11 Bike accessories and gadgets for city commuters

Living in the city is glorious. There is always a ton to do, and being surrounded by the constant hustle and bustle is invigorating. Every cuisine is around the corner, and every amenity you could possibly need is always nearby. The one thing that no one likes, though, in the constant traffic. If you're lucky, you can bike to work to avoid it.

A casual biking scene from NYC

For many, biking to work is the most convenient commute ever. You can avoid all of the traffic jams and not sit in your car for hours, and you can get in exercise while you do it. But it’s important that it’s safe and easy to do. Otherwise, it’s not that much better than getting in your car and sitting there at stoplight after stoplight. We’re here to help with our suggestions for bike accessories and gadgets to make your round trip commute a breeze.

From bags to locks to safety accessories, you’ll be prepared to take on anything your ride might throw at you. All you’ll need to do is grab a bike, plan your route, and you’ll be good to go. Of course, we can’t fix that shower issue for you at work if you get sweaty on your ride. You’ll have to wait for more Star Trek tech to make its way to life.

Roadwarez Road Tracker Bluetooth-Enabled Cycling Backpack

Chances are, you need a backpack to carry your work shoes, laptop, and office supplies in on your ride. And chances are (hopefully), you already have a helmet you’re wearing to keep your head safe in case of a fall. There are some great new helmets on the market with safety lighting features, but if you’re not ready to upgrade just yet, this Roadwarez backpack is just what you need. This backpack lights up to offer hands-free automatic turn signals by using voice control to have the backpack display and left or right arrow. The pack comes with about 10 hours of battery life, so you can charge up on the weekend.

Swytch eBike Conversion Kit

One of the biggest pains about riding your big to work is that it’s a workout. No one wants to spend their day uncomfortable and messy-looking after having gotten sweaty on their ride into work. Now, you can take some of the work out of your bike commute with the Swytch eBike Conversion Kit bike accessory. All you have to do is attach this kit to your current bike, and you’ll have the benefits of an eBike without purchasing an expensive eBike. This kit will give you extra propulsion and will allow you to climb 30% grades with ease. It also has a range of 50 kilometers and only weighs 3 kilograms.

Lumos Kickstart Smart Bike Helmet

If you’re ready to upgrade your bike helmet, the Lumos Kickstart Smart Bike Helmet is a great bike accessory to add to your commute. Not only does this helmet keep your head safe in the event you take a tumble, but you’ll also make yourself more visible to the cars on the road. This helmet has front and rear lights, turn signals, and hard brake lights. It weighs less than a pound and comes with an integrated charging port so you can charge devices on the go. It even comes with smart gesture recognition, so you can just use hand signals while you’re wearing your Apple Watch.

Hövding 3 Urban Cyclist Airbag

You’ll want to add this bike accessory to your safety gear. The Hövding 3 Urban Cyclist Airbag might not look like much, but this piece of technology is impressive and might even be safer than wearing a helmet. All you have to do is wear the device around your head, and it reads your movement 200 times per second. When it detects that an accident has happened, in just o.1 seconds it inflates and surrounds your neck and head. For extra safety, you can pair it with your smartphone, and it will alert your emergency contacts if an accident occurs.

SmartHalo 2 Smart Biking Device

Sure, you can use your phone for directions when you’re on your bike, but that’s not exactly the safest thing to do. With this bike gadget, you’ll have simple navigation without having to look at your screen. The SmartHalo 2 Smart Biking Device uses minimalist turn signals to direct you without the distraction. It even includes a 110 dB anti-theft alarm and a powerful front light. If this thing did anymore, it would be pedaling for you.

ZiiLock Foldable Proactive Bike Lock

If you aren’t bringing your bike into your work building with you, you have to keep it locked up. The ZiiLock Foldable Proactive Bike Lock is loaded with smart features. You can unlock it with a key, unlock it with your fingerprint is just half a second, and it can store up to 20 different fingerprints. It folds down compactly so you can store it in your bag easily, and it’s made with unbreakable and temper-hardened material. It can even sense when a thief is trying to break the lock and send a notification to your phone, so you can catch them in the act.

LUCIA Intelligent Bike Tail Light

The more visible you are on the road, the better. And the LUCIA Intelligent Bike Tail Light helps you be more visible at any time of the day. It has an advanced triaxial accelerate sensor, so it automatically triggers a stoplight when you brake. It also has a built-in sensor to detect the lighting in your environment and adjust itself to ensure constant visibility up to 1 kilometer.

Palomar Lochness Multi-Shape Bike Lock

When you have to take your bike lock off your bike and stow it somewhere else, it leaves you open to forgetting it. And some of us are very, very forgetful. What you need is the Palomar Lochness Multi-Shape Bike Lock. You can conveniently wrap it right around your bike when you’re not using it, that way it’s always there, and you never forget it. And since it’s so bendy, you’ll be able to get it around anything to lock your bike up. It has a strong inner metal core, so it’s strong enough to withstand someone trying to steal your bike.

ARTIFOX Vertical Bike Rack

If you’re lucky, you don’t need a bike lock for when you get to work. If you have your own office, you can bring it in with you. But then you need someplace to store it out of the way. Get an ARTIFOX Vertical Bike Rack to hang in the corner, and you’re good to go. With this rack, your bike will look more like a decoration in your office rather than making your office look like a storage room. The rack self-levels on any surface, has quick installation, and the design ensures you won’t get any scuffs on the wall.

RearViz Bicycle Mirror

Turning around to look behind on your bike can lead to crashes. If someone pulls out in front of you, and you don’t see them until it’s too late because you’re looking the other way, it’s a recipe for disaster. This bike accessory helps you avoid that. Simply strap the RearViz Bicycle Mirror to your forearm, and you have a rearview mirror. It’s weather-resistant, so if you get stuck in the rain, you won’t need to worry about ruining. Now, you’ll just have to take a glance down at your arm to see what’s behind you.

Ibera Bike Trunk Bag

If you don’t like to wear a backpack, you need a trunk bag bike accessory. The Ibera Bike Trunk Bag attaches to the back of your bike, so you don’t need to worry about carrying anything. It has multiple compartments and a quick-release mounting system, so you won’t spend time fussing with it. It’s even reinforced and padded to protect fragile items like electronics.

You can spend hours looking for bike accessories and gadgets to make your commute better. These are few to get you started and going down the rabbit hole of necessities to make your bike ride easier and safer. Is there a bike accessory you use on your commute and can’t live without?

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