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Yes, even road bike professionals learn something in this guide. Or have you heard of the modern sublimation printing process for road bike jerseys? If you're looking for a high-quality yet affordable way to print sponsors on your jersey or that of your entire team, this could be an exciting option for you.
Road bike accessories guide: What you really need
You are new to road cycling and would like to know which road bike accessories you should buy for the start? So that you do not make any bad purchases, we divide the racing bike accessories in our guide into three meaningful categories.
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1. The road bike accessories basic equipment
A few essential things you can not get around a first road bike equipment. They belong to the absolute basic equipment if you want to swing on a road bike saddle for the first time. It's all about your safety, your health and your well-being during your rides. The following road bike accessories should therefore not be missing...
A helmet is mandatory
Let's work our way through best from top to bottom. And on every racing cyclist's head belongs first of all a helmet! Even in the hot summer you should not do without a good crash helmet, because even at the smallest speeds you can fall stupidly and get serious injuries.
Especially in the racing bike area, of course, there is an increased risk of accidents, which is why there are often special bicycle helmets. A good road bike helmet is characterized by the following properties:
- No shield to avoid unnecessarily restricting the field of vision
- Aerodynamic shape, with elongated back of the head
- Sufficient ventilation slots (preferably even adjustable)
- Low weight (the lighter, the more expensive)
- TÜV or CE badges that guarantee safety
- Optimal fit with a well adjustable interior
- Washable / replaceable padding
Functional road bike clothing
To a road bike accessories basic equipment belongs without question also the right clothing. Because anyone who has ever sat on a narrow and unpadded road bike saddle knows that well-padded cycling shorts are worth their weight in gold. But let's work our way back through from top to bottom:
Road bike jerseys:
The striking look of a road bike jersey serves less fashionable than functional purposes. After all, that's what sports are all about. A high-quality road bike jersey should therefore fulfill the following characteristics:
- Breathable and temperature regulating polyester textile
- Close-fitting, smooth and aerodynamic fit
- No unnecessary seams that cause chafing
- Bright colors for added safety
- Full-length zipper for quick clothing changes on the go
- Back pockets for provisions, tools and warm clothing
Classically, road biking also follows the so-called onion system. That is, at the beginning of a ride it makes sense to wear a few more layers, which you can take off as soon as the body has heated up a bit.
You should also consider being prepared for long downhill runs. After a sweaty climb, it is important to protect yourself from the cold wind. In the past, road cyclists used to stuff old newspaper into their jerseys in such cases. Nowadays, thanks to modern textiles, we no longer have to rely on that.
We therefore recommend that you take 2-3 tops with you per tour:
| Garment | Function |
| Cycling jersey short sleeve | You wear this directly on the skin, so that your body core is always protected. |
| Cycling jersey long sleeve | V.a. for long descents or cooler days the jacket protects against wind and weather. |
| Cycling vest | To further protect the body core, many road cyclists also use the practical vests, which can also be folded extremely small and put in the back pocket. |
Rennrad-Trägerhosen:
Let's move on to the most important part of the road bike equipment: a well-padded bib shorts for a comfortable fit. Because a sore buttocks kills any motivation to get back on the saddle. In a high-quality bib shorts you should pay attention to the following things:
- Tight fit directly against the body
- Distinct seat cushion for a comfortable fit
- Breathable and temperature compensating polyester textile
- Bib shorts offer significantly more comfort because they do not slip and do not have an uncomfortable cuff on the abdomen
- Cuffs on the thigh should finish neatly, but should not be too tight
- A leg waistband with silicone trim keeps the pants in place even with a lot of sweat
- No unnecessary seams that cause chafing
You can easily customize your own bib-shorts with spized.
| Tip: Both road bike jerseys and bib shorts can be printed individually at spized. If you have already registered for your first hobby race, a self-designed jersey with one or the other inspiring slogan on it will motivate you immensely.
Also as a gift is a personalized jersey wonderful. Because it is creative, useful and simply personal. |
Road bike shoes
However, if you have already really got the taste and have already bought a road bike with clipless pedals, then you can not get around proper road bike shoes. Pay attention to the following features when buying:
- Find the right size - tight-fitting, but not too tight (different manufacturers vary greatly here).
- Choose the right click system, because here there are differences between mountain bikes (2-screw system) and road bikes (3-screw system)
- Choose a practical closure system
- Pay attention to ventilation openings in the sole and toe area
- Test the stiffness of the sole: the stiffer, the better the power transmission
Pump & mending set must be in the luggage
Nothing is more annoying than a "flat tire" - but this is unfortunately also part of the racing bike sport. Especially due to the particularly narrow tires and thin tubes, flat tires are not uncommon. If you are not participating in the Tour de France and have your own support vehicle, then you should always have the following utensils in your luggage:
- At least one spare tube
- Road bike multitool
- Light mini pump
- Flick set
With the right road bike accessories your next tour can start.
Bottle cage for longer rides
If your road bike does not already have a bottle cage, this should find its way into your road bike accessories. Because the most beautiful tours you make away from the cities and then you're glad if you have your ration of water with you.
The large price differences arise in the bottle cages by the different materials. A professional will probably rather reach for particularly lightweight carbon, because for him it depends on every gram. But even the somewhat heavy bottle cages made of steel or aluminum fulfill their purpose very well. You should only pay attention to a proper fastening. Velcro usually does not hold really well.
A second bottle cage then already belongs to the upgrades that you can treat yourself, but not necessarily need for the start. And that brings us to the next category...
