I can't do lightweight cycling

[SkipdiverJohn]

Sometimes it's impossible to effect a repair on the roadside even with tools, I'm undecided on whether it's shameful or not to ring for assistance or whether walking to the nearest train station is appropriate.

Keep your self respect and save the assistance calls for the real emergencies. and by that i mean if you've had a crash and either you or the bike is no longer in a fit state to travel anywhere. People have got too blasé in the age of mobile phones. If a rider had to go searching for a working BT phone box, or find a shop that was open with a telephone you could use, and possibly this might involve walking several miles pushing or even shouldering an unrideable bike in a rural area, people would take the issue of being equipped to undertake roadside emergency repairs a lot more seriously than many of them do.

 

[si_c]

Keep your self respect and save the assistance calls for the real emergencies. and by that i mean if you've had a crash and either you or the bike is no longer in a fit state to travel anywhere. People have got too blasé in the age of mobile phones. If a rider had to go searching for a working BT phone box, or find a shop that was open with a telephone you could use, and possibly this might involve walking several miles pushing or even shouldering an unrideable bike in a rural area, people would take the issue of being equipped to undertake roadside emergency repairs a lot more seriously than many of them do.

Perhaps but I'm not going to carry a set of spare QRs in case one breaks for example, the vast majority of mechanicals I can fix, but some are not possible without a full toolset and spares. For example over the years I've had a seat binder break and QRs snap, in the former case I was able to ride to a bike shop, but had I been more than a couple of miles from one I may have called for help. In the latter case that's game over call for a pickup.

 

[MntnMan62]

If your bike doesn't have the modern attachments for water bottle cages or a bar bag then you have to improvise if you insist on taking loads of stuff with you. I know "roadies" frown on them but those of us who also mountain bike have no problem taking a backpack. You can hold everything you were missing on that ride in a backpack. So what if the "roadies" make fun of you. You can take comfort in knowing you are prepared and in knowing that anyone who makes fun of you for using a back pack is nothing but a roadie snob.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Must admit I've never broken a QR, but I have more nutted axles than QR's anyway. I don't even particularly see any benefit to them, although I will now consider carrying spare ones myself when on longer rides. It strikes me a lot of mechanical failures on modern bikes are down to flimsy engineering. I did countless miles on a low end steel Raleigh when I was a youngster, and that bike was ridden a lot harder and with less care than anything I ride now. Despite the treatment dished out I never had a saddle, seatpost or it's clamp, or an axle fail, or any major mechanical prevent me from completing a ride.

 

[Blue Hills]

If I lived in a flat part of the country I'd probably carry more stuff. But I don't, so it's minimalist for me. Every road cyclist around here is the same except those I see on tour

yes, many of the many road cyclists I see out and about have very little stuff with them.
I do often wonder how they will cope with an issue.
Can't help but think that many aren't out for long, aren't that far from home (ie doing circuits) and will go home if they encounter an issue rather than ride on.
In truth with many road cyclists isn't it that they are trying to maintain a "look", follow "the rules"?
Not all roadies are super slim snakes and a few more grams of kit and tools would surely do them little harm.

 

[Blue Hills]

Which raises the slightly philosophical question, does "lightweight cycling" exist? A TdF bike may be stripped down the the bare minimum and weigh less than a pair of trainers, but there is a cavalcade of cars following them with replacements and parts on board.

nail on head there andy - that's the image many hobby racers are following I think.
wouldn't be surprised to learn that some have the wife/partner drive out with a podium to meet them at the end.

 

[Blue Hills]

'Lightweight' doesn't mean pretending you're in a road race & carrying nothing (more prat than pro). P*nct*re repair stuff, multi-tool, and rainwear if required. Should all go in the smallest of saddle-bags or seat-packs.

and the pump?
Must admit to sometimes casually scanning roadies as I ride around trying to spot their pump - or something I'd rate as a real one.
In the meantime development work continues on my "ramrod" branded suppository pump for roadies who want to maintain their look. Giving wives/partners the opportunity to say "take it out of your arse" to any inconsequential calls.

 

[steveindenmark]

My bike usually looks like this. My waterproofs, tools, powerpack and various leads live on the bike. I like to have space for swimming kit or shopping.

