Dollarama's Bike Accessories Worth A Look

When I was a kid, owning a tricked-out bicycle was the status symbol among my friends and I. We were all about handlebar streamers, handlebar baskets, rear view mirrors, horns, and lights. If it was for a bike, we wanted it.

Cost was often a hindrance to fulfilling those kid-sized dreams then but, with the help of the dollar store, you can now outfit your kid's bike with the necessities for a fraction of the cost of hardware store accessories.

Here's a list of price comparisons between Dollarama and Canadian Tire:

u-lock - This steel bike lock is only $2 at Dollarama. A slightly larger u-lock I saw at Canadian Tire costs $7.99.

cable bike locks, $1.25 - They're not very long but it could be all your child needs to keep an opportunist from swiping his/her bike from the school yard. Or you can get a kids cable combination lock for $4.99 at the hardware store.

bells or horns - These are only $1 each at Dollarama or pay $3.99 for a bell or $4.99 for a kid-sized horn at Canadian Tire.

adjustable bike mirror - A buck for a mirror for your child's bike or $7.99?

red and white bike lights - In my humble opinion, more bicycles should have a set of lights on them, especially since you see quite a few more bicycles on the road at night. If you buy them at the dollar store, the price shouldn't be a hindrance. The set includes one red and one white for only $1, batteries extra. A slightly larger pair costs $3.99 at the aforementioned hardware store.

bicycle seat wedge bag - These bags cost $2 at Dollarama and attach to the post underneath the seat to allow for storage. A similar size bag at Canadian Tire costs $29.99 with the only visible difference being that it has one zipper instead of two and a hard inner shell. This is an accessory that even adults can appreciate.

An editor and fellow WalletPopper, Liz Metcalfe, is a motorcycle enthusist who bought two of these dollar store seat bags to use for storing small necessities she needs when travelling on her bike.

"They come with velcro straps to go around the post, but those straps can go around anything tube-shaped,' she says, "So I attached them to the passenger seat handgrips and used a configuration of key chain rings with straps and keychain carbiners (also from a dollar store) to keep them from flopping around (motorcycles go a lot faster than bicycles) and getting buffeted and possibly torn off by the wind.'

Liz uses the seat bags to carry things like bungee cords, microfiber cloths and expandable towels, when she's travelling long distances. She says, "It's a lot more convenient to access these accessories/aids from small bags attached to the bike than to have to rummage through a tank bag or tail bag for them."

Only you can decide if dollar store bicycle gear will suit your needs but, with a possible savings of $25.69 at stake, they're certainly worth a look.

Marlene Alexander is a freelance writer and dollar store diva. She writes tips and ideas for home decorating using only items from the dollar store.