Basic tools for touring

[classic33]

"Niitakayama nobore!"
Mod Note:
Translation of the above Japanese text: Climb Mount Niitaka!
Interesting link here.

Watching this at the time
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Countdown_(film)

Which is where I got it from.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I had no idea Japan's terrain and country was like that.

Not many people do: to be fair the Japanese gov't has put a lot of effort into covering as much as possible with concrete over the last 50 years, so it isn't immediately obvious, but there are miles upon miles of mountains with almost no-one living in them. That's the point of taking the bikes, because otherwise we'll be stuck in the ugly bits that everyone knows about.

To give you some idea, type 'Ise, Japan' into Google Earth. Ise is where my Inlaws live and it is as as ugly as most Japanese towns, but if you scroll south and west you'll see the sort of places we're aiming for.

This trip is sounding better and better!

As a matter of interest, will ye be there for the Rugby World Cup next year?

Thanks... We're not actually sure when we'll be going next as we have an imminent house move and we will certainly avoid the country when there's big sporting events because it makes it unbearable, so we'll be unlikely to go next year certainly avoid it in 2020 when the Olympics move in.

 

[Dave 123]

A tyre boot is something that you can put inside the tyre to stop a bulge getting bigger until you can replace the tyre. I use cloth from an old airbed. No idea if that is strong enough.

Edit - apparently and perhaps obviously, it's to repair a small cut until you can replace the tyre.

Here is Park Tools' offering. I still favour finding something homemade.

I once used a business card that had just been handed to me 5 minutes before by the London and Essex branch of the tandem club.
It was exciting going down hill at 30 mph relying on a bit of card!

 

[PaulSB]

Intrigued by the "bottom bracket failure" paul. I thought they usually degraded gradually in a non critical way, still perfectly rideable albeit with reduced efficiency. What happened, what sort of BB?

Apologies only just spotted this. It was at least 16 years ago so I can't recall the type of BB. I was riding a much loved, now stolen, Marin San Rafael.

I think most would know the slight "sloppy" feeling on the downward pedal stroke which, in my experience, is the first indication the BB needs attention. In this instance the BB suddenly went from fine to very loose with a significant amount of movement on the down stroke. Imagine riding with a BB which hasn't been tightened and you have the picture. It was pointless trying to pedal uphill so I walked up, freewheeled down and pedalled very inefficiently and slowly on the flat.

I was seven miles from home and it was so cold my water bottle started to freeze!! Never forgotten that.

 

[Blue Hills]

Thanks for info paul. I've been lucky I suppose. Only ever got as far as an apparent grindiness in the bearings, then checked cranks for the slight tell-tale slight side to side wobble/play.

 

[united4ever]

sounds cool and all. Is cycling big in Japan as in people doing 100km plus rides at the weekend and cycling clubs? I lived in Kyushu before but wasn't into cycling then so never really noticed many lycra clad cyclists going out at the weekend or even people touring.

The hills are fairly unavoidable I guess given the flat areas tend to be so developed. That would be tough but I think staying at a ryokan and getting in a hot spring after a day on the bike would be the perfect recovery.

 

[freiston]

Regarding tyre boot material - I've heard good reports of using pieces cut from plastic milk cartons and so I carry a piece (cut to slide into a bag). I carry duct tape wrapped around an old plastic membership card and I also carry an old small puncture repair kit tin with spare screws, nuts, bolts and washers in it - for carriers, mudguards, water bottles, light fittings etc. As mentioned up-thread, a spare cleat bolt too.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

An insulated cup is good for touring in colder months. Grab a hot chocolate at a cafe or make one in a hostel. Then you can have that hot drink at the perfect moment during the day.

 

[rollingthru]

I found a multi-purpose tool helpful, such as a Leathermen out of Portland Oregon. I got an adapter that excepts 1/4” bits. I also got a 1/4” drive bit to allow metric sockets on “male end” of drive bit. Never had to use it yet, but I don’t have that much experience touring yet.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Regarding tyre boot material - I've heard good reports of using pieces cut from plastic milk cartons and so I carry a piece (cut to slide into a bag). I carry duct tape wrapped around an old plastic membership card and I also carry an old small puncture repair kit tin with spare screws, nuts, bolts and washers in it - for carriers, mudguards, water bottles, light fittings etc. As mentioned up-thread, a spare cleat bolt too.

The new plastic £5 and £10 notes work well as tyre boots.

 

[Bored Man]

The new plastic £5 and £10 notes work well as tyre boots.

WoW how the other life live..

 

[Mike Ayling]

I've had problems trying to use a chain splitter that's part of a multi-tool so carry a separate one, only thing I can think of that hasn't already been mentioned is a tyre boot or two.

Australian bank notes are made of a tough plastic. They make great tyre boots!
Mike

 

[froze]

While a mylar wrapper is pretty tough when you try to tear it, they don't do so well with pointy things penetrating it, so I would not use a mylar wrapper or a plastic bill, or other cash made of fabrics, or an old spent tube, etc.; cutting something plastic like a milk jug the edges could rub a hole into the tube as you ride. The Park boot is quite tough, but any boot is strictly an emergency get you someplace to get it fixed type of deal, even the Park boot, which is tough, it's also self sticking and that self sticking only lasts about 2 days then the boot will begin to move...just as any loose boot you created out of whatever will do. And if you are touring you shouldn't be just running on your two main tires and a tire boot for emergencies, you should be carrying a spare tire for those occasions when you have a major issue with a tire. Not saying not to carry a boot, no, carry a boot, but carry a spare tire because that will work a lot better than a boot, and a folding tire can pack quite small but I use steel beaded tires and I have a lighter tire I use for a spare that is steel beaded as well that I folded into a smaller circle and it's attached to the outside of one of my panniers.

