The best spring bicycle gear for commuting and tooling about town

Whether cycling in the rain, or sunshine, our spring bicycle gear guide offers up our favourite finds for the season especially for those riding to work and around the neighbourhood on the regular.

Cleverhood Rover Rain Cape, $99

The Cleverhood is a spring gear game-changer for cyclists, especially those who commute to work by bicycle on the daily. It’s a stylish and functional covering that is both absolutely waterproof and breathable so you don’t overheat on the ride. The Rover Rain Cape, made of sustainable, recycled polyester, is designed with cyclists in mind, right down to the elastic thumb loops for riding, and an inside inner belt loop for windy days. The Rover has 3M reflective details on the back and front in critical locations. Cleverhood has thought of everything when crafting what could be the perfect cycling option for rainy days, even the hood is fitted to optimize peripheral vision under a bike helmet. An essential item for the city bike commuter.

Abus BORDO™ XPlus 6000K Folding Lock with SaddleFix Bracket, $139.99

A solid lock is another essential item for bicycle commuters that don’t have the luxury of a private parking area for bicycles. Abus is the top name in bicycle security products, and its Bordo XPlus 6000K folding lock is new for 2022. It includes an upgraded lock cylinder and a new bracket that mounts to the rails of the saddle. It also includes a rain cover. The lock features six 5mm steel bars connected with special rivets, which fold together like a yardstick. The bars are serious, manufactured from specially hardened steel, but the casing is soft to prevent any damage to the bike’s paintwork.

DAHON Backpack Pannier, $119.95

Looking for the perfect piece of baggage to fit a folding bike or traditional bike? The DAHON Backpack Pannier is a streamlined pack that can also be used as a pannier bag on a rear rack. This pack is 100 percent waterproof and has a capacity of 24 liters. Got a serious amount of cargo? No worries, the top of the pack extends to fit even larger loads. A flexible and easy-to-use pack is essential for the commute, and this pack gets it right.

Cygolite Metro Plus 800, $69.95

Anyone putting in a lot of mileage on city streets needs a solid lighting system. Cygolite, designed, engineered, and assembled in the USA, continues to be a leader in this area. Its Metro Plus headlight blasts a whopping 800 lumens to cut through the darkness and make sure cyclists are seen. There are nine modes of operation. But even on high, the battery life is a solid hour-and-a-half. It is also USB rechargeable. The steady pulse setting is useful during broad daylight.

Vans Classic Slip-on

Looking for a fun and comfortable shoe for tooling around town? It’s hard to beat a trusted pair of Vans Classic Slip-Ons. This shoe model has been the choice of savvy urbanists since it was first introduced in 1977. For bicycle commuters, a slip-on is a fantastic idea to keep things comfortable on the way to work, then switch it up upon arrival and stick these beauties under the desk. The Slip Ons have tough canvas uppers with padded collars and thick rubber waffle outsoles.

DAHON Carry Bag, $62.95

One of the true pleasures of a folding bike is its ease of transport. And this carry bag, which is perfectly mounted on the front handlebars makes it even easier. Commuting to work? It’s simple to stow your folding bike in this DAHON carry bag constructed of rugged polyester with heavy-duty zippers and seat belt webbing. Just unfold the bag, place your bike on its side, zip it up, and stow or transport using the padded shoulder strap. There is even an internal zip pocket for accessories.

Abus Hyban 2.0 helmet, $139.99

Looking for the perfect everyday helmet for commuting? Look no further than the Hyban 2.0 helmet from Abus, which combines an incredibly hard and protective shell over EPS foam with massive air holes to keep riders cool. There are also many integrated white and red LED lights with three light settings providing 360-degrees of visibility, which are USB rechargeable. There is even bug mesh and it’s ponytail compatible! In the market for a good helmet, this is the one.

PDW Loading Dock, $115

This beautiful rear rack looks fantastic and is easy to install. It’s constructed of lightweight aluminum tubing and the double-ply bamboo for the deck gives it a classic look. The Loading Dock, which weighs 2 lbs, is rated for loads of up to 35 lbs. All mounting hardware is included. Looking for something to mount that pannier bag for work? Why not add a slice of style from Portland Design Works.

Chrome Sutro Shorts, $165

Chrome continues to turn out high-quality, dapper duds for cyclists and other urban dwellers. And the Sutro Shorts are no different. This is technical clothing in a stylish package utilizing performance fabrics with a durable four-way stretch fabric ideal for riding. The shorts are also quick-dry, and stain and water-resistant.

Two Wheel Gear Commute Backpack, $149

Two Wheel Gear crafts gear for urban cyclists and they do it so well. Take this Commute Backpack for instance. In addition to being a quality 26-liter waterproof pack, there are a ton of bike-specific features including a high-visibility rain cover, padded laptop sleeve, side access, to the laptop or main compartment, bottle and U-lock pockets, a loop for a light, and a top hook that doubles as a helmet attachment for extra gear.

Planet Bike Grasshopper fenders, $160

Fenders are an essential spring gear item. The Planet Bike Grasshopper fenders are three-ply bamboo laminate fenders made of sustainable, fast-growing Moso Bamboo. They have stainless steel hardware and are disc brake compatible. These are aesthetically pleasing, high-quality bicycle fenders. They look great, are lightweight, and are easy to install.