As one of many few individuals who can declare to now be in my third decade of residing an electrical bike-focused life, I’ve examined a whole lot of gear through the years. Between the gear I purchase for myself and the piles of random stuff that exhibits up on my doorstep from overzealous PR businesses, I’ve gone by a variety of instruments, locks, clothes, equipment, and extra. Listed here are my favorites of all of the stuff I’ve examined this 12 months.
I’ll begin with locks as a result of I’m a little bit of a motorcycle lock collector. I’ve packing containers overflowing with them. Meaning if a lock has made it out of the packing containers and into my regular-use assortment, it should have some actually good options and utility.
Foldylock Ceaselessly from Seatylock
Seatylock is considered one of my favourite lock firms because of the numerous merchandise’ mixture of safety and worth. The strongest lock that I take advantage of day by day is my Foldylock Ceaselessly. It weighs round 1/3 of a high-security chain lock (slightly below 3.9 lb or 1.8 kg) and is far quieter than most folding locks because of the increased precision safety rivets. It’s rated Gold-Licensed by the premier lock testing company Offered Safe, and is proof against the commonest assaults of blades, bolt cutters, nut splitters, pry bars/jacks, and freezing assaults.
It opens extensive to operate like a series lock, wrapping round extensive objects like timber or small objects like signal posts, and I additionally actually just like the handy holster that makes it simple to stow and seize one-handed. The extensive design means you can too lock each the body and a wheel, which is necessary if you wish to have wheels in your bike once you come again to it.
This lock is definitely fairly pretty priced at US $99 on Amazon. Excessive-security locks price so much as a result of they’re meant to guard costly e-bikes, and this one is price each single penny. And that’s even an incredible sale worth, contemplating it usually prices $125.
I’ve additionally been testing a smaller model of the identical lock, the Foldylock Compact. It is available in a number of colours, however I just like the orange-accented one because it has that good poison treefrog coloring to let thieves see it from a distance and remind them to maneuver on to the subsequent poor shmuck’s bike.
Whereas this one isn’t fairly as strong because the over-the-top Foldylock Ceaselessly above, the Foldylock Compact is smaller and lighter for individuals who don’t need a chunky lock. At simply 2.2 lb or 1 kg, it’s virtually half the burden and nonetheless options lots of the similar necessary safety elements like these patented high-security rivets.
This might be an incredible possibility for scooters, too, because it’s smaller and extra compact for the lighter frames on scooters.
At US $71 on Amazon, it’s a extra reasonably priced model of the flagship Foldylock Ceaselessly lock.
The third and final lock from Seatylock that I’ve actually taken a liking to is the Mason 220. This may occasionally appear like an ordinary U-lock at first, however there are two major variations I actually like about it.
The primary is that it’s extensive sufficient to suit across the chunky battery downtube in all of my e-bikes. Most U-locks can’t match round this extensive a part of an e-bike, which means you’re extra restricted on locking areas. The Mason 220 has no drawback becoming wherever on my e-bikes.
The second factor I like is that the lock’s shackle has a pentagonal profile. That helps cut back weight whereas strengthening the cross-section in comparison with spherical or sq. bars. The engineering reply is that it places extra materials additional away from the middle axis with out losing materials the place it isn’t wanted. It additionally prevents thieves from having two flat surfaces on both aspect for making use of numerous instruments. However in layman’s phrases, it’s only a extra environment friendly profile for anti-theft.
On high of all of that, the lock is Diamond-certified 20/20 by Offered Safe, which is the best attainable safety ranking. It’s proof against chopping, grinding, drilling, bending, prying, freezing, and principally each major lock assault.
At its present worth of US $76 on Amazon, it’s a no brainer.
I all the time advocate utilizing two locks on the similar time, and I usually mix the Mason 220 with the FoldyLock Compact (since my spouse tends to steal my FoldylLck Ceaselessly for her bike).
E-cuffs electrical scooter lock
This one is a little bit of an odd lock, however persist with me. These handcuff-style locks make nice scooter locks, which is what they’re designed for. However in a pinch, you can too apply it to an e-bike.
These aren’t probably the most safe locks on the market, so I typically attempt to use them together with a second lock when attainable, however the E-cuffs do have a number of good security options as a part of their design. The triple-ply metal is more durable to chop and the tight locking cuff makes it onerous to get a pry-bar within the lock for leverage assaults.
In addition they mount actually properly to the stem of a scooter to allow them to deploy shortly round no matter you select to lock onto.
I used them on the VMAX scooter I used to be just lately testing and located them to be a very handy resolution for fast and handy locking.
Waterfield Vitesse waxed canvas backpack
For these of you who bemoan the dearth of American manufacturing, right here you go! The Waterfield Vitesse waxed canvas backpack is made in America. It’s additionally acquired made in America pricing at US $219, however hey, you mentioned you’d pay for American manufacturing, proper?!
This bag is a murals, made of lovely waxed canvas from an American mill that has produced it this fashion for almost a century. The luggage are sewn in San Francisco and have a major open pocket with organizer pouches inside, a laptop computer sleeve that may match as much as a 16-inch laptop computer, and a pleated entrance pocket. The roll-top design additionally has a water-proof zipper, which means you don’t should roll the highest when you want to stuff it pretty full. You possibly can simply zip it once you don’t have the additional materials left over to roll it.
The neoprene-padded straps and leather-wrapped deal with are comfy and clearly constructed for years of wear and tear, as it is a buy-it-for-life sort of bag. I usually experience on days once you by no means know what sort of climate you’ll have, and so the waxed canvas and waterproof zipper are key for cyclists who need a handsome bag that also withstands the weather.