As far as tools or repair items goes, what I pack on when I tour is similar to what most people pack.
Spare tire.
two spare tubes.
Park Tire boot
Park glueless patches (I know what some of you think of these but I know how to make them last the life of the tube)
2 Soma Steel Core tire levers
VAR tire lever
1 frame pump, and 1 mini pump for backup
Presta to Schrader converter (I make sure I can get air!)
4 FiberFix spokes (some bikes have spoke holders on the frame, if you have those then carry regular spokes)
Park MTB3 mini tool
cheap small folding pliers
pedal tool
couple of spare chain links
a nylon scrubber, actually two, one for dishes and one for chain cleaning
on the above note I carry biodegradable soap and I use that to clean the chain if needed.
several reusable medium size zip ties
3 feet of black Gorilla tape wrapped around a pencil
lube
hand wipes (I hate gloves, I like to feel what I'm doing)
small bungee cords
spare screws for cleats, racks, bottle cages, fenders, etc.


I do carry some tools for camping like a peg hammer that I could use to beat my bike with it I needed to, and I have a really strong and sharp knife that I could use for something on the bike if needed. I use a fishing rod as a flag pole so it serves double duty. I also carry a S&W 357 mag revolver, but since I don't carry a concealed weapon permit for every state I be in (I do have a concealed permit but not all states recognize other states concealed permits) I keep it unloaded and the bullets in a speed loader in another separate bag (meaning the gun is the handlebar bag and the speed loader is in a pannier, this is the only way it will be considered legal, if both the ammo and the gun are in the same bag many states consider that loaded even if it's not physically loaded), and that is legal from what I've read, when it becomes illegal is if the gun is loaded and concealed; I have no delusions about getting the gun out in time to shoot someone as I'm riding, I read where people think they can, but in reality by the time you know you're being threatened by a motorist it's too late to retrieve the gun even if you don't have to load it; no my gun is for wild animals when I'm camping, those are more of threat than another person is actually. I only carry 6 rounds and no more because ammo is heavy, and if I need more than that I'm probably dead anyways! LOL!!! While a 357 revolver is heavier than smaller pea shooters, those smaller pea shooters may not even stop a raccoon not alone something larger which all it will do is piss off the animal that will come after you, 357 is the smallest load to stop a medium size animal, some claim a 357 can take down a bear...well I don't know, black bear maybe, a grizzly probably not, but I hope to never find out. The reason I put the gun in the handlebar bag is because if I stop at some store or restaurant I can quickly unclip the bag, clip on the shoulder straps, and take it with me much easier than a pannier bag.

I did read here someone took dental floss and a sewing needle...I like that idea and I'll be carrying that too from now on.

I can't see the need for a cassette breaker, or in my case a freewheel breaker, because if I have to do that I still have to walk someplace and buy another freewheel, might as well just let the bike shop fix it since I would have to go there anyways. I also don't see the need to carry around brake blocks since I would be pre tripping my bike before each start of the day I would notice any wear and would eventually make it to a bike shop to replace the blocks.

Of course I carry cash and my card, ID and insurance cards, cell phone, spare bats for the computer, a battery that can be used to charge my phone if needed, flashlights, several different ways to start fire (always good to have the ability to start a fire, and it's always good to have a couple of back up ways to start a fire in case the first way fails), first aid kit, emergency blanket. Ok my minds gone numb, I'm sure i'm forgetting some stuff but I'm too lazy today to go get my bag and pour it all out and start listing it all, so this will have to do. Keep in mind that a lot of this stuff doesn't take that much room, in fact all of this stuff that i mentioned above which I reduce when not touring is this:
1 spare tube.
Park Tire boot
Park glueless patches
2 Soma Steel Core tire levers
QuikStik (I don't take this when I tour, doesn't work real well with steel beaded tires)
1 mini pump
Presta to Schrader converter
Park MTB3 mini tool
cheap small folding pliers
hand wipes
money
spare battery for bike computer
cell phone
All of that stuff fits into my seat bag except for the mini pump! And i still have room in the bag left for food, so while it seems like a lot it's not. Oh, I leave the gun at home when I'm not touring.

 

[alicat]

I also carry a S&W 357 mag revolver, but since I don't carry a concealed weapon permit for every state I be in (I do have a concealed permit but not all states recognize other states concealed permits) I keep it unloaded and the bullets in a speed loader in another separate bag (meaning the gun is the handlebar bag and the speed loader is in a pannier, this is the only way it will be considered legal, if both the ammo and the gun are in the same bag many states consider that loaded even if it's not physically loaded), and that is legal from what I've read, when it becomes illegal is if the gun is loaded and concealed; I have no delusions about getting the gun out in time to shoot someone as I'm riding, I read where people think they can, but in reality by the time you know you're being threatened by a motorist it's too late to retrieve the gun even if you don't have to load it; no my gun is for wild animals when I'm camping, those are more of threat than another person is actually. I only carry 6 rounds and no more because ammo is heavy, and if I need more than that I'm probably dead anyways! LOL!!! While a 357 revolver is heavier than smaller pea shooters, those smaller pea shooters may not even stop a raccoon not alone something larger which all it will do is piss off the animal that will come after you, 357 is the smallest load to stop a medium size animal, some claim a 357 can take down a bear...well I don't know, black bear maybe, a grizzly probably not, but I hope to never find out. The reason I put the gun in the handlebar bag is because if I stop at some store or restaurant I can quickly unclip the bag, clip on the shoulder straps, and take it with me much easier than a pannier bag.

I'm grateful I've never even seen a weapon that uses a bullet, except when passing hunting shops.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Jeez! I see where I've being going wrong......
357 Magnum: Check!
Spare Brake Pads: Not necessary