These are the accessories you actually need for your e-bike – Jalopnik

So you just got your shiny new e-bike. First of all, congratulations! You have made a fantastic step in environmentally friendly transportation, and I, a simple manual cyclist, commend you. You’ll benefit your health (by increasing your heart rate), my health (by reducing greenhouse gas emissions), and the health of your local community (by showing that there are alternatives to cars). In fact, you’re about to do a little more than you prepared because that bike isn’t the last thing you need to purchase. No, you’ll be heading to your local bike shop soon to pick up a few accessories.

Fortunately, you don’t need much to start using an e-bike as a daily means of transportation. Your big expenses are already out of the way, I promise, and the last few things you need to buy won’t add up to nearly the cost you’ve already spent on your bike. In fact, I’ve narrowed your list down to just five essentials (plus one honorable mention) that will have you ready to ditch your car completely. Let’s see.

You always wear a good helmet when cycling. Depending on your jurisdiction, an e-bike may require you to carry one. But don’t just blindly stumble into the nearest target and buy the first helmet you see. First, girl the boycott; secondly, there are a few features you really want to look for in a new helmet; features that are actually worth spending more than the bare minimum price.

The main thing to look out for is Mips, a ‘multi-directional impact protection system’ – essentially a sliding plastic layer inside the helmet that protects your brain from rotational impact. It is intended to help reduce the risk of concussion, especially in the types of falls that two-wheeled commuters often see. If you are in a warm climate, you will also want to look for a helmet with good ventilation. Technology like Koroyd, which replaces the helmet’s standard EPS foam with an air-flowing crush layer, can really help here, but is not always necessary. There’s a reason why the Smith persistswith both Mips and Koroyd technology, is traditionally a best-selling helmet.

Your e-bike may have front and rear lights – you may even have nice functionality like built-in brake lights – but not all e-bikes do. If yours doesn’t have lighting (or even if the lighting just isn’t enough), grab yourself a set of front and rear lights. You may not want to drive in the middle of the night, but you might end up there anyway – or find yourself in rain, fog, or some other low-visibility situation.

Lighting is as much about being seen as it is about seeing, so look for a set that includes a taillight that can flash and is also a solid red color (most lights you’ll find will give you that option). Some options you’ll come across are battery powered, while others can be powered directly by the movement of your wheels by installing a dynamo. Personally, I like the simplicity of something I can plug in – my bike is in my bedroom anyway, right next to an electrical socket – but if that’s not convenient for you, the dynamo options are a good bet too. You may also see people claiming that adding a little blue to a taillight can make it more visible, but I’ve never seen any data to prove this. Furthermore, police are generally not fans of non-cops keeping blue lights everywhere.

With any luck you will be able to use most of its features a good bicycle multi-tool. I’ve never had to use the chain breaker on mine, and I hope I never find myself in a situation where I need to replace my chain quickly and I run out of more substantial hardware to replace it with – but if I find myself in such a pinch, I’ll be very happy with my little multi-tool.

However, you will absolutely use some parts of that tool. People come in all shapes and sizes, which means bikes are designed with a wide range of equipment to take all of us into account – but it also means you have to adjust your bike to get it set up. You can, of course, have a professional bike fit at your local bike shop, but dialing in the ergonomics of a bike is a good skill to have. You can adjust your seat height, the rotation of your handlebars, and the angle of your brake levers, all with the few tools included in this little Crankbrothers kit. You can find these at other companies too, but I have this exact multi-tool (in this exact color) and it has served me well for several years and multiple bikes.

If you’re going to cycle somewhere worth riding to, it’s probably going to be a place so populated that it’s worth locking up your bike. Don’t worry about cable locks whose combinations can be determined in seconds, or even seemingly sturdier cables that can be easily cut. Buy a nice U-lock and, depending on the price of your bike and how much you love it, perhaps invest in the latest developments in anti-theft technology.

I’m carrying a full five pounds Kryptonite New York Lock Diamond Standard on my Orbea, because it’s one of the few locks on the market that I trust to keep my bike safe no matter what a thief throws at it. Battery-powered angle grinders are all too often an attack vector for fancy bikes these days – especially e-bikes – and the Diamond Standard gets its name from an actual diamond coating over the metal. If it takes one hardwired angle grinder, more than six minutes of grinding to get throughit’s sturdy enough for any thief to give up and move on to something easier.

When I first got my Orbea, I headed out on a beautiful summer day to read “Chainsaw Man” in Prospect Park. I biked uphill for a few blocks in black skinny jeans before deviating from my intended path and heading to my local bike shop to pick up the bike a bottle holder and then fill a bottle of water from the deli across the street. Electronic assistance or not, cycling is work. You’ll need water for it, and you want it to be easily accessible; it’s nice to take a sip on those hot days at the red light.

Bottle cages are largely interchangeable, so just look for one in the color you like. The only reason you might want to go more specific is if you want a side-entry cage, which can help keep bottles accessible if your frame is decked out with all kinds of other farkles. That could mean your big, bulky U-lock from the past, or the honorable mention on our list.

Storage space is an honorable mention only because a lot of it depends on your preference and the frame of your bike. Handlebar bags work on just about any bike, but they tend to be small and can throw your center of gravity forward if you really load them up. Frame bags are larger and keep your luggage more centralized, but they aren’t really an option on step-through frames. Moreover, you will have to do some searching to find one that fits well with the frame of your bike.

Luggage racks can be a good all-purpose option, but some people don’t want the weight loss that comes with lugging around all that extra metal. However, if weight is really an issue, you may not need anything on the bike at all – you’re sure to have a Jansport somewhere nearby that can transport your essentials from point A to point B. Backpacks, frame bags, top tube bags, pannier racks, this one is up to you. Find a way to transport cargo that suits your bike and your usage situation.