 

[Blue Hills]

nice - liked - but i can't see that you could add much on a whim shopping to that set-up unless we are talking controlled drugs.
If I'm travelling relatively light (for me) with just two small panniers I sometimes take two 13/15 litre 350D ortlieb drysacks and two clever bungees with me in the panniers - a fair bit of shopping can be shoved in those and strapped on top if I feel a need at the end of the dayride for some shopping/beers.
None of my bikes are without racks.
for more minimalist folks I can recommend the tubus fly.

tortec do something kinda similar and cheaper.
tho there's no real platform on top, bags can be strapped sideways across the top, small panniers providing a support.

 

[tyred]

If your bike doesn't have the modern attachments for water bottle cages or a bar bag then you have to improvise if you insist on taking loads of stuff with you. I know "roadies" frown on them but those of us who also mountain bike have no problem taking a backpack. You can hold everything you were missing on that ride in a backpack. So what if the "roadies" make fun of you. You can take comfort in knowing you are prepared and in knowing that anyone who makes fun of you for using a back pack is nothing but a roadie snob.

I don't ride with a backpack. Not because I am worried about what people think about me but because it hurts my back. It makes more sense to use the bike to carry the weight.

I also wonder what effect weight in a backpack would have in the event of an off. Surely the extra weight would cause a heavier landing with more risk of an injury and if you have tools or something in it, a risk of stabbing yourself with them.

 

[Ian H]

and the pump?

Each bike has its own pump with a bottle-cage clip.

 

[MichaelW2]

There are a number of cyclist rescue services that can fix or pickup a stranded Cyclist of Means. If going tool-free ultralight matters that much, they probably can and should sort themselves out with such a service.

 

[MntnMan62]

yes, many of the many road cyclists I see out and about have very little stuff with them.
I do often wonder how they will cope with an issue.
Can't help but think that many aren't out for long, aren't that far from home (ie doing circuits) and will go home if they encounter an issue rather than ride on.
In truth with many road cyclists isn't it that they are trying to maintain a "look", follow "the rules"?
Not all roadies are super slim snakes and a few more grams of kit and tools would surely do them little harm.

I would be one of those you see with very little with them. I basically carry two full water bottles, a pump and a small saddle bag that has a spare tube, patch kit, bike multi-tool and a packet of Gu along with my phone, ID and house key. And you would be correct that I am usually riding a loop that never takes me more than about 5 miles from my home. I'll do the 10 mile loop twice on most days but have been known to do it three times. There is a 12 to 13 mile loop that I intend to do once I feel I can tackle the additional hill climbs on that route but it essentially follows the same general loop with some added detours. I have gotten flats before and I will fix them on the road so I can ride home. The only time I was forced to walk was when a small piece of stick somehow got lodged in the lower pulleys of my rear derailleur and I ended up snapping the entire derailleur off completely. No amount of tools would have allowed me to fix that one on the fly. But years ago when I first started riding on the road with my new road bike after years of mountain biking I would continue to carry everything in a backpack simply because that was what I was used to. I did a few rides with an attorney I knew from work who also rode in my area and when he saw me with the backpack he said "That's very mountain." I said "So what" and he repeated "That's very mountain." I didn't ride with him after that. I don't have patience for roadie snobs.

 

[ColinJ]

The only time I was forced to walk was when a small piece of stick somehow got lodged in the lower pulleys of my rear derailleur and I ended up snapping the entire derailleur off completely. No amount of tools would have allowed me to fix that one on the fly.

A Scottish lad arrived on one of our training camps in Spain with a hanger bent by baggage handlers. He straightened it out but it snapped off in the middle of his first ride, resulting in his mech going into the back wheel so he ended up with a broken hanger, broken mech, broken chain, and broken spokes ...

He was damn lucky because:

• Between us, we had enough tools and know-how to bodge his bike into a singlespeed to get him back to the hotel
• Great ex pro Robert Millar was staying at the hotel
• He was the same size as RM
• RM had a collection of superbikes with him to test for Pro Cycling magazine (Pinarello, Colnago, Bianchi etc.)
• RM lent him a different superbike every day in return for a mini-review!

 

[MichaelW2]

You can possibly limp home as a singlespeed if you have a chain tool.