Guide · Fit and buying
Commuter bike kit checklist: lights, pump, bag and mount that fit together
Bike commuter essentials, checked against your bike: lights for the rules where you ride, a pump for your valve, a bag for your rack or frame, a mount for your bar.
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Picks that fit
- Magicshine EVO 1300 under-mount front light (cut-off low beam, USB-C)Check price on Amazon
- Garmin Varia RTL515 rearview radar with tail lightCheck price on Amazon
- Magicshine SEEMEE 200 V3.0 rear light (brake sensing, USB-C)Check price on Amazon
Short answer
A commuter kit is five items, each with one fit check on your own bike: front and rear lights for the rules where you ride, a pump for your valve, a bag for your rack or frame, a mount for your bar diameter, and tire levers with a basic tool. Check each against your bike before you buy, not against the box.
Picks that fitAll picks and how to choose
- Magicshine EVO 1300 under-mount front light (cut-off low beam, USB-C)Check price on Amazon
- Garmin Varia RTL515 rearview radar with tail lightCheck price on Amazon
- Magicshine SEEMEE 200 V3.0 rear light (brake sensing, USB-C)Check price on Amazon
The checklist
| Item | What to check | Where to check it |
|---|---|---|
| Front and rear lights | The rules where you ride; runtime of the mode you will use | Your state or provincial rules; the light maker's runtime table |
| Pump | Your valve type; the tire's pressure range | The valve stem; the tire sidewall |
| Bag | Rack tube diameter, or frame space | A caliper on the rack tube; the frame |
| Phone or light mount | Bar diameter where it clamps | A caliper or tape on the bar |
| Tools | Your tire type and your bolts | The tire and rim; the bolt heads |
Start from your kind of bike in the kit finder by bike type, or the commuter bike page.
Lights
Read the rules where you ride. California requires a bicycle ridden in darkness to have a white front lamp visible from 300 feet to the front and sides.[1] At the rear, it requires a red reflector, or a solid or flashing red light with a built-in reflector, visible from 500 feet.[1] Oregon sets 500 feet for its front light,[2] so the rules are not uniform. Our light and reflector rules guide has more examples.
Then choose by the runtime of the mode you will use. A headline runtime usually belongs to the lowest mode. Magicshine rates the EVO 1700 at 2 hours on high beam and 11 hours on its lowest low beam.[3] CatEye rates the AMPP200 at about 1.5 hours on high and about 13 hours on low.[4] Garmin rates the Varia RTL515 at up to 16 hours in day flash and up to 6 hours solid.[5] Some rear lights use coin cells instead: CatEye's ORB runs on two CR2032 cells.[4]
Picks that fit4 products
For the front, choose the Knog Blinder 1400 (light only; a USB-C cable is not included), or the Magicshine EVO 1300 (not the EVO 1700) if it will hang under an out-front mount.
More on choosing
For the rear, choose the Garmin Varia RTL515 (010-02376-00, not the RTL516) or the Magicshine SEEMEE 200 V3.0 USB-C. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or the brand.
Under-bar front light with runtime by beam mode
Magicshine EVO 1300 under-mount front light (cut-off low beam, USB-C)
Magicshine SEEMEE 200 V3.0 rear light (brake sensing, USB-C)
Pump
Identify your valve first. A Presta valve has a small locknut at the top that must be unthreaded before air can enter.[6] The valve finder covers the rest. Schwalbe advises checking tire pressure at least once a month and considers a loss of about 1 bar a month normal,[7] so a floor pump at home earns its place alongside a pump for the road.
Picks that fit4 products
For home, choose the Topeak JoeBlow Sport III (TJB-S6) floor pump. For the bag, choose the CYCPLUS AS2 Pro electric pump in black, the Topeak RaceRocket HP mini pump in black or the Topeak Pocket Rocket mini pump in silver.
More on choosing
Confirm on the maker's page that the head lists your valve. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or the brand.
