Basic tools for touring

[HobbesOnTour]

I think you have to set a limit somewhere, though, and you've just gone beyond mine! I carry spare cables on longer tours as they're small, but I satisfy myself by replacing pads if needed before I leave, so that they've still got enough life in them. If they still wear out, I should spot it early enough to find some because they're not so unusual - except on the hub brakes but they're very unlikely to wear out that fast... cook the hub grease maybe but not wear out pads.

That was me in reference to the brake pads.... until a combination of gravel & off road with heavy rain in Northern Spain and unfamiliar pads meant quickly wearing brake pads and the lack of biggish towns meant no bike shops until it was metal on metal.
And when my front derailleur cable snapped on my last tour, I confidently pulled out my spare.... to discover I had 3 brake cables..... and no derailleurs!

Similarly, I'd only carry a spare seat pin if it's unusual. Otherwise, worst case, I can probably replace it and the clamp with a modern integrated-clamp seatpost if either fail because the diameter is the common 27.2mm.

I only found out the pin was difficult to replace in Verona after an enforced night wild camping at a petrol station during a storm. And that was after having to wait around on a Sunday because nowhere was open! A pin or a new seatpost - either one was responsible for almost 2 days behind schedule.

It's all horses for courses, really. Popular routes well populated with bike shops means we can get away with less tools or spares. More away from it all routes benefit from a little more preparation. My personal approach is to consider the risk/reward.

I'm a great believer in Murphy's Law and plan accordingly

Related to the excellent "make sure that it can pump to your desired pressures" advice - make sure that any drivers and spanners in your touring toolkit can actually undo the things on your bike. What moves easily in the shed with a long hex key might seem stuck tight with a short flexi-jointed multi-tool.

Agreed. I've stripped my bike down and put it back together with what I have on tour. After adding a new front rack, I realised that the hex wrench on my multitool could no longer effectively adjust the brake nut.

Oh, if your punture kit is old, check the glue - it can dry out!

 

[Milkfloat]

I am so glad that lot's of you take a fully equipped LBS with you. If I get stuck, I know who to flag down. To take a lot of what some of you are suggesting, I would be having to travel to some really wild places. For large parts of the world some really simple tools and spares are all that are required.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I am so glad that lot's of you take a fully equipped LBS with you. If I get stuck, I know who to flag down. To take a lot of what some of you are suggesting, I would be having to travel to some really wild places. For large parts of the world some really simple tools and spares are all that are required.

Quite. And for the same reason I don’t take a mallet for my tent stakes. Mostly you can do this with your shoe, but it’s my way of going over to other campers and breaking the ice by asking to borrow theirs. Sometimes the cultural and social aspect of touring is the biggest part. Invites to supper and coffee happen you know.

This experience also happens within the LBSs while you are on tour. Freebies and coffee happen too. I know this. I am lucky.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

You may regret leaving that bench vice at home.

Perhaps. Just perhaps, if your workstand breaks, maybe take a second as a spare. But a sturdier, heavier one. It’s worth thinking about.

Or not.

 

[robjh]

Cable cutters, assuming you are carrying your own spare cables. You may not be able to pull the remains of a seriously frazzled cable through the cable housing, levers etc, and will need to cut it. Also, without cutters then your newly installed replacement brake or gear cable may have a lot of spare cable to tie up somehow below the derailleur or calipers.
Of course, depending on where you're going you may calculate that you'll be able to limp onto the next LBS minus one cable, but in that case why carry spare cables at all.

 

[mjr]

And when my front derailleur cable snapped on my last tour, I confidently pulled out my spare.... to discover I had 3 brake cables..... and no derailleurs!

Who carries a spare gear cable? Just use the limit screws to pick a gear and continue at reduced speed until it can be replaced. Brake cables are much more critical!

Oh, if your punture kit is old, check the glue - it can dry out!

Not if you expel all the air before putting the cap on tight. And if that sort of thing is a problem, then ultimately there is nothing you can carry which will prevent all effects of clod-handedness hurting you...

I am so glad that lot's of you take a fully equipped LBS with you. If I get stuck, I know who to flag down. To take a lot of what some of you are suggesting, I would be having to travel to some really wild places. For large parts of the world some really simple tools and spares are all that are required.

Despite fitting everything up to wheel nuts and crank bolts, my base touring toolkit is about 400g, which is lighter than the pump and inner tube. There are far better mechanics than me on ordinary group rides, but I'm sometimes the most mechanically-minded in a tour group, so it's nice to be able to fix stuff sometimes and avoid us all playing hunt-the-bike-shop when we don't need to. Most of the bits are in it due to experience!

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I carry a spare gear and brake cable @mjr. Very light and no space taken up.

But it’s mainly for situations where I run out of food and need to fish from a stream for tilapia. I tickle for trout.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Who carries a spare gear cable? Just use the limit screws to pick a gear and continue at reduced speed until it can be replaced. Brake cables are much more critical!

Who adjusts their limit screws and limps to a bike shop when they can just whip out a cable and solve the problem in a few minutes?

Not if you expel all the air before putting the cap on tight. And if that sort of thing is a problem, then ultimately there is nothing you can carry which will prevent all effects of clod-handedness hurting you...

Maybe that advice was too clod-handed for you, but maybe it'll be useful advice to someone.

Most of the bits are in it due to experience!

Ditto.

 

[Blue Hills]

Cable cutters, assuming you are carrying your own spare cables. You may not be able to pull the remains of a seriously frazzled cable through the cable housing, levers etc, and will need to cut it. Also, without cutters then your newly installed replacement brake or gear cable may have a lot of spare cable to tie up somehow below the derailleur or calipers.
Of course, depending on where you're going you may calculate that you'll be able to limp onto the next LBS minus one cable, but in that case why carry spare cables at all.

Have often thought of cutters but they are somewhat heavy - and good ones that perform at home have to be carefully selected. Don't suppose there are any smallish non cycling specific ones that will do the job.

In connection with this, best to take a few cable end caps I suppose.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Have often thought of cutters but they are somewhat heavy - and good ones that perform at home have to be carefully selected. Don't suppose there are any smallish non cycling specific ones that will do the job.

In connection with this, best to take a few cable end caps I suppose.

Not cable cutters, but you reminded me of a ‘Phoar’ pair of pliers I have.

These:

https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/pack-pliers

 

[raleighnut]

I've got a set of small 'mole' grips with tools inside similar to these,

 

[Blue Hills]

oo those look good - pricey I assume.

 

[Threevok]

I've since read that the cool thing to do (I've never done it) is to take your broken cable and secure it at one of the cable stops on the frame, maybe by putting the nipple against the stop on the chainstay, feed it through the mech as normal, physically shove the mech inboard and tighten it up. This will give you a useful lower single speed. But as I said, I've never done it. I can imagine that with a frayed cable end it could be ... challenging.

I've done similar with a zip tie

Always carry at least one, peeps

 

[Racing roadkill]

I've done similar with a zip tie

Always carry at least one, peeps

You also have to make sure you get a suitable ratio for the remaining ride, or you could be walking any steep bits you encounter.

 

[Threevok]

You also have to make sure you get a suitable ratio for the remaining ride, or you could be walking any steep bits you encounter.

I manage on the single speed OK.

Besides you've get 3 x 1 speed with a triple