Accessories #2 -2nd Foldie Basic Accessories

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MY BIKE - ACCESSORIES #2

(Disclaimer - all prices mentioned are approximate prices and rounded up. For more accurate pricing please contact the relevant people. This blog is not a review, it's more on my adventure in purchasing accessories for my 2nd Foldie)

After getting my new bike, an obsidian Dahon Dash P18 (see Getting My 2nd Foldie), it was time to accessorize it. The accessories that I got with my first bike was staying with that bike as my son would be taking over that bike.


1. Helmet
Always, always safety first and a helmet is the first thing one should get. But bear in mind that the helmet's dense styrofoam or poly-urethane cushioning material has a shelf life of two years only, after which it degrades. So change your helmet every two years.

XDS Bike Helmet - Side View

The helmet that I got was a XDS helmet for foldies or off-road usage. It is more rounded and not so stream-lined, all the better for taking any falls. I got it in white as a preparation for pasting on souvenir stickers in future.

XDS Bike Helmet - Front View

From the front, the helmet has a very symmetrical angles with roughly equal bands of solid and slots. The ventilation slots are fairly large, allowing for good ventilation.

XDS Bike Helmet - Rear View

From the rear, the helmets looks very solid, with only a view ventilation slots, and even more space for stickers! Cost at RM90/=.


2. Front Lights

This black case Cat Eye front light goes well with the matte black color of my bike. The switch is at the rear and in black also. A long press switches it on, short presses switches it between permanent  and blinking light mode.

A push clip at the bottom front allows the unit to be slotted out from it's holding bracket. It is powered by two AAA batteries with a life of 400hrs of continuous use. Cost at RM60/=


3. Rear Light

This time round I got a full red translucent Cat Eye rear light. I was not to happy with the clear casing rear light that I bought for my first bike (see Buying The Accessories #1), as the red bulbs alone was not giving out enough redness!
This one is powered by two AAA batteries for 400hrs of continuous usage also. It has three bulbs, A long press of the red switch on the left side switches it on. Short presses cycles it between three modes - single middle bulb continuously on > top & bottom bulb blinking > three bulbs strobe light mode.
A clip on the left side also allows the unit to be slotted out from it's holding bracket. Cost at RM60/=.


4. Under-seat Pouch.

The Dash being a very stream-lined bike, I got this angular & tall Nexus under-seat pouch for storing some minimum stuff. This soft pouch comes with two side compartments, one larger than the other. In the larger compartment is also a side pocket for storing small stuff.
In the large compartment, I store a spare tube, a patching box-set & sunglasses. In the smaller one, I put the Allen key wrench for the Dash and my car keys.
The pouch is removable - an under-seat clip bracket and Velcro straps to the vertical seat bar allows for that. From the large compartment, a swing out clip allows the pouch to be clipped to one's belt loop. Cost at RM60/=.


5. Sun Glasses

Okey Sunglasses with mercury tint glasses

In today's polluted weather and strong tropical glare, sunglasses are a must. I got this Okey sunglasses just for that - as it came with a set of five different shades of switchable lenses. 

Sunglasses in yellow tint.

The shades are clear & yellow for night use. Medium blue, dark blue and mercury tints for day use. The glasses are actually plastic and so is the frame. A slight bending of the frame allows the lenses to be detach and changed.

Glasses with string strap

The glasses comes with both a string and a garter straps. The string strap easily ties on to the side arms. For the garter strap, the side arms can be un-clipped and the garters clipped on.

A farily large 8-inch hard case comes with the glasses, it is more for storage in the car than being attached to the bike.

The case opens up to a small compartment for the glasses and four slots for the different lenses. A small soft cloth pouch comes with the set, this is for carrying the glasses without the additional lenses.


6. Riding Watch

I have a penchant for watches, going for unique and attractive designs. The watch shown here is a Bell & Ross Model BR02 Chronometer. It's brass casing gives it a good contrast with the rubber straps. Strictly speaking this is not a riding watch but more a "image" item.

That's it for now, but as I go riding and my needs may adjust to the type of rides I will be experiencing. Base on those needs, I will then get relevant accessories to suit.

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