Floor pump for home
Mini pump for the frame
Topeak RaceRocket HP mini pump (160 psi, Presta and Schrader)
Mini pump for the frame, from Topeak
Topeak Pocket Rocket mini pump (160 psi, Presta and Schrader), silver
Bag
With a rack, panniers are the usual commuter bag, and they fit by hook size. ORTLIEB's QL2.1 system uses 16 mm upper hooks with inserts for 8, 10 and 12 mm rack tubes.[8] ORTLIEB lists the Back-Roller at 9 kg maximum payload per bag,[9] and rates it IP64 provided the closure is rolled down three to four times and secured.[9] Your rack has its own limit: Topeak lists 22 kg total for the TetraRack M2 HD.[10] The lower limit applies. See pannier hooks and rack tube sizes.
No pannier is in our catalog yet. Without a rack, a top-tube bag carries keys, a phone and a mini pump.
Picks that fit2 products
Choose the Topeak Fuel Tank in Large or the ROCKBROS 039BK top-tube bag in STYLE 1, both strapped behind the stem.
More on choosing
Check the length of top tube behind your stem first. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or the brand.
Mount
Measure your bar where the mount will clamp, then compare it with the maker's range. Quad Lock designs its Handlebar/Stem Mount for 25-40 mm,[11] and CatEye lists its H-34N light bracket for 22-35 mm.[12] See how to measure your handlebar diameter.
Picks that fit2 products
For a phone, choose the SP Connect bike mount (SKU 53342, mount only; it needs an SP Connect case or adapter).
More on choosing
For a CatEye light, choose the H-34N bracket (not for AMPP models with rubber strap mounts). On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or the brand.
Light bracket for CatEye headlights
Tools
Park Tool's TL-1.2 tire levers come as a set of three with a spoke hook, and Park Tool says the narrow tip works with tubeless systems.[13] For a compact kit that also handles valves, Wolf Tooth's Pack Pliers combine master link pliers, a tire lever, a Presta valve core remover and a valve locknut wrench.[14] Add patches or a spare tube that suits your tubes.
Picks that fit6 products
Choose the Park Tool TL-1.2 set of 3 levers, the single Crankbrothers Speedier Lever or the Topeak Shuttle Lever Pro set of 3, and the Topeak Mini PT30 (TT2583B) if you want a multitool; its tubeless plugs are not included.
More on choosing
The Crankbrothers M20 in Matte Black (16403) has a chain tool and a plug tool with plugs but no levers. The Crankbrothers M17 in Nickel (10752) has a chain tool but no levers or plug tool. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or the brand.
Tire levers
Single tire lever with a knuckle guard
Crankbrothers Speedier Lever tire lever (single lever), Black
Tire levers, second option
Multitool with chain and plug tools
Topeak Mini PT30 multitool (30 functions, tubeless plug tool)
Multitool with chain and plug tools, from Crankbrothers
Crankbrothers M20 multitool (20 tools, chain tool, tire plug tool)
Multitool with a chain tool, without levers
We make no safety promise for any item here. The kit is about fit: each piece matched to your valve, bar, rack or frame, and lights chosen with the rules where you ride in mind.
Next
Questions
What do I need for bike commuting?
Front and rear lights that meet the rules where you ride, a pump that fits your valve, a bag that fits your rack or frame, a mount that fits your bar if you navigate by phone, and tire levers with a basic tool. Each item has one fit check on your own bike.
Do I need lights if I only ride in daylight?
The rules we cite apply in darkness: California, for example, requires a front lamp and rear reflector or light when riding in darkness. If a ride could run past dusk, the darkness rules apply to it. We make no promise that a light prevents a crash.[1]
What bag is best for commuting?
The one that fits your bike. With a rack, panniers whose hooks match your rack tubes; ORTLIEB's QL2.1 hooks take 8, 10 and 12 mm tubes with inserts. Without one, a top-tube or frame bag sized to your frame.[8]