Heart Rate Monitor

Whether you ride for health and fitness or for the excitement of pushing yourself farther, a heart rate monitor (HRM) is a great accessory. A wristwatch with a chest strap and electrodes uses radio waves to transmit your heart's electrical activity in beats per minute.

If you're looking to burn fat or ride faster, longer or harder, a HRM will help you maintain an optimum rate for what you're looking to accomplish. It will keep you from both underachieving or overexerting.

Camelbaks

One of the most important things to remember when riding is to stay hydrated. Your body uses water to cool itself. Through perspiration alone, you lose 1 liter of water per hour, and dehydration is a serious health hazard.

A Camelbak is a portable water storage system in a handy, compact backpack. They are great way to maintain hydration in comfort without sacrificing performance. When you've got fresh, cool water this handy, you'll drink more often.

*Camelbaks come in many sizes, with different features, and price points. No matter which one you choose, you'll be doing yourself a great service.

New Bicycle Accessories

No matter how often you visit your favorite bike shop, it's amazing how many new accessories become available. That's because since bikes are so popular, it's a category with constant innovation and experimentation. Between 1996 and 2000, over 4,200 bike-related patents were issued – that's more than two bike patents a day!

*Put your inventing cap on and don't be afraid to try to market useful, new bike accessories that you come up with. Bicycle accessories can be a lucrative business—the next new cool thing is never far off from making its way to the store.

Bicycle Racks

Nice rack! Bike racks are one of the most popular bicycle accessories around. And, just like your bike, your rack needs maintenance. If you've been traveling a lot with your bike lately, don't forget to care for your rack by:

• Lubricating all locks, hubs, fastening bolts and knobs
• Inspecting your roof rack regularly for signs of wear
• Clearing off any debris

The better you treat your bike rack, the longer it will last and perform for you.

Music to Pedal By

Go ahead and jam out to those tunes! Riding to your favorite music not only makes the trip more enjoyable, but will get you farther down the road. Research has proven that both men and women who pedal to their favorite music ride 11% farther before fatiguing than riders who ride in silence.

*Investing in an accessory like an Ipod or the featherweight Rio is a smart choice. Both crank out hours worth of uninterrupted music (that you choose and download yourself) and are compact.