New and Getting Overwhelmed

[marni]

as far as clothing- a jersey since it will have rear pockets into which you can stuff your wallet and id, cell phone, a nutrition bar etc. My preference is for jerseys with three pockets, full length zipper and scereaming bright colors for visibility. You might also want to consider a flasher or safety light of some sort. I have a blinking white light front and a blinking red light in the rear both of which are visible in daylight. You might also want to consider an under seat tool bag for your spare tire, tool kit, tire levers and inflation kit or failing an inflation kit, a frame pump, and a patch kit along with a couple of any of the following as a tire boot to cover a hole in case that is the cause of a flat: a folded dollar bill, and empty gu packet, a small piece of tire tube slit open, or anything which will cover the hole firmly enough to prevent the tube from pressing through from the inside. If you don't like riding with bulky pockets, you can get a so called bento box or small pouch which velcros to the top tube just in behind the handlebars. If and when I use one, it holds my gu, shot blocks a right bar and my camera.

incidentally, my motto is 3 pockets good to go.