Three cheap shed staples prevent a surprising share of weekend trouble: a cover that keeps a bike dry outdoors, a spare bulb kit living in the glovebox, and a set of hose clamps for anything that carries water. Together they cost about £6, and each one is cheaper than the problem it prevents.
None of them is exciting to buy. That is rather the point - these are the purchases you make once, on a calm afternoon, so that a wet Tuesday in November stays boring.
A cover keeps the weather off a bike
Our Bicycle Cover (£1.44) measures 180x100cm, which swallows most adult bikes including the handlebars. Measure yours before ordering if it has a child seat or wide bars - a cover that strains at the seams lets rain in at exactly those points, and one that is far too big flaps itself to ribbons in the wind.
The part people get wrong is sealing it up tight. A cover pulled closed over a wet bike traps condensation underneath, and the chain and gears rust in the damp dark the cover created. Use the strap or elastic hem if yours has one, so the cover stays on in a gale instead of ending up in next door's hedge. Leave the bottom edge loose so air can move, and once a week in a wet spell, lift the cover and let the bike dry properly. A cover is weather protection, not security, by the way - it hides a bike from casual view but does nothing against a thief, which is a separate problem we cover in how to lock a bike properly.
Spare bulbs belong in the car, not on a shopping list
Driving with a blown brake light or indicator is the sort of small offence that still earns a stop, a fine or an awkward roadside conversation, and it is an MOT failure besides. The Bluecol Universal Emergency Bulb Kit (£3.59) keeps the common fitments - headlamp, side, indicator, brake and number-plate bulbs for most mainstream cars - in one box in the glovebox, so a bulb that dies on a dark drive becomes a five-minute fix rather than a garage trip.
Checking for a dead bulb takes two minutes and needs a wall or a helper: lights on, walk around the car, then press the brake pedal against a wall or garage door and watch the reflection. A dashboard tell-tale helps on newer cars, and an indicator that suddenly flashes twice as fast is the classic sign that one of its bulbs has gone. Catching it in your own driveway beats hearing about it from a police officer.
Two honest caveats. Modern LED and HID headlights are sealed units and are not in kits like this; the kit covers the traditional bulbs around them, which are also the ones that fail most. And fitments vary, so keep the car's handbook with the kit and check which bulb goes where before you end up doing it by torchlight.
Hose clamps: the £1.10 plumbing fix
A hose clamp is a metal band with a screw that tightens it - the simplest fitting in the shed, and the one behind half the puddles in Britain. Our Hose Clamp Set (£1.10 for 10) covers the sizes behind washing machine inlet and drain hoses, dishwasher hoses, tumble dryer vent hose and the classic split garden hose, which can be cut back an inch and re-ended with a clamp.
Fit one by sliding it over the hose before the hose goes on the spigot, then tighten until snug. Snug is the word: too loose leaks, and wound down with full strength it cuts into rubber and causes the very split you were fixing. If a clamp lives somewhere permanently wet, expect a plated one to rust eventually - check it when you check the hose, about once a year.
Frequently asked questions
Will a bike cover stop my bike rusting?
It stops most of the rain, which is the main cause, but not all of the rust. Condensation still forms under a cover, so air the bike regularly and keep the chain oiled - a covered bike with a dry chain outlasts an uncovered one by years.
Is it actually illegal to drive with a blown bulb?
Your lights are required to work, and driving with a blown brake light, indicator or headlamp bulb can get you stopped and fined, as well as failing an MOT. A spare kit in the glovebox turns it into a minor pause instead of a penalty.
What size hose clamp do I need?
Measure the outside of the hose once it is pushed onto its fitting, and pick a clamp whose range includes that diameter. If it only just reaches, go one size up - a clamp at the very end of its travel never tightens properly.
Can I use a hose clamp on any pipe?
On domestic water, drainage and air vent hoses, yes. Keep them away from gas fittings, fuel lines and anything under pressure inside a sealed system - those are jobs for proper fittings and, in the gas case, a registered engineer.