2. Road bike accessories you can treat yourself to
The most important accessories for the road bike you now have together. In this category we present a few road bike accessories that you may want to treat yourself only after a certain time, or which are particularly practical for very specific purposes:
Bicycle glasses: Whether against the sun, wind or insects - bicycle glasses can be very practical for many purposes. Many models contain interchangeable lenses, so they can be used multifunctionally. Likewise, there are special models that interrupt the airstream particularly well.
Bags: Admittedly, a road bike pro or a hardcore triathlete would probably not strap a bag to the frame. But if you are an amateur and plan longer tours over several hours, then a little more storage space can be very practical. In any case, first use the back pockets of your jersey completely. However, you can also use frame, saddle or handlebar bags.
Bike lights: You probably won't go on a classic bike tour at night. But even during the day you may have to cross a tunnel or two, and then a light is essential. According to the StVO, a light is actually even mandatory.
Bike GPS device: Yes, there are cell phones and Google Maps, but as a road cyclist you will quickly realize that you will not explore the most beautiful routes with it. Because the network of bike paths there leaves much to be desired. Besides, it's nice to leave your cell phone out of your sight for a few hours. In addition to pure navigation, most bike computers also have exciting data such as your own calorie consumption, kilometers ridden and altitude, pulse, ambient temperature and much more. This can make a ride even more exciting.
Design your own jersey: Especially as a road bike newbie, it's important to keep your motivation high from the start. Signing up for a first small race is just one of many possibilities. For example, treat yourself to a new piece of clothing every now and then. At spized, you can design individual jerseys very inexpensively with modern sublimation printing. How about a color matching jersey for your racing bike? That makes it twice as much fun to ride out with it.
Design your own cycling jersey easily in our 3D configurator.
3. Accessories for the professional road bike equipment
Now we have already reached the last category. Here you will find inspiration, which road bike accessories we recommend for aspiring professionals and road bike enthusiasts.
Jersey sponsorship with sublimation printing
Sponsors have become an indispensable part of racing cycling. Even in small amateur races, you can no longer find a jersey without sponsor imprints. Because such a complete racing bike equipment can sometimes be very expensive. Especially in the professional area, there is almost no upper limit.
And also the jersey sponsoring can be very cost-intensive if you don't use the right printing technique. With outdated printing techniques, such as flex, flock or screen printing, you sometimes pay a relatively high surcharge per sponsor logo. In addition, these printing methods falsify the material properties of the jerseys not insignificantly.
Therefore, we would like to introduce you to the modern sublimation printing process. Unlike the techniques already mentioned, sublimation printing does not leave any coating on the fabric. Instead, the color pigments are vaporized (sublimated) into the textile. All material properties, such as breathability, elasticity and aerodynamics, are thus completely retained.
Another advantage is the low cost. Since sublimation printing is a digital printing process, any number of sponsor logos can be added free of charge. This means that even small runs can be produced very cost-effectively.
Advantages of sublimation printing at a glance:
- Very precise printing result, even with complex logos
- Flexibility in the design of the complete jersey (e.g. color, pattern, etc.)
- Material properties remain completely intact
- Very good durability of the jerseys, even under heavy use
- Both large and small runs can be produced cost-effectively
- Fast production, without time-consuming post-treatment
- Old designs can be reordered at any time
- Particularly sustainable textile printing process
Road bike jersey customize with spized
We at spized make it especially easy for you by providing you with an online 3D configurator. With this you can design your jersey with maximum flexibility from home - even without any previous graphic knowledge. You can design the following features of your jersey versatile:
- Design and pattern
- Color / Color gradients
- Lettering
- Sponsor logos
- More details
You want to equip your whole team with road bike jerseys? Then you can also use the practical voting function at spized to get feedback from your teammates. All information about the spized order process & delivery times can be found here.
Custom cycling jerseys are also great for teams.
Indoor roller for bad weather
Another racing bike accessories, which is probably more suitable for absolute racing bike fanatics or triathletes, is the so-called roller trainer. Because who likes to ride a road bike in pouring rain? This is not only an unpleasant, but also sometimes dangerous matter. Because the narrow road bike tires with little profile, slip away quickly times.
But if now the training session can not wait, then you have with an indoor roller the possibility to convert your road bike in no time to a practical exercise bike. You'll also be well prepared for the next tough Corona Lockdown. You won't be able to see your teammates live. But who should stop you from doing a training session at home on the roller with video call?
However, pay attention to the following points when buying:
- Test the different roller systems before buying (best with your own bike)
- Decide on the appropriate resistance system
- Pay attention to the different noise development of different systems
- Storage space and weight also vary greatly from model to model
- Consider whether you want to use an intelligent training system (via your PC or smartphone)
Professional tool for tinkerers
Last but not least, we would like to recommend to all racing bike enthusiasts out there that, in addition to the classic racing bike accessories, they should also acquire a range of tools. Because those who know their own racing bike well and can repair small things themselves are clearly at an advantage. The absolute basics include, for example:
Chain cleaner (grease remover) & chain grease: A clean chain is the A&O for a well running circuit and a road bike in general. Especially after bad weather tours you should clean your chain from dirt and oil it properly again.
Multitool or single tools: A multitool is perfect for on the road, but if there is ever a major assembly or repair at home, then you will be glad to have the appropriate screwdrivers, wrenches and Allen keys, because sometimes places are very difficult to access with small tools.
Assembly stand: This also makes it easier for you to reach certain places on the road bike much better.
