If you’ve got a regular commuter bike and you are trying to survive the long winters without rusty chains or getting (heaven forbid) hit by a driver, here are some things to get:
- Puroma Bike cover. The snow and the wet are murder on a bike, so if you can keep your bike in a garage, but if you do leave it out a $13 cover will really help. You can even lock your bike up in it so that’s convenient.
- ProLink Chain lube. It is amazing how lube really hasn’t changed, but nothing rusts a steel chain faster than all that salt and water. So get a great lube. You want to wipe the chain as often as you can and then put a little lube between all the links. If there is already rust on the links, then lube plus a light cloth rub should clean it up,
- Light and Motion Vis Pro Helmet light. I have the original 120 lumen Vis 360 and it is great, but the latest is 600 lumens. The rear light is dimmer, but that’s not really the point, you want a bright helmet light because when you see a car, staring at it will attract the drivers attention and instinctively people will not drive directly into a blinding light. You want to use this even in the daylight, because bikes are one thing that people completely tune out. Yes this one is expensive, but what’s the value of not being killed by a car.
- Cygolite 800 Handlebar light. Again the thing to do is to get a bright one, so people can see you. Outdoor Gear Labs has a great review and all the top rated ones are pretty good, but getting a really bright light matters.
