actually very stressful for my heart, with my heart rate reaching 180). So I can fully understand the sense of urgency of watching your average speed drop little by little if you slow down.

However, I have become more disciplined since I fell a few times, especially the one two years ago:

It took three months to fully recover, and the key point was that I had to stop cycling for a year (after I recovered, the season was no longer suitable for cycling, and when the season was suitable, I didn't want to move anymore). You know, it's a very tiring thing to start again after each interruption.

So now my slogan is: As long as I ride slowly enough, there will be no safety issues~.