Remco electrical lifting bike stand
This stand has modified the sport for my bike work. I assemble a whole lot of e-bikes for opinions and am continually doing work on my bikes, whether or not regular upkeep or main repairs. Lifting heavy e-bikes onto a stand isn’t enjoyable, particularly as lots of the “e-bikes” I evaluate are principally 100-lb gentle electrical bikes.
That’s good because the Remco electrical raise bike stand can help as much as 100 lb fashions, and I truly put that to the check with a number of 100lb+ fashions!
It’s acquired a brilliant secure (and heavy) base plate, and the raise itself may be programmed to recollect numerous heights which are most comfy for you.
The modular design enables you to use your individual clamp or theirs, which means you’ll be able to stick along with your trusty Park Software clamp when you want.
Slightly over a 12 months in the past I damage my again (and had my first “OMG this have to be what getting previous is” second), and so using an electrical bike raise for heavy electrical bikes is simply such a pleasant addition to my bike workflow that I can’t think about anymore muscling these 80 and 90 lb e-bikes into the air whereas making an attempt to help them one handed and shut the clamp with the opposite.
That is actually meant for bike retailers and professionals, however even people such as you and me who simply are likely to do work on a number of heavy bikes can actually profit from it!
Past Riders protected driving clothes
I’ve written earlier than concerning the significance of sporting protecting clothes, particularly on quicker electrical bikes. Past Riders has develop into my go-to model as a result of its garments appear like typical on a regular basis clothes but have hidden armor and are produced with heavy-duty fibers designed for abrasion resistance.
I’ve simply began testing out their flannel shirt and cargo pants, which have choices for Stage 1 or Stage 2 armor inserts to guard your shoulders, elbows, backbone, hips, and knees. I’ll do a deeper dive on these quickly.
Their canvas driving jacket continues to be considered one of my favorites too, and it doesn’t even appear like a motorbike jacket. It simply appears to be like like a pleasant canvas jacket!
My spouse additionally likes that I don’t appear like I’m heading out for a motorbike experience, however fairly I can put on these things on date night time. Whereas that’s not my main concern, the “pleased spouse, pleased life” doctrine all the time applies. So if I can mix security and trend in a single, that’s the best choice.
The BEAM’s Virgo helmet
Helmets are clearly essential security gear for e-bike riders, particularly since we are likely to spend extra time at increased speeds. However irrespective of the know-how included in a helmet, if it solely sits on the highest of your head, then there’s a complete lot of face materials left flapping round within the wind.
The Virgo helmet is a full face helmet with added chin bar so as to add further safety.
You pay handsomely for that safety, to the tune of US $299, however you get much more face protection than your typical helmet. Meaning your jaw has a greater likelihood of staying hooked up in a catastrophic influence with a automobile or concrete curb. The included MIPS system additionally reduces torsional influence in your mind, which is turning into customary on all higher-quality helmets as of late.
And for much less disastrous crashes, you don’t have to fret about regrowing the pores and skin in your face. In case your face is the way you make your cash (otherwise you simply don’t wish to appear like a lasagna), a full-face helmet is a good suggestion. The chin bar here’s a bit flexy, so it’s not going to face up to the identical stage of crash as my motorbike helmets, but it surely’s additionally so much lighter and extra comfy than my motorbike helmets, making it good for biking.
Even simply the visor provides nice advantages. I can’t inform you what number of instances I experience by a flock of gnats or an enormous mud cloud with one eye closed simply in case it will get compromised and I would like a backup eye. With a visor, you could have eye safety even on the times you aren’t sporting sun shades. And naturally you’ll be able to by no means predict the random rock that will get kicked up by a automobile tire and despatched immediately in direction of your eyes. You solely get two eyes they usually don’t heal the way in which pores and skin does. Defend them!
There’s additionally the built-in rear gentle for added visibility, and naturally, the a number of dimension and shade choices. There’s so much to love right here, even when the worth is fairly lofty.
Peak Design telephone holder
I’ve examined many telephone holders for e-bikes, scooters, and bikes. By far, my all-time favourite has acquired to be Peak Design’s telephone holder.
I acquired the case for my iPhone, and now I’ve the matching holding on a number of of my e-bikes, in addition to one on my Gogoro scooter and one other on my LiveWire Del Mar motorbike.
The fundamental idea is just like Quadlock or different quick-release holders, besides that there’s no twisting. A magnet guides the telephone’s case onto the spring-loaded locking tabs, which snap into place at the back of the case and securely maintain the telephone. To launch it, you’ll be able to press a button on both aspect of the mount and your telephone immediately pops off. It’s rugged but simply launched – a tough mixture to grasp.
I purchased the $39 common mount for my bikes and scooters and I’ve the $79 devoted motorbike mount on my LiveWire, however there are many totally different mount choices out there.
Tentsile tenting hammock
I LOVE bike tenting, and considered one of my latest acquisitions is supposed to make e-bike tenting all of the extra enjoyable with a soothing hangout. Tentsile’s tree hammocks aren’t your conventional hammocks, however fairly outsized triangular hanging platforms that may take the type of tents or hangout hammocks.
I acquired the six-person big hammock just lately, however sadly I haven’t had a tenting journey but to strive it out. Up to now it appears to be like prefer it ought to work effectively although, because it’s properly constructed and big! That’s one other good factor about e-bike tenting, you’ll be able to afford the additional weight of drugs like this as a result of the battery helps take the ache out of the pedaling.
That is one other one which ain’t low-cost, at $384. However when you’ve acquired the luxurious of including enjoyable gear to your leisure bike-camping setup, that is undoubtedly one that can change the sport. As a substitute of a bunch of folding chairs, you and your folks can all be lounging within the air, suspended from Mom Nature’s anchors – timber!
FTC: We use revenue incomes auto affiliate hyperlinks. Extra.
