Do I Need More Stuff? {Saturday Shopper}

If all goes well (and the weather improves), today I will go for my first bike ride in a long, long time. FINALLY.

I think I have everything I need for this first ride. I have a bike, which thanks to my awesome husband is now in working order. I have a helmet -- the first bike helmet of my life. That will be a strange adjustment for someone who grew up in the era before helmets became commonplace. At least I will be setting a good safety example for my kids, who occasionally like to sneak onto their bikes or scooters without their helmets when we're not looking!

Okay, so -- bike? Check. Helmet? Check. One functional pair of legs? Check. That ought to get me started. But what about going forward? Will I need any other gear for regular cycling?

Until I begin triathlon training (which I'm thinking will happen sometime in the spring of 2013), I most likely will be riding my bike once or twice a week on the weekends, either at local parks or just around the neighborhood. I probably won't be going very fast, and I have no idea how long these rides will last. For just that amount of biking, do I need any other supplies, like a water bottle that attaches to the bike, or anything like that?

I'm also toying with the idea of starting to bike to the pool in the mornings, for the extra exercise and to save a little gas. I'm unsure about it though, because it will take me down a very busy road on which people frequently drive way too fast. If I should decide to attempt that trip, will I need any extra gear? It may be a little dark in the mornings when the days get shorter, so will I need reflective clothing or accessories? And what would be the best way to carry my pool gear with me -- in a backpack, or in some sort of bag that attaches to the bike somehow?

You can probably tell that I know pretty much nothing about biking. I don't expect to get too into cycling as a sport -- I more or less just want to ride for some extra exercise and so I eventually can achieve my goal of completing a triathlon. So I'm not looking to spend a lot of money or buy things I don't particularly need. If you have any tips on items I really should buy, please share! Thanks!