Commuter Conversion

Thu, Jun 18, 2009

Upgrade your weekend bike to workweek status with these easy-to-attach accessories.

By Josh Fulmer

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Topeak Alien III Bike Tool
The Alien III is the cycling equivalent of a Swiss Army knife: You may never need all 25 of its tools, but it’s nice to know they’re at your disposal. It includes an assortment of wrenches, screwdrivers, a tire lever, a knife blade, and a bottle opener for celebrating your handiwork. Plus, it splits into two parts, so you can use two tools at once. [$64; topeak.com]

Sigma Smilex Light
If you plan to ride after sunset and haven’t mastered the art of echolocation, buy a light. The Sigma’s LEDs cast 90 pothole illuminating lumens - enough for all but the fastest speed racers. You can plug it into an outlet to recharge the AA batteries, which last about 25 hours. And because it attaches without tools, you can take it with you when you lock up at the bike rack. [$55; sigmasport.com]

Crankbrothers Power Pump Alloy
It may be small, but it’s not second-rate. The PPA handles both Presta and Schrader valves without an attachment and has two modes: “high volume” to fill your tube quickly and “high pressure” to top it off. Unlike with other minipumps, the PPA’s gauge is easy to read, so you don’t have to squeeze-and-guess your way to the right PSI. [$38; crankbrothers.com]

SKS RaceBlade Fenders
Riding in the rain separates true commuters from the pretenders, which means you’ll need fenders to protect you from tire-flunge sludge. The durable Raceblade works with any bike - even modern road frames that lack attachment points of clearance - thanks to a quick-release system that latches onto the fork and seat stay with rubber straps. [$60; rei.com]

Delta Posthaste Quick-Release Bike Rack
Bike to work wearing a backpack, and you’ll arrive with a sweat-stained back. Stay dry by tying your bag to the aluminum PostHaste, which can carry 25 pounds without the commitment of bolting it onto your bike. The quick-release clamp locks onto nearly any seat post and pops off easily when you don’t need the 12.5 inches of shelf space. [$45; deltacycle.com]

Arkel Commuter Pannier
Panniers are the most stable way to carry cargo on a bike, but few are as well-designed as the Arkel Commuter. Inside is a suspended laptop sleeve, an organizer, and almost 25 liters of space. Outside you’ll find an adjustable hook system that attaches to any compatible bolt-on rack (we like $100 Tubas Vega) and padded shoulder strap. [$169; arkel-od.com]