I bike a lot! Here is the gear I use. There’s probably better gear out there, but this is mine.
Clothing
I typically wear bibs / jerseys every ride. It’s not because I think I’m fast. I wear jerseys because I like the pockets, and bibs because I like not having a sore butt. I wear a lot of Primal stuff, but recently got my first Verge custom jersey and I think I like that one a little more. Le Col has the largest leg openings of the bib / short brands I’ve tried. I am not a fan of the Trek shorts I have, the padding is bulky without being more comfortable.
When I’m going on a ride where I might be walking around a bunch I wear these Tiem shoes. They accept SPD cleats, and are really nice for not clip-clopping around a restaurant. For races and more “serious” rides I have an extremely basic pair of cycling shoes which I purchased because they were the cheapest thing REI had. I’m sure someday I’ll move to “road” cleats but right now I just don’t care enough to buy new shoes.
Patagonia makes a really nice packable windbreaker called the Houdini which will fit in one of the aforementioned jersey pockets. I ended up getting the REI brand knock off because I liked the color better.
When I found out my team practices were to be “rain or shine” I splurged and got myself a North Face Papsura rain shell, which was on clearance for 60% off and still ludicrously expensive. It’s very nice, but I cannot recommend a $390 MSRP jacket with a straight face.
Tools
I have two different toolkits – the Topeak Ratchet Lite DX Kit is amazing for getting into small areas, and contains everything you need for most issues, including tire levers. The Rockbros Ratchet Set breaks down into 3 pieces and is small enough to fit in even the smallest bag. It’s also a little beefier than the Topeak kit.
The frame pump I have is OK – Lezyne Sport Drive HP – my complaint is that it screws onto the valve and because I run tubeless it likes to pull the valve core out when I remove it. This has been a lot better since I started carrying a valve core tool to tighten the core before putting air in. I do really like how compact it is, it’s mounted behind my bottle cage and I forget it’s there. It also can handle both Schrader and presta valves.
I have a Topeak JoeBlow Sport floor pump, which works as intended.
Bike Accessories
I have so many bike bags. I have the cup holder and burrito bag from Handlebar Stash, a super cute watermelon frame bag from Snack! which I use as a handlebar bag because my frame is an XS and there isn’t room for anything in there, the Signature Saddle Bag from Almsthre which holds a surprising amount of stuff despite being tiny, and this no-name Amazon trunk bag for long rides when my rack is installed. I also have this Bontrager top tube bag but I almost never use it because I realized I kind of hate having something on my top tube.
For a bike computer I use a Garmin Edge 530. It’s older but gets the job done. The user interface is terrible, but I’ve accepted it. The battery lasts forever, I went on a 2 hour ride and it was only down to 75%. I have this generic outfront mount because my stem is too short for a stem mount and my handlebars are so narrow that I’m trying to keep as much as I can off them.
My camera is an Insta360 GoUltra. It’s super tiny and the actual camera part pops out and you can clip it to your shirt, helmet, etc.
Bikes / Hardware
My “everyday” bike is a 2025 Liv Avail AR1 in size XS. Absolutely phenomenal bike – if you are a short person (I’m 5’3) definitely look into Liv bikes. The stock cranks and stem are shorter than what comes with a lot of other brands in similar frame sizes.
I have a Giant Mik-compatible rack on my Avail. It’s fine, getting it on and off is kinda fiddly, which is one of the reasons I decided to get a dedicated bike for racing.
My race bike is a 2011 Jamis Xenith Elite Femme, which I bought in 2026 for $500. Its also great, although I am casually in the market for shorter cranks. It’s super lightweight, but not exactly geared for climbing so hills are a little spicier than what I’m used to.
I also have a 2005 Specialized Dolce A1 Max which I picked up for $100 and keep down the shore. It has older Shimano Sora brifters, which I do not love, but there aren’t any hills down the shore so it’s fine.
For Zwift I use a Stages SB20 smart bike. Stages went bankrupt and got bought by Giant, who discontinued the SB20, but it’s still a really nice bike. They pop up used from time to time, and parts support from Giant has been decent, so I’d recommend it if you can get a good price on one.