Hi all, I have a new (Bulls) ebike, and am hoping to get some recommendations on accessories including:
- Cargo rack bag (what is this called?), I have the rack over my rear tire, but need something that can carry a modest amount of things, thinking a bag of groceries would be nice to fit in there. (I couldn’t pick up a bag of sugar today and having something that can carry things would help)
- Water bottle holder
- Cameras maybe? Reading the other thread thinking about a coupe
- Repair kit/emergency kit
I have a bike shop but they’re more repair/new bikes, and don’t have many accessories so I’ll probably be limited to unfortunately Amazon, but of course prefer smaller sellers. Thanks!
Look like you’ve got some decent suggestions here already for pannier bags but I’d recommend:
-Feed bag instead of a water bottle holder: They can carry anything, not just water bottles, and you can just all sorts of different bottles. Since they’re soft fabric, they don’t get damage if you bump them hard or something hits them.
-Cameras would definitely be a good idea, I like 360 cameras because you don’t have to aim them (I have an insta360 x5, which has replaceable lenses).
-Repair kit, patch kit, and an IFAK are all good things to carry. Might want to pick up some tire levers too, Pedros are good. You’ll want a spare tube or two as well as a pump (I like Topeak Morphs).
Adding reflective tape and additional front/rear flashing lights as well as a full face helmet, padded, gloves, and eye protection would also be smart. First aid training, stop the bleed training, and driving school would also be strongly recommended if you don’t already have that training.
Ride defensively and assume that nobody can see you when you’re riding, drivers can be very dangerous. Also be sure to ride respectfully, don’t ride fast on footpaths, dismount or go around if you encounter a crowd, and just don’t be an asshole because that’s how e-bikes get banned from places.
Good luck and have fun, having an e-bike can be a game changer.
By the way, I featured your post so it will stay at the top for a while and get you more answers.
Alll great, thank you! I’ve had it a few months and have some base riding, and completely agree, cars for the most part do not give a shit about you, and view me as an annoyance. Had my first driver swerve into the oncoming lane just to get around me (going up a blind hill), so at least they put themselves in danger I guess? Funny thing is I was going about 28 in a 25 already, my friends warned me that no matter what I’ll always be going “too slow” for drivers and they’ll feel forced to go around.
Still it is a gamechanger. I can go to appointments now much easier, and generally get around my neighborhood easier. I avoid going on any stroads or anything with 4 lanes, keeping it to my neighborhood for now
Oh, one other note: One of the biggest upgrades you can do is quality tires. Typically Schwalbe and Continental make good stuff. I have a pair of Super Moto X on one of my e-bikes and they’ve been great. Urban Contacts from Continental are another good choice.
I’ve bought random cheap-ish pannier bags of Amazon and had mostly good luck. As long as they’re well made (check reviews, inspect pictures - especially user photos) and compatible with your bike, they’ll probably be fine. If you want something really good, yeah, Ortlieb is the way to go.
Cameras, lights, and highly visible protective gear are also good ideas. For waterbottle holders I gave up on cages and switched to feedbags after watching some Ryan Van Duzer touring videos: 10/10, would recommend.
Camera wise: I used to have a Contour Roam but that broke, then I got a Ghost XL Drift, but that broke, now I have an Insta360 X5 and it covers all directions on top of my helmet. The X6 would probably be better because it’s lower profile but you can buy adapters that will let older 360s lay flat if you want.
For your repair kit include a patch kit, a tube or two, a bike multitool, tire levers, oil if you have a chain, quick links if you have a chain, and a quicklink tool. If you use a belt drive, a spare belt is a good idea.
feedbags
Thanks for all of this, I never heard of feedbags before but I’ll look into them, and the cameras! The repair kit as well, do they sell starter kits or do you recommend buying them separately?
As for panniers, I’m really happy with the bags I’ve bought from a Chinese brand called Rhinowalk. Same goes for a saddle bag to contain emergency repair things.
In the saddle bag I have a multitool, an electric pump (I have the one from Coospo, another Chinese brand), a manual pump in case the electric one fails, two spare inner tubes (TPU tubes from RideNow, which as you can guess is a Chinese brand), some tyre levers, and patch kit for the inner tubes.
Thanks!
I picked up a small Rhinowalk for the front cargo on my Priority Folder and the build quality is really pretty good for the price.
It is quite remarkable, isn’t it?
I’m not sure I’d go that far, there are other bags I’ve gotten for similar prices that were just as good (174 Hudson, DSV, Topeak, and Buchel), but the quality on mine is pretty solid. I’d definitely consider Rhinowalk if I needed another bag though, they seem to be one of the better new-ish brands.
Cargo rack bag (what is this called?)
Panniers. Way better than a backpack, especially when it’s hot.
If you want some that will last decades: https://ortlieb.com/
Got a pair of the XL ones and they are great. They feel pretty durable, never worry that my stuff inside them will get wet even when cycling to work in a thunderstorm. Can also unclip them from the bike in about a second.
Thank you. Didn’t know what I was looking for at all! Yes the backpack is getting very annoying
They also make backpacks that clip onto bike racks. I’ve got one from 174 Hudson and it’s pretty decent (not waterproof though).
Xtracycle makes a waterproof one and there are the famous but expensive Ortlieb Rollers (but they’re pretty much the best bags you can get).
Oh cool! I’ll look into those!
If you want something like Ortlieb rollers but cheaper, I have a similar model from Buchel I got for around $40-50 a bag. I haven’t used them a ton since they live on my fatbike (an ENGWE EP2, my least ridden bike), but they seem to be pretty decently made.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably end up with a few extra bags you ended up not liking quite enough. It’s a thing that tends to happen with stuff like saddles, holsters, bags, etc. - gotta be just right or it goes into The Storage Box.
If you’re looking for one that goes on top of the rear rack instead of bags that attach to the sides (panniers) I’ve seen them listed generically on Amazon as rear rack bags. Some include fold out panniers while others are just the rack-top bag
I use Bushwacker panniers, specifically the Omaha grocery panniers and they’re pretty good. Got them used off ebay and they still hold a lot of weight for being probably 10+ years old. My only issue is that with no weight and folded in, the bags will pop off if going over a big bump. But I just use the lower hook tied to the handle so thats never an issue anymore.
https://www.bushwhackerbag.com/products/bicycle-bags/rack-bags-panniers/
For a water bottle holder, I got an Arundel one size fits most. Kinda expensive at 30$ but is useful for wine bottles lol.
I have a Seymour EXP trunk bag which has small, integrated panniers.
This is sitting on my Ortlieb Quick-Rack.They do what i ask of them. 👌
My repair kit consists of:
multitool, levers, Co2, Co2 adapter, tube.
This setup is geared toward local rides, I would definitely expand it for long rides alone.I’m not familiar with the need for CO2, what is that used for?
Thanks!
What is the CO2 for?
Huh, I just use a pump, how do you make sure it doesn’t over inflate?
You guess lol
Think I will stick with a pump in that case
