[freetime101]

What spares / tools do you all take with you on a ride? 

How do you carry it? Saddle bag? Pocket caddy? Loose in a jersey pocket? Other?

Does it vary by ride? 

I carry 2 x CO2 cartridges, a mulitool with built in chain breaker and CO2 inflator, 3 x tyre levers (my wheel/tyre combo is a PITA to remove/refit), 1 x quick link, 1 x spare tube and a couple of glueless patches in a Leyzene Road Caddy saddle bag. Now that I’m tubeless I also carry a tubelsss repair kit in my pocket as it won’t fit in the caddy. 

It bothers me that I don’t have a normal pump so I’m shopping for the “best” one… but that got me thinking about what I should be carrying and how – I figure the best way to determine this is experience, so I’m asking for yours 

I figure some of you will have been cycling since before I was born, and some of you will have started yesterday, so I wonder if we’ll get a wide range of answers…

Topic

[brooksby]

Sriracha wrote:

Sriracha wrote:

brooksby wrote:

Why would you need a bluetooth bike pump???

Yah, it’s a thing, gathers all your pumping stats; max pressure, average flow, pumping cadence, distance stroked. Strava have a section for it now.

Wow – KOM for (err?) pumping? 

[Tom_77]

Depends on the bike and the

Depends on the bike and the journey. Pre-covid, quite often nothing at all beyond a wallet and mobile phone. These days it’s usually an inner tube, pump and tyre levers.

For longer journeys on my e-bike I take a bit more stuff – spare chain, multi-tool, hex keys, cable ties, disposable gloves, small first aid kit.

I have a frame bag on my road bike, my other bikes have panniers.

 

[Sriracha]

brooksby wrote:

brooksby wrote:

Why would you need a bluetooth bike pump???

Yah, it’s a thing, gathers all your pumping stats; max pressure, average flow, pumping cadence, distance stroked. Strava have a section for it now.

[dooderooni]

Topeka Race Rocket pump on
Topeka Race Rocket pump on the bike, 2 spare tubes, self adhesive patches, 2 Pedro’s levers, a minitool and a quick link in an Ortlieb Micro saddle bag.

[brooksby]

I have a non-cycling

I have a non-cycling multitool (a Leatherman); a spare tube; a pump (not a mini-pump, but not a full size frame pump either); and then a tool roll which contains a cycling specific multitool, a chain link, the tool to get my security skewers off, a pair of tyre levers, a (very) small Phillips head screwdriver, a chain tool, and a 5mm hex key.  That all lives either in my bag or pannier, depending on which i’m using.

Edit: Just remembered. I also carry a little pack of Park Tool stick-on patches, just in case.

[mdavidford]

brooksby wrote:

Why would you need a bluetooth bike pump???

So that you can update it’s firmware from your phone, obvs.

[hawkinspeter]

I carry way too many tools,

I carry way too many tools, but here’s my current selection:

Chain-breaker tool in handlebar
Spare inner tube and tyre levers attached to water cage (Topeak)
 

In a Rhinoware saddle dry-bag (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B087NCGG78):
iPump mini-pump
Lifeline 2-in-1 tyre levers/inflator
Wolf Tooth multi-tool
Flexy 4mm bit extender (for use with the Wolf Tooth)
Dynaplug racer tubeless repair kit
Shimano Di2 tool
Co2 cartridge (rusty)
Gerber Dime multi-tool
Valve extender
Topeak 5Nm torque bit
6mm-4mm adapter
4mm-6mm adapter
Tyre Boot
Doc Blue sealant
Glueless patches
Rubber gloves

Just weighed the saddle bag contents and they’re 450g

[freetime101]

I have no idea… it’s a

I have no idea… it’s a thing though; https://www.wiggle.co.uk/silca-tattico-bluetooth-mini-pump-w-mount

Without Bluetooth is £60 so it seems to be a £70 pressure gauge…

[Hirsute]

Sounds good if you need

Sounds good if you need glasses to read small print !
I don’t take reading glasses with me, so my pump is hard to read, although it doesn’t need cahrging up…

[don simon fbpe]

I carry the following.

I carry the following.

Multitool

Chain breaker

bent piece of coat hanger for chain reconnecting

chain pins

cable ties

spare tube(s)

pump

That seems to cover most eventualities.

[brooksby]

Why would you need a

Why would you need a bluetooth bike pump???

[brooksby]

Truth is, the fettling I’m

Truth is, the fettling I’m likely to do out on the road I could probably get away with just the little screwdriver and the hex key (fiddling with v-brakes).  Since I always have a full size bag or a pannier, the weight really isn’t an issue and I can’t bring myself to leave the cycling multitool behind.

The Leatherman is an old one with a (slightly illegal) locking blade.  It also has a saw, which I’ve found useful for civic duty an’ all that – if I get hit in the face with a branch, I’ll usually stop and cut it so it doesn’t happen to the next person…

 

[freetime101]

Seems comprehensive – can I

Seems comprehensive – can I ask why the Leatherman and the cycling multitool? You carry a separate chain tool, philips screwdriver and 5mm hex key, what are the multitools for?

I ask as I imagine a Leatherman has a knife and pliers which I can see a use for but the second multitool is just a backup?

[OnYerBike]

On my road bike (clinchers w/

On my road bike (clinchers w/ tubes): spare tube, 3x tyre levers, cycling multi-tool (w/ chain breaker), quick link, tube patches, tyre boot, a few random zip ties. All in saddle bag that stays on bike. Mini-pump attached to bottle cage. This has been more than enough for any on-ride mechanical issues for many years – IMHO anything that can’t be fixed with the above is not realistically a roadside repair for a day ride. Phone, money, snacks in jersey pockets. (Obviously long distance tourers might carry a bit more – spare spokes, spare tyres, new chain etc.)

Gravel bike (tubeless): basically the same plus a dynaplug. All (including mini-pump) in a smallish frame bag. I have been considering adding a couple of cannisters to the gravel bike – I understand they can help seat a tyre when a mini-pump struggles. (on the other hand, I’ve also heard that CO2 can degrade sealant, so might be a case of use CO2 to seat then deflate and re-inflate with mini-pump). Gravel bike is newish so we’ll see how well this works out.

I used to do a bit more mountain biking too – the one thing I would add is a spare derailleur hanger. Much higher risk of hitting the derailleur off road than on, so I don’t think it’s necessary for the road bike. If the derailleur/hanger does somehow end up FUBAR then on the road it’s also a viable solution to use the chain breaker + quick link to convert to single speed to get home.

I like having all the emergency kit on the bike permanently. For one thing there’s nothing to forget. It’s less faff, more comfortable and more secure than jersey pockets. Also keeps space in jersey pockets for other things.

[freetime101]

Wow I thought £55 was pricey

Wow I thought £55 was pricey but they do a £130 Bluetooth version! 

[Author]

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