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 number of gear over time. Between the gear I purchase for myself and the piles of random stuff that reveals up on my doorstep from overzealous PR companies, 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. Which means 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 certainly one of my favourite lock corporations as a result of varied merchandise’ mixture of safety and worth. The strongest lock that I take advantage of each day is my Foldylock Ceaselessly. It weighs round 1/3 of a high-security chain lock (just below 3.9 lb or 1.8 kg) and is far quieter than most folding locks as a result of 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 vast to perform like a series lock, wrapping round vast objects like bushes 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 vast design means you may as well 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 lots as a result of they’re meant to guard costly e-bikes, and this one is value each single penny. And that’s even an incredible sale value, 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 many who don’t need a chunky lock. At simply 2.2 lb or 1 kg, it’s nearly half the burden and nonetheless options lots of the identical necessary safety elements like these patented high-security rivets.
This may be an incredible choice 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 will likely seem like a regular U-lock at first, however there are two primary variations I actually like about it.
The primary is that it’s vast sufficient to suit across the chunky battery downtube in all of my e-bikes. Most U-locks can’t match round this vast a part of an e-bike, that means you’re extra restricted on locking areas. The Mason 220 has no downside becoming anyplace on my e-bikes.
The second factor I like is that the lock’s shackle has a pentagonal profile. That helps scale 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 varied instruments. However in layman’s phrases, it’s only a extra environment friendly profile for anti-theft.
On prime of all of that, the lock is Diamond-certified 20/20 by Offered Safe, which is the very best doable safety score. It’s proof against chopping, grinding, drilling, bending, prying, freezing, and mainly each primary lock assault.
At its present value of US $76 on Amazon, it’s a no brainer.
I at all times advocate utilizing two locks on the identical 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 a wierd lock, however stick to me. These handcuff-style locks make nice scooter locks, which is what they’re designed for. However in a pinch, you may as well apply it to an e-bike.
These aren’t probably the most safe locks on the market, so I usually attempt to use them along with a second lock when doable, however the E-cuffs do have a number of good security options as a part of their design. The triple-ply metal is tougher to chop and the tight locking cuff makes it arduous to get a pry-bar inside the lock for leverage assaults.
In addition they mount actually properly to the stem of a scooter to allow them to deploy rapidly round no matter you select to lock onto.
I used them on the VMAX scooter I used to be 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 obtained made in America pricing at US $219, however hey, you stated 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 manner for practically a century. The baggage are sewn in San Francisco and have a primary 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-resistant zipper, that means you don’t must roll the highest for those who favor to stuff it pretty full. You may 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 damage, as this can be a buy-it-for-life sort of bag. I usually trip 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 number of e-bikes for opinions and am always 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 overview are mainly 100-lb gentle electrical bikes.
That’s good for the reason that Remco electrical elevate bike stand can assist as much as 100 lb fashions, and I truly put that to the check with a number of 100lb+ fashions!
It’s obtained an excellent steady (and heavy) base plate, and the elevate itself might be programmed to recollect varied heights which might be most comfy for you.
The modular design permits you to use your individual clamp or theirs, that means you’ll be able to stick along with your trusty Park Software clamp for those who favor.
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 elevate 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 attempting to assist them one handed and shut the clamp with the opposite.
That is actually meant for bike outlets and professionals, however even of us 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 in regards to the significance of carrying protecting clothes, particularly on quicker electrical bikes. Past Riders has turn out to be my go-to model as a result of its garments seem 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 remains to be certainly one of my favorites too, and it doesn’t even seem like a bike jacket. It simply appears like a pleasant canvas jacket!
My spouse additionally likes that I don’t seem like I’m heading out for a bike trip, however relatively I can put on these things on date evening. Whereas that’s not my major concern, the “completely happy spouse, completely happy life” doctrine at all times applies. So if I can mix security and trend in a single, that’s the most suitable 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 expertise 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. Which means your jaw has a greater probability of staying hooked up in a catastrophic influence with a car or concrete curb. The included MIPS system additionally reduces torsional influence in your mind, which is turning into commonplace 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 need to seem 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 resist the identical stage of crash as my bike helmets, nevertheless it’s additionally lots lighter and extra comfy than my bike helmets, making it good for biking.
Even simply the visor provides nice advantages. I can’t inform you what number of instances I trip by a flock of gnats or a giant 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 carrying sun shades. And naturally you’ll be able to by no means predict the random rock that will get kicked up by a automotive tire and despatched immediately in direction of your eyes. You solely get two eyes and so they don’t heal the way in which pores and skin does. Shield them!
There’s additionally the built-in rear gentle for added visibility, and naturally, the a number of measurement and shade choices. There’s lots to love right here, even when the worth is relatively lofty.
Peak Design cellphone holder
I’ve examined many cellphone holders for e-bikes, scooters, and bikes. By far, my all-time favourite has obtained to be Peak Design’s cellphone holder.
I obtained 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 bike.
The fundamental idea is just like Quadlock or different quick-release holders, besides that there’s no twisting. A magnet guides the cellphone’s case onto the spring-loaded locking tabs, which snap into place behind the case and securely maintain the cellphone. To launch it, you’ll be able to press a button on both aspect of the mount and your cellphone immediately pops off. It’s rugged but simply launched – a difficult mixture to grasp.
I purchased the $39 common mount for my bikes and scooters and I’ve the $79 devoted bike mount on my LiveWire, however there are many completely different mount choices accessible.
Tentsile tenting hammock
I LOVE bike tenting, and certainly one of my latest acquisitions is supposed to make e-bike tenting all of the extra enjoyable with a calming hangout. Tentsile’s tree hammocks aren’t your conventional hammocks, however relatively outsized triangular hanging platforms that may take the type of tents or hangout hammocks.
I obtained the six-person big hammock lately, however sadly I haven’t had a tenting journey but to attempt it out. To this point it appears prefer it ought to work properly although, because it’s properly constructed and large! That’s one other good factor about e-bike tenting, you’ll be able to afford the additional weight of substances 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 for those who’ve obtained the luxurious of including enjoyable gear to your leisure bike-camping setup, that is positively 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 – bushes!
FTC: We use earnings incomes auto affiliate hyperlinks. Extra.
