Biking is one of the healthiest and most fun activities you can do. However, biking alone can be really dangerous–especially if you don’t have the right biking accessories.

While it’s true that less is more when it comes to having biking accessories, there are some essential items that you can’t just miss. Some can make your riding experience fun, and some can keep you away from grave danger. 

To help you determine the items that you should get, we’ve interviewed several professional and leisure bikers on their top 5 biking accessories must-have. 

1. Mini Travel Pump

You can go flat anywhere–and we mean ANYWHERE. So, it’s best that you always have a tire pump with you.

Most bike shops would engross you with heavy duty travel pumps that can inflate your tire in no time–but you don’t need those. These travel pumps tend to be heavy, which can cause your tire to deflate themselves.  

What you need is a mini travel pump which is portable and lightweight. Something you can just toss in your bag like a pen. But don’t forget about the pressure, too. The ideal pressure for bicycle tires is at 160psi–this rate can help you inflate your tires without affecting your ride. 

2. Smart Bike Lights

Research suggests that bike lights can reduce bike-related road accidents by a whopping 89%. So, there’s no wonder why major cities are already requiring cyclists to have a white front light and a red rear light.

While you can definitely go with cheap and standard bike lights, it’s best that you go with smart bike lights. After all, if you’re going to take up space on your bike, they might as well improve your riding experience and not just give you visibility.

Smart bike lights allow you to connect your bike to your smartphones. If you’ve used your smartphone for pretty much anything in your life, then might as well use it to improve your biking experience, too.

Smart bike lights can pretty much do anything–from adjusting your light setting, getting auto-adjust light setup, and even synching with other bikers. It’s like having your own wingman even if you’re riding alone.

3. Anti-theft Device

With various technologies and innovations being introduced to improving biking, it’s no wonder that bikes are becoming a hot subject when it comes to theft. This is why it’s essential to have anti-theft devices.

The standard anti-theft device for bikes are small alarms hooked to your bikes which will go off when your chain or lock is moved. While it may be effective for some, this mechanism won’t allow you to leave your bike unattended. You should still be around your bike to avoid theft.

Fortunately, there are brake lights that come with anti-theft technology. Once your bike is moved to where you’ve set it, the motion sensor in these brake lights will be triggered. Then, you will immediately get a notification on your smartphone about the whereabouts of your bike. 

With this kind of protection, you can safely and comfortably leave your bike should you want to have a coffee or if you want to stop in your favorite bookstore!

4. Navigation Device

Navigation apps have revolutionized the world of transportation, even for biking.

Biking navigation apps can provide you more than just directions. Some of these apps come with exercise tracker, weather reports, training tasks, and other features that can bring your cycling experience to the next level. They can also improve your safety and protection on the road by tracking and recording your location wherever you go.

If you’re someone who loves biking through trails or someone who’s taking their cycling as a strict exercise routine, then you definitely need a navigation app.

5. Top-post Bag

Believe us when we say this–you don’t need a backpack when cycling. All you need is a durable yet lightweight top-post bag.

Here’s the thing about bags–when you have a big bag, you end up bringing so much unnecessary stuff just so you can maximize the space. But if you have a small one, you’ll be forced to bring only the essential stuff.

According to Ride Far Info, every kilogram saved or gained resulted in a difference to the overall average speed of about 0.08 km/h. This translates to about 30 to 40 minutes of cycling time saved across the entire 3900 km route per kilogram saved.

In short, sticking with your trusty top-post bag will not only help you get to your destination faster, but it will also save you so much energy. This way, you can even increase your target distance without sacrificing your health and comfort.

Now that you already have a list of the top 5 biking accessories must-have, you’re more than ready to hit the road. Which one of these accessories will you be getting first? Let us know in the comment section below!