In part one of “You’ve just bought a bike, now what?”, I covered the essential items you’ll need after purchasing your (likely first) bike, including the helmet, spare tubes, patch kit, tools, and pump/CO2. Part 2 covered the seat wedge, pedals, shoes and cleats.

Part 3 of this series will help you with the sunglasses, cyclocomputer, headlight, and taillights.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are one of those multi-purpose accessories when it comes to cycling. They provide several important functions. The first is the obvious UV protection from the sun, and helping with eye strain. The second is protection from the wind. The third is the blocking of projectiles, such as rocks, glass, or anything else that gets kicked up by a tire.

There are quite a few options you have in selecting a pair of sunglasses. If you decide to go with a pair that are cycling specific (from online bike shops, or local bike shops), choose a pair with multiple lenses. This way you’ll have some options in differing weather conditions. Also, go with a pair that has a plastic frame, and shatter resistant lenses. If you take a rock to the lenses or crash, you won’t want the lens shattering, or the frame cutting into your face. A good place to find cheap cycling or sport sunglasses is at Steep And Cheap. About once or twice a week a good pair of Smith, Spy, or Oakley sunglasses will show up.

Another popular option is to just get a cheaper pair of safety shop glass. The shop glasses won’t come with the fancy lenses, but they are shatter resistant, and have durable frames. The most obvious benefit is the low cost. I’ve seen these safety glasses recommended, and they even have a cycling specific review.

When you try on the sunglasses, take a moment to position your head like you’re on your bike in the drops. Make sure that the frame of the sunglasses doesn’t obscure your vision too much, as it can get a bit annoying always looking above the frame, or craning your neck.

Cyclocomputer

Most cyclists really don’t need a cyclocomputer, but they’re kind of fun, and definitely useful while training. We’ve reviewed a few cyclocomputers in the past, including the Cateye Strada Cadence, Cateye Mity 8, Shimano Flight Deck SC-6502, and the Garmin 605 and 705.

Some of the most important features to look out for in a cyclocomputer are how complicated it is to install, the ease of use, and its monitoring capabilities. There are a few questions you’ll want answered before purchasing a cycling computer. How many wires does it have? Is it wireless? Where does it mount? What does it include? Wireless can be a nice feature as it’s easy to install, but it’s also a bit more finicky with interference, and batteries. Wired cyclocomputers are a bit more difficult to install (not much…), and are not quite as nice looking on the bike. A wired computer is typically cheaper than its wireless counterpart.

You’ll also want to decide if you want cadence monitoring. Cadence stats can be nice, but does add more to the final cost. Also, some of the higher end models include heart rate monitoring. The basic features that any computer should include are current speed, average speed, time, trip time, trip distance, and odometer. I find all of those features to be pretty useful.

Headlight/taillights

If you’re planning on riding at night you should definitely get some bright, blinky, annoying, lights to let other cars, cyclists, or animals know you’re on the road. I’d have to say the most popular rear light is the Planet Bike Blinky Superflash. Many cyclists in the city, or suburbs, recommend having two of those in the rear, and a simple white LED light in the front. They can be had for about $25 at most bike shops. The key to finding the perfect rear lights are primarily how bright they are, and how long the batteries last. Cateye taillights also seem to be pretty popular, and well reviewed.

Any prolonged night riding, or training in rural areas, and you’ll want to get a serious headlight. I think the two most popular options are HID or Halogen. I’ve found the halogen setups are cheaper, but the batteries don’t last as long and they’re not typically as bright as HID setups. As far as choosing the best products, DiNotte Lighting seems to be recommended, as well as the Light & Motion HID Arc Li-ion, and Topeak Moonshine HID.

Part 4 of this series will cover the cycling specific clothing that will turn a rough ride into a smooth one.