We organise everything by path, not by category. A path is a sequence of steps with real dependencies: what has to come first, what can happen in parallel, and why.
Where does it hurt
Four questions. Each one opens a path instead of a category page.
I commute every day, and the bike is uncomfortable
A stock commuter, upgraded in the order that stops you wasting money
Commuter Bike Upgrade · 6 Steps · A weekend
The chain gets filthy and I keep replacing cassettes
How to make a chain and cassette last twice as long, and when not to bother
Drivetrain Care · 5 Steps · One evening plus an overnight cool-down
The bike lives outside and I do not trust the lock
Match the lock to where the bike actually sleeps, not to a security rating
Anti-Theft Setup · 4 Steps · An afternoon
I want to ride further and I do not know how to carry anything
From a long day out to multi-day riding, without buying the wrong bags twice
Long Distance & Loading · 5 Steps · A weekend of setup, then one loaded test ride
What a path looks like
Six steps, four of which are independent of each other. The map shows what blocks what.
How to read this map
Parts worth knowing about
A shaped-beam headlight that puts a flat-topped patch of light on the road instead of a circle in oncoming eyes.
The clamp needs 30mm of clear bar. On a narrow cockpit with grips, shifters and a bell already installed, measure what is left before ordering. Mounted above the bar it can shade the top of the beam on bars with more than 25mm of rise.
$46
A wing-shaped grip that moves weight off the outside of your palm, clamped so it cannot rotate in the rain.
Not compatible with integrated carbon bars where the grip section is moulded oversize. If you run a rotating twist shifter, confirm you have at least 100mm of clear bar left — this grip will not fit in less.
$24
A drop-in gauge that reads chain elongation at three thresholds, so you know whether you are cleaning a chain or replacing one.
Not for track or BMX chains under tension, and not for belt drives. Gauges that rest on two pins and a roller read high on some 12-speed chains — this one indexes off pin centres, but if you get a reading right at a threshold, confirm with a ruler over twelve links before you buy a cassette.
$9
Paraffin blended with PTFE and tungsten disulfide, for immersion waxing. Dry finish, sheds grit instead of collecting it.
Requires a slow cooker or dedicated pot that will never be used for food again, and a chain that has been fully degreased first. Do not melt it in a pan on an open gas flame — above 200 C paraffin vapour ignites. Not suitable if you cannot remove the chain, which includes most rivet-only factory chains.
$24
A 14mm hardened shackle with a double-deadbolt crossbar, which is the point where bolt cutters stop being the fast option.
Will not reach around wide street furniture or most bike hoops together with a fat frame tube. Measure your usual anchor before ordering.
$74
A 35mm city tire with a 5mm rubber breaker belt, sized to fit most stock commuter frames without pulling the fenders.
Measure your frame clearance before ordering. A frame that currently runs a 32c tire often has only 38mm of clearance, and 35mm plus mud is enough to jam. If you run fenders, you need 46mm of clearance, not 41mm.
$28
Read before you buy
Wax roughly doubles drivetrain life and takes an evening plus an overnight cool-down every month. Here is the honest arithmetic on whether that trade works for a daily rider.
Updated 2026-08-08 · 7 Questions
Bar diameter, seatpost diameter, tire clearance and eyelets. Twenty minutes with a caliper decides whether the next five upgrades fit or get returned.
Updated 2026-08-08 · 6 Questions
Tingling fingers on a commute is almost always weight distribution, not padding. What to check, in what order, and when new grips are actually the answer.
Updated 2026-08-08 · 6 Questions
What we commit to
If a part does not fit your bike, send it back unused within 60 days and we pay the return shipping both ways. No photographs, no explanation required.
Send us the four measurements from the first guide and we will tell you what fits and what does not, including when the answer is that you should not buy from us.
Nothing on this site says universal fit. If a part does not work with twist shifters or carbon bars, that sentence is on the product page before you add it to the cart.